M60 Machine Gun

Lore & Background

The M60 was developed after World War II as a program for a new, lighter 7.62 mm machine gun, intended to replace the aging Browning M1919 machine guns. It drew inspiration from the German 'universal machine gun' concept. The final evaluation version was designated the T161E3 and was accepted as the M60 in 1957. It was intended to replace the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle and M1919A6 Browning machine gun in the squad automatic weapon role, and in the medium machine gun role. During the Vietnam War, many U.S. units used the M60 as a squad automatic weapon. It received the nickname 'The Pig' due to its bulky size and appetite for ammunition. In the 1980s, the Army partially replaced the M60 with the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, but the M60 was retained in vehicle-mounted and general-purpose roles. The U.S. Marine Corps adopted the M60E3, and later the M60E4 (designated Mk 43 Mod 0) was developed for Navy Special Warfare. In the early 1990s, the U.S. Army tested M60 and M240 upgrade kits; the M240 was declared the winner and accepted into infantry service. The M60, though largely phased out, continued to be used in the 21st century by U.S. Navy SEALs.

In Their Own Story

The rain hammered the corrugated roof of the abandoned grain silo. Vega cycled the last link through the M60's feed, the belt clicking against the receiver with a sound like a heavy zipper. Below, the road wound through the valley and the first convoy's headlights were already visible—two trucks, maybe a third. "You've got four minutes," said the voice in her ear, calm as always. Vega nodded, shouldered the gun, and let the stock settle into the groove of her shoulder. The M60 was heavy, almost punishing, but in her hands it felt like an extension of her own intent. She exhaled, tracked the lead truck's headlights, and waited for the second set to round the bend. When the first truck crested the rise, she opened up. The belt fed, the gas piston kicked, and the valley filled with the flat, rolling crack of 7.62 mm rounds chewing into steel and wet asphalt. The M60 did not stutter. It did not need to. It simply continued, round after round, until the convoy was a smoldering silhouette and the four minutes were almost spent.

Reader's Guide

The M60 is a belt-fed machine gun firing 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges. It is generally used as a crew-served weapon, operated by a team of two or three: the gunner, assistant gunner, and ammunition bearer. The gunner carries the weapon and between 200 and 1,000 rounds of ammunition. The assistant carries a spare barrel and extra ammunition, reloads, and spots targets. The ammunition bearer carries additional ammunition and the tripod if issued. The M60 can be accurately fired from the shoulder at short ranges, from the integral bipod, M122 tripod, or other mounts. Ammunition comes in a cloth bandolier containing a cardboard box of 100 pre-linked rounds using M13 links. Later models changed the ammunition box attachment point.

Did You Know?

• The M60 was accepted in 1957 but not issued to units until 1960.
• During the Vietnam War, some U.S. Navy SEALs used M60s with shorter barrels and no front sights to reduce weight.
• The M60 was nicknamed 'The Pig' due to its bulky size and appetite for ammunition.
• In 1966, Medal of Honor recipient Lance Corporal Richard Pittman used an M60 to engage superior enemy forces.