M2 Machine Gun

The M2 machine gun was designed in the 1920s by John Browning. It is a testament to the strength of that design that the same weapon is still in widespread throughout the modern US military.

The M2 fires the devastating .50 BMG round out to an effective range of over a mile. The weapon can take on soft-skinned vehicles and light armour. It can punch through concrete walls and chew up a forest. Such firepower and reach makes it a favorite among Special Operations Forces (SOF) who need to be able to hit hard and fast. The weapon can be mounted on a vehicle, boat or aircraft or mounted on a tripod.

M2 HB Specifications

M2 HB- Images and Further Info

M2HB heavy machine gun mounted on a tripod.

US DoD photo

A SWWC sailor mans a M2 mounted on a NSW RHIB.

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Robyn Gerstenslager

A US Army Special Forces soldier fires a M2 mounted atop a GMV.

Photo by Sgt. Daniel Love, 7th SFG(A) PAO

A USAF Chief Master Sergeant mans a .50 cal machine gun mounted on the rear ramp of a MH-53j Pavelow III helicopter. The variant used on USAF helicopters are designated GAU-18/A (earlier models) and GAU-21/A (later models). These guns have lighter barrels than the standard M2 and can be configured with left or right-hand feed systems, depending on which side of the helicopter they are mounted. Note the elephant-trunk-like tube fitted over the weapon's ejector port in order to funnel spent casings out of the aircraft. 

US DoD photo by SSGT GREG L. DAVIS, USAF

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