MK19 Machine Gun: Stop Slamming and Jamming

Even on a heavy-duty weapon like the MK 19 machine gun, slamming and jamming can cause heavy-duty damage.
 
Remember these rules, gunners, to keep you and your MK 19 out of jams:
 

• Guide the feed tray cover to the latched position. Never let the cover slam down. If you slam the cover down, the cover lock is damaged. Then you can’t lock the cover in place. If that’s not enough, slamming also knocks the primary drive lever out of alignment with the secondary drive lever. That causes feeding problems.
  Push the secondary drive lever all the way to the right and then guide the cover down, making sure the two levers mate. If they won’t mate, you probably have a problem with the feed slide guide rod spring. Your small arms repairman should check it out. 

• Align the feed tray cover pin prong before pushing the pin in place. If you jam in the pin without aligning the prong, the prong could be snapped off. Then the pin can work out during firing and the cover comes loose.

• Put the rear sight bar down and push in the elevation screw knob before you push down the sight. If you forget either step, you’ll soon be without a sight. Protect the sight by locking it down when you’re not firing.

• Charge overhanded. Charge with your hands on top of the charging handles and your palms down. Use a steady and smooth pull for a good charge.