| From
Wikipedia:
The Browning .50 caliber machine gun has been used extensively as
a vehicle weapon and for aircraft armament by the United States
from the 1930s to the present. It was heavily used during World
War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Falklands War, the
Gulf War, the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan in the 2000s and
2010s. It is the primary heavy machine gun of NATO countries, and
has been used by many other countries as well. The M2 has been in
use longer than any other firearm in U.S. inventory except the .45
ACP M1911 pistol, also designed by John Browning.
The most common barrels were the water-cooled barrel
(for AA use), the light air-cooled barrel (for use in and on aircraft)
and the heavy air-cooled (HB) barrel, which is the type that we
have here.
The barrel is finely rendered in brass with a hollowed out muzzle
and measures 10.37 mm (not counting the stub that needs to go into
the body of the gun. Images found on pt103.com
teach me that the real length was 726 mm (10.1mm in 1/72), which
is close enough to my taste, especially when taking into consideration
that that drawing is slightly warped.
While the piece is well-done, I had hoped that Schatton had gone
a bit further and given us the perforated jacket between the barrel
and the body as well, which would have been within their reach,
knowing what they pulled off with the MK103
barrel. The handle on the barrel might have been a nice detail
as well.
Review sample purchased by the author.
This model can be purchased from
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