Don't be a fool and die for your country. Let the other sonofabitch die for his.
-- General George S. Patton
July 15, 2004
An American Marvel (The .50 Cal BMG)
As I mentioned in an earlier post I am attending a class at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, TX. That class is to get qualified on the M2 .50 caliber Browning Machine Gun (BMG) which I will then in turn teach at my own duty station.
So, to post on a lighter subject I thought I'd mention this American Marvel.
There is no doubt to anyone who visits this site that we live in the greatest nation on Earth. This is one example of why. American Ingenuity!
Truly John Browning was decades ahead of his time. The .50 Cal BMG has lent its design ideas to numerous other weapons throughout the years.
Ponder this for a moment. The .50 cal BMG is more than half as old as our nation and it is still one of if not the premier long range, man portable, machine gun. Mr. Browning invented the .50 Cal in the late 1800's and it has remained unchanged (mechanically) since it was introduced into the United States Inventory in 1918. It was intended to serve as a long range sniper weapon due to its ability to engage (accurately) targets out to nearly 2,000 meters. Think about that for a second. You can accurately hit a target at distances farther than a mile!!!!!! In fact during Vietnam (nearly a hundred years after the gun was invented) Marine Gunnery Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock set the record for the longest sniper kill at a distance of 2,500 yards when he felled a North Vietnamese officer.
It is truly an amazing weapon. It averages a 700 grain projectile. That is more than ten times larger than an M-16 rd. The standard Armor Piercing round for the M2 can penetrate a full inch of Armor Plating (homogenous) or .9 in of Face Hardened Armor Plating. It will penetrate nearly two feet of sand, dirt or clay at distances of 1,500 meters.
The .50 Caliber BMG and its little brother the .30 Caliber BMG (No longer used by the US) have paved the way for nearly all modern firearms.
While leftists may not consider Mr. Browning’s machine guns worthy of patriotic mention he is in fact. The quad and twin .50's used by the Navy likely saved numerous lives at Pearl Harbor. He has provided the military with the cornerstone for the weapons systems of the future and he did it more than 100 years ago.
SlagleRock Out!
That BMG is a BMF - I got to play with it many, many many - you get the idea - years ago.
It's accurate, reliable, and it makes such pretty holes in those wishing you harm.
If only it wasn't so fuckin' heavy!
Posted by: GOC in Winston Salem at July 16, 2004 01:49 AMUse Ma Deuce whenever you want to reach out and touch someone. Great weapon, used one in Vietnam as an escort weapon mounted on a 5ton tractor running behind 30Cal Mg mounted on a Jeep. The team made an effective match whenever we were ambushed or taking random fire. When Ma spoke the opposition usually decided they were too close and left. Other than a duster it was a favorite for it's firepower.
Posted by: Jack at July 16, 2004 09:37 AMA quote from the Highly Esteemed Senator Kerry, regarding the M2:
I conducted harassment and interdiction fire. I used 50-caliber machine guns which we were granted and ordered to use, which were our only weapon against people. I took part in search-and-destroy missions, in the burning of villages. All of this is contrary to the laws of warfare. All of this is contrary to the Geneva Conventions and all of this ordered as a matter of written established policy by the government of the United States from the top down.So there you go - use of a .50 cal on anything except a materiel target (truck etc) is a 'War Crime'.
Given the extensive use of the M2 and successors in Iraq recently, and as seen on numerous TV shots, will Kerry start prosecutions as soon as he's elected, or wait?
Posted by: Alan E Brain at July 20, 2004 04:02 AM
I highly doubt SKerry would bother with that now, he has bigger lies to tell and stories to conjure.
SlagleRock Out!
Posted by: SlagleRock at July 20, 2004 02:57 PMVery nice comments you guys have here, congratulations and thanks to allowing my post...
Posted by: Phendimetrazine at April 15, 2005 01:23 PM