Browning M2 HB
The
famous Browning M2 HB heavy machine gun (where the designation HB officially
stands for "Heavy Barrel"). Nicknamed "Ma Deuce" by U.S. forces, it is a .50 BMG
(12.7 × 99 mm NATO) caliber weapon originally designed by John M. Browning at
the end of World War I.
Weight:
Approximately 38 kg on its own (and over 58 kg when mounted on its M3 tripod).
Length:
1,650 mm (including 1,143 mm for the air-cooled heavy barrel).
Rate of
fire: 450 to 600 rounds per minute.
Effective
range: Up to 1,800 meters (maximum range of 7.4 km).
Why a
heavy barrel (HB)?
Early
versions of the M2 (such as the Model 1921) featured a thin barrel that
overheated too quickly or required a bulky water-cooling system.
By
significantly increasing the thickness of the steel (hence the name "Heavy
Barrel"), the weapon could be effectively cooled by ambient air, radically
simplifying its use in the field by infantry and on-board vehicles.
