Machine gun M60: description, characteristics, modifications

After unsuccessful attempts to perfect universal samples of German machine guns for shooting large-caliber cartridges, American developers attempted to release their own offspring. Thus, in the fifties of the last century a completely new model emerged - the M60 machine gun, the photo of which will be examined in this material.

History of development

During the Second World War, the armed forces of the United States Army consisted of fairly heavy machine guns M1919 and M1918. Despite the high level of reliability, machine guns were characterized by low maneuverability on the battlefield. In addition, the manual machine gun M1918 had a relatively small capacity of the magazine (20 rounds), which made it impossible to maintain a prolonged and dense fire for suppression.

The development of the improved model began in the USA immediately after the end of the world conflict. The new M60 machine gun was designed for large-caliber cartridges of 7.62 x 51 mm. During the tests the model proved itself as an accurate, powerful weapon. However, for the capricious nature of the American soldiers immediately dubbed the sample is not otherwise, as a "pig". However, during the battles in Vietnam, the M60 TTX machine gun was used as the main rapid-fire, large-caliber weapon for firing in dense thickets of local jungles.

In the 70s, the highest army command decided to replace the model with the Belgian model FN MAG. The reason was a significant number of misfires, which gave the machine gun M60 during long shooting. Despite this, the development to this day remains in service with the auxiliary parts of the American army.

Appointment

M60 - American-made machine gun. The advantage of the model is the possibility of installation on military equipment, in particular tanks, armored personnel carriers and support vehicles. During the war in Vietnam, the M60 machine gun was used as an airborne weapon on helicopters.

Weapons are designed primarily to suppress infantry and defeat the enemy's dense, advancing forces. At one time, the machine gun was an indispensable tool for the provision of fire support to land forces.

Characteristics

What are the different parameters of the M60 machine gun? The weight of the weapon in the basic assembly is about 10 kg. The length is 1.11 m. The rate of fire - up to 600 rounds per minute. The starting speed of cartridges of 7.62 mm caliber does not exceed 853 m / s.

Design features

The M60 machine gun is constructively based on automatics with a gas drive. 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 a tendency to overheat during prolonged fire. Power cartridges - tape. As for the aiming device, the latter is practically the same as the sample mounted on the M16 automatic rifle.

The machine gun can be mounted on a tripod or on a bipod. The maximum range of fire is about 1800 m. At this distance, the lethal effect of the weapon remains. To eliminate shock loads, the butt is equipped with a rubber sheath.

Modifications

1. M60 is the base sample. Bipods are attached directly to the trunk portion. It has been in service with the US infantry and naval forces since 1957.
2. M60E1 - modified model with bipods separate from the trunk. Has a gas chamber, as well as a number of external improvements, which make it easier to operate weapons in combat conditions.
3. M60E2 - an exclusive sample, designed for the assembly of heavy military equipment. A distinctive feature is the lack of stock. Instead of the latter, vertically arranged handles are used. Trigger is replaced by a trigger.
4. M60E3 is a modified model of the M60E1 model. The list of improvements includes the use of plastic fore-end, front handle, slightly changed appearance.
5. M60E4 - modification of the basic version with the ability to lock night vision devices and optical sights.
6. M60B - a specialized model for installation on board a helicopter. It differs by the presence of a comfortable handle of pistol type.
7. M60C - a modern model, designed to complete combat helicopters. Activation of the trigger mechanism is due to the electronic power supply of the trigger. Allows pilots to fire remotely by controlling the gun directly from the cockpit.
8. M60D - model for installation on heavy ground, air and water equipment. Often used as a means for bundling cars support. Has handles instead of stock. The trigger is replaced by the trigger.

Finally

Despite the existence of a wide range of modifications, the M60 machine gun series still has a number of shortcomings. The main disadvantage is the use of a fairly unreliable gas removal system. The energy of the powder gases is often not enough to suppress the rod's resistance. The result is misfiring and intermittent shooting.

Another disadvantage, typical for most advanced models, is the unregulated fastening of the fly. This feature prevents the performance of the fire from the machine gun after the forced replacement of the barrel due to its overheating.

In general, the machine gun M60 is not very high demand. At present, the model is based on the armament of the army of South Korea, Australia, Egypt, Taiwan and El Salvador. In the US, the model was replaced by a modified weapon based on the Belgian MAG machine gun.