Museum's inventory: Browning M2, .50 cal.

D

dauph197

Regular
Rating - 100%
7   0   0
As few of you may have seen, I've edited all my threads' titles to something more related to the Museum.

Here, are some pictures of .50 cal. Even though I'm qualify and was employed as a machine gunner in Bosnia and Afghanistan, I'm too young to be able to identify this one correctly. I never seen this butt plate. Was it made for armored vehicles?

Any advices would be greatly appreciated.

Martin









 
M-3 most likely came out of a F86 Sabre. most of these were torched and sold as scrap steel when we got rid of the jets. recently I seen a picture of one mounted on a Canadian helicopter in Afghanistan .I wonder how much the Americans charged us to buy more.
 
Yes gaff, the version you saw on the helicopter is the GAU-21. We did use it at the end of the operations in Afghanistan. Very effective... much more impressive than the standard M2 mounted on a vehicle or tripod. I was very skeptikal at the beginning but only one ride is enough to understand all the potential in this .50 MG.

Martin
 
Kevin M. said:
Looks like the M3 aircraft version, solenoid fired via a hole in the side plate IIRC, need some detail pics to be sure though.
Click to expand...

Yup, 1000 rds. a minute. Armed our Cf 100 s and Sabres. That heavy buffer is the give away. Most parts not interchangeable with the M2. Still have the gun logs froma couple. Removed from CF 100s and torched, after firing less than a dozen rounds in periodic maintenance checks.

Grizz
 
Last edited:
lloks like it has the side operated m2 style top cover latch though, my understanding is that the m3 latch handle is part of the center latch piece
 
Most of the M3s that I have seen here in Canada were made by Canadian Arsenals Ltd at Long Branch. If you check the serial number, does it have the L in it? (ie 1L2345).

As well, the nomenclature in the area of the serial should have the CAL letters as the manufacturer.

Apparently Inglis also had the Canadian rights to build the BMGs. I have a small BNG part with the JI logo on them.

Many of the CAL M3s live on, having been converted to M2Basic and then later modified to the FN quick change barrel in the late 90s. I saw a number of them at the RCHA here in Shilo back in the days.
 
Sorry for the poor quality picture. It was taken during the first quick inventory.

The MG was made in US.

Also, all the info that I was looking for is stamped on it... I went too fast the last time.

M3 A.C. BASIC, everything was there. My mistake...

 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom