Accuracy of the M-2 MG...

w_houle · January 2, 2009, 08:15 PM

I have shot this MG a few times, but every thime I did from a tripod with plain open sights. I always wondered why they didn't put some form of optic sight onto it, or maybe they do and I don't know it. So if a nice optic sight was used; what would the accuracy of this gun achieve?

doncameron · January 2, 2009, 08:53 PM

Read about Carlos Hathcock
On some occasions, however, he used a different weapon: the .50-caliber M2 Browning Machine Gun, on which he mounted the Unertl scope, using a bracket of his own design.[verification needed] This weapon was accurate to 2500 yards when fired one round at a time. At one point, he took careful aim at a courier carrying a load of assault rifles and ammunition on a bicycle. He had second thoughts when he saw a 12-year-old boy in his sights, but after considering the intended use of those weapons, he decided to disable the bicycle, hitting the bike frame. The boy tumbled over the handlebars, grabbed a gun, and immediately began firing back, so Hathcock returned fire, killing him. (Source Marine Sniper,

w_houle · January 2, 2009, 09:58 PM

Had to have been one hell of a shot to hit part of a bicycle.

MisterPX · January 2, 2009, 10:25 PM

I don't think he was aiming at the bike.

James K · January 2, 2009, 10:29 PM

IIRC, there was an issue scope for the HB-M2, though I have never seen one. I do know the gun is surprisingly accurate when fired semi auto.

Jim

Danzig · January 2, 2009, 11:22 PM

Carlos Hathcock's Browning M2

RJay · January 3, 2009, 12:17 AM

I have seen a scope on a 50 BMG. It's been a long time and I've only seen pictures since them but it was issue.

Beretta686 · January 3, 2009, 08:58 AM

Remember the weapon fires from a closed bolt and you have the T&E holding it in place & preventing it from moving around too much; all of which contribute to it's accuracy.

SDC · January 3, 2009, 09:38 AM

Here's a picture of an M2 being used in Korea for long-range fire; snipers were normally responsible for doing this, and the MGs were fitted with a mount that allowed them to mount their rifle scopes on the M2. The accuracy would depend a whole lot on various factors like the ammo used, how new the barrel was, how tight the headspace was set, etc., etc., but they worked for the intended purpose. In this photo, you can see that a shot has just been fired, as a fired case is being ejected out the bottom of the receiver, and a link is falling from the right side.

Al Thompson · January 5, 2009, 03:53 AM

The M2 also has a free floated barrel. Contributes to accuracy.

All of mine have/had a mounting bracket for NODs, so mounting a scope wouldn't be too hard.

Creature · January 5, 2009, 04:08 PM

You mean something like this?

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/...trainer-02264/

SDC · January 8, 2009, 10:30 PM

To fill in a little of the above, Senich's "Complete Book of US Sniping" has a chapter on 50-cal sniping, mainly with bolt-actions and rebarrelled Boys/PTRD/PzB rifles, but also a little with the M2. He says that hits were made with the M2 during Korea at ranges up to 2000 yards, but that during actual accuracy testing, the ammo was too inconsistent for true sniping. At a range of 1400 yards, with a standing silhouette on a 12'x12' target backer, a 50-shot group hit the backer 49 times, but hit the silhouette only 8 times. Close enough for lots of heart attacks, but not many actual kills.

TheManHimself · January 8, 2009, 10:42 PM

IIRC, Trijicon makes a 6x ACOG with a .50BMG bullet drop compensator reticule. That and an M2HB would be a hell of a combination

January 2, 2009, 08:15 PM	#1
w_houle Senior Member Join Date: March 29, 2007 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 1,391	Accuracy of the M-2 MG... I have shot this MG a few times, but every thime I did from a tripod with plain open sights. I always wondered why they didn't put some form of optic sight onto it, or maybe they do and I don't know it. So if a nice optic sight was used; what would the accuracy of this gun achieve? __________________ How could you have a slogan like "freedom is slavery" when the concept of freedom has been abolished?

January 2, 2009, 09:58 PM	#3
w_houle Senior Member Join Date: March 29, 2007 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 1,391	Had to have been one hell of a shot to hit part of a bicycle. __________________ How could you have a slogan like "freedom is slavery" when the concept of freedom has been abolished?

January 2, 2009, 11:22 PM	#6
Danzig Senior Member Join Date: June 30, 2005 Location: Fort Carson, Colorado Posts: 896	Carlos Hathcock's Browning M2 __________________ Fide et Fortitudine - My family motto "I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences of attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it" - Thomas Jefferson

January 3, 2009, 08:58 AM	#8
Beretta686 Senior Member Join Date: May 11, 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 761	Remember the weapon fires from a closed bolt and you have the T&E holding it in place & preventing it from moving around too much; all of which contribute to it's accuracy. __________________ "Our contract called for 16 cases of rifles and ammunition for $10,000 dollars, not a machine gun...........That is our present to the General"-Pike Bishop “When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.”

January 3, 2009, 09:38 AM	#9
SDC Senior Member Join Date: January 23, 2001 Location: People's Republic of Kanada Posts: 1,652	Here's a picture of an M2 being used in Korea for long-range fire; snipers were normally responsible for doing this, and the MGs were fitted with a mount that allowed them to mount their rifle scopes on the M2. The accuracy would depend a whole lot on various factors like the ammo used, how new the barrel was, how tight the headspace was set, etc., etc., but they worked for the intended purpose. In this photo, you can see that a shot has just been fired, as a fired case is being ejected out the bottom of the receiver, and a link is falling from the right side. __________________ Gun control in Canada: making the streets safer for rapists, muggers, and other violent criminals since 1936.

January 2, 2009, 08:53 PM	#2
doncameron Senior Member Join Date: September 25, 2005 Location: Upstate S.C. Posts: 144	Read about Carlos Hathcock On some occasions, however, he used a different weapon: the .50-caliber M2 Browning Machine Gun, on which he mounted the Unertl scope, using a bracket of his own design.[verification needed] This weapon was accurate to 2500 yards when fired one round at a time. At one point, he took careful aim at a courier carrying a load of assault rifles and ammunition on a bicycle. He had second thoughts when he saw a 12-year-old boy in his sights, but after considering the intended use of those weapons, he decided to disable the bicycle, hitting the bike frame. The boy tumbled over the handlebars, grabbed a gun, and immediately began firing back, so Hathcock returned fire, killing him. (Source Marine Sniper,

January 2, 2009, 10:25 PM	#4
MisterPX Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2006 Location: Amerika's Doyleland Posts: 809	I don't think he was aiming at the bike.

January 2, 2009, 10:29 PM	#5
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	IIRC, there was an issue scope for the HB-M2, though I have never seen one. I do know the gun is surprisingly accurate when fired semi auto. Jim

January 3, 2009, 12:17 AM	#7
RJay Senior Member Join Date: November 2, 2005 Location: Arizona Posts: 1,936	I have seen a scope on a 50 BMG. It's been a long time and I've only seen pictures since them but it was issue.

January 5, 2009, 03:53 AM	#10
Al Thompson Staff Alumnus Join Date: May 2, 1999 Location: South Carolina Posts: 3,611	The M2 also has a free floated barrel. Contributes to accuracy. All of mine have/had a mounting bracket for NODs, so mounting a scope wouldn't be too hard. __________________ http://www.scfirearms.org/

January 5, 2009, 04:08 PM	#11
Creature Junior member Join Date: April 8, 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 3,769	You mean something like this? http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/...trainer-02264/

January 8, 2009, 10:30 PM	#12
SDC Senior Member Join Date: January 23, 2001 Location: People's Republic of Kanada Posts: 1,652	To fill in a little of the above, Senich's "Complete Book of US Sniping" has a chapter on 50-cal sniping, mainly with bolt-actions and rebarrelled Boys/PTRD/PzB rifles, but also a little with the M2. He says that hits were made with the M2 during Korea at ranges up to 2000 yards, but that during actual accuracy testing, the ammo was too inconsistent for true sniping. At a range of 1400 yards, with a standing silhouette on a 12'x12' target backer, a 50-shot group hit the backer 49 times, but hit the silhouette only 8 times. Close enough for lots of heart attacks, but not many actual kills. __________________ Gun control in Canada: making the streets safer for rapists, muggers, and other violent criminals since 1936. Last edited by SDC; January 8, 2009 at 10:36 PM.

January 8, 2009, 10:42 PM	#13
TheManHimself Senior Member Join Date: March 25, 2008 Posts: 730	IIRC, Trijicon makes a 6x ACOG with a .50BMG bullet drop compensator reticule. That and an M2HB would be a hell of a combination