Mk19 Ogive Plunger Purpose?

[Reagans Rascals]

So just for shits and giggles I've been learning about the history and function of the Mk19. After all my digging, I still cant seem to find anything about the purpose of the Ogive Plunger Assembly. What is this component for? Is it to prime the round (I was under the impression the rounds were spin-armed)? Maybe it aids in delinking? All I can find are disassembly manuals, vids, and breakdown/repair info, nothing on its function. I'm sure there are many people here with tons of hands on experience that would be able to set me straight.

[AndyLate]

It cushions the front of the round when it is stripped from the belt and the extractors snap over the round's base.

When a MK19 strips the round from the belt (which the Army calls the extraction cycle), it "parks" the round in the receiver above the chamber and the extractors capture the round. The ogive of the round is held and supported by the ogive plunger.

On the next cycle, the "parked" round is moved down to align with the chamber. The round also pushes the previous fired case off the bolt, which drops out through the bottom of the gun.

To load the MK19, you have to charge it, drop the bolt with the trigger, then charge it again.

The last fired round from a belt does not fall out of the gun, you have to push it out with a cleaning rod section or "a bayonet".

It has probably been 15 years since I touched a MK19, but the way it functions is pretty straightforward, if a little weird.

Andy

[Averageman]

So an Ogive holds and centers the round during cycling?

[AndyLate]

So an Ogive holds and centers the round during cycling?

The word ogive means the curved/pointed shape of the front of the projectile.

The Ogive plunger centers the round and cushions/buffers it while the bolt extractors are snapped over the rim.

It would be bad to slam the front of an explosive round into a solid wall and surely the spring allows for some variation of over all length and ogive shape.

Andy

[Averageman]

Ogive means the curve at the front of the projectile.

Andy

Gotcha "Ogive Plunger Assembly" holds and centers.

[AndyLate]

I'm not OCD or anything...

[Averageman]

I'm not OCD or anything...

Its okay bud, I understand, that was my fault.

[jsbhike]

It was either at the Kentucky History Museum or the old armory up the hill where they have a Plexiglas prototype on display.

[Averageman]

You can as easily mount a Mark-19 on a Tank as a M-2 .50 cal.
I never understood not doing so.

[Reagans Rascals]

It cushions the front of the round when it is stripped from the belt and the extractors snap over the round's base.

When a MK19 strips the round from the belt (which the Army calls the extraction cycle), it "parks" the round in the receiver above the chamber and the extractors capture the round. The ogive of the round is held and supported by the ogive plunger.

On the next cycle, the "parked" round is moved down to align with the chamber. The round also pushes the previous fired case off the bolt, which drops out through the bottom of the gun.

To load the MK19, you have to charge it, drop the bolt with the trigger, then charge it again.

The last fired round from a belt does not fall out of the gun, you have to push it out with a cleaning rod section or "a bayonet".

It has probably been 15 years since I touched a MK19, but the way it functions is pretty straightforward, if a little weird.

Andy

Excellent write up! Thank you. Its essentially a round buffer during extraction. I had always assumed the Mk19 used an extraction assembly similar to the M2, that cammed and delinked the round and then lowered it into the bolt face. Until I read a manual by ARDEC that showed the cycle and that the rounds are not actually stripped from the link, the links are simply separated and stay on the round. As you said its a fairly straight forward delinking/loading cycle. Thanks for the info!