what does BMG stand for?

[Ridgeway]

have been wondering for awhile what the BMG(best I could think up in my mind were Browning Machine Gun, total guess lol...)actually stands for- did a quick search on google and didn't see a definition...

while I'm on the .50 cal topic, I kno the AE in the .50 AE stands for action express, but what is action express? was it a company that is now kaput?

thx

 

[OEF_VET]

You're right about the BMG, it does stand for Browning MachineGun.

As for the AE, I have no idea.

 

[SDC]

I believe the "action" in "action express" came from Action Arms, the original IMI importer into the US (based in Philadelpia, IIRC), while "express" is an older term meaning much the same as "magnum"; besides the .50 AE, there was also a .41 AE, available as an UZI chambering/conversion and in a couple of IMI handguns.

 

[Mike Irwin]

SDC's correct on the origin of Action Express.

As for BMG, I do believe that stands for Big Mutha of a Gun!

 

[Ridgeway]

i c

thx

 

[clown714]

kinda off thread topic

and correct me if i'm wrong

but,didn't "express" come from

the early transition from black to smokeless propellants.

inquiring minds want to know.

thanks

clown

 

[Sunray]

"...Big Mutha of a Gun..." No, as it has nothing whatever to do with just the .50 cal machine gun. There have been many Browning designed MGs. All called BMG. There was a .30 BMG long before there was a .50 BMG. The 1919 .30 calibre Browning machine gun was originally chambered in .30-06 and later in .308. Started out as a water cooled MG(see The Wild Bunch. And just watch it and forget about all the mistakes). Later modified to air cooled. Used by your lot until the M60 came along and by my lot until the 90's.
The term Action Express was a marketing thing for the .41 AE(9mm case head with a .41 body. Uses the same bullet as a .41 mag) and .50 AE. Long before there were any pistols for either you could buy a barrel to convert a BHP into a .41 AE. You only need a barrel and to convert a mag or two by tweaking the lips open a bit.
Yes, I did and I'm very glad I bought 500 cases when I did. IMI stopped production of the brass and ammo and will not resume until there is a demand. Friggin' .410 bullets are difficult to come by too. Not bad shooting it, but you have to hang on tight as any, and I mean any, breaking of the wrist means it jams. Shooting a BHP in .41 AE is not for a new guy.

 

[Jim K]

Actually, there have been only three Browning MG designs, although there have been variations of each. The first was the U.S. Model 1895, the famous "potato digger"; often called the "Colt Machinegun", it was a Browning design. The second was the .30 caliber and the third was the .50 caliber. All the other versions in two world wars were variations of the last two.

The BAR would have been called a light machinegun in many armies, but the U.S. always called it an automatic rifle. Even with the BAR, there have been only four basic Browning MGs.

Jim

 

[Mike Irwin]

Jesus, Sunray, it was a JOKE.

As for there being a .30 BMG long before the .50 BMG, that's only if "long before" means less than 5 years...

The Browning Model of 1917 was the water cooled gun, the Model of 1919 was the air cooled gun.

As Jim correctly notes, Browning didn't design very many machine guns at all.

He didn't need to. He got the designs right the first time.

 

[cdbeaver]

The Browning water-cooled 30-caliber MG has a long and distinguished military service record. I know for certain that it was still standard infantry company issue at least through the Korean War.

I have a beautiful 35-mm color slide of a Browning water-cooled gun deployed in a defensive bunker in Korea. They were heavy, heavy, heavy, but that deep-throated chug it made when fired was very comforting to a GI hunkered down in defensive position.

The .50-caliber BMG also had a distinguished record in Korea. Up toward the MLR a half-track outfitted with a quad-fifty made life pretty miserable for the enemy. It was appropriately named "Chink Chaser."

 

[Starpower]

BMG

I agree with Mike! Sunray, lighten up! I joked with him on a different thread and he got all indignate with me. This made reference to Kaliforny and he's not even from there. We can at least try to inject a LITTLE humor into our threads, can't we? When reading through the wish books I always translated Big MF Gun in my own head. But then, that's just MY head.

 

[Mike Irwin]

"We can at least try to inject a LITTLE humor into our threads, can't we?"

No. We can't.

 

[tcdrennen]

Actually, BMG = Big Mutha Gun is a common idea, and has led to various model names for big calibers such as the Serbu (IIRC) BFG (in .50 BMG, of course ) and the BFR revolver in .500 S&W Mag and various Linebaugh chamberings. You may interpret the acronyms as you wish

 

[rammy]

let me guess BFR = Big Friggin revolver

 

[Black Snowman]

From the History Channel's show about magnums the term Express was coined by Holland and Holland for their new high power rifles and was in reference to the powerful and fast express trains.

 

[Black Snowman]

According to the ads it's Biggest Finest Revolver.

 

[DeputyVaughn]

I thought BMG was for Big Monkey Gun.

Scott