M2 Browning

The M2 Browning (Ma Deuce) is a .50 caliber heavy machine gun that has been a standard NATO crew-served weapon since the 1930s, employed in anti-personnel, anti-materiel, and light anti-aircraft roles across every major US conflict since World War II.

Overview

The Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .50, M2 HB—universally known as the "Ma Deuce"—is a belt-fed, short-recoil-operated heavy machine gun chambered in 12.7×99mm NATO (.50 BMG). First fielded in its modern heavy-barrel form in 1933, the weapon has been continuously upgraded, most recently to the M2A1 standard with a quick-change barrel and fixed headspace and timing. Over three million units have been produced, and the M2 serves as the standard heavy machine gun for the United States and virtually all NATO members, mounted on vehicles, aircraft, ships, and infantry tripods. Its combination of range, hitting power, and reliability has kept it in front-line service for more than a century.

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