"Browning" machine gun: description, characteristics, photo

Large-caliber machine "Browning" - one of the few guns that remains in the arsenal of the US Army to this day, undergoing minor modifications. About him and will be discussed in this article.

The birth of a legend

The development of the large-caliber machine gun of the John Moses Browning system is considered to be the last years of the First World War, when the acute question arose about the need to equip the infantry with modern weapons capable of hitting a considerable number of targets in a short time.

It is installed both for armored vehicles and for aircraft. It is known that the Thunderbolt aircraft has in the rigging a "Browning" -M2 machine gun in the number of eight units.

It is known to install a machine gun model under the M2HB marking on the M46 tank. The machine gun was used as an antiaircraft gun and was equipped with a sight. Was located in front or behind the commander's niche.

Browning's hand-gun also can fire on aviation at low altitudes, over easily armored or non-armored vehicles. And of course, by the enemy's infantry.

Colt-Browning machine gun

In 1889, John Browning developed a machine gun with a system for cooling the barrel and the removal of powder gases. After that, the rights were redeemed by the company "Colt", which in 1895 released a machine gun "Colt" M1895. Thanks to the serial production, the product went to European states and a number of Latin American countries. At the dawn of the First World War, a modification with a weighted barrel was released. Russia bought this machine gun in huge batches, the weapons were popular along with the "maxi" machine gun.

The 1917 Machine Gun

Adopted by the US Army in 1917, the machine gun served faithfully until 1970, after which it was withdrawn from service.

Also known for the "Browning" machine -1919 - a modernized version with a cooling system of the gun barrel - appeared after the First World War.

Tactical and technical characteristics

The "Browning" machine -1919 served until 1970, but gradually the model was removed from armament by the end of 1945 because of the analysis of military operations in general, showing that the machine gun is morally obsolete, and the emerging models (including in other countries ) Push the product according to its characteristics to the second (and even to the third) plan.

The Browning machine gun weighed 14 kg, length 1219 mm, of which the barrel is 609 mm. Rate of fire from 400 to 600 rounds per minute on the principle of kickback of the barrel on a short stroke with lever locking.

The food was produced by means of a machine gun belt for 250 rounds with a maximum target range of 1 369 meters.

Machine gun "Browning" -m2

As at the same it is told above, the greatest popularity has received thanks to installation on heavy technics and use in quality zenith. It is a mo

But in most cases, all was exploited as a means of suppressing the enemy's manpower. The M46 tank carried the often-installed heavy-duty Browning machine gun on its armor. But when firing from the armor, the crew member had to lean out of the hatch roughly to the waist, which made the soldier vulnerable. Therefore, mounted and the second machine gun, as well as the standard machine gun, provided for the M46, was replaced with a Browning machine gun. Thus, the firepower of the combat vehicle increased significantly.

But this modernization was not carried out at the factory that produces the equipment, but directly by the crew of the combat vehicle in the conditions of combat operations, which greatly affected the need to replenish ammunition for the Browning machine gun (12.7 mm M2).

The American "Browning" (M2) machine gun is designed for tape feeding, and boxes for 550 cartridges designed for regular weapons on the M46, often lacked. Therefore, the crew had to get out on their own to solve this difficult task.

Sniper firing from a machine gun

For the first time in the war in Korea such use of a machine gun was registered. However, the greatest popularity was won by the "Browning" machine gun during the Vietnam War, when one of the US snipers named Carlos Hetcock hit several times the target no larger than a human figure, located at a distance of about 1700 meters. First the rumor about such shooting, flying around the US troops, played into their hands and raised morale. There was even formed a commission that experienced this arrow for setting and registering a world record. Information about the sniper shooting of Carlos from the machine gun was confirmed.

The machine guns produced from the machine were even provided with a sniper scope after such an event. There is only one nuance. In fact, nobody used this sight, but the "Browning" machine gun was used for its intended purpose. Well, there are not so many unique people in the army who will use the machine gun as a sniper rifle.

But the idea of creating a sniper rifle based on the construction of a machine gun attracted attention and was developed. But not for long. «браунинга» благополучно забыли. As a result, the project to create a sniper rifle was curtailed, and in 1982 the company "Barrett" appeared on the scene with its sniper rifles, which quickly went into service with the US Army and the initiative of the sniper's "Browning" was safely forgotten.

The myth of sniper shooting from a machine gun existed until about 2002, gradually fouling with new details and fables. Passing from mouth to mouth, data on the range of shooting "sniper" constantly changed. In 2002, news was recorded about the range of shooting up to 3000 meters, which immediately betrayed the frankness of the material presented.

TTX M2

The legendary machine gun weighs 38 kg, and if with the machine, then much more - 58 kg.

1653 мм, из них ствол составляет 1143. The length of the product is 1653 mm, of which the barrel is 1143.

It uses a NATO cartridge 12.7 x 99 mm.

The military version of the machine gun (the one that was installed on the tank) has a rate of fire, which varies from 483 to 630 rounds per minute. A few other indicators for the AN / M2 aircraft machine gun range from 740 to 845.

The upgraded version of the aircraft gun (AN / M3) has a rate of fire equivalent to 1200 rounds per minute.

The aiming range is 1820 meters.

Since the beginning of mass production in 1921, over 3 million items have been produced.

From war to war

Designed back in those years, the "Browning" machine gun is in service with the US Army (and also many NATO countries) to this day. Used during the Second World War, as well as in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, a number of local conflicts. In some, the US participated directly, in others this weapon was used by one or both parties.

Many conflicts have long ago died down and had their development for a further history. Some are forgotten, but some still last.

Kaleidoscope of conflicts

At different times, the machine gun was used by various participants in the conflict. In some countries, it is still in service, but somewhere already written off and put in storage.

Suez War (October 1957 - March 1957) - the war in Egypt, which arose because of the uncertainty of the status of the Suez Canal. And also received the name "Operation Kadesh."

The six-day war was a military confrontation in the Middle East, lasting from the fifth to the tenth of June 1967.

Three Indo-Chinese wars, which, according to historians, were conducted by European countries against Vietnam for maintaining their influence over the Indochina colonies in the period from 1946 to 1991 were conducted.

Military confrontation between Great Britain and Argentina for control of the Falkland Islands in the period from April 2 to June 20, 1982.

The South African War (or the War of Independence of Namibia), 1969-1989. - an armed clash in the territory of Namibia between the organization of independent peoples of southwestern Africa (SWAPO) with the support of the USSR, Angola and Zambia against South Africa and UNITA (insurgents advocating for the independence of Angola) with the support of the United States, China and Zaire.

The war in the Persian Gulf is a large-scale confrontation between the armies of many countries led by the United States and Iraq for the independence of Kuwait. Even on the verge of collapse of the USSR, in the end, he supported the United States. The war lasted from August 2, 1990 to February 28, 1991.

The Civil War in Somalia, which began in 1988 and continues to this day.

The US invasion of Grenada, known as the operation of the Urgent Fury, held from October 25 to 27, 1983.

The invasion of Panama - from December 20, 1989 to January 31, 1990. The official pretext is to protect the rights of US citizens and democratic values in Panama.

Wars in Yugoslavia - a number of ethnic and religious conflicts in the period from 1991 to 2001, leading to the breakup of Yugoslavia and the emergence of a number of independent republics. It is considered the most bloody conflict after the Second World War.

The military actions of the United States and NATO in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014. It is considered the longest war in US history. Officially, the fighting, with the goal of confronting the Taliban, ended in 2014, when the right to maintain order was transferred to local security forces. In fact, fighting continues to this day.

Iraqi war to overthrow Saddam Hussein's regime 2003 - 2011.

The drug war in Mexico is an armed conflict between the Mexican drug lords and the Mexican police, which has lasted from 2006 to this day.

The Civil War in Cambodia is an armed confrontation between a local government backed by the US and the Communist Party supported by North Vietnam. The war lasted from 1967 to 1975.

The Cambodian-Vietnam War - from 1978 to 1991.

Colonial war in Portugal from 1961 to 1974. It is also known as Guerra Colonial and Guerra do Ultramar.

The Iran-Iraq war from 1980 to 1988.