This is the version that was most commonly used by American forces during WW2. It retains the shoulder rest and ladder sight that differentiated the M1918A1, but further adds, wings by the magazine well, rear monopod mount, a telescoping and folding bipod with 180 degrees of swivel, and generally, a chunkier, lower rise foregrip. A carry handle was also prototyped in 1944, but is not believed to have seen frontline use until the Korean War.
The original BAR was made light, to facilitate it's use in attacks and with "walking fire." This made it remarkably similar in profile and sometimes use to modern day battle rifles or even assault rifles. The A2 was a massive departure for this. The weapon was much heavier, more cumbersome and cost twice as much. The American military had tried to push it into the role of a modern SAW or period tripod-mounted machine gun (the rear monopod was added specifically for this purpose.) This was not ideal and it was common for soldiers to abandon the carry handle and bipod.
Despite this, the A2 retained the BAR's reliability and the massive number made allowed them to remain in frontline service for many years. By Vietnam, the BAR was almost totally out of American service, but was donated in large quantities to America's Vietnamese allies such as the Army Of The Republic Of Vietnam (Arvn) and Mike Force.
