The Fifty
The Boomstick
The Dakka Stick
Ma Duece

What ever you call this magnificent machine of death, fire, and freedom there is no use denying that the Browning M2 .50 Caliber Machine Gun is a legendary weapon. Designed in the tail end of World War One the United States was looking for a dual purpose weapon capable of defeating both armor and aircraft alike, looking towards John Browning he took his already legendary Thurrty Caliber M1917 Watercooled Machine Gun, rearranged some internal workings and expanded the bore to accept a new purpose designed round, the 50 Browning Machine Gun (50BMG). The new cartridge was 12.7x99mm and it's size gives both extreme range through conservation of momentum and the ability to have a filler such as a High Explosive, Incendiary Compound, or a dense Armor Piercing core. The weapon called the M1921 was a watercioled machine gun with a reciprocating barrel with delay blowback action and was extremely heavy allowing only either ground vehicular mountings or emplacement positions. In the 1930s a new version was introduced with a thicker barrel which allowed the removal of the water jacket reducing weight and increasing design flexibility, it was at this time the weapon achieved its new designation of M2. During World War Two the weapon could be found on nearly every American made vehicle from Armored Cars like the M8 and M3 to Tanks like the M4 Sherman, Aircraft in both offensive roles on the P51 and P40 Fighters and Defensive such as on the B17 and B24 Bimbers. The Navy used the M2 as an aintiaircraft weapon on nearly every ship before they were replaced by the 20 Oerliken Cannon. In the 1960s the M2 became more rare as a new 50 Caliber Machine Gun was introduced into the US Army and USMC, the M85. The M85 was designed to be a smaller weapon to be used in small spaces such as the cupola of the M48 and M60 Patton tanks, however frequent problems with the weapon would soon see the M85 being dismissed from service with the last vehicle designed to take it being the XM-1 in the 1970s. Today the M2 can still be found on aircraft like the UH-60 and CH-47 and the M1 Abrams along with being mounted on Trucks and Humvees to ground mounts as shown here. The Navy and USCG still uses the M2 as a close in defense against small craft. After 100 years in service Ma Duece still is able to lay hate and be a valued asset to whoever is behind her receiver and shows no sign of retiring soon.