The M60, officially the Machine Gun, Caliber 7.62 mm, M60, is a family of American general-purpose machine guns firing 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges from a disintegrating belt of M13 links. There are several types of ammunition approved for use in the M60, including ball, tracer, and armor-piercing rounds. [5]

In the Vietnam War, the M60 was used in every conceivable role for a machine gun: mounted on trucks, jeeps, armored personnel carriers, and other vehicles; on tripods inside fortifications; on aircraft and boats. The M60 saw its widest use with American infantry forces on the ground in …

Sep 14, 2021 · Back in my day, we used M60’s as SAWs (Squad Automatic Weapons). Nowadays, our 5.56mm SAWs are relatively lightweight, portable and mean. By contrast, the Pig weighed 23 lbs. empty and fired a 7.62x51mm round the size of my little finger.

The M60 with integral folding bipod legs weighted 8 pounds less than the BAR and could be field stripped and reassembled in roughly half the time.

Aug 16, 2022 · Development of the M-60 started after World War II. American generals held a grudging admiration for the German MG-42, a machine gun so powerful that it was nicknamed “Hitler’s Bone Saw” by the Wehrmacht troops that fired it. The MG-42 had a blinding rate of fire and was belt fed—both qualities were considered desirable by weapons ...

May 29, 2013 · The M60 machine gun was a mash-up of technology of WWII, captured from the Axis, and the weapon that saw the US through Vietnam and in the current wars in Iraq.

Key Point #1 - Entering service in 1960, it improved upon the M48 Patton with a 105mm M68 gun, better armor, and a more efficient diesel engine. The M60 saw action in multiple conflicts, including ...

Feb 17, 2024 · Is the M60 machine gun still in service? No, the M60 machine gun is no longer in active service with the United States military. It has been replaced by more modern weapons such as the M240 and the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW).

The M60 was designed to combine elements of German World War II-era machine guns, such as the MG42, with American innovations in weaponry. Adopted by the U.S. military in 1957, the M60 saw extensive use during the Vietnam War and subsequent conflicts.

Jun 23, 2022 · The U.S. M60 machine gun During World War II United States armed forces found themselves facing an incredibly versatile and effective machine gun fielded by Germany. This was the MG42, which with its very rapid rate of fire earned the …