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Weapons System

M2 Browning Machine Gun

Machine Guns And Automatic Weapons

The M2 Browning is a heavy machine gun designed by the American firearms inventor John Browning and formally adopted by the United States military in 1933, chambered for the powerful .50 caliber Browning Machine Gun cartridge that gives the weapon its common nickname, the fifty-cal or Ma Deuce. Its heavy round and recoil-operated action give it substantially greater range, penetration and stopping power against light vehicles, aircraft and fortified positions than standard rifle-caliber machine guns, and the weapon has been mounted on tanks, armored vehicles, aircraft, ships and dedicated ground tripods across every major American conflict from the Second World War onward. Despite its 1933 adoption date, the M2 Browning remains in front-line military service with the United States and dozens of other countries into the twenty-first century, a longevity that reflects both the enduring effectiveness of its original design and the continued usefulness of a reliable, powerful heavy machine gun across a wide range of vehicle, aircraft and infantry support roles.

Facts
Classification
Caliber
.50 BMG 1
Caliber
.50 caliber 1
Service Status
In Service 1
Weapon Class
Heavy machine gun 1
Introduced Year
1933 1
Weapon Class
Weapon Class (category)
Machine Gun 1
FAQs

Why is the M2 called the M2HB, and what is the quick change barrel?

The heavy barrel resisted overheating, and the quick change barrel let a crew swap a hot barrel for a cool one.

The air-cooled M2 could not fire beyond 75 rounds before the barrel overheated to the point of fracture. The M2HB, for Heavy Barrel, answered this with a stronger barrel assembly to help dissipate heat. That made the gun heavier, at 84 pounds, but it could be fired for longer periods. A quick change barrel function was also added to help relieve the heating problem, allowing an operator to replace a heated barrel with a cool one.
Connections

Operated By

Bundeswehr, Armed Forces and Units
Source Wikipedia: M2 Browning
Israeli Defense Forces, Armed Forces and Units
Source Wikipedia: M2 Browning
Royal Navy, Armed Forces and Units
Source Wikipedia: M2 Browning
United States Air Force, Armed Forces and Units
Source Wikipedia: M2 Browning

Used In

Cambodian Civil War, Wars
Source Wikipedia: M2 Browning
Falklands War, Wars
Source Wikipedia: M2 Browning
First Indochina War, Wars
Source Wikipedia: M2 Browning
Gulf War, Wars
Source Wikipedia: M2 Browning
Iran-Iraq War, Wars
Source Wikipedia: M2 Browning
Iraq War, Wars
Source Wikipedia: M2 Browning
Korean War, Wars
Source Wikipedia: M2 Browning
Laotian Civil War, Wars
Source Wikipedia: M2 Browning
Russo-Ukrainian War, Wars
Source Wikipedia: M2 Browning
Rwandan Civil War, Wars
Source Wikipedia: M2 Browning
Vietnam War, Wars
Source Wikipedia: M2 Browning
War in Afghanistan (2001-2021), Wars
Source Wikipedia: M2 Browning
World War II, Wars
Source Wikipedia: M2 Browning
Yugoslav Wars, Wars
Source Wikipedia: M2 Browning
In the Other Atlases

Manufactured By

ACDelco

Also in Business Atlas: the manufacturer of this subject.

Source Wikipedia: M2 Browningtier 4
Colt's Manufacturing Company

Also in Business Atlas: the manufacturer of this subject.

Source Wikipedia: M2 Browningtier 4
FN Herstal

Also in Business Atlas: the manufacturer of this subject.

Source Wikipedia: M2 Browningtier 4
Frigidaire

Also in Business Atlas: the manufacturer of this subject.

Source Wikipedia: M2 Browningtier 4
General Dynamics Corporation

Also in Business Atlas: the manufacturer of this subject.

Source Wikipedia: M2 Browningtier 4
General Motors

Also in Business Atlas: the manufacturer of this subject.

Source Wikipedia: M2 Browningtier 4
High Standard Manufacturing Company

Also in Business Atlas: the manufacturer of this subject.

Source Wikipedia: M2 Browningtier 4
Nexteer Automotive

Also in Business Atlas: the manufacturer of this subject.

Source Wikipedia: M2 Browningtier 4
Rock Island Arsenal

Also in Business Atlas: the manufacturer of this subject.

Source Wikipedia: M2 Browningtier 4
Sabre Defence

Also in Business Atlas: the manufacturer of this subject.

Source Wikipedia: M2 Browningtier 4
Savage Arms

Also in Business Atlas: the manufacturer of this subject.

Source Wikipedia: M2 Browningtier 4
Springfield Armory

Also in Business Atlas: the manufacturer of this subject.

Source Wikipedia: M2 Browningtier 4
TRW Inc.

Also in Business Atlas: the manufacturer of this subject.

Source Wikipedia: M2 Browningtier 4
U.S. Ordnance

Also in Business Atlas: the manufacturer of this subject.

Source Wikipedia: M2 Browningtier 4
Sources
1. Wikipedia: M2 Browning
Wikipedia
  • Lead section, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M2_Browning
    The M2 machine gun or Browning .50-caliber machine gun (informally, "Ma Deuce") is a heavy machine gun
  • Development section, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M2_Browning
    With support from the Navy, Colt started manufacturing the M2 in 1933.
  • Infobox: service
    1933-present
  • Lead and body text
    While similar to Browning's M1919 Browning machine gun, which was chambered for the .30-06 cartridge, the M2 uses Browning's larger and more powerful .50 BMG (12.7 mm) cartridge.
  • Used In: World War II, Article text
    A number of additional subvariants were developed after the end of World War II.
  • Used In: Korean War, Article text
    Soldiers during the Korean War used scoped M2s in the role of a sniper rifle, but the practice was most notably used by U.S.
  • Used In: First Indochina War, Infobox: wars
    World War II 1947-1949 Palestine war Indonesian National Revolution Korean War First Indochina War Suez Crisis 1958 Lebanon crisis Cuban Revolution Portuguese Colonial War Rhodesian Bush War Vietnam War Laotian Civil War Cambodian Civil War Colombian conflict Dominican Civil War Ethiopian Civil War Lebanese Civil War Cambodian-Vietnamese War Sino-Vietnamese War Nicaraguan Revolution Falklands War Operation Urgent Fury Kurdish-Turkish conflict (1978-2025) Iran-Iraq War Operation Just Cause Persian Gulf War Rwandan Civil War Somali Civil War Yugoslav Wars Operation Uphold Democracy War in Afghanistan (2001-2021) Iraq War Mexican drug war Syrian Civil War (2011-present) War in Iraq (2013-2017) Yemeni Civil War (2014-present) Russo-Ukrainian War
  • Used In: Vietnam War, Article text
    Marine Corps sniper Carlos Hathcock during the Vietnam War.
  • Used In: Laotian Civil War, Infobox: wars
    World War II 1947-1949 Palestine war Indonesian National Revolution Korean War First Indochina War Suez Crisis 1958 Lebanon crisis Cuban Revolution Portuguese Colonial War Rhodesian Bush War Vietnam War Laotian Civil War Cambodian Civil War Colombian conflict Dominican Civil War Ethiopian Civil War Lebanese Civil War Cambodian-Vietnamese War Sino-Vietnamese War Nicaraguan Revolution Falklands War Operation Urgent Fury Kurdish-Turkish conflict (1978-2025) Iran-Iraq War Operation Just Cause Persian Gulf War Rwandan Civil War Somali Civil War Yugoslav Wars Operation Uphold Democracy War in Afghanistan (2001-2021) Iraq War Mexican drug war Syrian Civil War (2011-present) War in Iraq (2013-2017) Yemeni Civil War (2014-present) Russo-Ukrainian War
  • Used In: Cambodian Civil War, Infobox: wars
    World War II 1947-1949 Palestine war Indonesian National Revolution Korean War First Indochina War Suez Crisis 1958 Lebanon crisis Cuban Revolution Portuguese Colonial War Rhodesian Bush War Vietnam War Laotian Civil War Cambodian Civil War Colombian conflict Dominican Civil War Ethiopian Civil War Lebanese Civil War Cambodian-Vietnamese War Sino-Vietnamese War Nicaraguan Revolution Falklands War Operation Urgent Fury Kurdish-Turkish conflict (1978-2025) Iran-Iraq War Operation Just Cause Persian Gulf War Rwandan Civil War Somali Civil War Yugoslav Wars Operation Uphold Democracy War in Afghanistan (2001-2021) Iraq War Mexican drug war Syrian Civil War (2011-present) War in Iraq (2013-2017) Yemeni Civil War (2014-present) Russo-Ukrainian War
  • Used In: Falklands War, Article text
    The Scots Guards used the weapon in the 1982 Falklands War.
  • Used In: Iran-Iraq War, Infobox: wars
    World War II 1947-1949 Palestine war Indonesian National Revolution Korean War First Indochina War Suez Crisis 1958 Lebanon crisis Cuban Revolution Portuguese Colonial War Rhodesian Bush War Vietnam War Laotian Civil War Cambodian Civil War Colombian conflict Dominican Civil War Ethiopian Civil War Lebanese Civil War Cambodian-Vietnamese War Sino-Vietnamese War Nicaraguan Revolution Falklands War Operation Urgent Fury Kurdish-Turkish conflict (1978-2025) Iran-Iraq War Operation Just Cause Persian Gulf War Rwandan Civil War Somali Civil War Yugoslav Wars Operation Uphold Democracy War in Afghanistan (2001-2021) Iraq War Mexican drug war Syrian Civil War (2011-present) War in Iraq (2013-2017) Yemeni Civil War (2014-present) Russo-Ukrainian War
  • Used In: Gulf War, Infobox: wars
    World War II 1947-1949 Palestine war Indonesian National Revolution Korean War First Indochina War Suez Crisis 1958 Lebanon crisis Cuban Revolution Portuguese Colonial War Rhodesian Bush War Vietnam War Laotian Civil War Cambodian Civil War Colombian conflict Dominican Civil War Ethiopian Civil War Lebanese Civil War Cambodian-Vietnamese War Sino-Vietnamese War Nicaraguan Revolution Falklands War Operation Urgent Fury Kurdish-Turkish conflict (1978-2025) Iran-Iraq War Operation Just Cause Persian Gulf War Rwandan Civil War Somali Civil War Yugoslav Wars Operation Uphold Democracy War in Afghanistan (2001-2021) Iraq War Mexican drug war Syrian Civil War (2011-present) War in Iraq (2013-2017) Yemeni Civil War (2014-present) Russo-Ukrainian War
  • Used In: Rwandan Civil War, Infobox: wars
    World War II 1947-1949 Palestine war Indonesian National Revolution Korean War First Indochina War Suez Crisis 1958 Lebanon crisis Cuban Revolution Portuguese Colonial War Rhodesian Bush War Vietnam War Laotian Civil War Cambodian Civil War Colombian conflict Dominican Civil War Ethiopian Civil War Lebanese Civil War Cambodian-Vietnamese War Sino-Vietnamese War Nicaraguan Revolution Falklands War Operation Urgent Fury Kurdish-Turkish conflict (1978-2025) Iran-Iraq War Operation Just Cause Persian Gulf War Rwandan Civil War Somali Civil War Yugoslav Wars Operation Uphold Democracy War in Afghanistan (2001-2021) Iraq War Mexican drug war Syrian Civil War (2011-present) War in Iraq (2013-2017) Yemeni Civil War (2014-present) Russo-Ukrainian War
  • Used In: Yugoslav Wars, Infobox: wars
    World War II 1947-1949 Palestine war Indonesian National Revolution Korean War First Indochina War Suez Crisis 1958 Lebanon crisis Cuban Revolution Portuguese Colonial War Rhodesian Bush War Vietnam War Laotian Civil War Cambodian Civil War Colombian conflict Dominican Civil War Ethiopian Civil War Lebanese Civil War Cambodian-Vietnamese War Sino-Vietnamese War Nicaraguan Revolution Falklands War Operation Urgent Fury Kurdish-Turkish conflict (1978-2025) Iran-Iraq War Operation Just Cause Persian Gulf War Rwandan Civil War Somali Civil War Yugoslav Wars Operation Uphold Democracy War in Afghanistan (2001-2021) Iraq War Mexican drug war Syrian Civil War (2011-present) War in Iraq (2013-2017) Yemeni Civil War (2014-present) Russo-Ukrainian War
  • Used In: War in Afghanistan (2001-2021), Infobox: wars
    World War II 1947-1949 Palestine war Indonesian National Revolution Korean War First Indochina War Suez Crisis 1958 Lebanon crisis Cuban Revolution Portuguese Colonial War Rhodesian Bush War Vietnam War Laotian Civil War Cambodian Civil War Colombian conflict Dominican Civil War Ethiopian Civil War Lebanese Civil War Cambodian-Vietnamese War Sino-Vietnamese War Nicaraguan Revolution Falklands War Operation Urgent Fury Kurdish-Turkish conflict (1978-2025) Iran-Iraq War Operation Just Cause Persian Gulf War Rwandan Civil War Somali Civil War Yugoslav Wars Operation Uphold Democracy War in Afghanistan (2001-2021) Iraq War Mexican drug war Syrian Civil War (2011-present) War in Iraq (2013-2017) Yemeni Civil War (2014-present) Russo-Ukrainian War
  • Used In: Iraq War, Article text
    It was heavily used during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the War in Afghanistan, and the Iraq War.
  • Used In: Russo-Ukrainian War, Infobox: wars
    World War II 1947-1949 Palestine war Indonesian National Revolution Korean War First Indochina War Suez Crisis 1958 Lebanon crisis Cuban Revolution Portuguese Colonial War Rhodesian Bush War Vietnam War Laotian Civil War Cambodian Civil War Colombian conflict Dominican Civil War Ethiopian Civil War Lebanese Civil War Cambodian-Vietnamese War Sino-Vietnamese War Nicaraguan Revolution Falklands War Operation Urgent Fury Kurdish-Turkish conflict (1978-2025) Iran-Iraq War Operation Just Cause Persian Gulf War Rwandan Civil War Somali Civil War Yugoslav Wars Operation Uphold Democracy War in Afghanistan (2001-2021) Iraq War Mexican drug war Syrian Civil War (2011-present) War in Iraq (2013-2017) Yemeni Civil War (2014-present) Russo-Ukrainian War
  • Operated By: United States Air Force, Wikipedia article text
    The later, faster-firing electrically feed-boosted AN/M3 was used in many Korean War-era USAF fighter aircraft such as the Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star, Republic F-84 Thunderjet, North American F-86 Sabre, and early versions of the Martin B-57 Canberra bomber.
  • Operated By: Royal Navy, Wikipedia article text
    The M3M is also the primary machine gun used by the British Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm for helicopter armament on Wildcat and Merlin aircraft.
  • Operated By: Israeli Defense Forces, Wikipedia article text
    The M2HB has been in service with the Israel Defense Forces since its establishment and has served in all of Israel's wars, operations, and conflicts.
  • Operated By: Bundeswehr, Wikipedia article text
    It is also used by the German Bundeswehr on their NH-90 helicopters.
  • In Group: Heavy Machine Guns, Infobox: type
    Heavy machine gun
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