Battle Bracket update: End of line for Abrams, Mk 19?

The ground warfare portion of Military Times Battle Bracket seems poised to end Friday afternoon — not with a bang, but with a "BRRRT."

The Mk 19 grenade machine gun trails the A-10 Thunderbolt II ("Warthog") by nearly a 9-to-1 margin as semifinal voting enters its final day. The launcher will need a substantial rally to advance, as will the Abrams tank, which trails the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier by a similar distance in the round's other contest.

Your vote can help lead the rally, or add to the destruction: Click here to cast your ballot as we near the end of our search for the best piece of military hardware, and check out our Final Four four final notes on the bracket so far.
1. Warthog whipping. If the A-10's lead over the Mk 19 holds, it'll be the second-most lopsided showdown in the entire bracket so far. The first came in the opening round, when the Warthog outpointed the F-35 Lightning II by 82 percentage points. It was the most severe beating put on the Joint Strike Fighter program since Donald Trump took his swing at the F-35 in October.
2. Mk 19's big run. While the Battle Bracket didn't feature seeding, the Nimitz, A-10 and Abrams were on the top lines of their respective brackets for a reason: Our selection panel figured the venerable and popular machines would make their mark in the contest.

But the Mk 19's win streak wasn't as predictable, especially in a diverse region that included rifles, pistols, poncho liners, a bayonet and a bottle of pain reliever. The launcher survived all that, plus a late-round challenge from the Marine "knife hand," to reach the semifinals, and stands one (significant) comeback away from the championship.

3. Abrams in reverse. From the Stryker to the Sherman tank and everything in between, the Abrams has pounded its Battle Bracket opposition, winning more than 72 percent of the vote in every matchup so far. That's changed this time out, with the M1 on the opposite side of a rout. There is still plenty of time for tankers to rally, however — voter turnout has been slow compared with the Warthog-Mk 19 showdown, so a few well-placed social-media posts could make a difference. Tag yours with #BattleBracket.

4. Flattop firepower. The Nimitz-class carrier downed two submarines, among other high-powered foes, to win the Sea Region — which was for entertainment purposes only and did not involve entry fees of any sort. The ship class hasn't always done as well in bracket-based competition, however: When the Navy ran its "Maritime Madness" contest three years ago, the amphibious assault ship Makin Island won a big-deck region stacked with eight Nimitz-class flattops. The destroyer Michael Murphy ended up the overall winner; the Burke-class DDGs didn't make it out of Battle Bracket's opening round.