50 BMG cut away, into the belly of the beast

I had the opportunity to photograph a pretty rare .50 Browning Machine Gun, it is a factory cut away used as a training tool for armorers of the famed Ma Deuce.

I was not able to get an exact data on this particular M2 training tool but I was told it was from around the 50s and was used as a training tool for many years before it made it’s way into a private collection.

Right side

Here is a close up of the driving spring rod

The driving spring rod and barrel buffer assembly

The feed tray, adjustable for right or left hand feeding

Barrel extension group

The chamber

The backplate assembly, showing the famed butterfly trigger. Note, the selector lever is missing.

Cut away of the muzzle and heat shield of the barrel group

The belt feed slide

Feed tray cover latch

Left side

It has been about eighteen years since I have shot a real M2 while I was an active duty Marine but I assure you the M2 Browning Heavy Machine Gun is a fantastic firearm. If the transferable ones were not so expensive, I would have one for my very own.

The M2 Browning Heavy Machine Gun .50 was invented by none other than John Moses Browning around 1917 and was initially tested in 1918. It is basically a scaled up version of the M1919 Browning 30 caliber machine gun. It was around 1933 the design was perfected and pressed into service, and it is still issued today.

The M2 is an air-cooled, belt-fed machine gun. The M2 fires from a closed bolt, operated on the short recoil principle. It fires the .50 BMG cartridge, which offers plenty of long range accuracy and incredible stopping power.

general data on the caliber .50 BMG.

Weight (approx) 84 pounds

Weight of barrel 24 pounds

Length of gun 65.13 inches

Length of barrel 45 inches

Length of rifling (approx) 41.88 inches

Number of lands and grooves 8

Twist, right-hand 1 turn in 15 inches

Feed disintegrating link-belt

Operation recoil

Cooling air

Muzzle velocity (approx) 3,050 feet per second

Rate of fire (cyclic) 450 to 550 rounds per minute

Maximum range (approx) 7,440 yards or 6,764 meters

Maximum effective range (approx) 2,000 yards or 1,830 meters

Area targets 1,830 meters

Point targets, single shot 1,500 meters

Thank you to Clinton Jamieson, fellow gun writer for helping make this happen.

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