M60 machine gun

The gun's weight and the amount of ammunition it can consume when fired make it difficult for a single soldier to carry and operate.

It was partly derived from German guns of World War II (most notably the FG 42 and the MG 42),[11][12] but it contained American innovations as well.

The up-gunned M113 armored personnel carrier added two M60 gunners beside the main .50-caliber machine gun while the Patrol Boat, River had one in addition to two .50-cal mounts.

Its light weight led to it being easily damaged and critical parts like the bolt and operating rod wore out quickly.

In 1966, Medal of Honor recipient Lance Corporal Richard Pittman, a Marine with 1/5 (1st Battalion/5th Marine Regiment), used the M60 to engage superior elements of the 324th North Vietnamese Army (NVA) Division, defeating two enemy machine gun positions and suppressing enemies in his immediate vicinity, then advancing another 50 meters into the face of more attacking NVA.

[17] The U.S. Marine Corps, which became concerned about the M60's reliability, weight, and the high round counts, adopted the M60E3 to replace most original M60s in infantry units.

[17] In the early 1990s, Saco Defense addressed Navy Special Warfare requirements to develop a retrofit parts package for the machine gun.

Called the M60E4, it was more reliable and durable than the M60E3, had a "duckbill" flash suppressor, and a shorter and thicker positive lock gas cylinder extension.

[citation needed] The M60 is a gas-operated, air-cooled, belt-fed, automatic machine gun that fires from the open-bolt position and is chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO.

The design drew on many common concepts in firearms manufacture of the period, such as stamped sheet metal construction, belt feed (a modified mechanism for belt feed from the MG 42 with a single pawl), quick barrel replacement, a pistol grip and stock, and a semi bullpup design similar to the FG 42 (much of the action occupies the weapon's stock).

[17] The straight-line layout allowed the operating rod and buffer to run directly back into the buttstock and reduce the overall length of the weapon.

United States Marine Corps doctrine holds that the M60 and other weapons in its class are capable of suppressive fire on area targets out to 1,500 meters if the gunner is sufficiently skilled.

At the time of the M60's development, other designs, like the Belgian FN MAG and the German Rheinmetall MG 3 (MG42 derivative), had yet to enter production.

In Army tests, the M60 proved fairly effective, but in the jungles of Southeast Asia, it displayed a number of troubling issues.

The single most common complaint was that the M60 was unreliable in extreme conditions and prone to jamming and other malfunctions during heavy firing, especially when it was dirty.

Sometimes spent casings would fail to extract and stay stuck inside the chamber, forcing a barrel change before it could be fired again.

[22] Due to the rotating bolt design, the M60 required stoning of burrs or roughness on the lugs, which could increase headspace, occasionally causing cartridge case stretching and head separation.

On new M60s, the lever was replaced with a push button mechanism that was less likely to be accidentally released, but few of the older M60s were modified due to expense, with many of the extant weapons still bearing them.

An unusual arrangement of the M60B was done by HA(L)-3 squadron aircrew by removing the sights, shortening the barrel inline to the gas block, removing the stock to shorten the receiver as the shorter buffer spring increased the rate of fire, an improvised side mounted grip was installed on the handguard.

This arrangement allowed the door gunners easier movement of the weapon as well as firing sideways improved the belt feed performance.

Unlike other models, however, the M60D normally has spade grips and an aircraft ring-type sight or similar, as well as an improved ammunition feed system.

A canvas bag is also affixed to the gun to capture ejected casings and links, preventing them from being sucked into the rotor blades or into an engine intake.

The stellite superalloy barrel liner makes it possible, but the excessive heat generated by this process may quickly render the gun unusable.

The reduced-weight components also reduced the durability of the weapon, making it more prone to rapid wear and parts breakage than the original.

All USAF M60E3s were withdrawn from general issue by 1990, because it did not meet the vehicle mount requirements of the Cadillac Gage Ranger and due to overheating problems.

The M60E3 did remain in the Air Force as weapons converted back to M60 configuration with the E3 X-stamped via locally installed kits issued from depot.

It was developed for the U.S. Navy SEALs to replace their existing stock of M60E3 machine guns fitted with shorter "assault barrels".

The adjustable front sight allows for zeroing of the primary and spare barrel, the chrome and induction hardening lengthens service life, and the ammunition is now mounted on the receiver, preventing damage, and thereby feed failure.

The machine gun's light weight—20 to 21 pounds (9 to 10 kilograms)—and compact design make it easy to carry long distances and maneuver in tight spaces.

If the design is approved by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), they are treated as belt-fed semi-automatic rifles; however, individual state and local regulations still apply.

A camouflaged infantryman armed with an M60 machine gun.
A U.S. airman firing an M60 from the standing position during the Defender Challenge competition in 1988.
The experimental T-44 machine gun developed from the German FG 42 and MG 42 machine guns.
An M60 machine gun being used during the Vietnam War in 1966.
Marine fires his M60 machine gun at an enemy position during the Battle of Huế in Vietnam War.
A 19th Special Forces Group soldier mans an M60 machine gun on a Humvee in Afghanistan in March 2004. An AT4 anti-armor recoilless gun can be seen in the foreground.
A British Royal Air Force officer handles an M60 during a demonstration for Combined Joint Task Force Exercise (CJTFEX) in 2004.
A navy sailor fires an M60E3 machine gun during a live-fire exercise at the Mobile Inshore Underwater Warfare Site (MIUW) at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba in 2003.
M60 machine gun fired during a small arms familiarization exercise aboard USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) ; November 2004.
The M60 machine gun crew member responsible for hot barrel changes uses protective asbestos gloves to prevent burns to the hands.
A Gunner's Mate 3rd Class cleans and performs preventative maintenance on an M60 machine gun on the USS Constellation (CV-64) , December 2002.
A member of the 101st Airborne Division , armed with an M60 machine gun, participates in a field exercise in 1972.
M60 with bipod extended
M60 on the deck of USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) in 2006.
An M60E2 machine gun, intended for co-axial use. Note the gas tube extension and the lack of a pistol grip.
An M60C machine gun with no iron sights, pistol grip or bipod
An M60D machine gun on the M23 Armament Subsystem.
Navy SEAL team member fires an M60E3 from the shoulder during a field training exercise in 1987.
A recruit pulls back the bolt of an M60E3 machine gun during a weapons familiarization class. The weapon is mounted on a tripod with a traversing and elevation mechanism attached.
A mounted Mk 43 Mod 0 (M60E4) (later model) is crewed by a Seabee of NMCB -15 (Naval Mobile Construction Battalion), on a convoy in Iraq in May 2003.
An M60E6 machine gun adopted by the Danish Army, designated as the LMG M/60 with C79 LMG Optic
Map of M60 users in blue
South Korean soldiers with an M60 conduct combined amphibious landing during Foal Eagle 07 .
Moro Islamic Liberation Front militant lying prone with an M60.
U.S. airman with an M60, assigned to the 52nd Security Forces Squadron (SFS), at Spangdahlem Air Base (AB), Germany.
Senegalese Marine with an M60 in 2016.