Warfare Equipment

The M2 Machine Gun, Browning .50 Caliber Machine Gun, is a heavy machine gun designed towards the end of World War I by John Browning. It is very similar in design to Browning's earlier M1919 Browning machine gun, which was chambered for the .30-06 cartridge. The M2 uses the larger and more powerful .50 BMG cartridge, which was named for the gun itself (BMG standing for Browning Machine Gun). The M2 has been referred to as "Ma Deuce", or "the fifty" 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.

The Browning .50 caliber machine gun has been used extensively as a vehicle weapon and for aircraft armament by the United States from the 1920s to the present. It was heavily used during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in the 2000s (decade). It is the primary heavy machine gun of NATO countries, and has been used by many other countries. The M2 has been in use longer than any other small arm in U.S. inventory except the .45 ACP M1911 pistol, also designed by John Browning.

The M2HB is manufactured in the United States by General Dynamics and U.S. Ordnance for use by the United States government, and for US Foreign Allies via FMS sales. FN Herstal has manufactured the M2 machine gun since the 1930s.U.S. Ordnance developed their M2 Quick Change Barrel system after years of manufacturing machine guns for the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. allies.

SCREENSHOOT

Type	Heavy machine gun
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	M2HB from 1933–present
Wars	World War II Korean War First Indochina War Suez Crisis Vietnam War Six-Day War Yom Kippur War Cambodian Civil War Cambodian-Vietnamese War Falklands War South African Border War Namibian War of Independence Invasion of Grenada United States invasion of Panama Gulf War Somali Civil War Yugoslav Wars Afghanistan Iraq
Production history
Designed	1918
Manufacturer	Current: General Dynamics, Fabrique Nationale, U.S. Ordnance, and Manroy Engineering Former: Sabre Defence Industries, Colt's Patent Fire Arms Company, High Standard Company, Savage Arms Corporation, Buffalo Arms Corporation, General Motors Corporation (Frigidaire, AC Spark Plug, Saginaw Steering, and Brown-Lipe-Chappin Divisions), Kelsey Hayes Wheel Company, Springfield Armory, Wayne Pump Company, ERMCO, and Ramo Manufacturing
Produced	1921–present (M2HB)
Number built	3 million
Specifications
Weight	38 kg (83.78 lb) 58 kg (127.87 lb) with tripod and T&E
Length	1,656 mm (65.2 in)
Barrel length	1,143 mm (45.0 in)
Cartridge	.50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO)
Action	Short recoil-operated
Rate of fire	450–635 rounds/min (M2HB) 750–850 rounds/min (AN/M2) 1,200 rounds/min (AN/M3)
Muzzle velocity	2,910 ft/s (890 m/s) for M33 ball
Effective range	1,800 m (2,000 yd)
Maximum range	2,000 m (2,200 yd)
Feed system	Belt-fed (M2 or M9 links)