Best world war two machine gun

best world war two machine gun


  • Total voters
    79
The BAR was AWFUL. As good as the Garand was, the BAR was bad. The weapon was a WW I hold over that was a revalation if it had been available in early 1918, but was too heavy, with too low a magazine capacity to be a good machine gun.

The MG 42 was spectacular, as demonstrated by its survival in slightly modified form as the standard German machine gun well into the 1990s.

Even with that being said, the best MG overall was the M2 .50, which is not only still in use, but is not even being considered for replacement. It will be in use for a century at the very least, and could still be in service 150 years after it was designed. In WW II it was used everywhere, by all U.S. services on everything from PT boats to B-29s. The perfect combination of design and cartridge.

I have nothing bad to say about the M2

but the MG-42 literally changed infantry doctrine; and doctrine based around small fire teams grouped around light gpmg's is still in use today by most military units; plus the MG-42 is the grandfather of many many squad machine guns that rolled out since
 
Ma Deuce...

While the MG42 was revolutionary, it has been surpassed since. The M2 has proved to be the most flexible, reliable and enduring of all. This is a weapon found in everything from fighters and bombers to tanks, ships to fortifications, ranging from B-17s to Hummers. Let's not forget Carlos Hancock's creative use of one in 'Nam as a sniper's rifle!

Not bad for a design going back to 1918.
 
The BAR was AWFUL. As good as the Garand was, the BAR was bad. The weapon was a WW I hold over that was a revalation if it had been available in early 1918, but was too heavy, with too low a magazine capacity to be a good machine gun.
Interestingly, it did gave rise to the FN MAG (also borrowing features from the MG42), which is now also in US service. Too bad the Americans went with a MG42-ised FG42 instead.
 
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