This article is about the .50 caliber M2 machine gun. For the .30-06 M2 machine gun, see M1919 Browning machine gun.

The M2 Machine Gun, or Browning .50 Caliber Machine Gun is a heavy machine gun designed towards the end of World War I by John Browning. It was nicknamed Ma Deuce by US troops or simply called "fifty-cal." in reference to its caliber. The design has had many specific designations; the official designation for the current infantry type is Browning Machine Gun, Cal. .50, M2, HB, Flexible. It is effective against infantry, unarmored or lightly-armored vehicles and boats, light fortifications, and low-flying aircraft. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The M2 machine gun with a tripod weighs 58 kg (128 lb). ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... This article is about the . ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Belligerents United Nations: Republic of Korea Australia Belgium Canada Colombia Ethiopia France Greece Luxembourg Netherlands New Zealand Philippines South Africa Thailand Turkey United Kingdom United States Naval Support and Military Servicing/Repairs: Japan Medical staff: Denmark Italy Norway India Sweden DPR Korea PR China Soviet Union Commanders Syngman Rhee Chung... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... Combatants Khmer Republic, United States, Republic of Vietnam Khmer Rouge, Democratic Republic of Vietnam, National Liberation Front of South Vietnam (NLF) Strength ~250,000 FANK troops ~100,000 (60,000) Khmer Rouge Casualties ~600,000 dead, 1,000,000+ wounded[1] The Cambodian Civil War was a conflict that pitted... Belligerents Argentina United Kingdom Commanders President Leopoldo Galtieri Vice-Admiral Juan Lombardo Brigadier-General Ernesto Crespo Brigade-General Mario Menéndez Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher Admiral Sir John Fieldhouse Rear-Admiral John “Sandy” Woodward Major-General Jeremy Moore Casualties and losses 649 killed 1,068 wounded 11,313 taken prisoner... See also: 2003 invasion of Iraq and Gulf War (disambiguation) C Company, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, 1st UK Armoured Division The Persian Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of 34 nations led by the United States. ... This article is about the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ... Combatants United States, Poland, France, Canada, Pakistan, India, Australia, United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines (in the Philippines theatre only), Northern Alliance, Italy, Czech Republic, Hungary, Ethiopia, Somalia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Albania, Macedonia, Romania, Portugal, Bulgaria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Georgia Taliban, al-Qaeda, Abu Sayyaf, Jemaah... Combatants Republic of Angola, Republic of Cuba, SWAPO, USSR, East Germany, Republic of Zambia Republic of South Africa, UNITA Scope of operations Operational Area: The South African Border War The South African Border War refers to the conflict that took place from 1966 to 1989 in South-West Africa (now... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... .50 BMG rounds and 20MM Vulcan round, with a golf ball and a stick of RAM posed to provide scale. ... In firearms terminology, an action is the system of operation that the firearm employs to seal the breech (in a breech-loading firearm), and to load consecutive rounds. ... Recoil operation is a type of locked-breech firearm actions used in automatic firearms. ... (for paintball markers also)Rate of fire is the frequency at which a specific weapon can fire or launch its projectiles. ... A guns muzzle velocity is the speed at which the projectile leaves the muzzle of the gun. ... A disintegrating belt feeding into an M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, from a United States Army training manual A non-disintegrating belt feeding into a . ... The Browning M1919 was a . ... The M2 machine gun with a tripod weighs 58 kg (128 lb). ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... John Moses Browning (January 21[1] or January 23,[2] 1855 – November 26, 1926), born in Ogden, Utah, was an American firearms designer who developed myriad varieties of weapons, cartridges, and gun mechanics, many of which are still in use around the world. ...

The Browning .50 machine gun has been used extensively as a vehicle weapon and for aircraft armament by the United States from the 1920s to the present day. It was heavily used during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, as well as during operations in Iraq in the 1990s and 2000s. It is the primary heavy machine gun of NATO countries, and has been used by many other countries. It is still in use today, with only a few modern improvements. The M2 has been in use longer than any other small arm in U.S. inventory. It was very similar in design to the smaller Browning Model 1919 machine gun. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Belligerents United Nations: Republic of Korea Australia Belgium Canada Colombia Ethiopia France Greece Luxembourg Netherlands New Zealand Philippines South Africa Thailand Turkey United Kingdom United States Naval Support and Military Servicing/Repairs: Japan Medical staff: Denmark Italy Norway India Sweden DPR Korea PR China Soviet Union Commanders Syngman Rhee Chung... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... This article is about the military alliance. ... The term small arms describes any weapon that a person can easily transport and fire. ... The Browning M1919 was a . ...

History

Using a round originally designed by Winchester, the .50 BMG round was designed as a response to the German 13 mm anti-tank rifle of World War I and employed in a redesigned and scaled-up M1917 Browning .30 cal. machine gun. It was quickly adapted to the anti-aircraft role. It was also selected for the ground role and adopted by the U.S. as the Model 1921. The latter served during the 1920s as an anti-aircraft and anti-armor gun. In 1932, the design was updated and adopted as the M2, though fulfilling the same role. As with the M1921, the original infantry variant of the M2 was equipped with a water jacket for cooling [1]. A variant without a water jacket, but with a thicker-walled, air-cooled barrel superseded it (air-cooled barrels had already been used on variants for use on aircraft, but these quickly overheated in ground use). This new variant was then designated the M2 HB (HB for Heavy Barrel). The added mass and surface area of the new barrel compensated, somewhat, for the loss of water-cooling, while reducing bulk and weight (the M2 weighed 121 lb (55 kg), with water, whereas the M2 HB weighs 84 lbs). Due to the long procedure for changing the barrel, an improved system was developed called QCB (quick change barrel). A lightweight version, weighing 24 lb (11 kg) less—a mere 60 lb (27 kg)—was also developed. The Winchester Repeating Arms Company was a prominent American maker of repeating firearms during the late 19th Century and the early 20th Century. ... .50 BMG rounds and 20MM Vulcan round, with a golf ball and a stick of RAM posed to provide scale. ... // An anti-tank rifle is a rifle designed to penetrate the armour of vehicles, particularly tanks. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... The Browning Model 1917 Machine Gun is a heavy machine gun used by the United States armed forces in World War I, World War II, Korea, and to a limited amount in Vietnam and by other nations. ... “Flak” redirects here. ... Anti-tank, or simply AT, refers to any method of combating military armored fighting vehicles, notably tanks. ... A water jacket is a water-filled void surrounding a device, typically a metal sheath having intake and outlet vents to allow water to be pumped through the void. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

Design details

Twin M2HB .50 caliber machine gun during a Pre-aimed Calibration Fire (PACFIRE) exercise.

The M2 is a scaled-up version of John Browning's M1917 .30 caliber machine gun (even using the same timing gauges), fires the .50 BMG cartridge, which today is also used in high-powered sniper rifles and long range target rifles due to its excellent long range accuracy, external ballistics performance, incredible stopping power, and lethality. The M2 is an air-cooled, belt-fed, machine gun that fires from a closed bolt, 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 rearwards 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 450–550 rounds per minute (600–1,200 M2/M3 in WW2 aircraft, 300 synchronized M2). This is a rate of fire not generally achieved in use, as sustained fire at that rate will "shoot out" the barrel within a few thousand rounds, necessitating replacement. The M2 machine gun's sustained rate of fire is considered to be anything less than 40 rounds per minute. The M40, United States Marine Corps standard-issue sniper rifle. ... External ballistics is the part of the science of ballistics that deals with the behaviour of a non-powered projectile in flight. ... Engine cooling is the process of cooling an engine by using either air or liquid. ... A disintegrating belt feeding into an M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, from a United States Army training manual A non-disintegrating belt feeding into a . ... A semi or fully_automatic firearm which is said to fire from a closed bolt is one where, when ready to fire, a round is in the chamber and the bolt and working parts are forward. ... The short-recoil system of operation is that which uses the recoil of the firearm to function (that is, to lock/unlock the firearms breech, to extract and eject the cartridge case from the firearm, to feed a new cartridge into the chamber, and to ready the firing mechanism). ... A bolt-action firearm is one that is manually operated (i. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

The M2 has a maximum range of 7.4 kilometers (4.55 miles) when using the M2 ball ammunition, with a maximum effective range of 1.8 kilometers (1.2 miles) when fired from the M3 tripod. In its ground-portable, crew-served role, the gun itself weighs in at a hefty 84 pounds (38 kg), and the assembled M3 tripod another 44 pounds (20 kg). In this configuration, the V-shaped "butterfly" trigger is located at the very rear of the weapon, with a "spade handle" hand-grip on either side of it and the bolt release the center. The "spade handles" are gripped and the butterfly trigger is depressed with one or both thumbs. When the bolt release is locked down by the bolt latch release lock on the buffer tube sleeve, the gun functions in fully automatic mode. Otherwise, the M2 is a single-shot weapon. Unlike virtually all other modern machine guns, it has no safety. Conversely, the bolt release can be unlocked into the up position resulting in single-shot firing (the gunner must press the bolt latch release to send the bolt forward). In either mode the gun is fired by pressing the butterfly triggers. Recently new rear buffer assemblies have used squeeze triggers mounted to the hand grips, doing away with the butterfly triggers. Look up tripod in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Because the M2 was intentionally designed to be fit into many configurations, it can be adapted to feed from the left or right side of the weapon by exchanging the belt-holding pawls, the belt feed pawl, the front and rear cartridge stops, and reversing the bolt switch. The conversion can be completed in under a minute with no tools.

There are several different types of ammunition used in the gun including M2 Ball for personnel and light material targets, M1 tracer, and M962 SLAPT. The latter ammunition along with the M903 SLAP round can penetrate up to 3/4 inch high hard armor at 1500 meters. This is achieved by using a .30 inch diameter tungsten penetrator. The SLAPT adds a tracer charge to the base of the ammunition. This ammunition was approved for service in 1990.^[2][3]

When firing blanks, a large blank-firing adapter (BFA) must be used to keep the gas pressure high enough to allow the action to cycle. The adapter is very distinctive, attaching to the muzzle with three rods extending back to the base. The BFA can often be seen on M2s during peacetime operations. A blank-firing adaptor or blank-firing attachment (BFA), sometimes called a blank adaptor or blank attachment, is a device used in conjunction with blank ammunition. ...

Combat use

An M2 fired from a rigid-hulled inflatable boat.

Central LCpl. Paul Rodas assigned to 22nd Weapons Company, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Special Operations Capable (SOC), mans a .50 caliber machine gun as part of a security force during exercise Image Nautilus

The M2 .50 Browning machine gun has been used for various roles: Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 393 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1312 × 2000 pixel, file size: 950 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 393 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1312 × 2000 pixel, file size: 950 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Two RIBs at Castletown, Portland, England. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 571 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,100 × 1,500 pixels, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 571 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,100 × 1,500 pixels, file size: 1. ...

• A medium infantry support weapon
• As an anti-aircraft gun in some ships, or on the ground. The original water-cooled version of the M2 was used as an emplaced or vehicle-mounted anti-aircraft weapon on a sturdy pedestal mount. In some cases multiple air and water-cooled weapons were grouped. In some of these instances the mount featured one M2 with a left-handed feed and one with right-handed feed are paired. Four and six guns are also sometimes mounted on the same turret.
• Primary or secondary weapon on an armored fighting vehicle.
• Primary or secondary weapon on a naval patrol boat.
• Secondary weapon for anti-boat defense on naval destroyers, frigates and aircraft carriers.
• Coaxial gun or independent mounting in some tanks.
• Fixed-mounted primary armament in World War II-era U.S. aircraft such as the P-47 Thunderbolt, P-51 Mustang, and the Korean-era U.S. F-86 Sabre.
• Fixed or flexible-mounted defensive armament in World War II-era bombers such as the B-17 Flying Fortress, and B-24 Liberator.

American troops man an anti-aircraft gun near the Algerian coastline in 1943 Anti-aircraft, or air defense, is any method of combating military aircraft from the ground. ... An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is a military vehicle, equipped with protection against hostile attacks and often mounted weapons. ... coaxial cable In geometry, coaxial means that two or more forms share a common axis; it is the three-dimensional analog of concentric. Coaxial cable, for example, has a conducting wire in the center and a second conducting layer running all the way around the exterior circumference, under the insulation. ... The American Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as Jug, was the largest single-engined fighter of its day. ... The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range single-seat fighter aircraft that entered service with Allied air forces in the middle years of World War II. The P-51 became one of the conflicts most successful and recognizable aircraft. ... The North American F-86 Sabre (sometimes called the Sabrejet) was a transonic combat aircraft developed for the US Air Force. ... The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engine heavy bomber aircraft developed for the US Army Air Corps (USAAC). ... The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber that was produced in greater numbers than any other American combat aircraft during World War II and still holds the record as the most produced allied aircraft. ...

United States

At the outbreak of the Second World War the United States had versions of the M2 in service primarily as fixed aircraft guns and as anti-aircraft weapons (mounted on and off a wide variety of vehicles). It was also technically still in service as an anti-tank weapon, as originally intended.^[4] On most of the vehicles the weapon was mounted on it was placed in a position designed for anti-aircraft rather than any other use. Units in the field often modified the mountings on their vehicles, especially tanks and tank destroyers, to be more useful in the anti-personnel role.^[5] Reports vary on its effectiveness in this role. There are instances of reports about the "essential" nature of the weapon for anti-personnel uses.^[6]

Commonwealth forces

Commonwealth use of the .50 was limited in the Second World War, despite it being standard armament on US-built/designed AFVs such as the M4 Sherman or M10 Wolverine that began to see use in British, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand units from 1942 on. Commonwealth tank crew commanders more often than not deleted the .50 altogether as being of limited use, given three factors. First, the weapon was an anti-aircraft weapon, and Allied aerial superiority rendered it unnecessary. Second, in order to employ the weapon against ground targets, the commander had to exit the turret and expose himself to enemy fire. Finally, Commanders, especially in Italy, also found that the gun caught on low-hanging trees and vines and posed a danger to the crew commander's head and face. The Commonwealth of Nations as of 2007 Headquarters Marlborough House, London, UK Official languages English Membership 53 sovereign states Leaders  -  Queen Elizabeth II  -  Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma Appointed 24 November 2007 Establishment  -  Balfour Declaration 18 November 1926   -  Statute of Westminster 11 December 1931   -  London Declaration 28 April 1949  Area  -  Total... The M4 Sherman was the primary tank produced by the United States for its own use and the use of its Allies during World War II. Production of the M4 Medium tank exceeded 50,000 units, and its chassis served as the basis for thousands of other armored vehicles such... The M10 Gun Motor Carriage known as Wolverine in British service was a US tank destroyer of World War II. // Usage American doctrine planned for tank destroyers to engage enemy tanks while tanks were used principally to support infantry. ... Main articles: History of Canada, Timeline of Canadian history Canada has been inhabited by aboriginal peoples (known in Canada as First Nations) for at least 40,000 years. ... Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is the sixth-largest country in the world, the only country to occupy an entire continent, and the largest in the region of Australasia/Oceania. ...

M2 as sniper rifle

The M2 machine gun has been used in a single instance as a long-range sniper rifle, when equipped with a telescopic sight. This use was discovered by US Marine sniper Carlos Hathcock during the Vietnam War. Using the Unertl scope supplied on his Winchester Model 70 .30-06 sniper rifle and a mounting bracket of his own design, Hathcock could quickly convert the M2 into a rifle that, when firing semi-automatically, could accurately hit targets at up to 2500 yards--twice the range of the Winchester sniper rifle. The success of the M2 in this role led to the development of purpose-built sniper rifles, generally bolt-action, designed to fire the same .50-caliber round. The M40, United States Marine Corps standard-issue sniper rifle. ... Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Norman Hathcock II (May 20, 1942 – February 23, 1999) was a United States Marine Corps sniper with a service record of 93 confirmed kills and more than 300 probable kills during the Vietnam War. ...

The M2 itself had two traits that made this possible. Firstly, the M2 has a full automatic mode activated by locking down the bolt release lever between the butterfly triggers. Full automatic fire mode is achieved by rotating a snap spring on the exterior of the buffer housing to hold the bolt release down. The M2HB can be fired dependably in semi-automatic mode with the bolt release up and pressing it to load each round. A skilled gunner can fire single rounds by quickly releasing the butterflies on full automatic mode. In either mode the gun is fired by pressing the butterfly trigger. Secondly, Its traversing-and-elevating (T & E) mechanism attached to the tripod made accurate aiming possible, by turning the traversing handwheel and elevating handwheel until the target was in the sights.

Variants and derivatives

An M2 of 2e Régiment étranger d'infanterie during an exercise

An M2

Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,728 × 1,152 pixels, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,728 × 1,152 pixels, file size: 1. ... The 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (French: ) is a regiment of the French Foreign Legion. ...

M2 variants

The basic M2 was deployed in US service in a number of subvariants, all with separate complete designations as per the US Army system. The basic designation as mentioned in the introduction is Browning Machine Gun, Cal. .50, M2, with others as described below.

The development of the M1921 water-cooled machine gun which led to the M2, meant that the initial M2s were in fact water-cooled. These weapons were designated Browning Machine Gun, Cal. .50, M2, Water-Cooled, Flexible. There was no fixed water-cooled version.

Improved air-cooled heavy barrel versions came in three subtypes. The basic infantry model, Browning Machine Gun, Cal. .50, M2, HB, Flexible, a fixed developed for use on the M6 Heavy Tank designated Browning Machine Gun, Cal. .50, M2, HB, Fixed, and a "turret type" whereby "Flexible" M2s were modified slightly for use in tank turrets. The subvariant designation Browning Machine Gun, Cal. .50, M2, HB, Turret was only used for manufacturing, supply, and administration identification and separation from flexible M2s. The M6 Heavy Tank was an American heavy tank designed during World War II. The tank was produced in small numbers and never saw combat. ...

A number of additional subvariants were developed after the end of the Second World War. The Caliber .50 Machine Gun, Browning, M2, Heavy Barrel, M48 Turret Type was developed for the commander's copula on the M48 Patton tank, and then later used in the commander's position on the M1 Abrams tanks. Three subvaraints were also developed for used by the US Navy on a variety of ships and watercraft. These included the Caliber .50 Machine Gun, Browning, M2, Heavy Barrel, Soft Mount (Navy) and the Caliber .50 Machine Gun, Browning, M2, Heavy Barrel, Fixed Type (Navy). The fixed types fire from a solenoid trigger and come in left or right hand feed variants for use on the Mk 56 Mod 0 dual mount and other mounts. The M48 Patton was one of the U.S armys principal main battle tanks of the Cold War, with models in service from the early 1950s to the 1990s. ... The M1 Abrams is a military tank produced in the United States. ... USN redirects here. ... For other uses, see Solenoid (disambiguation). ...

AN/M2, M3, XM296/M296, and GAU-10/A

The M2 machine gun was heavily used as a remote fired fixed weapon, primarily in aircraft, but also in other applications. For this a variant of the M2 was developed (sometimes seen under the designation AN/M2, but it is important to note that there were .30 and .50 caliber weapons with this designation), with the ability to fire from a solenoid trigger. For aircraft mounting some were also fitted with substantially lighter barrels, permitted by the cooling effect of air in the slip-stream. The official designation for this weapon was Browning Machine Gun, Aircraft, Cal. .50, M2 followed by either "Fixed" or Flexible" depending on whether the weapon was used as a fixed forward firing gun or for use by an airplane's crew, such as a waist gun position on a B-17. The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engine heavy bomber aircraft developed for the US Army Air Corps (USAAC). ...

The M3 was a more purpose built variant for remote firing use, that also featured a higher rate of fire. This weapon was used on the XM14/SUU-12/A gun pod. One of the first American attempts at a gun pod was the forward-firing . ... A gun pod is a detachable external pod or pack allowing one or more machine guns or automatic cannon to be carried by a military aircraft. ...

Marines man pintle-mounted M2HB machine guns

George W. Bush at a demonstration of an M2

The XM296/M296 is a further development of the M2/M3 machine gun for remote firing applications, and is currently only used in an armament system for to the OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopter. The M296 differs from previous remote firing variants primarily in the lack of bolt latch allowing for single shots. George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the forty-third and current President of the United States of America, originally inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters eqipped with M60D machine guns near Najaf, Iraq in May 2005 The helicopter itself has added much to the modern battlefield, changing land warfare tactics across the board. ... The OH-58 Kiowa is a family of single-engine, single-rotor, observation and light attack helicopters manufactured by Bell Helicopter Textron and originally based on the companys Bell 206A JetRanger helicopter. ...

The GAU-10/A (NSN or National Stock Number 1005-01-029-3428) has been identified as a member of the Browning M2 family through its inclusion in the June 2000 issue of Countermeasure (Vol 21, No 6, available online here). Countermeasure is published by the Army Ground Risk Management Team, and identifies important issues that soldiers should be aware of with regards to risk management and safety. Beyond this connection, there is no specific information on the GAU-10/A, and it is odd that the only online reference would be from a US Army publication as this is a USAF designation. “The U.S. Air Force” redirects here. ...

XM213/M213, XM218, GAU-15/A, GAU-16/A, and GAU-18/A

The XM213/M213 was a modernization and adaptation of existing .50 caliber AN/M2s in inventory for use as a pintle mounted door gun on helicopters using the M59 armament subsystem. UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters eqipped with M60D machine guns near Najaf, Iraq in May 2005 The helicopter itself has added much to the modern battlefield, changing land warfare tactics across the board. ...

The GAU-15/A, formerly identified as the XM218, is a lightweight member of the M2/M3 family. The GAU-16/A was an improved GAU-15/A with modified grip and sight assemblies for similar applications. Both of these weapons were used as a part of the A/A49E-11 armament subsystem (Also known as the Defensive Armament System). UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters eqipped with M60D machine guns near Najaf, Iraq in May 2005 The helicopter itself has added much to the modern battlefield, changing land warfare tactics across the board. ...

The GAU-18/A, is a lightweight variant of the M2/M3, and is used on the USAF's MH-53 Pave Low and HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters. These weapons do not utilize the heavy barrel, and are typically set up as left-hand feed, right-hand charging weapons. In this configuration the gun is fitted with a chute adapter attached to its left hand feed pawl bracket. Thus, the weapon can receive ammunition through a feed chute system connected to internally-mounted ammunition cans. Originally designed to accommodate 1,700 rounds, these cans have since been modified due to space constraints, and now hold about half that amount. However, many aerial gunners find the chute system cumbersome, and opt to install a bracket accommodating the 100-round cans instead. The Sikorsky HH-53 Super Jolly Green Giant is a USAF version of the CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter for long-range combat search and rescue (CSAR) helicopters. ... United States Air Force HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter The primary function of the Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter is to conduct day or night operations into hostile environments to recover downed aircrew or other isolated personnel during war. ... Chute may refer to: Chute, a facility that allows the movement of items from one level to another by gravity Chute, a parish and group of villages in the county of Wiltshire, England. ...

GAU-21/A and M3P

The FN produced M3 series is also in U.S. military service in two versions. One being a fixed remote firing version, the FN M3P, used on the Avenger Air Defense System. The U.S. Army would appear to use this designation for the weapon. Avenger air defense missile system The Avenger Air Defense System is a US military weapon system utilized by both the Army and the Marine Corps that provides mobile, short-range air defense protection for ground units against cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, low-flying fixed-wing aircraft, and helicopters. ...

The M3M flexible machine gun has been adopted by the USAF and the USN under the designation GAU-21/A for pintle applications on helicopters.

M2 E-50 (M2E50)

A long overdue upgrade program for existing infantry M2s and other M2s currently in U.S. Army service, the E50 finally provides a: Quick Change Barrel (QCB) capability, a rail accessory mount, an improved flash hider and a manual safety.

The E50 designation initially appeared to be within the bounds of the normal U.S. Army designation system. However, it later turned out that the term was in fact a developmental project that stands for Enhanced 50, as in enhanced .50 caliber machine gun. Developed primarily as a conversion kit for existing weapons, it is likely that new production machine guns will be built to this standard. In later U.S. Army briefings, this variant has been referenced as the M2E2 or M2A1.

International usage

The M2 family has also been widely used abroad, primarily in its basic infantry configuration. A brief listing of foreign designations for M2 family weapons follows:

This article is about the military alliance. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Lebanon. ... The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) consists of three branches: Lebanese Army Lebanese Air Force Lebanese Navy // General overview The Lebanese Armed Forces primary missions include maintaining security and stability in the country, guarding the countrys borders, port security, relief operations, rescue operations, fire fighting, and fighting drug smuggling. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Argentina. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Australian Defence Industries (ADI) is the primary defence contractor for the Australian Defence Force. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_New_Zealand. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Austria. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Belgium_(civil). ... Flag of Belgium The Land Component, formerly the Belgian Army, is the land-based armed force of the Belgian Armed Forces. ... A Warrior vehicle with UN markings, on the making of the eponymous film. ... American troops man an anti-aircraft gun near the Algerian coastline in 1943 Anti-aircraft warfare, or air defense, is any method of engaging military aircraft in combat from the ground. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Bosnia_and_Herzegovina. ... Bosnia and Herzegovina (also variously written Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Bosnia-Hercegovina) is a mountainous country in the western Balkans. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Cambodia. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Canadian Forces Land Force Command (LF) is responsible for army operations within the Canadian Armed Forces. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Chile. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Croatia. ... Croatian Ground Army (Croatian: Hrvatska kopnena vojska), commonly referred as Croatian Army (Hrvatska vojska) is a branch of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Denmark. ... The Royal Danish Army is the army of Denmark. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre (Army of the land), is the land-based component of the French Armed Forces and the largest. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Netherlands. ... The Royal Netherlands Army (Koninklijke Landmacht) is the land forces element of the Military of the Netherlands. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... The German Army (German: [1], [IPA: heɐ]  ) is the land component of the Bundeswehr (Federal Defence Forces) of the Federal Republic of Germany. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Iceland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_India. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Israel. ... The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) (Hebrew: צבא ההגנה לישראל Tsva Ha-Haganah Le-Yisrael ([Army] Force [for] the Defense of Israel), often abbreviated צהל Tsahal, alternative English spelling Tzahal, is the name of Israels armed forces (army, air force and navy). ... A Warrior vehicle with UN markings, on the making of the eponymous film. ... coaxial cable In geometry, coaxial means that two or more forms share a common axis; it is the three-dimensional analog of concentric. Coaxial cable, for example, has a conducting wire in the center and a second conducting layer running all the way around the exterior circumference, under the insulation. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ireland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Malaysia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Portugal. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Africa. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Korea. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Spain. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Norway. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Sweden. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Thailand. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... The Royal Ordnance L7 is the basic model of Britains most successful tank gun. ... The Centurion was the primary British Main Battle Tank of the immediate post-war era, and considered by many to be one of the best British tank designs of all time. ... The FV 4201 Chieftain was the Main battle tank of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Switzerland. ... Military of Switzerland On May 18, 2003, Swiss voters approved the military reform project Army XXI that will drastically reduce the size of the Swiss Army. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Vietnam. ...

See also

• MG 131 machine gun, German rival to the M2 Browning
• XM312, 12.7 mm machine gun prototype gun based on the prototype 25 mm XM307.
• List of individual weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces
• List of crew-served weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces
• DShK, NSV & Kord 12.7mm machine guns, Soviet/Russian equivalents.

The MG 131 (shortened from German: Maschinengewehr 131, or Machine rifle 131) was a 13 mm machine gun developed in 1938 by Rheinmetall-Borsig and produced from 1940 to 1945. ... XM312 . ... Individual weapons by type and current level of use. ... This list contains weapons that are classified as crew-served, as the term is used in the United States military. ... The DShK (ДШК, for Дегтярёва Шпагина Крупнокалиберный, Degtyarev-Shpagin Large Calibre) is a Soviet heavy anti-aircraft machine gun firing 12. ... The NSV is a 12. ... The Kord 12. ...

References

Citations

Sources

• The American Arsenal. Ian Hogg, ed. London, UK: Greenhill Books, 2001.
• Gresham, John D. “Weapons”. Military Heritage. December 2001. Volume 3, No. 3: 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 (John Browning’s (M2) .50-caliber).
• MCWP 3-15.1: Machine Guns and Machine Gun Gunnery
• Yeide, Harry. The Tank Killers. Havertown, PA: Casemate, 2004.
• Zaloga, Steven J. M8 Greyhound Light Armored Car 1941-91. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2002.

Military Heritage is a glossy, bi-monthly history magazine published by Sovereign Media. ...

External links

• Aircraft Gunnery_.50 cal.
• M2 .50 Caliber Machine Gun at Federation of American Scientists
• Browning M2HB & M2HQCB (USA)
• M2 .50 cal. Machine Gun at Olive-Drab.com
• Quad-50 M2 .50 cal. Machine Gun at Olive-Drab.com
• Video of a CG M2 showing the inner workings as it goes through the firing cycle.
• Browning M2 .50 Caliber Machine Gun at Gary's Olive Drab Page