M1 Abrams....
I read a book (it's true, I really did once) about the developement of the M1 Abrams tank, and in it was a tidbit of info about the M2 .50cal.
The suit and tie boys designed it without the .50cal. They had it use two .30s (M240s IIRC) on the turret. These are he guys that refer to ammo as "stowed kills" and since the .30cal could have more ammo, therefore it was more effective, and they wanted their new tank to be as effective as they could make it.
They showed the designs to General Abrams. Abrams had been a Col of Armor under Gen George S. Patton, and was one of Patton's go to guys when he wanted things done. Abrams flat out told the "bean counters" to yank the .30 and put the .50 in the T/C's spot. He wanted the .50 because "it is the biggest gun a single man can shoot!", and felt that the psycological advantage to morale of having the .50, combined with the actual effectiveness of the gun and ammo was needed, and useful for our tankers. Time has not proven him wrong.
The M2 has proven itself to be the finest heavy machinegun design fielded by the free world. But it cannot, and should not be all things to all people in all situations. There is no free lunch. If you grunts want an easily man portable MG with the firepower of the .50cal, better start talking to designers to make a gas operated gun with a really, really good muzzle brake. Ma Duece is recoil operated. It is the only recoil operated small arm we still use that is bigger than a handgun! It has to be heavy, it has to be mounted securely and it cannot have a recoil reducing muzzle brake or it will not run.
You might be able to use a muzzle brake, but for reliable operation you would have to redesign the insides of the gun. At that point you might as well design a whole new gun and be better off. Just remember that there's no free lunch. You have to pay for what you get, somehow.
Want a lighter, faster firing .50 cal. ? You get that with the AN-M2 (the AN-M3 aircraft gun fitted with manual trigger, spade grips and charging handle). It is only slightly lighter (20lbs) and has double the rate of fire. The cost? increased recoil, and limited operation before overheating. Aircraft guns are fired in short bursts (3sec or less), have limited ammo capacity (500 rnds or less), have light weight barrels, compared to ground guns, and have all that lovely cold air moving at several hundred miles per hour constantly flowing over them for cooling. These are not the conditions you will find on the ground especially in a desert where we are fighting today.
To, the best solution might be to design a new gun, using the bulk of the M2 design, but with a fixed headspace and a better quick change barrel system. Materials and design can be optimised for modern manufacturing methods, and if done right we could have a gun that is actually a slight improvement over the M2. BUT, the odds of it being done right by a military committee are slim. The odds of a private firm doing it are better from the design standpoint, but worse from the actual creation and testing standpoint a private firm faces an uphill battle making a new machinegun. Legal hassles, no civilian market, and no money until they sell the product are the major ones. If they can get govt funding, that's one thing, but then the govt wants to pull the strings and decide what is in the gun, and we are back to the gun being designed by a govt committee.
The M2 Browning is more than just the finest heavy machinegun fielded, it is a classic piece of Americana, and more than just that it has proven to be an old and trusted friend. Many, many Americans came home from the wars because Ma Duece was there to help them. And they still do today.
It is only a machine for firing bullets, although brilliantly designed and masterfully executed. And while individual guns can be cranky and have flaws, overall, for those of us who have worked with them and around them, they have both a personality and a soul. There is something primal and comforting about Ma Deuce, inspiring confidance in our troops and fear in our enemies. And the fact that it hits like the hammer of the Gods is just icing on the cake!
on'tFix