Browning .50-Caliber Machine Guns

Osprey Weapons #4

by Gordon L. Rottman

Osprey's new Weapon series provides a highly-detailed yet affordable overview of the development, use, and impact of small arms throughout history--from the sword to the machine gun. In this volume, Gordon Rottman examines this history of the longest serving weapon in the U.S. military's small arms inventory. Thoroughly researched and illustrated with rare photographs and original artwork by Johnny Shumate, the book takes readers from the origins of the "fifty" on the battlefields of WWI to its use in the war on terror today. Rottman provides lists of the companies that manufactured the Browning and analyzes the variants that have arisen over the years since it first entered service in 1933. He also provides descriptions and photos of how it was used on aircraft, ships, riverboats, tanks, Humvees, and by ground forces. A cutaway illustration from Alan Gilliland details the parts of the weapon and a final chapter dispels myths told about it.

Genres: History, Military Fiction, Military History, World War II, War

ebook

First published October 9, 2006

About the author

Gordon L. Rottman served for 26 years in the US Army in Special Forces, airborne infantry, long-range reconnaissance patrol, and military intelligence assignments in the Regular Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve. He has worked as a Special Operations Forces scenario writer for 14 years at the Army's Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, Louisiana where he developed training exercises for Special Forces.
Gordon began writing military history books in 1984 and is currently a full-time author. He has written 50 books for Osprey. He is married with four children and lives in Cypress, Texas.

Reviews

[Steven Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

An amazing weapon, the Browning .50 caliber machine gun. I had no idea it had as robust a history as it does. This is one in a series entitled "Weapons" by Osprey Publishing.

The creator of this weapon was the legendary John Browning. Development of this machine gun began in 1918; it helped give the P-51
Mustang real punch in WWII; it is still being used today. Think about that! A weapon (albeit with modifications) that has been in use for such a long period of time.

This book provides background on this weapon, its many uses, and where the weapon stands today. A fascinating work. . . .

[Marcus · Rating 3 out of 5]

After being positively surprised by very accessible and engaging writing style of the first three volumes in Osprey's Weapons series, I can't help but be somewhat disapointed by the booklet dedicated to legendary Ma Deuce. First half of this volume is dedicated to very technical walkthrough of technical development of Browning M2. Second half provides an overview of practical use of this weapon in the major conflicts where it was used on large scale.

There is a lot of information crammed in this small volume, that much is undeniable. However, when compared with previous three volumes in the series, the format of this one feels like throwback to the old "dry primer" template found so often in Osprey's publications dedicated to weapon systems. It's a shame, because Osprey Weapons booklets about Thompson and RPG proved that these books can be informative and fun to read at the same time.

[Roy Szweda]

Good, solid, informative and well-illustrated book covering a weapon that has few dedicated books despite its ubiquity. An excellent book as a companion to the one on its smaller brother the 303. Unlike that weapon, the fifty remains extant and this book takes you right up to date. Fascinating stuff here and there such as its use by a sniper! Thanks once again to Jim for the lend.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic description of the development, implementation, and use of the .50. Almost 100 years old, and this book fully describes why it has stayed in service so long and why it is unlikely to be replaced.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Browning .50-Caliber Machine Guns (2010) by Gordon L. Rottman

The book is similar to the Wikipedia article on the same topic, M2 Browning, even featuring some of the same photos. The M2 Browning heavy machine gun's design work began more than 100 years ago, after the end of World War I. The gun entered service with US forces in 1933 and saw heavy use with all service branches. The M2 Browning was the standard machine gun on US military aircraft in World War II for both offensive and defensive roles. It was also fitted to a wide variety of naval vessels and ground vehicles both wheeled and tracked. In the years after WWII, with the advent of jet aircraft, its use on aircraft declined, in favor of guided missiles and larger-caliber autocannons, but it continues to serve on ground-attack aircraft such as the Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano.

The M2 Browning soldiers on with ground vehicles and naval vessels, as the standard heavy machine gun of NATO forces and seemingly every other nation friendly to them. After WWII it featured in every ground conflict fought by the US, and in many conflicts fought by allied countries. As I write in 2023, it's in active use by the Armed Forces of Ukraine against Russian invaders, and by the Israel Defense Forces in the 2023 Israel–Hamas war. Given that many other weapons have undergone multiple technological transformations in the last century, with whole categories sometimes disappearing altogether (e.g., the battleship), it's remarkable to say the least that the M2 Browning remains solidly established in its niche. Its end of service seems nowhere in sight.