The Browning machine gun caliber .50 HB, M2 is a belt-fed,
recoil-operated, air-cooled, crew-served machine gun. The gun is capable
of single shot, as well as automatic fire, and operates on the short recoil
principle.
a. The machine gun is capable of being fed from either the right or left
by repositioning certain parts. The weapon has nonfixed headspace that
must be set. Timing must also be adjusted to cause the gun to fire slightly
out of battery to prevent damage to moving parts. The force for recoil
operation is furnished by expanding powder gases, which are controlled by
various springs, cams, and levers. Maximum surface of the barrel and
receiver are exposed to permit air cooling. Perforations in the barrel
support allow air to circulate around the breach end of the barrel and help
in cooling the parts. A heavy barrel is used to retard early overheating.
b. The gun has a leaf-type rear sight , graduated in both
yards and roils. The scale ranges from 100 to 2,600 in yards, and from 0 to
62 in mils. The windage knob-permits deflection changes to right or left of
center. The front sight is a fixed blade type with cover.
General Data-
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 one turn in 15 inches
Feed 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
Linear Mode
