FN HERSTAL produces two basic models of the 12.7 mm HB machine gun, standard and Quick Change Barrel (QCB). These are used for a wide range of roles including fire support, air defence and mounted as a coaxial machine gun. The latter is used with M2 or M9 disintegrating links and has a chrome-plated barrel, feeds from the left with cocking handle on the right, has a left-hand side cover latch, has a link chute, fires by means of a solenoid and manual trigger and has no bolt latch or sight. The feed and cocking handle can be changed to allow feeding from the right.

The standard 12.7 mm M2 machine gun is widely used on armoured vehicles as an air defence weapon.

For example, it is standard on all US Army M113 armoured personnel carriers and M109 series self-propelled artillery systems. It is also fitted to the M992 Field Artillery Ammunition Support Vehicle (FAASV).

In production. In service with many countries in a wide range of roles.