M2
An M2 machine gun surrounded by spent round casings
Type	Heavy machine gun
Place of origin	United States of America
Service history
In service	1932–present
Used by	See text
Wars	World War II, Cold War, modern
Production history
Designed	1921
Produced	1932—
Variants	M2HB, M2HBQCB
Specifications
Weight	38 kg (58 kg w/ tripod)
Length	1,650 mm (65 in)
Barrel length	1,140 mm (44⅞ in)
Cartridge	.50 BMG
Caliber	.50 in (12.7 mm)
Action	Recoil-operated; short recoil
Rate of fire	550 round/min
Muzzle velocity	3,050 ft/s (930 m/s)
Effective range	2,000 m (2200 yards)
Feed system	Belt-fed

This article is about the .50 caliber M2 machine gun. For the .30-06 M2 machine gun, see Browning Model 1919 machine gun.

The M2 Machine Gun, or Browning .50 Caliber Machine Gun is a heavy machine gun designed just after World War I by John Browning. It is 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 infantry type is Browning Machine Gun, Heavy Barrel, Cal. .50, M2, HB, Flexible. 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, Korean War, the Vietnam Conflict, 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. It was very similar in design to the smaller Browning Model 1919 machine gun .30-06 Springfield. Image File history File links An M2 machine gun, public domain photo from [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The M2 machine gun with a tripod weighs 58 kg (128 lb). ... Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Nazi Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Harry Truman Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead... For other uses, please see Cold War (disambiguation). ... The international prototype, made of platinum-iridium, which is kept at the BIPM under conditions specified by the 1st CGPM in 1889. ... The barrel of a gun or other firearm is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion is released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at great speed. ... It has been suggested that Firearm brass and Casing (ammunition) be merged into this article or section. ... A . ... The word calibre (British English) or caliber (American English) designates the interior diameter of a tube or the exterior diameter of a wire or rod. ... Mid-19th century tool for converting between different standards of the inch An inch is an Imperial and U.S. customary unit of length. ... The metre, or meter (US), is a measure of length. ... 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. ... 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). ... The Rate of fire is the speed at which a specific firearm or artillery piece can operate. ... A guns muzzle velocity is the speed at which the projectile leaves the muzzle of the gun. ... Feet per second is a unit of speed; it expressses the number of feet traveled in one second. ... Metre per second (U.S. spelling: meter per second) is an SI derived unit of both speed (scalar) and velocity (vector), defined by distance in metres divided by time in seconds. ... A belt feeding into an M249 machine gun, from an Army training manual A belt feeding into a M1919A4 from a wooden ammo box A belt is an ammunition feeding device for a firearm. ... The Browning M1919 was a . ... The M2 machine gun with a tripod weighs 58 kg (128 lb). ... Combatants Allied Powers: France Italy Russia Serbia United Kingdom United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Germany Ottoman Empire Commanders Ferdinand Foch Georges Clemenceau Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna Nicholas II Aleksei Brusilov Herbert Henry Asquith Douglas Haig John Jellicoe Woodrow Wilson John Pershing Wilhelm II Paul von Hindenburg Reinhard... John Moses Browning (January 21, 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 used in the U.S. military and elsewhere to this day. ... Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Nazi Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Harry Truman Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead... Combatants United Nations: Republic of Korea United States United Kingdom Canada Australia The Netherlands France Philippines Communist states: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea People’s Republic of China Soviet Union Commanders Syngman Rhee Chung Il Kwon Douglas MacArthur Mark W. Clark Matthew Ridgway Kim Il-sung Choi Yong-kun... The Vietnam War was a war fought between 1957 and 1975 on the ground in South Vietnam and bordering areas of Cambodia and Laos (See Secret War) and in bombing runs (Rolling Thunder) over North Vietnam. ... NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation[1] (NATO), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, the Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for collective security established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, DC, on 4 April 1949. ... The Browning M1919 was a . ... .30-06 Springfield cartridge specifications. ...

History

Designed as an aircraft machine gun just after World War I, a role it filled later on, 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 carrying out the same functions. With the addition of a thicker walled barrel for better cooling (though counter-intuitive, a thicker barrel has a larger surface area, so provides better air-cooling) it became the M2HB (for Heavy Barrel). 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. Combatants Allied Powers: France Italy Russia Serbia United Kingdom United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Germany Ottoman Empire Commanders Ferdinand Foch Georges Clemenceau Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna Nicholas II Aleksei Brusilov Herbert Henry Asquith Douglas Haig John Jellicoe Woodrow Wilson John Pershing Wilhelm II Paul von Hindenburg Reinhard... 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. ... Anti-tank, or simply AT, refers to any method of combating military armored fighting vehicles, notably tanks. ... The barrel of a gun or other firearm is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion is released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at great speed. ...

Design

The M2 fires the .50 BMG cartridge that was designed for this weapon, 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 550 rounds per minute. 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. A . ... The M40, United States Marine Corps standard-issue sniper rifle Sniper rifle is a term most frequently applied to rifles used by military or law enforcement to ensure accurate placement of shots at greater ranges than other small arms. ... External ballistics is the part of ballistics tht refers to the behavior of a bullet after it exits the barrel and before it hits the target. ... Engine cooling is the process of cooling an engine by using either air or liquid. ... A belt feeding into an M249 machine gun, from an Army training manual A belt feeding into a M1919A4 from a wooden ammo box A belt is an ammunition feeding device for a firearm. ... 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. ... The barrel of a gun or other firearm is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion is released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at great speed. ...

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 M3 tripod another 44 pounds (20 kg). In this configuration, the V-shaped 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 in the center. The "spade handles" are gripped and the trigger is depressed with one or both thumbs. When the bolt release is in the up position, the weapon is in single-shot mode. The bolt release must be pressed each time the weapon is fired to close the bolt and reload the weapon. The bolt release can be locked into the down position resulting in fully-automatic firing. Look up tripod in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... M2 machine gun An automatic firearm is a firearm that will continue to load and fire rounds of ammunition as long as the trigger (or equivalent) is activated or until it runs out of ammunition. ...

Because the M2 was designed with intent in many configurations, it can be adapted to feed in rounds from the left or right side of the weapon by exchanging the belt-hold pawls, the front and rear cartridge stops and reversing the bolt slide guide. The conversion can be completed within a minute with no tools.

When firing blanks, a large blank-firing adapter (BFA) must be used, in order to keep the gas pressure high enough to allow the action cycle. It is very distinctive, with attachment to the muzzle and three rods extending back to the base. The BFA can often be seen on M2s in peacetime operations.

Combat usage

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, or on the ground. In these cases a pair of one left-handed and one right-handed feeds are used. In some cases four to six guns are mounted on the 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
• A primary armament in WWII-era U.S. aircraft such as the P-51 Mustang, and the Korean-era U.S. F-86 Sabre and F9F Panther
• Defensive armament in WWII-era bombers like the B-17 Flying Fortress, and B-24 Liberators.
• A long range sniper rifle, when attached with a scope. One well-known expert was US Marine sniper Carlos Hathcock during the Vietnam War. The success of the M2 in this role led to the development of actual sniper rifles based on the same .50 caliber round.

A water-cooled version of the larger M2 was used as an emplaced or vehicle-mounted anti-aircraft weapon on a sturdy pedestal mount. 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 North American P-51 Mustang was an American long-range single-seat fighter aircraft that entered service with Allied air forces in the middle years of the Second World War and became one of the conflicts most successful and recognizable aircraft. ... The North American F-86 Sabre was a subsonic combat aircraft developed for the US Air Force. ... The Grumman F9F Panther was the manufacturers first jet fighter and the U.S. Navys second. ... The American Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress was the first mass-produced, four-engine heavy bomber. ... Royal Canadian Air Force B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was produced in greater numbers than any other American combat aircraft, and was used by most of the Allied air forces in World War II. Designed as a heavy bomber, it served with distinction not only in that... Carlos Norman Hathcock II (May 20, 1942 – February 23, 1999) was a Marine sniper during the Vietnam War. ...

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 several factors. Primarily, the weapon was an anti-aircraft weapon, and Allied aerial superiority precluded its necessity. As well, in order to employ the weapon against ground targets, the commander had to exit the turret and expose himself to enemy fire. 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.

Variants and derivatives

Naval twin-mounting

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x842, 480 KB)050514-N-5526M-012 Gulf of Aden (May 14, 2005) - Fire Controlman Steven Baumgartner from Oelwein, Iowa, assigned to Combat Systems Department aboard the guided missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60), fires the twin . ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x842, 480 KB)050514-N-5526M-012 Gulf of Aden (May 14, 2005) - Fire Controlman Steven Baumgartner from Oelwein, Iowa, assigned to Combat Systems Department aboard the guided missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60), fires the twin . ...

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. ...

Specific aircraft versions were also developed, and these subvariants are discussed in the following paragraph along with the AN/M2.

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 American Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress was the first mass-produced, four-engine heavy bomber. ...

The M3 was a more purpose built variant for remote firing use, that also featured a higher rate of fire.

The XM296/M296 is a further development of the M2/M3 machine gun for remote firing applications, and is currently used in armament systems pertaining 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. OH-58 Kiowa OH-58D Kiowa Warrior The OH-58 Kiowa scout is a helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter Textron. ...

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.

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.

The GAU-16/A was an improved GAU-15/A with modified grip and sight assemblies for similar applications.

The GAU-18/A, formerly identified as the XM218, is a lightweight variant of the M2/M3, and is used on the USAF's |MH-53J Pavelow II 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 (as on the model pictured to the right). 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

A .50 GAU-21/A mounted in a USMC UH-1N in Iraq in 2003

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. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1280x960, 316 KB) Summary Taken by User:Looper5920 in Iraq in 2003 Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1280x960, 316 KB) Summary Taken by User:Looper5920 in Iraq in 2003 Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Avenger air defense missile system 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.

M2E50 (or M2 E-50)

A long due 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, as well as, adding a rail accessory mount, improved flash hider, and a manual safety. While it originally appeared that E50 was within the bounds of the normal U.S. Army designation system, it is actually a developmental project that stands for Enhanced 50 as in enhanced .50 caliber machine gun. The E50 is a conversion kit that can be applied to older weapons — newer machine guns can be produced to this standard, however.

International usage

The M2 family has also been widely used abroad, primarily in its basic infantry configuration. Here is a quick listing of foreign designations for M2 family weapons.

NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation[1] (NATO), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, the Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for collective security established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, DC, on 4 April 1949. ... The Belgian Army forms the land component of the Belgian Armed Forces. ... A Warrior vehicle with UN markings, on the making of the eponymous film. ... This article, image, template or category should belong in one or more categories. ... 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. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... 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. ...

See also

• Machine gun
• Heavy machine gun
• List of individual weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces
• List of crew-served weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces

A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... The M2 machine gun with a tripod weighs 58 kg (128 lb). ... Individual weapons by type and current level of use. ... // Machine Guns, Automatic Grenade Launchers, and Autocannon In active service M2 Family (Heavy Machine Gun, 12. ... Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Nazi Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Harry Truman Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead... Combatants United Nations: Republic of Korea United States United Kingdom Canada Australia The Netherlands France Philippines Communist states: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea People’s Republic of China Soviet Union Commanders Syngman Rhee Chung Il Kwon Douglas MacArthur Mark W. Clark Matthew Ridgway Kim Il-sung Choi Yong-kun... A side arm is a small personal weapon that is typically worn on the body in a holster in such a way to permit immediate access and use. ... The M1911 is a single-action, semiautomatic handgun chambered for the . ... The M1917 revolver was a US six shot revolver of 45 ACP caliber. ... The Smith & Wesson Military & Police revolver is a . ... A rifle is a firearm with a stock and a barrel that has a spiral groove or grooves (rifling) cut into its interior. ... A carbine is a firearm similar to, but generally shorter and less powerful than, a rifle or musket of a given period. ... M1903 M1903 with scant stock M1903A3 M1903A4 with M84 sight The Springfield M1903 (more formally the United States Rifle, Caliber . ... The M1 Garand (more formally the United States Rifle, Caliber . ... The M1 Carbine (formally the United States Carbine, Caliber . ... The M1941 Rifle was an American short-recoil operated semi-automatic rifle designed by Melvin Johnson prior to World War II. The M1941 competed unsuccessfully with the U.S. M1 Garand. ... The Browning Automatic Rifle (commonly known as the BAR; properly pronounced bee ay are) is a family of automatic rifles (or machine rifles) and light machine guns used by the United States and other countries during the 20th century. ... An MP5A4 (fixed stock and 3-round burst trigger group), a popular modern submachine gun A submachine gun is a firearm that combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol, and is usually between the two in weight and size. ... A lance corporal of the East Surrey Regiment, British Army equipped with a Thompson M1928 submachine gun (drum magazine), 25 November 1940 The Thompson, also known as the Tommy Gun, was a family of American submachine guns that became infamous during the Prohibition era. ... The M3 Grease Gun (more formally United States Submachine Gun, Cal. ... The Reising (sometimes called the Buck Rogers Gun) was an American submachine gun patented in 1940 and manufactured by Harrington & Richardson. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with UD 42. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... Browning Model 1917 Type machine gun Nation US Era WW1 History Date of design Production period Service duration Operators US. War service WW1, WW2 Variants 1917A1 Number built Specifications Type Calibre . ... The Browning M1919 was a . ... The M1941 Johnson Light Machine Gun was an American recoil-operated light machine gun designed in the late 1930s by Melvin Johnson. ... This article is about the . ... The bazooka weapon was one of the initial anti-tank weapons based on the High Explosive Anti-tank (HEAT) shell to enter service, used by the United States Armed Forces in World War II and the Korean War. ... A soldier from the U.S. 33rd Infantry Division uses an M2 flamethrower M2A1-7 is a flamethrower used by the American troops during World War II. It has four controls:- - Back of the rear grip: firing safety catch. ...

References

• Gresham, John D. “Weapons.” Military Heritage. December 2001. Volume 3, No. 3: 22, 24, 26,28, 30 (John Browning’s (M2) .50-caliber).

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

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

M2 (machine gun)

• 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.