If you could have only one belt fed machine gun what would it be?

[keith44spl]

If you could have only one belt fed machine gun what would it be?

It must be mounted on a tri-pod...........

Su Amigo,
Dave

 

[DeadAye]

I'm gonna go with the machine gun of my childhood - The M60.
I'll even go out a bit on a limb here and say that the 7.62×51mm is a great bear round when issued in quantity.

 

[mg357]

Browning M2 .50 caliber machine gun.

 

[Thuer]

Vickers .303

 

[StatesRightist]

I love the MA Deuce, but it's not exactly mobile by foot carry, the SAW is nice but a light caliber, I'm going old school, M60, proven and still used.

 

[cmort666]

Spandau MG08 with the sled mount and all of the accessories.

 

[Evil Dog]

How about the M61 Vulcan? There's just something about a 20mm gatling gun. Might be a tad expensive to feed though.

 

[mkk41]

Gimme a Stoner 63. Takes linked belts OR mags.

 

[kudzu3]

Without a doubt...M60.

 

[ACP230]

Either a Browning M1919 or a water-cooled M1917.

Shot a very nice 1917 at a shoot in Minnesota once.
Onlyl 1919 I've shot was a model that was shrunk in the dryer and fired
.22 LR. Both were loads of fun.

 

[David White]

I want the little .22 caliber copy that I saw on you tube!
Belt fed, super fast and TINY! You could carry it anywhere! Seriously!

 

[Sebago Son]

If I can't have a Lewis Gun or a BAR, make mine a Vickers! 1,000,000 rounds through 10 guns fired contiueously for 12 hours one August day in 1916. They burned up 100 barrels but had not a single failure... ( Now where to find that much .303 ammo? )

 

[Engine 21]

If I could only have one - it's a Ma Deuce - hands down but if an MG-42 found it's way home I wouldn't object.

 

[M3Stuart]

Mk19 would be my choice.

 

[JOERM]

What about a stupid question? Why do they call a machine gun a machine gun? A machine made the machine gun and the machine gun is in deed a machine so therefore all guns are machines. I don't think there is such a thing as a gun machine though but maybe there is. Oh I know maybe why they called the machine gun a machine gun it's because it was Mr. Machine that invented it right after Mr. Gatling (SP) for the Gatling gun.

 

[deralte]

The one I was trained on at Fort Knox in 1952 - the M1919-A6.

 

[brucev]

One and only one belt-fed machine gun? Very simple in the extreme. MG-42. In the original 7.92x57mm caliber. Why? Simple. I don't fly planes. I don't drive tanks. I have no combat experience. What I do know about these things has been gained by reading, and by talking with church members, etc., who have been in combat. From what I gather, a machine gun has got to be supremely reliable, portable, chambered for a serious caliber and capable of being effective at actual engagement ranges. The MG-42 is superior in all these respects.

If the frame of reference turns to air combat, vehicle mounted usage, etc., then I would prefer a .50 caliber M-2.

 

[Lee Barner]

give me an old grunt 60 any day. and a young, strong soldier to carry the ammo. lee

 

[williamlayton]

There is really only one machine gun. All of the rest are wanttbe's--they want to be a Ma Duce when they grow up.
Blessings

 

[walnutred]

JOERM, Because they cycled and fired through mechanical action rather than human action. The word "machine" had a different connotation in the late 1800's than it does now just like the word "mechanic".