Gunpowder is self oxidizing when ignited. As long as they used a non-evaporating lubricant on the actual mechanical components like graphite, and included a barrel liquid cooling loop, the M2 would operate totally fine in space.
A closed loop wouldn’t work probably. You’d need an open loop, or a shit ton of radiators. I guess potentially it could couple to the ground and sink heat into it, but you’d need to be stationary.
Gunpowder is self oxidizing when ignited. As long as they used a non-evaporating lubricant on the actual mechanical components like graphite, and included a barrel liquid cooling loop, the M2 would operate totally fine in space.
Now I want to see a space-ready heavy machine gun with a big radiator attached
A closed loop wouldn’t work probably. You’d need an open loop, or a shit ton of radiators. I guess potentially it could couple to the ground and sink heat into it, but you’d need to be stationary.