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M60 7.62mm Machine Gun
The M60 Machine Gun has been the US Army's general purpose machine gun since
1950.
It fires the standard NATO 7.62 mm round and is used as a general support
crew-served weapon.
It has a removable barrel which can be easily changed to prevent overheating.
The weapon has an integral, folding bipod and can also be mounted on a folding
tripod.
Length: 42.4 inches (107.70 centimeters)
Weight: 18.75 pounds (8.51 kilograms)
Bore diameter: 7.62mm (.308 inches)
Maximum effective range: 3609.1 feet (1100 meters)
Maximum range: 2.3 miles (3725 meters)
Muzzle velocity: 2800 feet (853 meters) per second
Rates of fire:
Cyclic: 550 rounds per minute
Rapid: 100 rounds per minute*
Sustained: 100 rounds per minute*
(* with barrel changes at each 100 rounds)
Unit Replacement Cost: $6,000
The M60E3 7.62mm machine gun is a lightweight, air-cooled, disintegrating
metallic link-belt fed, portable or tripod mounted machine gun designed for
ground operations like its predecessor, the M60. It is gas operated with fixed
headspace and timing which permits rapid changing of barrels. (Associated
components: mount, tripod, machine gun, 7.62mm, M122). Slightly different from
its "parent," the M60, the M60E3 has a receiver-attached bipod which
easily deploys for stability. It has an ambidextrous safety, universal sling
attachments, a carrying handle on the barrel, and a simplified gas system that
does not require safety wire to prevent loosening. However, the light weight
barrel is not safe for overhead fire and is not capable of sustaining a rapid
rate of fire of 200 rounds per minute without catastrophic failure of the
barrel.
The M60E3 (light weight version of the parent M60) was fielded with the
intention to reduce the load carried by the gunner. However, the reduction in
weight resulted in firing limitations and a loss of reliability that severely
restricts the use of the weapon in the Fleet Marine Force. Consequently, troop
acceptance of the E3 has been very poor. This gun will be replaced by the M240G.
AMMUNITION
The preferred combat ammunition mix for the M60 is a four-ball (M80) and
one-tracer (M62) mix. Again, the four-and-one mix allows the gunner to use the
TOT method of adjusting fire to achieve target kill.
| Type
M61 Armor-piercing
M62 Tracer
M80 Ball
M63 Dummy
M82 Blank
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| Use
Against lightly armored targets.
For observation of fire, incendiary effects, signaling, and training.
Against light materiel targets and personnel, and for range
training.
During mechanical training.
During training when simulated live fire is desired. (A blank
firing attachment must be used to fire this ammunition.)
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Aircraft Mounts
M60C 7.62mm Flexible Machine Gun was a flexible aircraft version of the NATO
Standard M60D machine gun. It was electrically controlled, hydraulic power
charged, air-cooled, gas-operated, link-belt fed, with a firing rate of 500-650
spm (shots per minute). It was used on the M2 armament subsystem on the OH-13
Sioux and the OH-23 Raven, and the M6 and M16 on the UH-1B "Huey". The
M60C was classified Standard A (over 563 units were built).
M60D 7.62mm Flexible Machine Gun is a flexible, gas-operated, air-cooled machine
gun having a firing rate of 550 spm (shots per minute). The M-60D machine gun is
utilized by the UH-1, H-2, H-3, and H-60 aircraft. Depending in the specific
aircraft application the M-60D gun system consists of the gun, a pintle mount
(M-21, M-23, or DAS), and one of two basic ammunition storage systems. The first
storage system consists of an ammunition can bracket that mounts to the gun or
the mount, the bracket holds a single 200 round ammunition can. The second
ammunition storage system is made up of a 500 round ammunition can and a
flexible feed chute attached to the base of the mount. This aircraft gun has
spade grips, an aircraft ring-type sight and an improved ammunition feed system.
A canvas ejection control bag attaches to the machine gun to catch ejected links
and cartridge cases, preventing them from being ejected into the path of the
rotor blades or turbine engine intake. The M60D was used on the M23, XM29, M59,
and the Sagami mount on UH-1 series "Huey", the M24 and M41 on the
CH-47 series Chinook, the XM32 and XM33 on the ACH-47A "Guns-A-Go-Go",
and the M144 on the UH-60 series Black Hawk. The M60D was classified Standard A.
The M23, M24, M41 and M144 mounts are attached to the helicopter fuselage to
provide a stable mount for the M60D machine gun. Each mount incorporates a
pintle for attaching the machine gun to allow elevating, depressing, and
traversing the muzzle for aiming and firing. Each armament mount assembly also
has either an ammunition box or can assembly to store and supply ammunition
rapidly to the feed side of the machine gun. An ejection control bag attaches to
the machine gun to catch expended cartridges and links.
The M23 armament subsystem consists of a safety shoulder harness and a left
and right side mount marked "LEFT" or "RIGHT" respectively.
Each is bolted to the outside of the UH-1 series helicopter by the pintle mount.
Attached to the pintle mount is the M60D machine gun with a canvas ejection
control bag to collect ejected links and cartridge cases. The pintle mount is
made up of a pintle post assembly and a 550 round capacity ammunition box with
ammunition feed chute and adapter.
The M24 armament subsystem consists of a safety shoulder harness and a left and
right side mount marked "LEFT" or "RIGHT" respectively. Each
is pinned inside the left side door frame and right side escape hatch of the
CH-47 series helicopter by the mount assembly. Attached to the mount assembly is
the M60D machine gun with a link and cartridge case ejection control bag and an
ammunition can assembly with 200 rounds of ammunition. The mount assembly
consists of the pintle and the mount subassembly.
The M41 armament subsystem consists of a safety shoulder harness and mount that
is slotted and pinned on the inside of the aft ramp in the CH-47 series
helicopter. Attached to the mount assembly is the M60D machine gun with an
ejection control bag and a 200 round capacity ammunition can assembly.
The M144 armament subsystem
consists of a left and right side mount marked "LEFT" or
"RIGHT" respectively. Each is riveted inside the side window frame of
a UH-60 series helicopter. Attached to the mount is the M60D machine gun with an
ejection control bag and an ammunition can assembly. The mount assembly is made
up of the pintle mount assembly, release arm assembly, and support mount.
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