MK19 machine gun … good leverage for feeding

PS: The Preventive Maintenance Monthly, Jan, 2005

If the MK19 machine gun drive levers can't move ammo forward, it comes to a dead stop on firing. Keep the drive levers on the move with these points:

* MWO 9-1010-230-50-1 replaces the secondary drive with an adjustable lever. But you must be careful how you remove the new lever. If you use a hammer to knock it out of the top cover assembly, you could damage the area in the cap screw where the hex head fits. Then you may have to replace the cap screw because it will create adjustment and disassembly problems.

Use a small rubber mallet or block of wood to push out the lever or gently pry it off on the bottom of the cover with the MK19 wrench.

* Once the MWO has been applied, you can't switch levers between MK19s. Each machine gun's lever has been adjusted to that particular gun. A different lever may put rounds in the wrong position, which causes jamming.

* When you put the secondary drive lever back together, make sure its washer is centered. If you put it on upside down, the washer is off-center and the secondary drive lever assembly will be difficult to install. And if you do get it in, it will be difficult to remove the drive lever later.