Which of the following describes the M2 characteristics?

• A. Air cooled, belt fed, recoil operated, semi automatic, capable of left and right feeding and single shot, crew served, fired from the closed bolt position
• B. Water cooled, belt fed, recoil operated, fully automatic, capable of left and right feeding and single shot, crew served, fired from the closed bolt position
• C. Air cooled, belt fed, gas operated, fully automatic, capable of left and right feeding and single shot, crew served, fired from the closed bolt position
• D. Air cooled, belt fed, recoil operated, fully automatic, capable of left and right feeding and single shot, crew served, fired from the closed bolt position

Answer: (D)

The M2's characteristics describe a heavy, crew-served machine gun designed for sustained automatic fire, with a flexible feeding arrangement and a specific bolt position during firing. It is belt fed, so ammo moves in from a belt rather than individual rounds; it is recoil operated, meaning the recoil of the fired round drives the action to cycle the next round. It is built for fully automatic fire, not semi-auto, allowing continuous bursts as long as the trigger is held and ammunition lasts. The ability to feed from left or right reflects its mounting versatility on various platforms. The barrel is designed to be changed quickly and the gun is typically air cooled, helping manage heat during extended use. Importantly, it fires from a closed bolt, with a round already chambered and the bolt forward when ready to fire, which improves first-shot accuracy in single-shot use and common automatic-fire cycles. All of these traits together point to a weapon that is air cooled, belt fed, recoil operated, fully automatic, capable of left and right feeding and single shot, crew served, and fired from the closed bolt position.