Description
Restored .50cal M5 Powered Linking Machine – WWII-Era Belt Linking/Delinking Tool
Bring a piece of true ordnance shop history into your collection or workbench with this restored .50cal M5 Powered Linking Machine, originally designed to link and delink .50 BMG ammunition for the Browning family of heavy machine guns. This is a genuine U.S. military M5 machine, professionally restored, with any missing components remade in-house at our fabrication shop to restore it to a complete, display- and functional tool.
Each unit is restored to order and may take up to 6 months lead time, reflecting the careful teardown, repair, refabrication, and cosmetic restoration required for these increasingly rare machines.
The M5 – Power Linking for the .50 Browning
During World War II, U.S. ordnance units needed a way to rapidly assemble and disassemble metallic belts of .50 BMG ammunition for the Browning M2, AN/M2, and M3 aircraft machine guns. Hand-operated linkers were fine for small jobs, but depots and airfields working with thousands of rounds per sortie required something faster and more efficient.
The answer was the Machine, Linking, Powered, Caliber .50, M5 – a bench-mounted, electrically driven machine specifically designed to:
- Link loose .50 BMG cartridges into M2/M9 metallic disintegrating belts
- Delink belts for sorting, inspection, or salvage
- Operate at very high throughput, on the order of several thousand rounds per hour in service conditions.
In wartime and postwar use, M5-powered linkers were found in arsenals, depots, and major air bases, where they kept ammunition flowing to truck- and turret-mounted Browning M2s and aircraft guns.
About This Restored M5 Powered Linking Machine
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- Original U.S. military M5 powered linking machine, not a reproduction
- Correct for .50 BMG belted ammunition used with Browning M2, AN/M2, and M3 series guns
- Professionally Restored with In-House Fabrication
- Each machine is carefully disassembled, cleaned, inspected, and rebuilt
- Missing or damaged components (covers, guards, levers, link trays, etc.) are remade in our fabrication shop to match original form and function.
- Restored to be mechanically functional for linking work, while preserving the historical character of the original castings and hardware
- Powered Operation
- Designed around an electric motor power unit to drive the linking mechanism
- Engineered to feed, position, and press cartridges into links in a smooth, repeatable cycle, dramatically reducing manual effort compared to hand linkers
- Display, Demonstration, or Shop Use
- Perfect as a working ordnance shop centerpiece, demonstrating how belts of .50 BMG were assembled for wartime operations
- Ideal for museum displays, armorers’ rooms, or high-end private collections that focus on the full logistical chain behind Browning heavy machine guns
- Military armories
Made to Order – Lead Time
Because of the labor-intensive nature of proper restoration, each .50cal M5 Powered Linking Machine is restored to order. Typical lead time is:
- Up to 6 months from order to completion
This allows time for disassembly, inspection, fabrication of any missing parts, mechanical adjustment, and final cosmetic finishing.
NSN / NIIN / Catalog Identification
For reference and documentation purposes, the M5 powered linker appears in historical U.S. Army ordnance cataloging as:
- Item name: Machine, Linking, Powered, Caliber .50, M5
- Standard Nomenclature List (SNL) grouping: A-71, “Machine, Linking, Powered, Cal. .50, M5, and Delinker, M7”
- Associated NSN (tooling): 4925-00-716-2068 (Machine M5), with part number 7162068 and description including an electric motor, 110 VAC, .50 cal
Ideal For
- Military armories
- Browning .50 BMG / M2HB collections that go beyond the gun to the support equipment
- Museums and living history groups presenting the full ordnance support story behind heavy machine guns.
- Armorers, reenactors, and high-end shops that routinely work with linked .50 BMG belts
- Any collection where a working, powered WWII ordnance machine becomes a standout centerpiece.
This restored .50cal M5 Powered Linking Machine is more than just a tool – it is a fully functional piece of ordnance shop history, carefully brought back to life and ready to take its place alongside your Browning .50s, ammo chests, and support gear.
Pictures are stock images of our inventory. Unless otherwise noted, you will not be receiving the exact item shown in the pictures. The pictures are representative of the item’s general condition. The item you receive might be slightly better, or worse, condition than was shown in the pictures.
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