Officially adopted in 1923, Ma Deuce doesn't show any signs of retiring. Here's an excerpt of a letter of what a marine told his pa about their weapons in Iraq... Never Yet Melted » REPORT FROM A MARINE IN IRAQ Caliber: .50BMG (12.7x99mm) Weight: 38 kg MG, 58 kg complete with M3 tripod Length: 1650 mm Length of barrel: 1140 mm Feeding: belt Rate of fire: 450-600 rounds/min
This lass was hated by the Germans as much as the Mg42 was hated by the Alles...one bullet fired from this tough mother would have blown your head off! It was a mix between a machine cannon and a machine gun...on the other hand, the Mg42's stunningly high rate of fire would put at least 5 shots into a man when he was hit...