M2/M3 .50bmg build ?

[calsdad]

Anybody here built one of these? Anything significantly different than building a 1919? ( I built one during the group build earlier this year).

Any legal issues in MA?

Ever since I built the 1919a4 - and saw Acme.Armament's .50 sitting there - I have had it in my head to build an M2 or an M3.

Saving for the kit now - just wondering what I am getting into......

 

[Acme.Armament]

Not much different as far as the gun goes. M2/3 is just bigger . Go to, http://www.m2hb.net/m2phpBB3/index.php and there is good info in the Semi Building area and the Riveting area.

No legal issues that I know of for building semi-auto. No building full-auto unless you like the company of males at night.

We can do that build here if you get a few people to build. Would have to be half as many builds as the guns take up that much space.

 

[PixelPusher]

Adam, I think you're gonna need a bigger stump.

 

[calsdad]

Not much different as far as the gun goes. M2/3 is just bigger . Go to, http://www.m2hb.net/m2phpBB3/index.php and there is good info in the Semi Building area and the Riveting area.

No legal issues that I know of for building semi-auto. No building full-auto unless you like the company of males at night.

We can do that build here if you get a few people to build. Would have to be half as many builds as the guns take up that much space.

Thanks for the info.

I've managed to accumulate a couple more 1919a4 kits, and an FN30 kit over the last few months. At some point when I get my workshop done - I'll have a good place to start pounding rivets. I wouldn't mind doing an M2/M3 group build - I'm not so sure there would be that many people signing up though - the 50's start to get a bit pricey.

And yes - I'll be staying away from the govt. housing facilities if I can.

 

[Acme.Armament]

Adam, I think you're gonna need a bigger stump.

Nice one. Been looking for an anvil. If you know of one for sale/trade let me know.

Thanks for the info.

I've managed to accumulate a couple more 1919a4 kits, and an FN30 kit over the last few months. At some point when I get my workshop done - I'll have a good place to start pounding rivets. I wouldn't mind doing an M2/M3 group build - I'm not so sure there would be that many people signing up though - the 50's start to get a bit pricey.

And yes - I'll be staying away from the govt. housing facilities if I can.

I think OOW had RHSP & kits for sale earlier in the month.

 

[calsdad]

Nice one. Been looking for an anvil. If you know of one for sale/trade let me know.



I think OOW had RHSP & kits for sale earlier in the month.

I think I saw some decent size anvils for sale at Harbor Freight a while back.....

Yeah - I think OOW had a few kits for sale, I seem to remember seeing that. I was going to get another kit from Sarco - but I lucked out and found a guy who was advertising on 1919a4.com who had a few kits. I got one - and after checking out the condition when I received it - decided to get another .

The 1919a4 stuff appears to be drying up. Best to get in now while the getting is good. The M2/M3 stuff is going to dry up sooner or later too - I figure it's a good time to get a kit - even if I don't get around to building it for a while.

 

[atilla]

i'd positively melt if i got to build a M2/3. unfortunately i'd never be able to feed it much less afford the initial cost. [sad2]

 

[calsdad]

i'd positively melt if i got to build a M2/3. unfortunately i'd never be able to feed it much less afford the initial cost. [sad2]

I blame this all on the group build and Adam.

If it wasn't for that I probably would have been content with just a single 1919.

 

[Acme.Armament]

i'd positively melt if i got to build a M2/3. unfortunately i'd never be able to feed it much less afford the initial cost. [sad2]

Dude. Having one in MA is 80% of the FUN!

I blame this all on the group build and Adam.

If it wasn't for that I probably would have been content with just a single 1919.

Yah, right! That's OK. I can handle that.

 

[calsdad]

Dude. Having one in MA is 80% of the FUN!

I think the "having one in MA" thing is a good part of the reason why I want one.

Just to be able to set it up on a tripod in the garage and take it apart a little when friends come over - because I'm "working on it" - would be worth the price of admission.

 

[MasterShinken]

Nice one. Been looking for an anvil. If you know of one for sale/trade let me know.

I got my last anvil used from Meader (http://www.meadersupply.com/) They usually have a good selection and decent prices

 

[atmay]

For those of you looking for anvils....stay away from anything made out of cast iron...which the HF anvils likely are.

Yes, they're cheap....but you don't even get what you pay for. Differentially hardened tool steel is the way to go.

 

[*chris*]

What do these kits cost? I could be interested.

Chris

 

[Acme.Armament]

What do these kits cost? I could be interested.

Chris

CWA has semi M2HB for $$7550 built, and M3HB for $6850. http://centralwisconsinarmory.com/content.cfm?PageID=6

Gryphos has M3HB & M3AG kits for ~$3550 minus RHSP, trigger & barrel. http://gryphos.com/m3semikits/

Biggerhammer.net has M2/M3 group kits listed, http://www.biggerhammer.net/anm2/parts/m2mg50.html

BMG Parts has parts but I don't see kits, http://www.bmgparts.com/index.html

Here is the same question as asked on 1919A4.com, http://1919a4.com/showthread.php?37348-m2-parts-kit

BTW, a barrel will cost $350-650 + shipping. Look for the Stellite lined ones which will last longer.

 

[calsdad]

I got my last anvil used from Meader (http://www.meadersupply.com/) They usually have a good selection and decent prices

Do you know if the Meader anvils are hardened tool steel like atmay talked about?

 

[calsdad]

CWA has semi M2HB for $$7550 built, and M3HB for $6850. http://centralwisconsinarmory.com/content.cfm?PageID=6

Gryphos has M3HB & M3AG kits for ~$3550 minus RHSP, trigger & barrel. http://gryphos.com/m3semikits/

Biggerhammer.net has M2/M3 group kits listed, http://www.biggerhammer.net/anm2/parts/m2mg50.html

BMG Parts has parts but I don't see kits, http://www.bmgparts.com/index.html

Here is the same question as asked on 1919A4.com, http://1919a4.com/showthread.php?37348-m2-parts-kit

BTW, a barrel will cost $350-650 + shipping. Look for the Stellite lined ones which will last longer.

Those Central Wisconsin Armory .50's are very nice.

I think if I stand any chance of affording one of these - it's going to end up being built from a kit though.

Thanks for the links - I hadn't found the Biggerhammer.net site yet - I had been checking out the Gryphos parts kits.

 

[calsdad]

CWA has semi M2HB for $$7550 built, and M3HB for $6850. http://centralwisconsinarmory.com/content.cfm?PageID=6

Gryphos has M3HB & M3AG kits for ~$3550 minus RHSP, trigger & barrel. http://gryphos.com/m3semikits/

Biggerhammer.net has M2/M3 group kits listed, http://www.biggerhammer.net/anm2/parts/m2mg50.html

BMG Parts has parts but I don't see kits, http://www.bmgparts.com/index.html

Here is the same question as asked on 1919A4.com, http://1919a4.com/showthread.php?37348-m2-parts-kit

BTW, a barrel will cost $350-650 + shipping. Look for the Stellite lined ones which will last longer.

That Biggerhammer.net link does list some kits. One of them makes reference to a receiver kit sold by International Ordnance - I searched for that - and couldn't find anything.

TNW does sell an assembled M2 receiver though:

http://www.tnwfirearms.com/special_50cal_receiver.shtml

 

[atmay]

Do you know if the Meader anvils are hardened tool steel like atmay talked about?

A couple places with forged tool-steel anvils for sale:

http://www.centaurforge.com/Anvils/products/143/

http://www.oldworldanvils.com/anvils/index.html

I'm not sure if the Meader products are tool steel or not.

 

[calsdad]

Anybody know anything about the two types of links that the M2/M3 can use - from what I've been reading there are two types M2 & M9

Unlike the links for the 1919a4 - which can either be the 30.06 USGI links - or the Izzy 7.62x51 links - I can't find much info on the whole M2 vs M9 link for the 50's thing.

 

[Acme.Armament]

Don't know about M2 links, but many of mine have M( stamped on them. Many others don't have anything or have something that I have never deciphered. They all work in our Ma Deuces.

 

[calsdad]

Here's a good source of info for the .50 links:

http://www.inetres.com/gp/military/infantry/mg/50_ammo.html

I also had it explained to me on another site that the M9 links came about during WW2 because they found that the M2 links were spreading apart in some situations (like in airplanes) because of thes stresses the links were put under. I have an M9 link sitting in front of me - and if you look at the three loops - on the "single" loop side (vs. the 'double' loop side) - the loop has a finger that wraps around the facing part of the link.

The link I have also has "M9" stamped right on it.

I haven't seen an actual M2 link yet - but from what I was told - the M2 links don't have that wraparound finger to hold the loop together.