An M2 machine gun surrounded by spent shell casings
The M2 .50 machine gun, nicknamed Ma Deuce by troops, is a weapon designed by John Browning before WW II that is still in use today. It fires .50 BMG cartridges that were designed for this weapon but today find a new use in high powered sniper rifles. It originally served in the 1920's as a anti-tank gun, until armor improved.
The M2 is an air-cooled, belt-fed machine gun operated on the short recoil principle. In this action, the bolt and barrel are initially locked together, and recoil upon firing. After a short distance, the bolt and barrel unlock, and the bolt continues to move forward relative to the barrel. This action opens the bolt, and pulls the belt of ammunition through the weapon, readying it to fire again, all at a cyclic rate of 550 rounds per minute. This is a rate of fire not generally achieved in use, as sustained fire at that rate will quickly 'shoot out' the barrel, necessitating replacement. In practice, the weapon is used to fire short bursts, and M2s used in the ground role are capable of either single-shot or fully-automatic operation.
The M2 has a maximum range of almost 7 kilometers (4.2 miles), but its maximum effective range is roughly 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) when fired from a stable mount, such as a tripod or vehicle. In its ground-portable, crew-served role, the gun itself weighs in at a hefty 84 pounds (38 kg), and the assembled tripod another 44 pounds (20 kg).
The M2 .50 Browning machine gun is used for various roles:
A medium infantry support weapon.
When doubled it is used as an anti-aircraft gun in some ships.
The gun is capable of single-shot (ground version M2), as well as automatic fire and was used to a very limited degree as a sniper weapon during the Vietnam war.
A.50 caliber M2 machine gun that is modified for use as an aircraft gun that can be fired remotely by the pilot or gunner of a helicopter or light fixed-wing aircraft.
The Browning M3 aircraft gun is a.50 caliber M2 machine gun modified for use as an aircraft gun that can be fired remotely by the pilot or gunner of a helicopter or light fixed-wing aircraft.
Nessuna mitragliatrice pesante Browning ebbe successo finchè non si riuscì a sviluppare una cartuccia adatta; questo avvenne solo quando i tecnici poterono analizzare un proiettile tedesco calibro 13 mm (0,51 in) proveniente dal fucile anticarro Mauser T-Gewehr.
La versione più diffusa, M2 HB, venne usata in molti ruoli, tra i quali: mitragliatrice di fanteria, installata su veicoli di tutti i tipi, come arma per aerei in posizione fissa e mobile, su installazioni fisse antiaeree e nella versione raffreddata ad acqua fu usata sulle navi per la difesa di bassa e bassissima quota.
The most diffused version, M2 HB, was used in some role, between that: infantry Machine-gun, mounted un vehicle, like air weapon mounted on fix or moveable position, on fix anti-aircraft installation and in a water-cooled version was used on the boat for the low and very low quota defence.
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