Some Armorer Zen...

By The Armorer on January 1, 2007 | | Comments (16)

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061203-N-3560G-052 Fort Hunter Liggett, Calif. (Dec. 3, 2006) - Construction Mechanic 2nd Class Albert Guerrero of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Four (NMCB-4) mans the M2 .50-caliber machine gun during field exercise Operation Bearing Duel. NMCB-4 is homeported at Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme, Calif. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ronald Gutridge (RELEASED)

Ah, night sights and a blank adaptor... kewl look on what may be the longest-serving machine gun design - the M2 traces back to 1918, when we took the German T-gewehr 13mm anti-tank round and made it into the 12.7mm round better known to most of us as the .50 cal. Sergeant B will be drooling over this pic.

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16 Comments

By Heartless Libertarian on January 1, 2007 10:28 AM
Daytime. Kid should have the cover on the night sight, with the daytime holes open so he can use it. Yes, I'm being nag.
 
By BloodSpite on January 1, 2007 10:50 AM
Don't forget the multiple services it has been used in. For a time it was used for the Navy's CWHIZ (See Whiz) Anti Aircraft systems. I think they have replaced most of them with a rocket type unit now, but I believe there's a few still floating around. Literally. And of course the other numerous applications. Good Ol Ma Duece. Just remember to have that Charging handle discharged before you take off that butt plate :)
 
By John of Argghhh! on January 1, 2007 11:01 AM
Dave - mebbe it was dark and the photog used a *really* good camera... 8^D
 
By Lightning on January 1, 2007 3:19 PM
Not only is it the longest serving machinegun design, but the optic on top may not be far behind. I still had TVS-5's in my armory when I was company XO not long ago, the only times we cracked the cases were for serialized inventories.
 
By Heartless Libertarian on January 1, 2007 4:16 PM
We were actually using TVS-5s when we trained NG troops on light cav (HMMWV mounted) gunnery tables up until April 06. And yes, they did work.
 
By ry on January 2, 2007 12:23 AM
Actually, I thought the CIWS(close in weapon system) was more like a 20mm gattling gun BlSp, http://navysite.de/weapons/phalanx.htm , which is still around. Or are we talking about two completely different systems here?
 
By MajMike on January 2, 2007 7:36 AM
nice piece, but one would think that a Construction type unit would be able to dig a hole and put some overhead cover on it a wee bit more effectively than this depicts.
 
By John of Argghhh! on January 2, 2007 7:53 AM
Well, we don't know how soon after occupation the picture was taken... and does anybody know the Hunter-Ligget rules? Lots of places don't allow you to make elaborate bunker/fighting hole positions out of environmental and safety concerns. Well, at least they didn't. My experience in that regard *is* pre-war.
 
By BloodSpite on January 2, 2007 8:16 AM
Same system Rye. My wonderful lack of a spellcheck and rudimentary Navy knowledge strikes me down again :) Before CWIZ they used, and still used, manned .50 cal turrets, stand alone's, and nests in Navy and Coast Guard and a similar technology existed on B-52Gs and Hs (50 cal chain gun-radar guided)G models have 4 x 0.50 cal and H models have a 20mm rotary (but not a "chain gun" type unit) but it was not an automated system like the CIWZ. Hell even Canada has manual .50's HMG's on their ships ;) As I understand it one of the initial conceptions for the CIWZ was the .50. They tried it out on the USS Bigelow around the year I was born. But then the Navy figured out they could stick a 20mm, (and now a 30mm gun) on the frame mount could take the vibration easily. More bang for the buck. The .50 never saw production but it got played with a lot in Norfolk until the Navy got wise and hauled it off to what ever scrapyard in the sky. (They used to set it beside a F4 training cockpit to get pilots in "the right frame of mind") So yes your right. But most of the newer systems are an inertial guidance phase CIWZ missile relies on infra-red, passive radar/ESM or semi-active radar terminal guidance (Sometimes called C-RAM with a 21 launcher tube, They also developed a land version which uses the Army LCMR, they mate it up to a AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder Radar and some times reffered to as LPWS ) and some of the really new systems are .30 caliber. But I can not confirm this, so its possible I'm completely wrong. Goalkeeper, the UK/Dutch version, is also .30mm Aside from that, Army has developed a newer platform called the Assault Weapons System, that includes the M2, an experimental turret-mounted, multi functional weapon system attached to a humvee. Ahh TRADOC.... Might be something worthy of you and John's expertise to check in to! :)
   
By MajMike on January 2, 2007 9:17 AM
John: true all, and it was probably the fault of a Red Cockaded Woodpecker or such... i just loved the fact that Navy actually appreciates the manifest virtues of Mama Deuce, and i hadda find something to poke 'em about.
 
By ry on January 2, 2007 4:53 PM
AH! I've been turned into bread! Quick, hide me from Cricket before she decides to make ham and ry sandwiches!;) I'd heard a rumor of using Phalanx on land, but never heard anything about it in the span of two years. So I figured it was just a rumor. Nice to see that someone found a way to make it work. Now if only we could get enough dough to mount several of them at ever installation we have over there some people might start getting good nights of sleep.
 
By John of Argghhh! on January 2, 2007 6:51 PM
Ry - we covered that topic here at the Castle just under a year ago... you are forgiven for not remembering.
 
By ry on January 2, 2007 11:18 PM
D'oh! (ashamed) And please give a word of thanks to LvnCenturion from me John. My buddy Moran made/is making his way back, him being a Marine Fobbit running an electronics 'shop', because of guys like Lvn doing their utmost to protect Moran's behind. Excellent.
 
By Sgt. B. on January 2, 2007 11:51 PM
*drool* Yes, John, I'm drooling... Now if we can get the Denizennes up to the firing line to shoot off a few belts... ...In bikinis...
 
By ry on January 3, 2007 11:24 PM
"...In bikinis..." Well, I did make the Castle Argghhh! shooting bibs, of heavy weight but translucent polymer, after all.