The M60 machine gun has had quite a storied past and accompanies the development of military firepower from World War II to the infantry squad revolution. This classic firearm, in service for over 60 years, traces its roots through such awesome German arms as the MG42 and FG42, combining firepower and versatility in a uniquely American design.
The history of the M60 can be traced back to the necessity of introducing a reliable squad machine gun to the U.S. military for active support of sustained fire. The design was greatly inspired by the MG42, with its extremely high rate of fire, and the FG42 was intended for airborne troops—that is, paratroopers. This meld of integrating the belt-fed ammunition system of the MG42 into the overall design of the FG42 resulted in the T161E3. This particular weapon was standardized as the M60 in February 1957.
Weighing in at 23 pounds empty, the M60 was lighter in weight compared to its precursors and was made so that it could be field-stripped and put back together in short order. This meant that even though its rate of fire was only 600 rounds per minute—less than that of the MG42—it was easier on ammunition; something that allowed gunners to fire short, controlled bursts or even single shots with precision.
The M60 emerged as an extensively used weapon during the Vietnam War, when its ability to provide automatic fire support proved to be quite indispensable. However, dirt and fouling tended to make the earlier models of the weapon quite unreliable. The weight and handling of the weapon were such that it earned the weapon the nickname ‘Pig’. Anyhow, the subsequent development through the M60E1 and M60E3 models improved the respective accuracy and reliability of this gun.
The M60 was flexible in infantry support, but they were also mounted on M113 armored personnel carriers, helicopters, and riverine craft across the US Army for added firepower to their artillery. Replacing overheating barrels during these extreme periods of fire gave this weapon an edge over the enemy counterparts such as the RPD.
In the 1980s a newer, lighter version of the barrel was introduced, the M60E3. In the desire to cut the weapon’s overall weight; along came the added fragility and overheating problems of the new design but it saw action repeatedly with the U.S. Navy SEALs; The slower rate of fire extended its duration of effective fire.
Then the development continued with the M60E4 or the Mk 43 Mod 0, ordered by the Navy SEALs. This model was ambidextrous, brought the ability to interface with other generations of M60 parts, and sported a lot of Pic rails for accessories and optics. The M60E6 is the latest advance in the series and offers something lighter and finer, with innovation in firearms that the world has continued to see.
Though largely replaced by the Belgian FN MAG 58-abbreviated M240-and the FN-produced M249 SAW, respectively, the M60 is still fielded with the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard. Its newest version, the M60E4, is still being manufactured and is quite popular with users in terms of handling when dismounted.
Nonetheless, the M60’s legacy is set in stone—it is tough and maintained firepower from its inception to its more current versions. Reliability and adaptiveness have been proven to continuously fulfill the changing needs of the military. Over the years, the M60 has always been symbolic of American ingenuity and resilience amidst the backdrop of modulating challenges of combat.