Browning-FN Herstal aircraft machinegun
 

Hello All,
I saw some weeks ago in a private museum a machine gun which looks at 100% to a .303 Browning used on RAF aircraft. But the manufacturer of this one is FN-Herstal .( Famous Belgium weapons factory), the caliber is 7.62 and a cartridge inside is dated 1940.
The model is with electric ignition. It surely come from a crashed plane in France.
I'am wondering wich type of aircraft used these Mg's ? Belgium planes in 1940 ?
thanks
Granville

Re: Browning-FN Herstal aircraft machinegun
 

I would immediately suspect the Gladiators and Hurricanes used by the Belgian Air Force in 1940. I don't know the details of these aircraft, but the armament of an aircraft was Government Furnished Equipment, and was not necessarily installed at the factory before delivery. This would be particularly true of an export order, which might well insist upon locally-manufactured items.

Re: Browning-FN Herstal aircraft machinegun
 

AFAIK quite many planes used FN-Brownings in 1940: Fokker D.21, Koolhoven FK.58, Fokker G-1 etc. and I won't be suprised if French Curtiss H-75As had them too.

Re: Browning-FN Herstal aircraft machinegun
 

the .303 is 7.68+ mm so one stamped 7.62 was likely firing the 30 caliber (30-06/7.62x62) rounds, not the .303

Re: Browning-FN Herstal aircraft machinegun
 

Thanks for all replies,
Curtiss H-75 is a good idea ! I checked and yes, they have FN-Browning but in 7.5mm ( typical french caliber).
Wondering if I saw 7.5 or 7.62 on the MG ...
From the area where the weapon is coming, lot of chance that is from H75 ..
Thanks again
Granville

Re: Browning-FN Herstal aircraft machinegun
 

7,62mm sounds a bit strange; I think the caliber was usually 7,7mm ie 0.303" and the French used 7,5mm. The ex-French H-75As had 7,5mm versions when these arrived to Finland but later these were changed to 7,7mm.

I don't know exactly how the caliber change worked out for the smaller FN-Brownings but at least in the case of the 13,2mm FN-Browning (13,2 and 12,7mm) it was change of the barrel and possibly some smaller parts.

Re: Browning-FN Herstal aircraft machinegun
 

There would also have to be a bolt change to accomodate a .303 (7.68/7.77) vs 30-06 (7.62) as the 30-06/.30 Cal round was rimless

(as is 7.62x51mm Nato - just a shortened 30-06 cartridge).