M2 .50cal AA (US543)

M2 .50cal AA (US543) with two Water-cooled .50cal AA machine-gun with crew & Command team The M2 .50 cal machine-gun was utilised in various roles during the Second World War. It was mounted on tanks, in fighter aircraft, used for self-defence by bombers and as an Anti-aircraft weapon by troops on the ground. Check out the M2 .50cal AA in the online store here...

However, prolonged firing caused the barrel of the .50cal machine-gun to overheat; this could lead to problems with accuracy and potential damage to the weapon itself. Therefore, a water-cooled version of the .50cal machine gun was designed to improve barrel cooling and reduce the occurrence of these problems.

There were no differences between the workings of the air-cooled and water-cooled versions, but externally a jacket containing 10 quarts (9.5 litres) of water surrounded the barrel of the water-cooled version. Upon firing, a hand pump was used to create a flow between the jacket and an auxiliary 8 gallon (30.3 litres) water chest connected to the gun by a pair of hoses. This flow provided an effective means of cooling the barrel during prolonged periods of firing.

The M2 .50cal AA Machine-gun in Flames Of War Fixed to a M2A1 mount and fitted with the 200-round “Tombstone” ammunition chest the water-cooled M2 .50cal machine-gun can sweep enemy aircraft from the skies or provide devastating fire support against ground targets. Mobility Heavy; Range 16”/40cm ROF 4; Anti-tank 4; Firepower 5+ Notes Anti-aircraft, Turntable. Designed by Evan Allen Painted by James Brown