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1919 pistol project

4K views 27 replies 13 participants last post by  panaceabeachbum 
#1 ·
dummy/unfinished non-gun rec, no short bbl, just thinking





 
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#4 ·
I've seen video of someone firing a shorty M1919 from the hip. He was supporting it with a strap, feeding the belt with one hand and firing it with the other.

IIRC, the feds classify a semi-auto M1919 as a crew served weapon. This means the federal laws pretaining to rifles and pistols don't apply to a M1919. A shorty M1919 with the A6 carrying handle isn't an AOW, a shorty M1919 with the A6 shoulder stock isn't a SBR. That doesn't mean you can't run afowl of state regs, but the ATF isn't going to bust down your door for building a shorty 1919.

Here's a pic of a similar mockup done by the creator of the Crankfire setup:
 

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#5 ·
Don't do it! Stop the madness! :)

Seriously, I've never been a fan of "how small can you make it" builds. I'm a stickler for "authentic as possible" military clones.

For me, the magic is making something "interesting". Like a quick-change barrel trunion. Or a belt-fed AK conversion. Or a SCAR-type caliber-convertible rifle (currently on my list). But a 1919 with .05" of barrel just isn't something that blows up my skirt.

Anyone can cut a barrel down.

I too have seen that shorty 1919 and just have to ask myself "why"? Is it cool? Novel, perhaps, and something that may get a bunch of guffaws at a gun show. Good to attract attention to the booth. But not something I'd want in my gun safe 10 years from now...
 
#6 ·
I don't disagree there Pookie, like an AK pistol the best thing I can see about a short barreled 1919 is the fireball it'd give off when you shot it.

My personal favorite "oddball" 1919 is an A6 type, it had the normal length barrel and bipod, and it's builder used the buttstock and pistol grip assembly from a M240.
 
#10 ·
panaceabeachbum said:
thats the plan on the 1919, bearing at the end and bbl sticking out and contoured to look like a 50 cal, just screwed the booster in place to see what a pistol like 1919 would look like. Plan is to bead blast then parkerize.

I will post pics of the vic shortlt its in a state of disassembly now


I have seen a number of the short shroud/ barrel hanging out 1919 shorties and IME a lot of them dont function reliably, at least in .308. 8mm seems to have enough ommph to work without a booster, though.
Im in the process of building one with an MG34 barrel with the rear bushed for the 1919 and the front bushing slid back to 6" from the breech. I'm using a cut off A6 booster with the orifice drilled out so the barrel sticks out through it. I plan to drill a port or ports so that the gas will impinge on the inside surface of the booster.

I love my short 1919s for a number of reasons, they are a lot lighter, more handy and I get off on the 4' fireball. Mine are just as accurate as the full length if not more so.

I would love to see pics of the 16" Vickers
 
#12 ·
I was 2 firing line spaces down from one of those shorties at the Eastern Oregon MG shoot in June.

The fireball was quite large. The blast was very obnoxious. One time after the guy stopped firing, there was a flame coming out the end of the barrel for another 5 or 8 secs- looked like a large Bic lighter flame. I don't know what was burning.....

If you like blast and fireballs, that's your puppy. It's been done before- just have to know (or find) the right people who have already invented it. No need to reinvent the wheel....

ps I have no idea how to make one in case you were gonna ask...
 
#13 ·
oh making it is a breeze, as you see in the first pic the jacket and bushing are done, the booster is sized to cycle with a 10" .308 bbl , which runs great on a friends registered FA 1919, its just assembly from this point, All the details of functionality are worked out I was just wondering about the pistol build from a legal standpoint
 
#15 ·
1919s are a "special case" as it fits the federal regs definition of a "firearm", but not the definition of rifle, handgun, or shotgun. It is designed to be fired from a tripod, not from the shoulder or held with one hand. As long as you don't clamp an A6 stock on it with a 10" bbl installed you should be OK.
 
#16 ·
I posed the same question on 1919a4 last year and never got a definite answer, the general feeling on that group was it would be an SBR but since the 1919 is not a rifle but just a firearm I dont believe this is true. I will draft a letter this weekend and send to ATF tech branch on monday and hopefully in a few months we will have an answer
 
#19 ·
Its a DS gun from the movie Logans Run, DS is short for deep sleep and in the movie with Michael York the flame effect a Blue/green star burst was the real deal as the gun was a oversized lighter but to a 8 year old a very cool effect. This pic sucks as the flame was intense enough to light a room.
 
#25 ·
pbdeh said:
I am building a 1919a4 - fullsize not a pistol and am thinking about
using a duracoat finish instead of parkerizing. Has anyone tried to
match the greenish mil-spec finish with duracoat?
Here is the green/grey gunkote I put on mine. I like it....

 
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