W72037 M60 MACHINE GUN

The M60 is an American, modern, universal 7.62 mm machine gun (UKM). The total weight of the weapon is 10.5 kilograms, the total length is 110 cm, and the length of the barrel itself is 56 centimeters. The effective range of this weapon is 1000-1100 meters. The theoretical maximum rate of fire is 550 rounds per minute, and the muzzle velocity is approx. 850 m / s. The M60 was created in connection with the US military's desire after 1945 to create a universal machine gun modeled on the captured MG 34 and MG 42. The new rifle was to replace the Browning M1917A1, M1919A4 and BAR rifles in service. Despite the fact that research and development work lasted until 1957, the M60 exhibited numerous problems, which were mainly revealed by the Vietnam War (1964 / 1965-1975), such as, for example, impractical bipod placement, very difficult barrel replacement in field conditions or frequent jamming of weapons. In order to eliminate the shortcomings of the weapon, subsequent development versions were created (eg M60E1 or M60E2), but finally in the 1980s the M240 became the basic weapon of the American armed forces, being a license version of the Belgian FN MAG.