The Army was recently demoing the upgraded, and long-overdued, version of the M2 Browning machine gun. Army.mil reports ...
The M2 A1 is an upgrade to the M2 machine gun. It provides a quick-change barrel and fixed head space and timing to reduce Soldier errors and associated safety risks, according to a report prepared by the Small Arms Branch. The Army is also working on a lightweight .50-caliber machine gun to augment the M2 A1, Henthorn said.
Also on demoed was the light-weight version of the M240, the M240L, which will be deployed next year ...
One of the weapons showcased was the M240L medium machine gun, a lighter alternative to the M240B machine gun. The M240L weighs 21-and-a-half pounds, six pounds lighter than the M240B.
"Lightening Soldiers' loads is a key element of what we want to do," Henthorn said. "We are carrying a lot of weight downrange on missions because we want capability. Every pound we take off a guy is a pound he doesn't have to carry up and down a hill."
Along with reduced weight, the branch is shortening the barrel and providing a collapsible butt stock for the M240 L, said Troy Harris, deputy chief of the small arms branch.
Henthorn said Army-wide fielding could begin in 10 months.
[ Many thanks to Lance for emailing me the link. ]
The RCI XRAIL (Roth Auto Index Loader) is a auto index loader magazine extension that can expand a tubular shotgun magazine to hold up either 14 rounds (compact version) or 23 rounds (full version).
This video shows the XRAIL mounted on a Benelli M2 Tactical. The benelli magazine appears to be shortened and the gun can now hold a total of 26 rounds.
Now I will be honest with y’all, I don’t actually know what an “auto index loader” is. This is how I imagine the system may work:
* Each of those tubes are a magazine.
* Each of those magazines feeds into the shotgun magazine.
* Once a magazine is depleted it rotates.
* The final magazine contains a spring long enough to feed the shells that are in the shotgun’s magazine.
Because I enjoy making you suffer by awful drawings, here is a graphical representation. The blue box represents the shotgun magazine. The red boxes represents the XRAIL magazines. In this example the shotgun magazine holds three rounds while the XRAIL has three “magazines”, with two holding two shells, and the third a spring.
First two shots
3rd and 4th shot.
Last three shots
I have watched the above video frame by frame and there is seems to be some additional things happening during the magazine rotation. Maybe I am completely wrong … in which case I would have patented my above idea and not blogged about it
The system will be able to work on multiple guns. From what I have seen on youtube Benelli and Remington autoloaders work with the XRAIL. I don’t see why this system could not be adapted to work on pump action shotguns, aside from the fact that if would have to be mounted quite far forward.
A very interesting product. Hopefully it will come to market soon (and probably a video game as well, when game designers get word of it)
Gunbroker is running an auction for a ‘85 HUMVEE with twin mounted M2 .50 BMG machine guns and 10,000 rounds of surplus ammo. The “Buy Now” is $120,000.
85 truck with 12,000+ actual miles, up-armored, two Ramo M2 .50 cal. machineguns on Form 4’s in Ky., and 10,000 rounds US surplus ammo. Everything in excellent condition. Please, serious inquires only. Email for further info. Thanks for looking.
Anyone know what the going rate for a M2 is? Traction Control, any ideas?
The U.S. Army and Special Operations Command are stepping up efforts to procure a lighter, modernized .50-caliber machine gun more easily transported than the standard 85-pound M2.
The goal is not to replace the M2, a combat fixture for 70 years, but to augment the inventory with a .50-caliber weapon that brings the same firepower at less than half the weight, Army officials said here at the Feb. 27-29 winter convention of the Association of the U.S. Army. Early models of the Light Weight .50-caliber (LW50) are expected to be delivered this year.
Hi, welcome to The Firearm Blog! This blog is dedicated to all things firearm related. If you are into AR-15 and AK carbines, skeet shotguns, self defense pistols or hunting rifles then there will be something here for you. I hope you enjoy it.
I want this blog to appeal to a worldwide audience and so I will focus on firearms and shooting rather than country specific politics. There are already many great blogs defending your rights!
Hi, welcome to The Firearm Blog! This blog is dedicated to all things firearm related. If you are into AR-15 and AK carbines, skeet shotguns, self defense pistols or hunting rifles then there will be something here for you. I hope you enjoy it.
