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Browning M2: Difference between revisions

From Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games
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| ''[[Far Cry 6]]'' || Vehicle and stationary mounts || || 2021
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Revision as of 20:40, 15 September 2022

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Browning M2HB - .50 BMG

The Browning M2 (nicknamed "ma deuce," because "she always has the last word") is a belt-fed, short recoil-operated .50 caliber heavy machine gun based directly on the M1918 and M1921 machine guns, themselves scaled-up versions of the Browning M1917 and Browning M1919.

The M2's development dates back to WW1 and the introduction of the all-metal Junkers J.I ground attack aircraft in 1917, which protected its pilot with a steel "bathtub" which was immune to the rifle-caliber weapons mounted by period fighter aircraft. Worried about future developments, General Pershing requested the development of a new machine gun with a caliber not less than .5 inches and a muzzle velocity of at least 2,700 feet per second. John Moses Browning set about redesigning his M1917 machine gun to meet this requirement in 1917, and after a false start working with French 11mm Gras rounds designed for Hotchkiss guns, Winchester set to work scaling up their .30-06 round for the new gun. This was aided significantly by the capture of several German Mauser 1918 T-Gewehr anti-tank guns and their .525 TuF ammunition, which led to an improved final version of the .50 caliber round.

This led to the M1918 prototype and the water-cooled M1921, but this gun was sufficiently troublesome that it was not adopted, only being used experimentally. After Browning's death in 1926, a Dr. S. H. Green picked up where he had left off, redesigning the M1921 in light of the needs of the US military, creating a downward-ejecting common receiver design which could be modified to feed from the left or right (the M1921 could only feed from the left) and even featured a reversible charging handle, with seven different configurations for various uses. Colt began manufacturing water-cooled M2s for anti-aircraft use by the Navy in 1933: shortly afterwards the Army adopted their own air-cooled version, the M2HB (heavy barrel), and the Air Force a faster-firing lightweight air-cooled version, the M2 Aircraft, which was later replaced by the even faster-firing mechanically or electrically-boosted Browning M3 during the Korean War. Later use of the M2HB as a sniper's weapon in Vietnam, particularly by USMC Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock, would lead to the development of the Barrett M82.

The M2 is the second longest-serving weapon in the US military's arsenal after the M1911, and is employed by over 60 countries worldwide. It defined the modern use of the term "heavy machine gun" and has so far resisted all attempts to replace it, even replacing its own replacement in the case of the unreliable M85 heavy machine gun, while the later XM307 & XM312 and XM806 failed to enter production (the XM205 tripod developed for these weapons, however, did eventually get adopted as the M205, which is planned to replace the old M3 tripod for the M2 and Mark 19). The only major update to the ground-mounted version since its introduction has been the adoption of the General Dynamics M2E2 as the M2A1 (the export version is called the M2-HCQB) in 2010, with the main change being a fixed headspace quick-change barrel and fixed timing rather than the manually set headspace and timing of the original M2. The M2A1 also has a detachable barrel changing handle, a new slotted flash hider designed to increase the M2's compatibility with night vision optics, a modified bolt, and a manual trigger block safety (the original M2 has no safety, though operators would often make their own by jamming a spent casing under the butterfly triggers). Though the US military has not standardized a weapon called M2A2, several manufacturers market M2 variants under that name, such as US Ordnance (whose M2A2 has a closed-bolt semi-auto mode) and FN Herstal. Many modern guns are also fitted with aftermarket parts such as receiver covers with rail mounts for optics.

In the film industry the M2 Browning has been used in several configurations: the M2HB ground variant, the water-cooled Navy anti-aircraft version, and the lightweight M2 Aircraft. During the Cold War when Soviet equipment was not easily available to Western armorers, it was frequently used as a stand-in for the DShK heavy machine gun, often with mocked-up embellishments to make it a closer visual match. It is also commonly used to create sci-fi heavy weapons in live-action films.

Specifications

(1921-1937 (M1921) 1933 – Present (M2), 2010-present (M2A1))

  • Type: Heavy machine gun
  • Caliber(s): .50 BMG (12.7x99mm NATO)
  • Weight: 83.78 lb (38 kg) unloaded M2HB, 134 lb (60.8 kg) unloaded M2HB with M3 tripod, 117.78 lb (53.4 kg) unloaded M2HB with M205 tripod, 35 lb (15.9 kg) for 105-round M2 belt box. 28 lbs (12.7 kg) unloaded M2 Aircraft
  • Length: 65.2 in (165.6 cm) M2HB, 56.2 in (142.7 cm) M2 Aircraft
  • Barrel length(s): 45.0 in (114.3 cm) M2HB, 36 in (91.4 cm) M2 Aircraft
  • Capacity: Belt-fed, usually 105 (M2 ammunition can, WW2) or 100 (M2A1 ammunition can, 1950s) round belt box, 200-round "tombstone" drum used with M45 quad, M33 twin and M63 and M3AA single AA mounts
  • Fire Modes: Auto only, 450-600 rpm (M2), 750-850 rpm (M2 Aircraft), 1,200-1,300 rpm (AN/M3): semi / auto on US Ordnance M2A2, some semi-auto only civilian conversions exist

The Browning M2 appears in the following movies, TV shows, and video games:

Browning M2 Heavy Barrel

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Browning M2HB - .50 BMG
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Browning M2HB on vehicle mount - .50 BMG
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Browning M2HB on M3 tripod - .50 BMG.
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Browning M2HBs in M45 Quadmount mounted on M51 Multiple Machine Gun Carriage - .50 BMG
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Browning M2A2 / M2 QCB (Quick Change Barrel) with ammo belt on M3 tripod - .50 BMG. This is more or less the same as the US military's M2A1, though it lacks the slotted flash hider. The M2A2 pictured here is manufactured by FN Herstal.

Film

Title Actor Character Note Date
Flight Command Robert Taylor Ensign. Alan Drake Mounted on VF8 Hellcats fighter planes 1940
The Fighting Seabees CB recruits M3 tripod 1944
The Story of G.I. Joe US Army soldier Mounted on US Army truck 1945
A Walk in the Sun US Army soldiers Mounted on US Army half-track 1945
Battleground US Army 1949
The Star (Zvezda) Soviet soldiers M45 Quadmount on M17 MGMC 1949
The Day the Earth Stood Still US Army soldier Mounted on jeep 1951
Halls of Montezuma US Marines Mounted on LVT-4 Amtrac 1951
The Steel Helmet US Army soldiers M3 tripod 1951
The War of the Worlds US military personnel 1953
Godzilla (1954) Japanese Defense Forces 1954
To Hell and Back Audie Murphy Himself Mounted on M4 Sherman tank 1955
Between Heaven and Hell US National Guards mounted on LVT and M3 Half-track 1956
20 Million Miles to Earth Italian soldier Mounted in a tank 1957
China Gate French Legionnaires 1957
The Young Lions Unknown Allied soldiers Mounted on a jeep 1958
The Hunters Chinese P.L.A. soldiers Mounted on Chinese P.L.A. half-track 1958
When Hell Broke Loose 1958
G.I. Blues Mounted on M48A1 Patton tanks 1960
Taxi for Tobruk (Un taxi pour Tobrouk) Mounted on tanks and armoured cars 1961
Reptilicus Danish soldiers Mounted on Centurion Mk V and M24 Chaffee tanks, in M45 Quadmount 1961
Hell Is for Heroes Stock Footage of an M2HB mounted on a tank 1962
Merrill's Marauders US Army 1962
The Four Days of Naples German troops Mounted on M47 Patton tanks 1962
The Longest Day German soldiers In M45 quadmount 1963
French Army soldiers Mounted on M4 Sherman tank
The Unvanquished (L'Insoumis) French soldiers Mounted on M8 Greyhound 1964
Casanova '70 Italian Army soldiers Mounted on M4 Sherman tank 1965
Strike First Freddy (Slå først Frede!) Poul Bundgaard Kolick M45 Quadmount 1965
Cast a Giant Shadow Egyptian Army Mounted on M4 Sherman tank 1966
Judith Syrian Army Mounted on M4 Sherman tank 1966
Is Paris Burning? Free French Forces soldiers Mounted on M4 Sherman tanks, M3 Halftrack APCs 1966
Tarzan and the Valley of Gold Vinero's soldiers Mounted on M3 Halftrack 1966
What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? US Army soldiers mounted on jeeps, M7 Priest and M45 Quadmount 1966
How I Won the War Musketeers (British soldiers) Mounted on M24 Chaffee, White M3 Halftrack 1967
The Devil's Brigade US Army soldiers Mounted on M47 Patton tanks 1968
Dark of the Sun Rod Taylor Capt. Bruce Curry 1968
Jim Brown Sgt. Ruffo
Peter Carsten Capt. Henlein
The Bridge at Remagen US Army soldiers Mounted on US Army vehicles 1969
The Bridge (Most) German soldiers Mounted on M3 Scout Car 1969
Patton Clint Ritchie US Army officer Mounted on a tank turret 1970
Godzilla vs. Gigan JSDF personnel Mounted on Type 61 tanks and jeeps 1972
R.A.S. French troop Mounted on armory car 1973
Massacre in Rome German soldiers 1973
The Terrorists mounted on M3 Scout Car 1974
Raid on Entebbe Izraeli troops Mounted on a jeep 1976
The Eagle Has Landed US Army Rangers Mounted on armored vehicle 1976
Illustrious Corpses (Cadaveri eccellenti) Italian soldiers Mounted on tanks 1976
Power Play Soldiers Mounted on M113 APCs and Centurion tanks 1978
Apocalypse Now Frederic Forrest Jay 'Chef' Hicks Mounted on Navy PBR 1979
Sam Bottoms Lance Johnson In twin naval mounting on Navy PBR
Contraband Mounted on Guardia di Finanza patrol boat 1980
The Fall of Italy (Pad Italije) The partisans Mounted on Tank destroyer M18 Hellcat 1981
Unfinished Supper (Nezakonchennyy uzhin) Seen in documentary footage, mounted on M41 tank 1981
A Captain's Honor (L'Honneur d'un capitaine) French soldiers Mounted on M8 Greyhound and half-tracks 1982
The Outsider (Le Marginal) Mounted on French patrol boat 1983
Uncommon Valor mounted on a Laotian patrol boat 1983
The Prize of Peril (Le Prix du danger) Mounted on M41 Walker Bulldog 1983
The Terminator Human resistance fighter With spade grips removed 1984
The Return of Godzilla JSDF personnel Mounted on Type 74 MBTs 1984
Tank Jenilee Harrison Sarah Vehicle-mounted 1984
Latino Tony Plana Ruben 1985
Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins Charles Cioffi George Grove 1985
The Annihilators Mounted on M48 Patton; Footage 1985
Iron Eagle Enemy soldiers Tripod and vehicle-mounted 1986
Full Metal Jacket US Marines Mounted on M41 Walker Bulldog tanks 1987
BAT*21 NVA 1988
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! terrorists mounted on vehicle 1988
The Commander General Dong's soldiers 1988
The Siege of Firebase Gloria US Marines Mounted on M3 tripod 1989
UHF unidentified soldiers Mounted on a jeep 1989
Return from the River Kwai Mounted of Japanese ship 1989
The Handmaid's Tale Gilead's army Mounted on armored car 1990
Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection US Coast Guard Mounted on Coast Guard ship 1990
American Ninja 4: The Annihilation A rebel 1990
Toy Soldiers Colombian terrorists Mounted on M3 tripod 1991
Terminator 2: Judgement Day Seen in hidden weapons cache 1991
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah JGSDF members Mounted on Type 74 MBT and Type 82 CCV 1991
Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth JGSDF personnel Mounted on Type 74 MBT and Type 82 CCV 1992
Diên Biên Phú French Army 1992
Steel Frontier Mercenaries 1995
Steel Frontier Joe Lara Yuma 1995
Gamera: Guardian of the Universe JGSDF personnel Mounted on Type 74 MBT 1995
Mulholland Falls US Army Mounted on Jeep 1996
Courage Under Fire Denzel Washington Lt. Colonel Nathaniel Serling Mounted on (fake) M1A1 Abrams 1996
Courage Under Fire Tim Ransom Captain Boylar Mounted on (fake) M1A1 Abrams 1996
Courage Under Fire US Army soldiers Mounted on (fake) M1A1 Abrams 1996
Gamera 2: Attack of Legion JGSDF personnel Mounted on Type 74 and Type 90 MBTs 1996
Life Is Beautiful Mounted on M4 Sherman 1997
Seven Years in Tibet Chinese People's Liberation Army soldiers mounted on Jeeps 1997
The Thin Red Line U.S. sailors 1998
The General's Daughter . US Army Mounted on a Humvee 1999
April Captains (Capitães de Abril) Portuguese soldiers Mounted atop M60 tank and in Panhard AML-60 HE-60-12 2000
Stacy: Attack of the Schoolgirl Zombies archive footage 2001
Black Hawk Down US Army Rangers and Somali militiamen Mounted on humvees and technicals 2001
Behind Enemy Lines Serbian soldiers Vehicle-mounted 2001
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider mocked-up to resemble a Russian gun 2001
Tremors 3: Back to Perfection Michael Gross Burt Gummer In M45 quadmount 2001
Die Another Day Will Yun Lee Colonel Tan-Sun Moon Disguised as fictional heavy weapon mounted on North Korean hovercraft 2002
Warriors (Guerreros) Spanish soldiers Mounted on Pegaso BMR APC 2002
Warriors (Guerreros) Serbian soldiers Tripod-mounted 2002
Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla JGSDF personnel Mounted on Type 90 MBTs and Type 82 CCVs 2002
The Quiet American French and Gen. The's soldiers 2002
Windtalkers U.S. Marines mounted on M4 Sherman tanks 2002
The Glamorous Life of Sachiko Hanai mounted on M1 Abrams 2003
The Core Mounted on US military vehicles 2003
Cradle 2 the Grave Ron Yuan Laser Technician In twin anti-aircraft mounting 2003
Cradle 2 the Grave Anthony Anderson Tommy Mounted on (fake) M1A1 Abrams 2003
Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. JGSDF personnel Mounted on Type 90 MBTs and Type 82 CCVs 2003
Samurai Commando: Mission 1549 JGSDF Vehicle-mounted 2005
Samurai Commando: Mission 1549 Sengoku samurai 2005
Jarhead US Marines Mounted on US Marine Corps vehicles, with and without gun shields 2005
War of the Worlds US military personnel Vehicle-mounted 2005
The President's Last Bang Mounted on South Korean Army M48 tanks; seen in documentary footage 2005
Blood Diamond Government soldiers Vehicle-mounted 2006
Black Book Canadian troops 2006
In Her Line of Fire The rebels 2006
Home of the Brave US Army soldiers Mounted on Humvees 2006
The Battle of Long Tan Australian soldiers Mounted on M113 APC 2006
The Kingdom Saudi military personnel Vehicle-mounted 2007
Dragon Wars: D-War US Army soldiers Mounted on US Army vehicles 2007
28 Weeks Later US Army soldiers Tripod and vehicle-mounted 2007
Shooter Mounted on Humvees 2007
The Apocalypse Code Specnaz troops 2007
Transformers US military personnel Mounted on US military vehicles 2007
Transformers Brawl Twin-mounted on the turret of Brawl's tank form 2007
Intimate Enemies French soldiers Mounted on M3 Halftracks and Jeeps 2007
The Bridge US soldiers Quad M51 mounted on M3 Halftrack 2008
The Day the Earth Stood Still US Army soldiers Mounted on US Army vehicles 2008
The Incredible Hulk US military personnel Mounted on US military Humvees 2008
Death Race Mounted on several vehicles in single and twin mountings with gun shields 2008
Crossfire (Les Insoumis) In the warehouse of weapons 2008
Miracle at St. Anna Mounted on US Army tank 2008
Rambo Sylvester Stallone John Rambo Mounted on Burmese jeep 2008
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen US military personnel Mounted on US military vehicles 2009
Law Abiding Citizen mounted on a UGV 2009
Spoils of War 2009
Red Helen Mirren Victoria 2010
Dear John US Army soldiers Mounted on Humvees, with and without gun shields 2010
Unthinkable US Army Mounted on a jeep 2010
Kandahar Taliban fighters Mounted on a VAB armoured personnel carrier 2010
The A-Team Bradley Cooper Face 2010
The A-Team mocked up as DShK 2010
The Losers Holt McCallany Wade Travis Mounted on Hummer 2010
Battle: Los Angeles Cory Hardrict Cpl. Jason Lockett Mounted on Humvee, with gun shield 2011
Battle: Los Angeles US Marines Mounted on tripods, humvees, and M1A1 Abrams tank 2011
Contagion . Army National Guard Mounted on humvees 2011
Memorial Day . US Army soldiers Mounted on Humvee 2011
Memorial Day . US Army soldiers Quad M51 mounted on M5 Halftrack 2011
Day of the Falcon (Or noir) Nasib's oilfield guards 2011
Oba: The Last Samurai US Marines Mounted on M3 tripod 2011
Super 8 US Army soldiers Mounted armored vehicles 2011
Hamilton: I nationens intresse Swedish Coast Rangers Mounted on patrol boat, with optics 2012
Saints and Soldiers: Airborne Creed US Army soldiers Mounted on M3 tripod, M24 Chaffee 2012
Taken 2 2012
Osombie mounted in Al Qaeda camp 2012
Cockneys vs. Zombies 2012
Red Dawn Adrianne Palicki Toni Walsh 2012
White House Down Mercenaries Leupold HAMR scope 2013
Oblivion Morgan Freeman Malcom 2013
How I Live Now British Army soldiers Mounted on a jeep 2013
American Sniper US Marines Mounted on M113 APC's and M1A1 Abrams tanks 2014
Diplomacy US Army soldiers 2014
Fury (2014) US Army soldiers 2014
Lousy Bastards Czech Army troops Mounted on the armored vehicle Iveco 2014
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials Barry Pepper Vince 2015
Kilo Two Bravo British Army soldiers 2015
Godzilla Resurgence Mounted on Type 10 MBTs 2016
Hacksaw Ridge US Army soldiers Mounted on M4 Sherman 2016
Hacksaw Ridge US Army soldiers Mounted on M5 Halftrack 2016
The Siege of Jadotville Guillaume Canet Rene Faulques 2016
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk U.S. Army soldiers 2016
Detroit Michigan Army National Guard mounted on M41 "Walker Bulldog" tank 2017
American Made M63 anti-aircraft mount 2017
Hold the Dark Alexander Skarsgård Vernon Slone 2018
US Army soldiers
Black Panther Slavers 2018
Mile 22 Soldiers vehicle mounted 2018
Bumblebee mounted on Sector 7 vehicles 2018
Women of Mafia 2 Polish soldier mounted on the tank 2019
The Irishman gangsters 2019
Secret in the Mountain Jeep-mounted; without the spade grips 2019
Sonic the Hedgehog US Army 10th Mountain Div trooper Mounted on Humvee 2020
The Outpost U.S. Army soldiers Mounted on M1114 Humvee 2020
The Tomorrow War Yvonne Strahovski Colonel Forester 2021
Black Widow US Army soldiers mounted on the M1 Abrams and Humvees 2021

Television

Show Title Actor Character Note / Episode Air Date
Baa Baa Black Sheep Red West Sgt. Micklin . 1976 - 1978
Eternal Call (Vechnyy zov) - Season 2 Soviet troops Mounted on M5 Half-track; Seen in documentary footage 1983
Tour of Duty US Army soldiers Vehicle-mounted 1987 - 1989
The X-Files Mounted on various military vehicles / "731" (S3E10), "Max" (S4E18) 1995, 1997
Julie Lescaut French soldier "Mort d'un petit soldat" (S06E04) 1997
Band of Brothers US Army soldiers Mounted on Sherman Tanks & Also on Quad-Mount 2001
Firefly Nathan Fillion Malcolm Reynolds DShK barrels, twin AA mount, "Serenity" (S01E01) 2002
Ultimate Force Ross Kemp Sgt. Henno Garvie Mounted on M3 tripod / "Charlie Bravo" 2002 - 2006
Over There US Army soldiers Mounted on US Army vehicles 2005
Over There Josh Stamberg Lt. Alex "Underpants" Hunter Mounted on Humvee 2005
The Unit US Army soldiers Mounted on Humvees 2006 - 2009
Criminal Minds - Season 2 Somali Militiamen Flashback sequence - mounted on pickup truck 'Technical' / "Distress" (S02E17) 2007
The Company Chris O'Donnell Jack McAuliffe 2007
The Andromeda Strain . US Army Soldiers Mounted on (fake) M1126 Stryker 2008
The Walking Dead - Season 1 . . Mounted on US Army tank 2010
Ultimate Weapons Mounted on Abrams M1A2, Crusher UGCV, Merkava IV MBT, M1128 Mobile Gun System, FH77BW L52 "Archer" Artillery System 2010
Falling Skies Extras Resistance fighters Mounted on Pontiac GTO technical 2011
Charlie's Angels mounted on HMMWV 2011
The Promise British paratroopers mounted on halftrack 2011
Revolution 2013
Falling Skies Sarah Carter Maggie "Be Silent and Come Out" (S3E06) 2013
Tyrant Abbudinian soldiers mounted on M3 Half-tracks 2014
Fear the Walking Dead - Season 1 Jamie McShane Lt. Moyers "Cobalt" (S1E05) 2015
Unknown U.S. Army Soldiers "The Dog" (S1E03), "Cobalt" (S1E05)
The Last Ship Paul James PO3 O'Connor "Fight the Ship" (S2E02) 2015
Man in the High Castle, The - Season 2 Imperial Japanese military "Land O'Smiles" (S2E07), "Detonation" (S2E09) 2016
Legion Mounted on M1A2 Abrams tank 2017-2019
Man in the High Castle, The - Season 3 GNR guardsmen "Now More Than Ever, We Care About You" (S3E01), "Sensô Kôi" (S3E03), "Kasumi (Through the Mists)" (S3E08) 2018
Magnum P.I. U.S. Military 2018-
Magnum P.I. U.S. Military 2019
Watchmen (2019 Series) Seventh Kavalry soldiers "It's Summer and We're Running Out of Ice" 2019
The Man in the High Castle American Resistance fighters 2019
Hawaii Five-0 military personnel 2019-2020
WandaVision S.W.O.R.D. Agents mounted on the HMMWVs and RG-33L Cat II MRAPs; "The Series Finale" (S1E09) 2021
Loki - Season 1 US Army Soldier mounted on the Humvee; archive footage from Avengers: Endgame; "Glorious Purpose" (S1E01) 2021
Moon Knight - Season 1 Arthur Harrow's cultist Mounted on the pickup; "The Tomb" (S1E04) 2022

Video Games

Videogames often make the mistake of showing the M2 ejecting spent casings out of the side it is not feeding from: in actuality the M2 only ejects belt links this way, with spent casings being ejected from a chute underneath the receiver.

Game Title Used By Appears as Notes Release Date
Time Crisis II Mounted on VAB armoured personnel carrier, unusable 1997
Half-Life 1998
Medal of Honor Simplistic supposed German MG's, resembling the Browning M2 1999
Steel Beasts Mounted on US vehicles 2000
Project IGI: I'm Going In 2000
Fallout Tactics portable 2001
Ghost Recon 2001
Operation Flashpoint US and Soviet forces Mounted on US vehicles and on tripod. 2001
Time Crisis II Mounted on VAB armoured personnel carrier, unusable 2001
Conflict: Desert Storm 2002
Medal of Honor: Frontline 2002
Shinobi Mounted on Type 74 main battle tank 2002
America's Army US Army Mounted on M1114 Humvees and powered by CROWS. 2002
Battlefield: 1942 US and U.K. forces Vehicle and tripod-mounted 2002
007: Nightfire Tripod-mounted 2002
IGI 2: Covert Strike 2003
Counter-Strike: Condition Zero Tripod-mounted 2004
Far Cry Mercenaries Vehicle-mounted 2004
Call of Duty: United Offensive US Army Mounted on Jeeps 2004
Counter-Strike: Source Mounted on Jeeps 2004
Call of Duty: Finest Hour 2004
Battlefield 2 US and EU forces Vehicle and tripod-mounted 2005
Close Combat: First to Fight US and OpFor forces M2 .50 Cal Vehicle and tripod-mounted 2005
Project Reality US, E.U. and IDF forces Vehicle and tripod-mounted 2005
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth 2005
Vietcong 2 2005
Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood 2005
Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter M2A2 - vehicle and tripod-mounted 2006
Company of Heroes US forces Vehicle-mounted 2006
Time Crisis IV Hamlin Battalion and Captain William Rush Mounted on modified OH-58C Kiowa, modified Humvees, M51 Quad Anti-Aircraft vehicles and usable stationary weapon 2006
Call of Duty 3 2006
Alliance of Valiant Arms Mounted on MOWAG Piranha, unusable 2007
Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 Vehicle and tripod-mounted 2007
Dead Rising 2006
ArmA: Armed Assault US and R.E.C. forces Vehicle and tripod-mounted 2007
World in Conflict US forces Mounted on US vehicles and inside bunkers. 2007
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare US Marines Mounted on M1A1HA Abrams MBT. 2007
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway Vehicle-mounted 2008
Call of Duty: World at War US Navy Mounted on PBY Catalina 2008
Code of Honor 2: Conspiracy Island terrorists 2008
Far Cry 2 2008
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames various M2A2 - vehicle and tripod-mounted 2008
Terrorist Takedown 2: US Navy Seals mounted on Humvees 2008
Yakuza 2 2008
Left 4 Dead Survivors Tripod-mounted; Available only in the DLC map "The Sacrifice" 2008, 2010
ArmA II US and U.K. forces Vehicle and tripod-mounted 2009, 2010
Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising US Marines Static, turret-mounted on M1A2 Abrams, M1025 Humvee and Desert Patrol Vehicle, coaxially mounted on AAVP7A1 Amtrac 2009
Left 4 Dead 2 Survivors Tripod-mounted; Available only in the map "Swamp Fever", "The Parish", and in the DLC map "The Sacrifice" 2009
X-Men Origins: Wolverine African rebels mounted on boats 2009
Terminator Salvation 2009
Marines: Modern Urban Combat Vehicle and tripod-mounted 2010
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 US Army Mounted on M1A2 Abrams MBT 2010
Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Vietnam US Army Mounted on M48 Patton 2010
Call of Duty: Black Ops US Marines Mounted on M113 APC and on PT boat. 2010
Medal of Honor Coalition forces on Bradley IFV, part of a RWS (Remote Weapon Station) 2010
Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2010
7554 2011
Battlefield Play4Free Vehicle-mounted 2011
Battle: Los Angeles Lee Imlay Mounted on Humvees 2011
Bodycount African heavy troops Fictional handheld weapon heavily based on M2 2011
Duke Nukem Forever Mounted on M1 Abrams tank, unusable 2011
Deus Ex: Human Revolution UN forces mounted on M113 APC, unusable 2011
Homefront Mounted on vehicles 2011
Operation Flashpoint: Red River US Marines Mounted on M1A1 Abrams MBT 2011
NCIS: The Video Game Mounted on Abrams MBT 2011
Shadow Harvest: Phantom Ops Mounted on fictional APC 2011
Yakuza: Dead Souls Mounted on JSDF Type 10 Tank 2011
Project Reality: Falklands Mounted on M3 tripod in machine gun nests 2012
Project Reality: Vietnam Tripod and vehicle-mounted 2012
Jagged Alliance: Back in Action Militia mounted on a jeep 2012
Spec Ops: The Line SFOD-D & Rebels M2A2 2012
Heroes & Generals M51 Quad Mounted on a M51 Quad 2012
Black Mesa USMC .50 Cal Mounted on M3 tripod 2012
ZombiU Survivors Machine Gun Turret 2012
Ravaged 2012
Arctic Combat 2012
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Mounted in unmanned turrets, on Gekko unmanned vehicles, and on Strykers 2013
Company of Heroes 2 2013
Time Crisis 5 VSSE agents and Wild Dog's mercenaries "Mounted Machine Gun" Mounted on VSSE-manned chopper and manned turrets 2014
World of Guns: Gun Disassembly Browning M2 .50 Mounted on tripod 2014
Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades "M2 Tombstone" Shortened barrel, Top-mounted grips, Side bracket for belt box, American flag paintjob 2016
Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 Not usable 2017
Rising Storm 2: Vietnam tripod mounted 2017
Post Scriptum Mounted on M3 Halftrack, anachronistic M2A1 variant 2018
Battlefield V Emplacement with a shield, added in "War of the Pacific" in 2019, built by American faction 2018
Insurgency Sandstorm M2HB with AA sight, technical mounted 2018
Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts Not usable 2019
Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 Not usable 2021
Battlefield 2042 Mounted on futuristic "M1A5" Abrams and Ripsaw tanks 2021
Enlisted 2021
Far Cry 6 Vehicle and stationary mounts 2021

Anime

Film Title Character Note Date
Dream Hunter Rem. Hidden Dream Legend Of The Headless Warrior Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force soldiers Mounted on JGSDF tanks as Sumitomo M2HB 1987
Devilman: Demon Bird Sirène 1990
New Dream Hunter Rem: Massacre in the Phantasmic Labyrinth is seen in the Geppetto base 1992
Lupin III: Voyage to Danger "Shotshell" henchmen 1993
Patlabor: The Movie 2 Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force soldiers Mounted on JGSDF tanks as Sumitomo M2HBs 1993
801 T.T.S. Airbats mounted on the JSDF Type 74 1994
Memories ("Stink Bomb") mounted on Type 90 Kyū-maru tanks 1995
Those Who Hunt Elves Ritsuko Inoue mounted on the Type 74, 1 and 2 seasons 1996
Burn-Up Excess 1997-1998
Spriggan (1998) Yu Ominae Tripod-mounted with heatshield / Anti-aircraft sights 1998
Gosho Aoyama's Collection of Short Stories Ep. 03 "The Santa Claus of Summer"; Mounted on M1 Abrams 1999
Amazing Nurse Nanako 1999
Macross Zero Mounted on Abrams MBTs 2002-2004
The Place Promised in Our Early Days . Tripod-mounted 2004
Ergo Proxy "Light Beam/Shining Sign" (E08) 2006
Flag . Mounted on UNF tanks 2006
The Strange Case Files of Ryoko Yakushiji Japanese Private Police Mounted on tank 2008
The Sky Crawlers Bomber plane door gunner . 2008
Rideback . Mounted on GGP HUMVEEs 2009
King of Thorn Mounted on HMMWV 2009
Demon King Daimao Ninja 2010
Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail Colombian Mafia Mounted on an SUV 2010
Asobi ni Ikuyo: Bombshells from the Sky . . 2010
Strike Witches: The Movie Twin mount on PT-103-class PT boat, also mounted on M4 Sherman tanks 2012
Girls und Panzer Seen on various vehicles 2012 - 2013
Nobunagun Mounted on M1A2 Abrams 2014
Brynhildr in the Darkness Mounted on Type 96 Armored Personnel Carrieres 2014
Captain Earth Tanegashima Space Center security 2014
Vividred Operation UDF Tank Crewmen 2013
Punch Line mounted on M109 howitzers 2015
Girls und Panzer: der Film Seen on various vehicles 2015
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Bad Company's tank crewmen S4E4, "The Nijimura Brothers, Part 2" 2016
Girls' Last Tour Ep.01 2017
Otherside Picnic USMC's Palehorse Battalion 2021

Animation

Film/TV Show Voice Actor Character Note Date
The Iron Giant . US Army soldiers Mounted on M41 Walker Bulldog tanks 1999
Love, Death & Robots - Season 1 US Marines mounted on Humvees in "Shape-Shifters" (S1E10); mounted on Boeing B-29 Superfortress in "Alternate Histories" (S1E17) 2019
What If...? - Season 1 US Army Soldiers Mounted on Humvees; "What If... The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes? (S1E03), "What If... Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?" (S1E06) 2021
Love, Death & Robots - Season 3 mounted on post-apocalyptic VW Beetle in "Night of the Mini-Dead" (S3E04) 2022


Browning M2 Aircraft

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Browning M2 Aircraft, Fixed - .50 BMG
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Browning M2 Aircraft, Flexible - .50 BMG

Lightweight, faster-firing variant designed to be used in "flexible" spade-grip pintle-mount configuration or "fixed" configuration for turrets, wing mounts and gunpods: the latter would typically be fitted with a pneumatic or hydraulic cocking mechanism and solenoid trigger. Designated .50 AN/M2 by the US military, it should not be confused with the similarly-named .30 AN/M2 and 20mm AN/M2.

Film

Title Actor Character Note Date
Flight Command Robert Taylor Ensign Alan Drake Mounted on Grumman F3F Hellcats 1940
Wake Island Mounted on F4F Wildcats 1942
Gung Ho! Mounted on F4F Wildcats 1943
Air Force John Garfield Sgt. Joe Winocki mounted on B-17 bomber 1943
The Canterville Ghost Robert Young Cuffy Williams 1943
The Fighting Seabees US Navy pilots Mounted in Grumman F4F Wildcat fighters 1944
A Walk in the Sun US Army soldiers Quad-mounted on half-track 1945
They Were Expendable US Navy sailors In twin Naval anti-aircraft mounting on PT boats 1945
The Story of G.I. Joe Robert Mitchum Lt. Bill Walker Mounted on truck 1945
Bezymyannyy Island (Ostrov Bezymyannyy) Twin AA mounting on Soviet submarine chaser; fitted with flash hiders 1946
Twelve O'Clock High mounted on B-17 bombers 1949
The Battle of Stalingrad (Stalingradskaya bitva), Part I Mounted on P-39 Airacobra; documentary footage 1949
Escape from Zahrain Zahrain air force Mounted on F-51 Mustang 1962
Battle of the Bulge US Army soldiers Mounted on US Army vehicles 1965
"Cyclone" Will Begin at Night ("Tsiklon" nachnyotsya nochyu) Mounted on B-25; seen in documentary footage 1967
The Green Berets Tripod-mounted 1968
The Bridge at Remagen US Army soldiers Mounted on US Army vehicles 1969
Castle Keep Burt Lancaster Major Falconer 1969
Castle Keep Patrick O'Neal Captain Beckman 1969
Tora! Tora! Tora! US Army Air Corps pilots Mounted in Army Air Corps fighters & B-17 bombers 1970
Patton US Army soldiers Mounted on US Army vehicles 1970
99 and 44/100% Dead Chuck Connors Marvin "Claw" Zuckerman Mounted on truck, with spade grips 1974
Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze Scott Walker Borden Mounted on biplane, mocked up to look like a Vickers machine gun 1975
Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS Tony Mumolo Mario 1975
German soldier in a guard tower; mounted on M8 Greyhound
Sahara Mounted into the armored car 1983
Code Name: Wild Geese Charleton's men Mounted on river boat 1984
Commando Seen on a wall in a hidden weapons vault 1985
Bulletproof Gary Busey Frank McBain Mounted on jeep 1988
Bulletproof Henchmen Mounted on jeep 1988
Memphis Belle US Army Air Force crews Mounted in B-17 Flying Fortress 1990
RoboCop 2 Gabriel Damon Hob With Crew-Served Weapon sight 1990
Waterworld "Smokers" M45 quadmount 1995
The Tuskegee Airmen US Army Air Force pilots Mounted in B-17 Flying Fortress and P-51 Mustang 1995
Midnight Heat Jeremy Roberts Scar On M3 tripod, with spade grips 1996
The Siege US Army soldier Mounted on Humvee 1998
Pearl Harbor Mounted in B-25 Mitchell and P-40 Warhawk 2001
Jurassic Park III US Marines Mounted on Amphibious Assault Vehicles 2001
Idiocracy Sentry guns 2006
Rambo Sylvester Stallone John Rambo Mounted on truck and fitted with Barrett M82-style muzzle brake and gun shield 2008
Rambo Junta soldiers Mounted on truck and boats and fitted with Barrett M82-style muzzle brake and gun shield 2008
Valkyrie Mounted on Kittyhawk fighters 2008
The Expendables Jason Statham Lee Christmas quad-mounted in the nose of the seaplane. 2010
Red Tails US Army Air Force pilots Mounted on P-40 Warhawk & P-51 Mustang fighters & B-17 Flying Fortress bombers 2012
I Declare War w/ Hollywood embellishments 2012
Unbroken 2014
The Monuments Men Mounted on B-17 Flying Fortress 2014
Kong: Skull Island Corey Hawkins Houston Brooks 2017
Top Gun: Maverick Tom Cruise Cpt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell Mounted on P-51D Mustang 2022

Television

Show Title Actor Character Note / Episode Air Date
McHale's Navy Mounted on PT73 1962 - 1966
Tim Conway Ensign Charles Parker
Edson Stroll Virgil Edwards
Gavin MacLeod Happy 1962- 1964
Japanese soldiers and sailors mocked up to resemble Japanese machine guns 1962-1965
Joe Flynn Capt. Binghamton "The Captain's Mission" (S1E13) 1962
Edward Mallory Ensign Dennison "The Ensign Gets a Zero" (S1E16) 1963
Joyce Bullifant Geogianna Comstock "Today I Am a Man" (S2E7) 1963
Joyce Jamison Kate O'Hara "Orange Blossoms for McHale" (S2E15) 1963
Susan Silo Babette "Babette, Go Home" (S2E24) 1964
Robert F. Simon John Burton "Stars Over Taratupa" (S2E26) 1964
John Wright Willy Moss "The British Also Have Ensigns" (S3E8) 1965
Gary Vinson George "Christy" Christopher
Bernard Fox Sub-Lieutenant Clivedon
Yoshio Yoda Fuji "My Son the Skipper" (S4E24) 1966
Rat Patrol Mounted on jeep 1966 - 1968
Baa Baa Black Sheep Mounted in F4U Corsairs 1976 - 1978

Video Games

Game Title Mods Note Release Date
Medal of Honor: Rising Sun Mounted on PT-20-class motor torpedo boat 2003
Call of Duty: United Offensive Mounted on P-47 Thunderbolts and B-17 "Flying Fortress" 2004
Call of Duty: World at War Mounted on PBY Catalina 2008
Wolfenstein Mounted on B-17 and on fictional airship 2009
Sniper Elite V2 Mounted on B-17 "Flying Fortress" 2012
Call of Duty: Black Ops III Mounted on crashed B-17 "Flying Fortress" 2015
Call of Duty: WWII Mounted on B-17G "Flying Fortress" 2017
Ghost Recon Breakpoint Mounted on Incubus drones in the game 2019
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Mounted in B-17 "Flying Fortress" 2020
Enlisted Mounted in various planes 2021
Far Cry 6 Vehicle and stationary mounts 2021

Anime

Film/TV Show Character Note Date
Orguss 02 Rivellian gunners Mounted in three twin turrets on a large flying boat 1993
The Cockpit Luftwaffe gunners Ep. 1 "Slipstream"; mounted in B17 1993
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Mounted in replica Supermarine Spitfire; S4E12, "Red Hot Chili Pepper, Part 2" 2016
In this Corner of the World Mounted in Boeing B-29 "Superfortress" heavy bombers 2016
The Magnificent Kotobuki 2019
Strike Witches: Road to Berlin Mix of flexible and fixed versions mounted in B-17 bombers 2020

Animation

Title Actor Character Note Date
The Boondocks Robert Freeman Mounted on P-51D Mustang fighter 2005

Browning M2 Water Cooled

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Browning M2 Water Cooled, Flexible - .50 BMG

US Navy version, mostly used in the interwar years. It was obsolete as an AA weapon by the outbreak of WW2, and replaced on a one-to-one or better basis with Oerlikon 20mm Cannons starting in 1941.

Film

Title Actor Character Note Date
Wake Island Robert Preston Private Joe Doyle 1942
William Bendix Private Aloysius K. Randall
US military personnel
Tora! Tora! Tora! US military personnel Mounted on US Navy vessels, appears to actually be a converted M2 Aircraft 1970
Midway US military personnel scenes taken from Tora! Tora! Tora! 1976
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Tugboat Crewman Fitted with side-mounted drum ammo boxes and mounted on tugboat 2008
Midway US military personnel 2019

Video Games

Game Title Appears as Mods Release Date
Medal of Honor: Rising Sun Mounted on the battleship USS California 2003
Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault Tripod-mounted 2004

Ho-103

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Ho-103 - 12.7x81mmSR

Japanese Army development of the M1921E1, significantly scaled down (roughly halfway between the original and the Browning M1919 in size) and chambered for the same 12.7x81mmSR round as the 12.7mm variant of the Italian Breda-SAFAT machine gun. The M1921E1 was the air-cooled variant of the M1921, and by the early 1930s (by which point the M1921 had become the M1921A1) they were renamed by Colt to MG 53 and MG 52, respectively. The MG 52 and MG 53 would continue to be Colt's commercial guns through to WWII, parallel to the development of what would become the M2 for the US military. As such, the Ho-103 was developed from the commercial version of the gun (M1921E1 / MG 53), and not what was at the time a US-military-specific iteration of the design.

The Ho-103 was later developed into the Ho-5 20mm cannon, scaled back up to basically the same size as the original .50 BMG version.

The Japanese Navy would also produce a Browning derivative, the Type 3, chambered in 13.2x96mm Hotchkiss. The Type 3 appeared late in the war, and as such was only equipped on late-model A6M Zeros and the A7M Reppuu.

Anime

Film/TV Show Character Note Date
The Wind Rises 2013
The Magnificent Kotobuki Mounted on fighters and as ground-based AA 2019

See Also