CWA Dragon M50 Machine Gun: Faster and More Reliable .50 BMG Firepower

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

by David Crane
defrev@gmail.com

All photographic images contained in this article were taken by DefenseReview.com, and they are the exclusive property of DefenseReview.com. DefenseReview.com owns the copyright on these photos. All photos were shot with a 7.2-megapixel Sony Cyber-shot digital camera (Model #: DSC-P150).

A company called Central Wisconsin Armory (CWA) has come out with a modified Browning M2HB "Ma Deuce" .50 BMG/12.7x99mm NATO (.50 Cal.) heavy machine gun called the Dragon M50.

The Dragon M50, or Dynamic Rate-Accelerated Gun for Opposition Neutralization M50, differentiates itself from a standard M2HB via:…



1) A higher cyclic rate a.k.a. rate of fire (ROF) of approx. 900-1100 rounds per minute (RPM)

2) Being 14 lbs lighter in weight and 11 inches (11") shorter in length

3) Internal improvements to the weapon designed to improve both reliability and durability under adverse combat conditions and high round count.

DefenseReview got to examine the Dragon M50 .50 BMG heavy machine gun a bit at the company’s booth at the 2007 NDIA Small Arms Symposium, Exhibition and Firing Demo. The weapon looked good, but looks aren’t important. What is important is how it shoots. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to determine that, since we didn’t have enough time to do so at the firing demo portion of NDIA at Blackwater USA. On top of that, the weapon was set up at another firing range that was a good distance from the firing ranges that were set up for small arms.

While were at the CWA booth, we got to peruse the Cadex Inc. Solo Sight Mount, which we plan to write more about in a subsequent article. The Cadex Solo Sight Mount is basically a reciprocating weapon sight mount designed to attenuate/mitigate (i.e. reduce) the amount of shock to expensive weapon-mounted electro-optical sights (a.k.a. electro-optic sights) like thermal/IR (infrared) and night vision sights (a.k.a. image intensification sights a.k.a. I2 sights) by absorbing an advertised 88% of the weapon’s recoil. The Solo Sight Mount is pretty cool, and looks to be ideally suited for use on the Dragon M50, and any/all other heavy support weapons.

DefenseReview also noticed the Aimpoint MPS II Red Dot Sight attached to the Dragon M50, which is the same weapon sight that the LMO Twin-M240 machine gun mount sported at the firing demo. Aimpoint must be doing something right. The Aimpoint MPS3 Red Dot Sight appears to be the follow-on product to the MPS II.

Assuming that the gun performs as advertised, it would seem well-poised to compete in the same weapons niche as the FN M3M/GAU-21 .50 BMG/12.7×99 NATO heavy machine gun (itself a modified Browning M2HB), which FNH USA is currently manufacturing and marketing for combat rotorcraft (i.e. helicopters), ground vehicles (APCs, IFVs, HMMWVs, etc.), and watercraft (i.e. boats and ships). However, at present, FNH USA currently has a sole source contract with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps (USMC) for the M3M/GAU-21 (at least last time we checked).


It’ll be interesting to see how the CWA Dragon M50 and FNH M3M/GAU-21 stack up against each other. A side-by-side shoot test might just be in order–provided someone else springs for the ammo.


Company Contact Info:

Leroy Haywood
Central Wisconsin Armory (CWA)
715-454-6395
sales@dragonm50.com

Jason Taylor
Director, Military and Law Enforcement Sales
Cadex Inc.
200 A, Saint-Louis, Local 220
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Québec
J3B 1Y1, Canada
Phone : 1-450-348-6774
Fax : 1-450-348-7157
j.taylor@cadexinc.com


Additional Photos:





CWA Dragon M50 Machine Gun: Faster and More Reliable .50 BMG Firepower by

About David Crane

David Crane started publishing online in 2001. Since that time, governments, military organizations, Special Operators (i.e. professional trigger pullers), agencies, and civilian tactical shooters the world over have come to depend on Defense Review as the authoritative source of news and information on "the latest and greatest" in the field of military defense and tactical technology and hardware, including tactical firearms, ammunition, equipment, gear, and training.

Check Also

SIG SAUER XM250/M250 6.8x51mm Belt-Fed Light Machine Gun (LMG): How Good is It, Really? Well, Garand Thumb Certainly Likes It!

By David Crane david (at) defensereview (dot) com Photo(s) Credit(s): Garand Thumb July 17, 2022 …