Posted on 08/10/2012 8:26:49 PM PDT by JerseyanExile
The Army has decided to cut the XM806 Lightweight .50 Caliber Machine Gun program. The XM806 was a scaled down version of the 25mm XM307 Advanced Crew Served Weapon, which was also cut before it went into production.
The XM806 was originally going to be deployed this year, but delays pushed the expected deployment date back to late 2013 or early 2014. Military Times reports that the money allocated to the XM806 will be used to upgrade the Army's .50 M2 Browning machine guns to the M2A1 version. Earlier this year the Army announced plans to upgrade every M2 to the M2A1.
It ain’t broke, so don’t fix it.
The Ma-Duece lives on, as does the 1911. . . .you just can’t improve on the basic design, only improve the materials. . .
Geez, next they’ll probably be reviving the 1911’s.
Actually, they are.
The Marines recently put out a solicitation for 5000 1911 Government Models.
MARSOC ( Marines Special Ops) is going back to the 1911. Of course it’s got a few updates.
It’s the preferred sidearm of choice for Special Ops.
Geez, next they’ll probably be reviving the 1911’s
That is pretty much what the Marine Corps is doing. A modernized, somewhat, yet essentially, a 2012 version of the 1911A1. Which they never should have gotten rid of for that junk M-9 piece of eurocrap.
The B-25J Mitchell. Eight M2s in the nose and a couple tons of bombs in the back. They were absolutely devastating against Japanese shipping on low-level skip bombing runs.
Think about what eight Ma Deuces in that tight a pattern would do to whatever they hit. It's not pretty.
}:-)4
he B-24 Liberator was famous for mincing japanese fighters. Each bomber had TEN M2 machine guns. A formation of four or more was considered impregnable by the japs.
Evidently, the Luftwaffe missed that memo. Never heard that before. The Japanese were starting to do a bit of a number on the B-29s until Iwo.
Fighter Escort is(was) the difference.
Actually, I do believe some military service DID order some 1911s. Marines maybe?
Anyway, the 1911, the M-2, what next?
Start building the follow on to the Iowa class BB?
The B-25J Mitchell. Eight M2s in the nose and a couple tons of bombs in the back. They were absolutely devastating against Japanese shipping on low-level skip bombing runs.
Think about what eight Ma Deuces in that tight a pattern would do to whatever they hit. It’s not pretty.
Jeeeez.....poor Japs. :-)
Actually, I do believe some military service DID order some 1911s. Marines maybe?
Anyway, the 1911, the M-2, what next?
Start building the follow on to the Iowa class BB?
Build the Montana’s!
The Iowa’s were just beautifully lined ships. Nothing like a fire mission of 16”, short of a small nuke.
And a number of the gunners had a pair to use in their turret.
Yep, the B-25G and B-25H were the first solid-nose variants, with various .50-caliber packages and a 75mm anti-tank cannon in the nose. The 75mm wasn’t really that useful, it had poor ballistics and had to be hand-reloaded so they only could get one or two inaccurate shots off on a strafing run and couldn’t use the .50s to sight in the 75mm.
Some B-25Js (and many A-20G Havocs) didn’t just get the eight-.50 solid nose assembly, they kept their four “blister” .50s that were mounted two on either side of the fuselage below the cockpit. So that’s *twelve* M2s firing forward, plus the top turret could be turned around forwards and join in for a total of FOURTEEN. And then on the way out, the tail gunner could say good-bye with a couple of more. :) Add in the waist guns and those planes that kept their blister guns had eighteen M2s onboard.
}:-)4
The solid-nose variant of the B-26 Invader (six or eight guns in the nose and six more in the wings) carried that firepower tradition on into the early 70s.
Wow, with all that .50 ammo, did they even have enough space/weight for, you know, bombs?
I think that most of the B-29s that served in the Pacific had their defensive weapons removed to save weight and extend their range.
Sort of like the Marines buying M1911A1s for their Force Recon folks to replace the Barettas; If a good weapon isn’t broke, why buy a new one.
I remember the M85 on my M060A2 when in B-1-32 Armor (Now it is 1-32 Cav). I think that on the A2s we fired the M-85 from a trigger on the TCs “Cadillac Controls” that we also used to over ride the gunner’s controls to swing the turret. The key for the M-85 was to make sure the rounds were well oiled so that they would make the journey from the tray to the mg without jamming or sticking.
And one didn’t have to worry about setting “head space & timing” with the M-85.
Some things just can’t be improved.
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