Browning / US M2HB Machinegun [Machine Gun]:

One of the oldest weapons still in active service in the United States with no sign of being replaced any time in the near future. This weapon has been used by virtually every non Communist Bloc nation and about three million of these machineguns have been produced. The machine guns almost never wear out and are found in large numbers all over the world. While not the largest cartridge uses in a machinegun, the .50 caliber browning round is quite effective. The weapon has been found to be effective against ground troops, aircraft, and light armored vehicles. The weapon, with the addition of a starlight scope, is even effective as a sniper rifle.

The machine is normally mounted on a bipod or on fixed mounts of vehicle or naval vessels. The weapon has a relatively low rate of fire which makes it very stable. The weapon uses a belt feed system.

The M2 machinegun was originally designed as a scaled up version of the Browning M1917 machinegun designed to use the large .50 caliber round developed by winchester and was water cooled. The weapon was designed to be used as an anti-aircraft machinegun.

In the 1930s, an air cooled version of the machinegun was developed for use on tanks which uses a very thick barrel to dissipate the heat generated by firing. Because of this, it became 'HB' for Heavy barrel. In this form, the weapon has served in World War 2, Korea, and Vietnam.

The most recent modification to the rifle came in the 1980s when the quick change barrel version became common. This did away wish adjustment problems when changing barrels and when reassembling the weapon after cleaning.

Weight:	M2HB Gun 84 pounds (38 kg), M3 Tripod (Complete): 44 pounds (19.98 kg), and Total: 128 pounds (58 kg)
Caliber:	.50 BMG (12.7 x 99 mm).
Barrel Length:	45.0 inches (114.3 cm).
Overall Length:	61.42 inches (156 cm).
Action:	Recoil operated .
Mode of Fire:	Fully Automatic .
Rate of Fire:	500 to 550 rounds per minute.
Effective Range:	6561.7 feet (2000 meters).
Maximum Range:	4.22 miles (6.8 kilometers).
Feed:	105 round belt.
Cost:	$ 14,000.
Made in:	USA.
Special:	Almost never wear out, powerful caliber, good accuracy, large base of repair parts.

[ M2, M2HB, and Browning are copyright of their respective owners. ]

Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

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