Not to ressurect a sleeping thread but in case you progress through your projects at the same speed that I do with mine, the British wing gun would have been officially called a Browning Machine Gun MKI, MKI*, MKII, or MKII*, depending on small changes made to the platform. The internals, although very similar in appearance to the bigger American versions had some variations that have a major impact on operational processes.
The Browning MKII* (sort of the definitively held version) was based obviously on the ANM2 American machine gun, also called (before air usage) the Colt MG40. Differences were, caliber, the British requirement for this wingmounted MG to be able to be fed from its left side or its right side (depending on how it is mounted inside the wing. This variation made it necesssary to...), move the firing mechanism to the side of the machine gun as opposed to the top or bottom (actuated by a remotely triggered solenoid), and the requirement that it be even lighter in weight than its American cousins.
It also operated/fired from an open bolt configuration, which in conjunction with its ammo type and lighter weight of most parts, caused an exceptionally high rate of fire when compared to other Browning patent MG’s used in the war.
The build contract was issued to Vickers (then called Vickers Armstrong) but as Vickers Armstrong was already dutifully busy producing warbirds and other vehicles, actual production was done by BSA. The search for this gun is greatly confused by the fact that Vickers had an earlier land-based production MG in use, through WWII even, typically referred to as “the Vickers”, which was based on the Maxim water-cooled machine gun. Not to be easily found then by going by the street name of “Browning Machine Gun MKII*”, this aircraft used British machine gun is sometimes also called “Vickers”, sometimes “Vickers Armstrong”, sometimes “ANM2”, sometimes “MKII”, and sometimes “Browning MKII”, and in almost all cases with the addendum “.303 British” tagged on at the end. Further, later in the war, Canada also began producing this model under Inglis, but a search for “Inglis Browning” will 99.999% of the time get for you an Inglis Browning Hi-Power pistol.
According to my research, a total of more than 550,000 units were produced worldwide. That sounds like a very high number to me, but I wasn’t around back then. I’ll have to take their word for it.
The Browning Machine Gun MKII* .303 British, is still about the coolest looking light MG to ever hit the skies, in my opinion.
Last edited by
Samorgan on Mon Oct 29, 2018 8:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.