History of Browning M2 | Big Sandy Machine Gun Shoot 2023

During the Big Sandy Machine Guns Fall 2023, we spoke to Chris and John about the old guns they brought to Big Sandy and the history behind the guns. John, a gun enthusiast his whole life, also flies the airplanes that act as moving targets during the Big Sandy Shoot.

This gun is the product of a lot of history: it started out as John Browning‘s original design of a Model 1917, which was a water cooled 30 odd six belt fed. It morphed into an air-cooled gun which is a 1919, and then they came out with the first 50 which is more of an anti-tank type weapon, and they scaled up the water cooled version to make an MG52.

The MG52 wasn’t very versatile; it’s kind of heavy and you had to have water cans, and extra water, and ammo and it was inconvenient. So, then they came out with the next version which is the M2.

The Browning M2 comes in three different versions. This is the heavy barrel version, which is the most common gun.  It has an option to be used as an aircraft gun. The aircraft guns are made to shoot at a much higher fire rate. This one is about 500-600 rounds a minute. The aircraft guns are about anywhere from 900 to 1200 rounds a minute.

They also created a water-cooled version, which is a longer barreled water cooled version, and that one was designed as an anti-aircraft gun from the ground. And you could put a ton of ammo through the water-cooling system. It usually shoots 100 rounds at a time and then you let it cool off, and if it was water cooled then you had a pump system on it and you could do sustained fire for 5600 rounds quite easily.

Watch More Machine Gun Videos from Big Sandy Machine Gun Shoot Fall 2023!

Related Videos: Japanese Type 92: Loading & Firing | Big Sandy Machine Gun Shoot 2023

Related Articles: Yes! You Can Buy a Machine Gun on GunBroker

Related Videos: Firing a Gatling Gun | Big Sandy Machine Gun Shoot 2023