A century of the ‘Ma Deuce’: How the M2 Browning became America’s workhorse machine gun
Historical look at the M2 Browning machine gun's century of service across air, sea,
The highly versatile weapon has seen action affixed to the wings of P-51D Mustangs, aboard vessels in Vietnam and atop Humvees in the Middle East.
For over a century the M2 Browning .50-caliber machine gun, known affectionally among troops as “Ma Deuce,” has been the staple small arms weapon in the United States military arsenal.
While certain enhancements have been made throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, the core of the gun has remained relatively unchanged. So much so that a doughboy could likely pick up the modern-day M2 and operate it.
The highly versatile weapon has seen action affixed to the wings of P-47 Thunderbolts and P-51D Mustangs. It has floated down the Mekong Delta on the decks of America’s “Brown Water Navy” aboard patrol boats and river vessels. And it has surveyed terrain mounted atop Humvees during the Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
That the M2 has managed to outlast all other small arms weapon is a testament to its maker: John Moses Browning.