NEED HELP identifying a .50 BMG antitank gun

[browningautorifle]

homebuilt to me.

I agree completely. Looks to have been cobbled by farmers. There was no need for a .50 gun of that type as the .50 MG was available and way better. The flash hider is issue for the MG. The cradle is the same one used on an armored vehicle for the .50 or the .30 cal.

I'd love to wring it out just for yuks though.

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[Eagle76]

If it is a home built, then someone put an astronomical amount of time in engineering and machine work just in building the breech block assembly much less the entire assembly. The transverse and elevating knobs look like military hardware but it strikes me me as something you'd see on a prototype or Mark I version. If an individual built this from scratch they would've been far smarter to copy the transverse and elevation mechanisms from the M3 37 mm, i.e. to design work has already been done - one only has to miniaturize it as the M3 is far more efficient and user-friendly than we find on this piece. All of that taken into consideration we have seen some very clever engineering and machine work by folks who miniaturized the Browning 30 caliber machine gun into a .22 caliber belt said device.
British 2 pounder training device: it's been my experience in collecting over 50 years World War I and World War II small arms that training devices are usually the exact same dimensions as the genuine article with the exception of being sub caliber. However, I have not found a good picture of a towed British 2 pounder for comparison.
Please keep those ideas coming.

Further, the point was very well stated, what's the point of a device like this when the M2 MG was available and would obviously be for more effective and useful. So on the final analysis, it could very well be a home built.

[browningautorifle]

If it is a home built, then someone put an astronomical amount of time in engineering and machine work just in building the breech block assembly much less the entire assembly. The transverse and elevating knobs look like military hardware but it strikes me me as something you'd see on a prototype or Mark I version. If an individual built this from scratch they would've been far smarter to copy the transverse and elevation mechanisms from the M3 37 mm,

Agreed on all that. No one said they were being time effective, it was built by someone that had time and many parts to draw from. If you look deep enough, you'll find the guns that every part came from. I'll bet the barrel was originally an AN M2. All parts were scrounged and none designed, just mashed together. I was army all my life, my brother was artillery. They'd never tow something like this anywhere...this thing would be useless. As in no use at all to anyone. The .55 Boys anti tank rifle would be far more use.

Sounds like you want to keep going until someone tells you he agrees with you that this is issue.

By the way, here's a 2 PDR anti tank gun. Way bigger and stouter than this tiddly toy.

The breech looks like it was taken mostly from the Hotchkiss Canon AC SA-L Mle 1937 APX 25mm...and the rest is fabricated. Here's pics of that too...compare the breech mech from this side with your first pic. many differences because almost everything is stripped off, recoil mech, supports...

[Eagle76]

Jim, you make some very good points and thank you for the photographs. The photographs were very revealing Also, after my last entry last night I begin taking a closer look at my photographs and noticed when I zoomed in tight enough, it's not crystal clear, but it does appear some of the fasteners are Torx head. If they are Torx head then that almost certainly cinches it; this is a homemade device since the Torx head fasteners were not developed until the late 60s. Considering the physical evidence of the Torx head fasteners and the numerous arguments supporting a home built, I think it is becoming more and more obvious this is in fact a home built device! That being the case, after I have had he opportunity to fire 'X' number rounds through it, it begs the question, "what are your opinions of the value of this piece should I decide to sell it when it loses its novelty?" I GREATLY appreciate everyone's input.
John