After unsuccessful attempts to improve the universal samples of German machine guns for firing large-caliber cartridges, American developers made an attempt to release their own brainchild. Thus, in the 50s of the last century a completely new model arose - the M60 machine gun, a photo of which will be considered in this material.
Development history
During the Second World War, the United States Army was armed with rather heavy M1919 and M1918 machine guns. Despite the high level of reliability, machine guns were characterized by low maneuverability on the battlefield. In addition,
the M1918
light machine gun had a relatively small magazine capacity (20 rounds), which made it impossible to conduct continuous and dense fire to suppress.
The development of an improved model began in the United States immediately after the end of the global conflict. The new M60 machine gun was created under ammunition of large caliber 7.62 x 51 mm. During testing, the model has established itself as an accurate, powerful enough weapon. However, for the capricious nature, American soldiers immediately dubbed the model nothing more than a "pig." However, during the battles in Vietnam, it was the M60 TTX machine gun that was used as the main quick-firing, large-caliber weapon for firing in dense thickets of local jungle.
In the 70s, the high army command decided to replace the model with the Belgian model FN MAG. The reason was a significant number of misfires given by the M60 machine gun during prolonged firing. Despite this, the development to this day remains in service with auxiliary units of the American army.
Appointment
M60 - an American-made machine gun. The advantage of the model is the ability to install on military equipment, in particular tanks, armored personnel carriers and support vehicles. During the
Vietnam War, the M60 machine gun was used as an onboard weapon in helicopters.
The weapon is intended, first of all, to suppress infantry and defeat the dense, advancing enemy forces. At one time, the machine gun was an indispensable tool for the need to provide fire support to the ground forces.
Characteristics
What are the parameters of the M60 machine gun? The weight of the weapon in the base assembly is about 10 kg. The length is 1.11 m. Rate of fire - up to 600 rounds per minute. Starting speed of cartridges of 7.62 mm caliber does not exceed 853 m / s.
Design Features
The M60 machine gun is structurally based on gas-driven automation. Locking the barrel occurs under the influence of the rotation of the shutter. The model is equipped with a quick-change barrel, which is caused by the tendency to overheat it during continuous fire. Cartridge feeding - tape. As for the sights, the latter practically does not differ from the sample installed on the M16 automatic rifle.
The machine gun can be mounted on a tripod or on a bipod. The maximum firing range is about 1800 m. At this distance, the lethal action of the weapon is preserved. To absorb shock loads, the butt is equipped with a rubber shell.
Modifications
- M60 is the base sample. The bipods are attached directly to the stem. It has been in service with the American infantry and naval forces since 1957.
- M60E1 - a modified model with bipod, separate from the trunk. It has a gas chamber, as well as a number of external improvements, which facilitate the convenience of operating weapons in combat conditions.
- M60E2 - an exclusive model designed to complete heavy military equipment. A distinctive feature is the lack of stock. Instead of the latter, vertically placed handles are used. The trigger is replaced by a trigger.
- M60E3 acts as a modified model of the model M60E1. The list of improvements includes the use of a plastic forend, a front handle, and a slightly changed appearance.
- M60E4 - modification of the basic version with the possibility of fixing night vision devices and optical sights.
- M60V is a specialized model for installation on board a helicopter. It features a convenient pistol grip.
- M60C is a modern model designed to complete combat helicopters. Activation of the trigger occurs due to the electronic power of the trigger. Allows pilots to fire remotely by controlling weapons directly from the cockpit.
- M60D is a model for installation on heavy ground, air and water equipment. Often used as a means to complete support vehicles. It has handles instead of a stock. The trigger has been replaced by a trigger.
Finally
Despite the presence of a wide range of modifications, the M60 series of machine guns still has a number of drawbacks. The main drawback is the use of a rather unreliable gas exhaust system. The energy of the powder gases is often not enough to suppress the resistance of the rod. The result is misfires and intermittent shooting.
Another drawback characteristic of most advanced models is the unregulated fastening of the front sight. This feature prevents the execution of the machine gun after the forced replacement of the barrel due to overheating.
In general, the M60 machine gun is not in very high demand. Currently, the sample is in service with the army of South Korea, Australia, Egypt, Taiwan and El Salvador. In the United States, the model is replaced by a modified weapon based on the Belgian machine gun MAG.