US M60 Machinegun [Machine Gun]:

The M60 Machinegun was classified in 1957 as a companion to the 7.62mm M14 combat rifle. The M60 Machinegun is lighter than the .30 cal. M1919A6 and only slightly heavier than the 30 cal. M1918A2 Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) which it replaced. The M60 7.62mm machine gun has been the U.S. Army's general purpose medium machine gun since the late 1950s. It has recently been replaced by the M240 machine gun which is the American built version of the FN Mag which is used by Belgium and the United Kingdom as well.

The M60 machinegun fires standard NATO 7.62mm ammunition and is used as a crew-served general support machinegun. The machinegun has removable barrel which can be quickly and easily changed to prevent the barrel from overheating. The M60 has a folding bipod that is integral to the machinegun and can also be mounted on a folding tripod. The M60 has a rate of fire of 600 rounds per minute and can be fired semi automatic or fully automatic. The machinegun is gas operated.

The M60E3 7.62mm machine gun was designed as a lightweight replacement to the M60 machinegun but due to problems with the barrel being unsable to sustain rapid fire, it has been poorly accepted by American soldiers. The lighter weight design was was fielded with the intent to reduce the load carried by the gunner. The M60E3 has several differences between it and its parent the M60 other than the lighter weight barrel. The M60E3 has a receiver-attached bipod which easily deploys for stability. In addition to this, the M60 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.

Both the M60 and M60E is fed by means of a desintegrating 100 round belt.

Weight:	M60 24.5 lbs (11.5 kg), M60E3 18.75 lbs (8.51 kg)
Caliber:	7.62x51mm NATO (.308).
Barrel Length:	22 inches (56 cm).
Overall Length:	42.4 inches (107.70 cm).
Action:	Gas operated .
Mode of Fire:	Fully Automatic .
Rate of Fire:	M60 600 rounds per minute / 200 rounds per minute sustained, M60E3 600 rounds per minute / 100 rounds per minute sustained.
Range:	3609.1 feet (1100 meters).
Feed:	100 round belt.
Cost:	$ 6,000.
Made in:	USA.
Special:	Extremely reliable, good accuracy, large base of repair parts.

[ M60, M60E3, FN, M240, and MAG are copyright of their respective owners. ]

Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

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