Incorrect. The M2 trigger has a latch below it. IIRC, if you rotate the sleeve, it secures the latch and permits automatic fire. Rotate the sleeve to the right, the latch is released and the weapon fires semi-automatically.
The barrel rifling is more than adequate for precision fire in semi-auto mode. All you need is a good sight and understanding of the impact of weather and terrain upon your round as it travels to the target.
Whew! Thank goodness someone with a bit of knowledge chimed in. Indeed the M2 can fire in both semi (single shot) and automatic modes. It also weighs in with tripod and T&E at around 130 lbs....pretty stable platform compared to a Barret M107 (M82 50 BMG snipers rifle) at about 35 lbs.
As afar a few other posts- no the bullet was not nor ever could fall into the target at 60 degrees. That is a diagram exercise- the angle of fall would be, for any bullet less than a few degrees at long range, as the bullet is stabilized and its CG and center of pressure keep it a bit nose up in its trajectory. even when the bullet reaches its max range, if still stabilized would be settling rather gently to the ground. Think of a football spiraling along- it settles rather than falls unless it is thrown upward at a very steep angle- bullets are not fired at much more than a few degrees above the gun-target line to achieve their max range- maybe 20 degrees for the average bullet/velocity combination. Google firing tables and max ordinate/range angle of fire....
The guy who mentioned a 20 degree wedge, he means a 20 minute of angle (1/3 degree) sight base. Space gun means either a long barreled adjustable stocked micrometer or optic sighted AR platform, or a modular chassis system bolt action like the Tubb T2000 etc.
Regarding the level of difficulty hitting a human target with a ball round from a tripod mounted optically sighted M2 at 1760 yards, well, probably not as hard as one may think. The M2 firing M33 ball rounds from a standard 48 inch heavy barrel runs a 633 grain bullet at 2900 fps or so, with about 12k lbs of muzzle energy and a very efficient bullet that carries its velocity well. The optics in use for general purpose may not be too useful, but the mounts allow the use of precision optics and the hard part becomes doping the atmospherics- sunlight effect, winds, mirage and yes, even rotation of the earth at longer ranges ( plus about 10 more bullet dependent variable like spin drift and precession etc).
The 128 lbs of MG and equipment adds to the stability of the weapon system and reduces shooter induced errors as well ( you don’t have to hold the weapon on your body at all, just aim and gently depress the trigger lever).
The standard precision requirements for the M2 and ball ammunition is somewhere around 6 inch mean radius at 1000 meters- meaning all rounds strike a target of less than about 12 inches.... Switch to modern sniping rounds and that can drop to less than a few inches-so again, the doping of the conditions and selection of a position that allows observation/engagement of the target become the critical skill sets.
Well done, Squaddie!