Manufactured by Ramo of Nashville, Tennessee, the M2 Browning Machine Gun is the definitive Western heavy machine gun of the 20th century. A descendant of Browning's 1917 HMG, the development of the M2 was first prompted by the emergence of armored aircraft among German forces in World War I, calling for a greater level of firepower to bring down enemy aircraft. Development continued after Browning's passing in 1926, and in 1933 it was adopted by the U.S. armed forces. In service to this day, the air-cooled "HB" variant of the M2 has been used in a wide spectrum of roles on sea, air and land, from as fundamental as an infantry heavy machine gun, as rarified as the main armament of top of the line fighter aircraft, to as oddball as being used as a sniper rifle; the famed Carlos Hathcock used a scoped M2 to set a confirmed kill record in Vietnam that wouldn't be beaten until the War on Terror, and still holds a spot on the top 10 as of this writing. This example is configured for fixed position mounting, sans sights, with an adjustable alloy mounting collar at the front of the receiver, maker's marks on the right sideplate, and a synthetic charging handle. No manual trigger mechanism is installed, with the back plate configured to accept a solenoid trigger unit (included but uninstalled). Included with the lot is a headspace gauge, a short belt link chute, and a five-prong flash hider.

Excellent, with 95% plus original matte gray phosphate finish, showing mild handling marks on the metal and charging handle. The solenoid mechanism is untested, otherwise the item is mechanically in fine order. NOTE: This weapon is a National Firearms Act (NFA), fully transferable Class 3, which is registered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, (BATFE) under the provisions of 18 U.S.C. Chapter 44 and 27 CFR part 479.