[Oleg Volk]

Does anyone know why Browning M2 seems to have most of the world market for heavy MGs? Seems to me that 14.5mm DShK and 13mm MG15 (?), some sort of heavy Hotchkiss are all comparable in utility...

[thisaway]

DShK 38 and 38/46 are a 12.7mm also...12.7 x 108mm vs. US 12.7 x 99mm M2 round. The 14.5mm is called a ZPU.

As for the M2's popularity...perhaps it is simpler to manufacture? More different types of ammo available? I dunno. :confused:

[ajacobs]

Well they would have to be made here for us to use them and we have given large numbers away to out allies. Plus many countries probally don't have money to switch to something new and ma duece has been in production for a long time. These of course are only guesses.

What I guess I am saying more than anyting is it is probally baises on other factors that fitness.

[Sir Galahad]

A lot of M1 and M2 carbines and M2 .50s were circulated around the world as CIA COIN (counterinsurgency) aid. A lot of these weapons were also left behind when South Vietnam fell. The M2 .50 was also in possession of Iran when the Shah fell. The Soviet .50 is pretty widespread in Africa, but sometimes the international weapons yard sale is a closet-cleaning operation and countries sell whatever they have that they don't mind parting with. Also, World War Two accounts for a lot of left behind hardware that can turn a buck.