| Operation |
Selective Fire; Semiautomatic or Fully Automatic,
recoil operated, air cooled |
| Caliber |
.50 (12.7 mm) |
| Ammunition |
bullet 710 gr, charge 235 gr |
| Muzzle velocity |
853.4 mps (2930 fps) |
| Capacity | 110-round metallic link belt |
| Weight |
57.8 kg (128 lbs); barrel 81 lbs, tripod 44 lbs |
| Overall length |
165.4 cm (65.1 in), (barrel 45 in) |
| Rate of fire |
400 to 550 rounds per minute |
| Effective range |
2287m (2500 yds) |
The .50 caliber machine gun is primarily an anti-vehicular weapon. Its weight,
and the weight of its ammunition, make it unsuitable for mobile infantry use. However,
in semi-fixed positions such as the MLR in Korea, or mounted on vehicles in file,
as in the withdrawal from Chosin, the weapon is magnificent. Its great range and striking power make it deadly in enfilade against troops staging for assault. Again,
these capabilities make it ideal for quick reaction against machine gun and mortar positions on heights overlooking road communications.
Against massed infantry attack over ground with relatively constant slope, as against the Chinese human wave assaults on our MLR such as at Vegas, the M2 is a truly terrible force. For
mobile deployment, Quad .50s mounted on half-tracks are devastating, going over the hills like a
vacuum cleaner.
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