M60 GPMG

The M60, officially designated the Machine Gun, Caliber 7.62 mm, M60, is a family of American general-purpose machine guns. Development began in the late 1940s with a program aimed at creating a new, lighter 7.62 mm machine gun. The design was partly derived from German guns of World War II, such as the FG 42 and the MG 42, while also incorporating American innovations. The final evaluation version, designated the T161E3, was intended to replace the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle and M1919A6 Browning machine gun in both the squad automatic weapon and medium machine gun roles. The T161E3 was adopted as the M60 by the U.S. Army in 1957, a decision that favored U.S. designs primarily due to Congressional requirements giving preference to domestic manufacturers.

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. It has a cyclic rate of fire of approximately 500–650 rounds per minute and uses disintegrating belts with M13 links, typically from 100 or 250-round belts. The design incorporates stamped sheet metal construction, a belt feed mechanism derived from the MG 42, a quick barrel replacement system, and a gas operation system drawing on the White "gas expansion and cutoff" principle. The operating system, which features an operating rod turning a rotating bolt, was inspired by the FG 42. The weapon was designed for mass production and can be fired from the shoulder, integral bipod, or tripod, though the bipod or tripod are recommended for maximum effective range, using bursts of 3-5 rounds. It can be used with the M122 tripod. Effective ranges are cited as up to 1,100 meters on a tripod for area targets, 800 meters on a bipod for area targets, 600 meters for point targets, and 200 meters for moving point targets. The weapon can be stripped using a live round.

The nomenclature M60 can refer to the initial variant or the entire family. Major variants include:

• M60 (basic model, adopted 1957)

• M60E1 (improved variant not fully produced for infantry, changed bipod mounting)

• M60E2 (vehicle coaxial, electrically fired)

• M60B (helicopter unmounted variant)

• M60C (aircraft fixed mount, electrically fired and hydraulically charged)

• M60D (pintle-mounted, typically with spade grips)

• M60E3 (lightweight variant, adopted 1980s)

• M60E4 (improved variant, also designated Mk 43 Mod 0/1)

The M60E6 is a further lightened and improved variant of the M60E4. Civilian semi-automatic-only variants have also been produced, extensively modified to prevent automatic fire conversion.

Issued to units starting in 1960, the M60 saw extensive action during the Vietnam War as a squad automatic weapon, employed by every branch of the U.S. military. During its service, particularly in Vietnam, it faced issues including awkward balance, despite its relative weight, and a reputation for unreliability or proneness to jamming, especially when dirty. Nevertheless, some users found its handling and mechanical simplicity effective from various firing positions. The M60 has been largely supplemented or replaced in most U.S. roles by other designs, most notably the M240 machine gun, after Army testing in the 1990s favored the M240's reliability. However, it continued in some roles, such as vehicle mounting, and by specific units like Navy SEALs, into the 21st century. As of 2005, it was also used by the U.S. Coast Guard and some reserve units.

The M60 has been adopted by military agencies globally. Users include Algeria, Australia, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Egypt, Fiji, Ghana, Greece, Haiti, Honduras, Italy, Indonesia, Jordan, Lebanon, Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, South Korea, Spain, Sudan, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela, and Vietnam. South Korea produces the weapon under license, and Taiwan produces it locally.