Source: ATF P 5300.11 · Curios or Relics List · Jan 1972 – Apr 20253,573 entries · 4 sections
The C&R RegisterA finding aid to the ATF Curios or Relics List, for Type 03 collectors
C&R · IV · 242

Browning AN/M2 .30 aircraft machinegun

Section IV: still an NFA firearm, also a curio or relic

Official wording

ATF P 5300.11 · APRIL 2025 EDITION · SECTION IV · VERBATIM · PDF P. 89 ↗

U.S. M2 Browning, cal. .30, machineguns (AN-M2), as mfd. by various U.S. Government contractors prior to and during World War II.

ATF lists cal. .30; this is the .30-06 Springfield cartridge.

What this entry requires

  • ATF REQUIRESMade or imported as stated: “as mfd. by various U.S. Government contractors prior to and during World War II”
  • ATF REQUIRESMade 1945 or earlier (ATF’s dates)ATF: “prior to and during World War II”
  • INFOStill an NFA firearm; only registered examples transfer, with ATF approval (26 U.S.C. 5812, 5861).

Editorial facts · Our research

Country
United States
Manufacturer
Various U.S. Government contractors
Type
Machinegun
Action
Select-fire / auto
Caliber
.30-06
Made
1931–1945ATF: made in 1945 or earlier; start year approximate
Service
Military
Search listings ↗Check a specific gunReport an error ↗

Source

Official wording
ATF P 5300.11, April 2025 edition · Section IV · PDF p. 89 ↗ · ATF original ↗
Entries
1 line
Verbatim check
Checked against the PDF text before every release
Editorial facts
Confidence: Medium · Last revised 17 October 2026 (Data-trust review) · How we rate confidence
References
  1. Wikipedia, “M1919 Browning machine gun” ↗, name: .30 caliber AN/M2 (Army-Navy) aircraft machine gun derived from the M1919
Fact tags
  • ATF the ATF wording states it.
  • REF ¹ an outside reference supports it; the number points to the list of references.
  • ESTIMATE an approximate or indirect reading, for example the production range of the base model.
  • NO CITATION we haven’t attached a reference for this fact; it’s our editorial reading, not ATF’s.
Source checked
20 October 2026: ATF’s page still lists the April 2025 edition
Corrections
None

Historical context

M1919 Browning machine gun (base model shown for Browning AN/M2 .30 aircraft machinegun)
Shown: a tripod-mounted Browning M1919, not this AN/M2 aircraft gun.

Image: Wikimedia Commons, “Machinegeweer Browning .30 van de andere zijde bezien (2155 047351).jpg” by Fotoafdrukken Koninklijke Landmacht, CC BY-SA 4.0. Retrieved October 2026.

Summary: Wikipedia, “M1919 Browning machine gun”. Text CC BY-SA 4.0.

FROM WIKIPEDIA

The M1919 Browning is a .30 caliber medium machine gun that was widely used during the 20th century, especially during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The M1919 saw service as a light infantry, coaxial, mounted, aircraft, and anti-aircraft machine gun by the U.S. and many other countries.