New Build M60 MGs (E4 and E6)

[Kirkhill]

Mysterious M60 Machine Gun Contract Awarded By U.S. Army

The Army is buying E4 and E6 variants of the M60, a family of machine guns that the entire U.S. military largely stopped using decades ago.

www.twz.com

 

[KevinB]

The M60E6 is honestly a much better dismounted MG than the M240, M204L, and Mk48
It can be suppressed much more easily - and the longer stroke of the action results in a smoother firing/recoil impulse and lower RoF.

I'm pretty sure those guns are going to Ukraine -- mainly as if it had been internal buys here for larger SOCOM it would have been run through USNSWC Crane, and JSOC buys would not be public and done through a SOCOM Regional Contracting Office - with no public disclosure of the request or award.

 

[daftandbarmy]

The M60E6 is honestly a much better dismounted MG than the M240, M204L, and Mk48
It can be suppressed much more easily - and the longer stroke of the action results in a smoother firing/recoil impulse and lower RoF.

I'm pretty sure those guns are going to Ukraine -- mainly as if it had been internal buys here for larger SOCOM it would have been run through USNSWC Crane, and JSOC buys would not be public and done through a SOCOM Regional Contracting Office - with no public disclosure of the request or award.

Maybe there's another series of Rambo movies in the hopper

 

[KevinB]

The M60 actually wasn’t a bad Machine Gun. It was a good example of what not to do in support and modifications though.

Multiple vendors making parts that were not properly controlled, and no legitimate first article samples done.

Then modifications adopted without any significant testing or understanding of their lack of inter-operability with other modifications.

———

But why one would make a bipod are part of a detachable barrel assembly, well that is a head scratcher - as you just added the weight and bulk of the bipod to the spare barrel as well. Getting rid of that was one of the only good changes on the E3.

 

[medicineman]

But why one would make a bipod are part of a detachable barrel assembly, well that is a head scratcher - as you just added the weight and bulk of the bipod to the spare barrel as well. Getting rid of that was one of the only good changes on the E3.

Bought and paid for by someone that would never have to carry it AND the vendor got to charge for the bipods as well...sure that wasn't a Canadian procurement story?

 

[KevinB]

Bought and paid for by someone that would never have to carry it AND the vendor got to charge for the bipods as well...sure that wasn't a Canadian procurement story?

So the bipod was placed out to the edge of the barrel just shy of the Flash Suppressor -

Which isn't totally a bad thing - as with the pivot point out there - it allows for a solid stable position.

However on the barrel does mean that heat and pressure will affect the accuracy more than if it was located on the receiver body or a fixed part of the gas system.

Then the heat shield for the top of the barrel was enclosed - so a carry handle couldn't be affixed directly to the barrel like the MAG-58/M240/C-6/L7A2 (we really have a thing for heat shields down here on MG's for whatever reason)
I understand the theory was that the bipod could be used as a barrel handle for hot barrel barrel exchanges.
I am sure it briefed well - like most "good" ideas.

 

[medicineman]

So the bipod was placed out to the edge of the barrel just shy of the Flash Suppressor -
View attachment 88387
Which isn't totally a bad thing - as with the pivot point out there - it allows for a solid stable position.

However on the barrel does mean that heat and pressure will affect the accuracy more than if it was located on the receiver body or a fixed part of the gas system.

Then the heat shield for the top of the barrel was enclosed - so a carry handle couldn't be affixed directly to the barrel like the MAG-58/M240/C-6/L7A2 (we really have a thing for heat shields down here on MG's for whatever reason)
I understand the theory was that the bipod could be used as a barrel handle for hot barrel barrel exchanges.
I am sure it briefed well - like most "good" ideas.

I wouldn't want to try changing that barrel like that unless it was on a tripod...makes more sense to have a handle to grab and pull with and if the bipod were further back, don't need to move/stabilize the gun as much/show yourself...odd I do remember some of that stuff from C6/9/HMG stuff I had to learn as a mudic.

 

[daftandbarmy]

I wouldn't want to try changing that barrel like that unless it was on a tripod...makes more sense to have a handle to grab and pull with and if the bipod were further back, don't need to move/stabilize the gun as much/show yourself...odd I do remember some of that stuff from C6/9/HMG stuff I had to learn as a mudic.

I'm glad the C6 barrel has a handle. The Germans must have had asbestos fingers...

 

[KevinB]

I wouldn't want to try changing that barrel like that unless it was on a tripod...makes more sense to have a handle to grab and pull with and if the bipod were further back, don't need to move/stabilize the gun as much/show yourself...odd I do remember some of that stuff from C6/9/HMG stuff I had to learn as a mudic.

Actually replacing an early M60 barrel is really easy - as you can use the bipod on the round and just pull the gun back a bit - and voila - barrel is out.
- but the US Army does issue a asbestos mitten for the MG - like the CAF did with the M2 and C5.

I'm glad the C6 barrel has a handle. The Germans must have had asbestos fingers...

Germans also issue an asbestos mitt - but I have seen a short stick used to pop MG3 barrels out

 

[Furniture]

Germans also issue an asbestos mitt - but I have seen a short stick used to pop MG3 barrels out