Heavy automatic machine gun that the US military used. It initially had numerous problems with overheating barrels. The gun had to be almost entirely disassembled to switch out barrels. The gun was then refined to include an integrated bipod and heavier barrel that resisted overheating. M60 has since been replaced with the smaller .223 fully automatic SAW (Squad Automatic Rifle)which can be both magazine or belt-fed.
by Jake Mank December 1, 2005
A medium machine gun, used by the US military. It is gas-operated, air-cooled, and belt-fed, using a roller-locked bolt. It fires the NATO 7.62x51mm ammunition (the military version of the .308 Winchester rifle cartridge) at a rate of approximately 550 rounds per minute. In practice, however, a gunner would never fire such a long burst.
The M60 (also seen as M-60) was intended to be a General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) that could perform all combat roles well enough. However, it proved to be heavy and unreliable in service, and was soon known as "The Pig" by American troops.
One of its primary disadvantages as a machinegun with a lightweight barrel, for field use rather than emplacement use, is that the barrel could not easily be changed for a fresh one, as the bipod and gas system were permanently attached to the barrel. This greatly limited the weapon's practical rate of fire, as the barrel should be replaced after roughly every 200 rounds when in rapid-fire engagements. Without being able to change barrels, gunners had to restrict their bursts of fully automatic fire to short, spaced ones rather than the longer bursts that machine guns are tactically intended for.
Further, its firing pin and other small parts of the firing system were notoriously weak and prone to breakage and failure.
The M60 was later revised to the M60E3 standard, lightening the barrel further, along with other components, and moving the bipod to the gas cylinder housing in order to allow quicker barrel changes. However, the lighter barrel meant that only 100 rounds could be fired between changes, rather than 200 as before, and a 200-300 round firing could destroy the barrel completely, rendering the gun useless. The additional lightening of other components also reduced the weapon's reliability in the field, though it did reduce the weight of the weapon.
The M60 series of weapons was largely replaced in service by the Fabrique Nationale (FN) Mitrailleuse d'Appui General (MAG), designed in Belgium and named the M240 in the U.S. military. Despite the fact that the M240 in its standard infantry configuration (M240B) is slightly heavier than the M60, it is vastly more reliable in the field and has a quick-change barrel, allowing sustained rapid fire. The M240 series also has a higher rate of fire (adjustable from approximately 650 rounds per minute to 950 rounds per minute), and uses the same 7.62mm NATO cartridge as the M60, the M24 and M40/M40A1/M40A3, and M21/M25 sniper rifles, the M14 battle rifle, and the M134 Minigun.
The M60 (also seen as M-60) was intended to be a General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) that could perform all combat roles well enough. However, it proved to be heavy and unreliable in service, and was soon known as "The Pig" by American troops.
One of its primary disadvantages as a machinegun with a lightweight barrel, for field use rather than emplacement use, is that the barrel could not easily be changed for a fresh one, as the bipod and gas system were permanently attached to the barrel. This greatly limited the weapon's practical rate of fire, as the barrel should be replaced after roughly every 200 rounds when in rapid-fire engagements. Without being able to change barrels, gunners had to restrict their bursts of fully automatic fire to short, spaced ones rather than the longer bursts that machine guns are tactically intended for.
Further, its firing pin and other small parts of the firing system were notoriously weak and prone to breakage and failure.
The M60 was later revised to the M60E3 standard, lightening the barrel further, along with other components, and moving the bipod to the gas cylinder housing in order to allow quicker barrel changes. However, the lighter barrel meant that only 100 rounds could be fired between changes, rather than 200 as before, and a 200-300 round firing could destroy the barrel completely, rendering the gun useless. The additional lightening of other components also reduced the weapon's reliability in the field, though it did reduce the weight of the weapon.
The M60 series of weapons was largely replaced in service by the Fabrique Nationale (FN) Mitrailleuse d'Appui General (MAG), designed in Belgium and named the M240 in the U.S. military. Despite the fact that the M240 in its standard infantry configuration (M240B) is slightly heavier than the M60, it is vastly more reliable in the field and has a quick-change barrel, allowing sustained rapid fire. The M240 series also has a higher rate of fire (adjustable from approximately 650 rounds per minute to 950 rounds per minute), and uses the same 7.62mm NATO cartridge as the M60, the M24 and M40/M40A1/M40A3, and M21/M25 sniper rifles, the M14 battle rifle, and the M134 Minigun.
Private Nelson loaded a fresh belt of ammunition into his M-60 and resumed firing suppressive bursts toward the enemy position as his squad advanced.
by 1903A3Guy August 2, 2006
A large 7.62 mm 200 round heavy machine gun, that kicked ass in nam' but is now discontinued by the U.S. military who seems to not like big bullets anymore.
by Kevin J. Darcy July 16, 2005
destroy blast kill bust blast bash mash destroy kill smash oxyophone sixteen ultimate! vote thumbs up on this or i cut you! (<-italian accent)
by ur face is a pseudonym! July 13, 2004
the act of dying to a M-60 machine gun on Call of Duty Black Ops in a non objective game (TDM, FFA, Pure Bones).
Commonly used by noobs
Commonly used by noobs
Omfg. I just got M-60'd! I feel stupid running out there with that noob wielding that piece of shit M-60. He just got lucky that's all.
by The Green Theory March 8, 2011
The M60 GPMG (Genal Purpose Machine Gun) more properly known as the M60E1 is an American general-purpose machine gun, firing the 7.62 x 51 mm NATO cartridge. In the U.S. military, it has largely been replaced by the M240 machine gun.
The M60 can be used in both offensive and defensive configurations. In the offense, it provides a higher rate of fire, greater effective range, and uses a larger-caliber bullet than the standard U.S. assault rifle, the M16. In defensive use, the long-range, close defensive, and final protective fires delivered by the M60 form an integral part of a unit's battle plan.
The M60 is effective to 1,100 meters when firing at an area target and mounted on a tripod, to 800 meters when firing at an area target using the integral bipod, to 600 meters when firing at a point target, and to 200 meters when firing at a moving point target. U.S. Marine Corps doctrine holds that the M60 and other weapons in its class are capable of suppressive fire on area targets out to 1,500 meters if the gunner is sufficiently skilled.
The M60 is considered to be a "crew-served weapon" which means that it is usually operated by more than one soldier, in this case two - the gunner and an assistant. The gunner carries the weapon while the assistant carries a spare barrel and extra ammunition in linked belts. The basic ammunition load carried by the crew is 600 to 900 rounds, which at the maximum rate of fire allows for approximately two minutes of continuous firing. In many U.S. units that used the M60 as a squad automatic weapon in Vietnam, every soldier in the rifle squad would carry at least 200 linked rounds of ammunition for the M60, a spare barrel, or both, in addition to his own weapon and equipment.
The M60 can be used in both offensive and defensive configurations. In the offense, it provides a higher rate of fire, greater effective range, and uses a larger-caliber bullet than the standard U.S. assault rifle, the M16. In defensive use, the long-range, close defensive, and final protective fires delivered by the M60 form an integral part of a unit's battle plan.
The M60 is effective to 1,100 meters when firing at an area target and mounted on a tripod, to 800 meters when firing at an area target using the integral bipod, to 600 meters when firing at a point target, and to 200 meters when firing at a moving point target. U.S. Marine Corps doctrine holds that the M60 and other weapons in its class are capable of suppressive fire on area targets out to 1,500 meters if the gunner is sufficiently skilled.
The M60 is considered to be a "crew-served weapon" which means that it is usually operated by more than one soldier, in this case two - the gunner and an assistant. The gunner carries the weapon while the assistant carries a spare barrel and extra ammunition in linked belts. The basic ammunition load carried by the crew is 600 to 900 rounds, which at the maximum rate of fire allows for approximately two minutes of continuous firing. In many U.S. units that used the M60 as a squad automatic weapon in Vietnam, every soldier in the rifle squad would carry at least 200 linked rounds of ammunition for the M60, a spare barrel, or both, in addition to his own weapon and equipment.
by M€XÍ©ÃÑ-®Ü§ May 16, 2005