Browning machine gun caliber .50, M2, aircraft, fixed and flexible. Page: 8
54 p. : ill. ; 22 cm.View a full description of this book.
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TM 9-225
3-4 ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT
of the pilot as possible, usually within the cowling. The mount is
rigid with respect to the airplane and the gun fires in a line approxi-
mately parallel to the direction of flight and directly through the path
of propeller rotation. The gunfire is controlled so as to miss the pro-
peller blades by action of the synchronizing mechanism, which is the
device operating between the engine and the gun for this purpose.
The wing mounting is dependent upon the design of the wings and may
be interior or exterior.
(2) Flexible gun.--The gun is mounted on a flexible mount which
permits a large angular field of fire in both azimuth and elevation.
The gun is fired by hand. The gun is used with various kinds of
equipment, usually with a recoil cushioning adapter in hand- and
power-operated turrets. In lieu of flexible guns, most planes have
fixed guns mounted on power-operated turrets. The adapter which
is supplied by the Army Air Forces includes spade grips.
e. Sights.-(1) The sights for the gun are carried as airplane equip-
ment rather than as part of the gun itself and are supplied by the Army
Air Forces.
(2) Sights for the fixed gun, when used, are normally attached to
the airplane. Sights for the flexible gun may be attached to the two
sight bases which are mounted on the barrel jacket of the gun. They
can readily be installed or detached.
(3) Complete information relative to sights is available in pub-
lications of the Army Air Forces.
4. Manual operation.-a. Manual operation is operation per-
formed by the gunner.
(1) To load.---Loading may be considered to include two distinct
operations: entering the loaded belt properly into the belt opening,
and thereafter operating the mechanism of the gun until it is closed
with the cartridge in the chamber and a cartridge in the feedway
gripped by the extractor for extraction on the next recoil stroke.
(a) The first of these operations may be performed with the cover
either open or closed. In either case, always enter double loop end
of belt through feed opening until the first cartridge is beyond the
belt holding pawl. Close cover, if open. Pull bolt completely to the
rear by means of retracting slide (flexible gun) or operating slide
(fixed gun), release it, and allow it to slam home.
(b) The second operation consists of pulling the bolt once com-
pletely to the rear and then allowing it to spring forward. This op-
eration must start with the action and cover fully closed and the
extractor gripping the cartridge in the feedway.
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United States. War Department. Browning machine gun caliber .50, M2, aircraft, fixed and flexible., book, April 30, 1942; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc29988/m1/10/: accessed May 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.