Established in Nashville, Tennessee by Elbert R. "Pony" Maples, Junior, E.R. Maples Co. (aka ERMCO) was the predecessor to Ramo, initially restoring and later manufacturing American military weapons. 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. 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 M2 HB 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. Hooded blade front and folding ladder peep sights, with the Maples address, model marking and serial number on the right side plate, a short vented barrel shroud, and a heavyweight barrel. The cocking handle and spade grips are both plastic construction. Included with the lot is a tripod, two T&E mechanisms, go/no-go and timing gauges, and some small parts and cleaning tools.