That's right, the machine gun we're going to talk about today is the "Browning M2".
Or PorKor 93 in the name of the Royal Thai Army
The Browning M2 machine gun is considered one of the most powerful machine guns.
You will experience the destructive power of this machine gun.
Whether you are the person who fired the shot or were its target.
Some people even call this gun the "mother of all machine guns."
US Army conscripts during World War II called it the "Soldier of the Line" for short.
"Ma Deuce" (Ma-Deuce) or "The Goddess"
The Browning M2 is a popular rifle and has a long history in the history of the US military.
- A formidable weapon -
The Browning M2 machine gun began production in 1933.
Since then, it has built a reputation and reputation with the hands of countless warriors.
Once during World War II
Audie Murphy, a soldier who was injured in the middle of a battlefield.
Shooting a working M2 .50 Cal rifle.
From the top of the tank, as the vehicle was on fire.
Fired to hold off the resistance, 6 Panzer tanks.
and 250 German soldiers for almost an hour
In the battlefields of eastern France and for this heroic act,
Earned Audi the Medal of Honor
From its high firepower and long firing range
Combined with the single-shot firing system that comes with the M2.
Legendary Marine sniper Carlos Hathcock
Those who try strange things but get results
During the Vietnam War in 1967
Hatchcock has a 10x magnification scope mounted on his M2 machine gun.
and fired at a range of 2,500 yards (2,286 meters).
Successfully reached Hashcock's target.
Held the record for longest kill from then until 2002. 
2003 Paul Ray Smith
Climbed into the armored vehicle and fired "Goddess" against more than 100 enemy forces.
His platoon level encircled him.
Unfortunately, he died in that battle.
But this heroic act saved the lives of his comrades-in-arms.
and earned him the Medal of Honor.
It is considered the first medal of bravery for Operation Iraqi Freedom.
- Bullets with high destructive power -
From the widespread use of armored vehicles and aircraft during World War IPersuading the idea of the American Expeditionary Force Commander
Gen. John Pershing proposed that
The army should have a heavy machine gun with high firepower in service.
In order to keep up with the armies of the world at that time.
Both the British and French had heavy machine guns that used large-caliber ammunition, such as the Hotchkiss.
But on the contrary, throughout the period of World War I, the US Army
There is only a machine gun that uses the same ammunition as a rifle.
The Hotchkiss machine gun was used by the British and French armies during World War I.
And finally, John Browning studied, experimented, and developed the machine gun.
Based on his previous prototype, the M1917, which fired a .30 Cal cartridge.
Modified into a new machine gun that fires .50 Cal bullets.
Until 1921, the Army accepted Browning's .50 Cal machine gun for testing.
It is a novel water-cooled machine gun.
It can be considered the prototype or father of the .50 Cal M2 "Godmother" gun.
After Browning's death, other weapons developers
The prototype of Browning was further developed to correct the shortcomings of the M1921.
Until the 1930s, the Colt Company bought the patent to own it.
and opened the production line, but still following the design that Browning had designed.
- Big, long and long-lasting -
The Browning M2 is based on a belt-fed machine gun.Air cooled, continuous firing with recoil system
Its size and shape are already terrifying.
At almost 6 feet (182.8 centimeters) long and weighing over 84 pounds (38 kilograms),
If you do not include the tripod type sandbags, which when combined,
Weighing up to 128 pounds (58 kilograms).
The M2 can fire 550 rounds of continuous ammunition per minute.
And can also use single shot firing system.
Moreover, according to the design characteristics, it can also
You can also adjust the bullet feeding from the left or right side of the gun.
The Browning M2's capabilities don't end there.
Its effective range is 6,000 feet, or 1,828 meters.
But the actual range that the M2 can deliver its projectiles to is 4 miles or 6.4 kilometers.
- The prevalence of the Browning M2 -
The Army and Navy are very fond of the M2.And it was widely used on the battlefield during World War II.
It was installed as a secondary gun with a tank cannon.
Installed on fighter aircraft to chase enemy aircraft.
Can be used with a tripod for infantry use.
It is a gun turret for placing a defensive line on a stronghold.
and installed on ships to be used as anti-aircraft guns.
A period of time passed during World War II.
The US military took the initiative and discovered that the "Goddess" was a very effective gun.
When used against foot soldiers
From the results it has shown, it has even received a cruel nickname.
Another name is "German cutter".
The gun in question is the M45 Quadmount.
Its original concept was designed as an anti-aircraft gun.
By installing 4 M2 guns onto the steel frame base.
There is a screen and the base is mounted on a tow truck or 4WD vehicle.
In battle, if German machine gun nests or snipers put pressure on the US forces,
And if there happens to be an M45 nearby, just specify the target district.
The M45 was able to clear trees, ruined buildings, and German troops.
In the target sub-district area, you can leave the board.
True to its name, it is a German cutter.
- Conclusion -
But if the Browning M2 still has weaknessesIf firing occurs until the muzzle of the barrel accumulates heat
At that time, the M2 needed to be replaced with a new barrel.
The gun will immediately jam if the barrel is not changed properly.
And it's also quite a time-consuming job.
M2 rifle jamming caused by improper barrel replacement
Causing major damage to a large number of US soldiers.
On the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan
Before the Pentagon saw the problem and gave the green light
Accelerate development of "quick change" barrel interchange kit in 2012.
This allows for barrel changes without having to go back and modify the internal firing system of the gun.
While the weight and vibrations are significant during firing
It made the gunners feel trembling all over and fatigued, but with its destructive power
The Browning M2 rifle remains the undisputed battlefield machine gun of choice.
And there is no sign that anything will replace this Browning M2.
Author : Paul R. Huard
Source: https://www.itstactical.com/warcom/firearms/maternal-instinct-ma-deuce-50-caliber-machine-gun/
Article: Maternal Instinct: Why the Ma Deuce .50 Caliber Machine Gun Still Dominates
Translated and edited by: Teetat Rinchai on October 24, 2020