Posted on 11/20/2017 1:11:01 PM PST by Simon Green
In the video below, members of the U.S. Military fire the M2 Browning .50 caliber machine gun in various training exercises. The caption informs us, correctly, that the our boys in uniform have used the “Ma Deuce” in every war or conflict from WWII to the present day. TTAG’s resident war hero Jon Wayne Taylor said the sound of a Ma Deuce in combat told him that “everything was going to be alright.” All right then, M2 Browning. Greatest machine gun ever?
Yep, ever !
Ma Deuce destroyed the Luftwaffe, IJN aviation, and Soviet/Chi-Com/Nork Air Forces in Korea.
On land: Browning .30 1919
In air: .50
Is this even a question???
If John Browning didn’t invent it you probably don’t need it.
MG 42
One needs a lot of spare barrels.
Fire for effect!
Probably hard to narrow it down to only one.
The Maxim was amazing when it was first invented.
Te MG-42 may have been the best ever.
The M2 was invented in 1917 but due to the end of WWII was not adopted until several years later. It is still in use 100 years later so maybe it deserves the title.
It sure was
Obviously I meant to say WWI.
Obviously. :)
600-700 grain bullet at 2700fps.
It’s an exact replica of the 30.06 dimensions, only bigger.
And yes, it will stop a truck. It will crack the case of a Peterbuilt at 500 yards.
One might easily argue the M134 6-barrell mini-gun is more devistating — after it’s been around 100 years and still asked for by troops in the field.
My guess is in 100 years there will still be uses for old Ma Deuce, but the M134 will have been replaced by several later generations.
Why is Ma so special?
Maybe just beauty?
I had many highs and lows while in the Army but it was always a good day when I got to fire off a belt from the Browning in the cupola of our M113.
That thing just radiated “Badass”.
Only if you keep it lubed with some CLP, otherwise it turns into a single shot breech loader that has to be cocked each round.
When you want to reach out and touch someone, over and over and over ...
When you want to keep the tango’s head down and then send him for recycling.
When you need air cover but it is 5 minutes out.
When you realize that you are outnumbered but you have a Ma Deuce (hoping for no RPGs).
The Ferrari of machine guns.
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