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M2 .50cal AA

By: Battlefront Miniatures

Type: Miniatures Pack

Product Line: Flames of War - WWII - United States - Artillery, AA, AT and AFV's

Middle/Late

Last Stocked on 5/18/2023

Product Info

Title
M2 .50cal AA
Sub-category
Publish Year
2011
Dimensions
3.5x5.5x.5"
NKG Part #
2147443129
MFG. Part #
BFMUS543
Type
Miniatures Pack
Material
Metal

Description

The M2 .50 cal machine-gun was utilized in various roles during the Second World War. It was mounted on tanks, in fighter aircraft, used for self-defense by bombers and as an Anti-aircraft weapon by troops on the ground.

However, prolonged firing caused the barrel of the .50cal machine-gun to overheat; this could lead to problems with accuracy and potential damage to the weapon itself. Therefore, a water-cooled version of the .50cal machine gun was designed to improve barrel cooling and reduce the occurrence of these problems.

There were no differences between the workings of the air-cooled and water-cooled versions, but externally a jacket containing 10 quarts (9.5 liters) of water surrounded the barrel of the water-cooled version. Upon firing, a hand pump was used to create a flow between the jacket and an auxiliary 8 gallon (30.3 liters) water chest connected to the gun by a pair of hoses. This flow provided an effective means of cooling the barrel during prolonged periods of firing.

The M2 .50cal AA Machine-gun in Flames Of War

Fixed to a M2A1 mount and fitted with the 200-round “Tombstone” ammunition chest the water-cooled M2 .50cal machine-gun can sweep enemy aircraft from the skies or provide devastating fire support against ground targets.