My dad was an m60 man in Vietnam 70-71. He said it was supposed to be a 2-man thing, but it ended up being him alone the whole time, carrying his own ammo. He would wrap 1000 rounds around his torso instead of the required 500. Despite that, his main complaint was that they wouldn’t give him the handgun that the support guy was supposed to carry.
Yeah the gunner gets 500 the support hold 1000 . I was the ammo guy , my buddy Singleton was the M249 gunner Thank your dad and family for your sacrifices
It was known as "The pig" due to it being damn heavy, but was well liked when needed for spraying down ammo although it couldn't remove the barrel without removing the Bi-pod along with the Barrel, and a shorter service life for the gun itself, as well as the prone to breakdown lead to a different gun taking it's role in the GPMG category, the FN-MAG, known in USA as the M240, and replaced by a gun as equally as unreliable as the M60 in the Squad Automatic Weapon role (Or SAW for short) led to the FN-Minimi's adoption in the US known simply as the M249
the M60 is actually adopted by the Danish Armed Forces in the M60E6 configuration and the M60E3 and the Base M60 Model is still in used by the Armed Forces of the Philippines
The US provides a lot of military aid to the Philippines, including weapons and has for decades. So their adoption of it is more related to those aspects rather than the right weapon for the role.
As of 2004, the USN still used the M60 as well as the M79. The M60 was still in use for good reason. Yes, it was a pain to hump around but we still used it because the caliber and because beyond its maximum effective range rounds would predictably fall in an egg-shaped cone of fire. This allowed us to engage area targets at greater range.
One thing about rates of fire - was that this could vary with what the nation producing the weapon wanted it to be. A higher rate of fire was NOT an indication of one weapon being "better" than another. For Example - the version of the 1919 used as a aircraft's defensive rear gun, though using the same basic design as the version the Army used had a much higher rate of fire. Here - for an aircraft - the gunner was only going to have brief seconds to hit an enemy aircraft so they wanted him to have a weapon with a very high rate of fire. The gunner also had an airplane to carry around all the ammunition this weapon could expend. For the Ground version of the weapon - ground targets are not moving as fast as aircraft and so a gunner on the ground did not need as high a rate of fire and Infantry had to carry that ammo around themselves - unless they happened to have vehicles to do it. There were in fact individuals that took the version of the 1919 mounted on aircraft and used it on the ground, sometimes calling it a "Stinger". This weapon did in deed have a very high rate of fire - but - the gunner was faced with the same problem as the MG-42 gunners - in constantly running out of ammunition. When he had bullets to fire - he could really fire a lot of them but - then he couldn't fire any once he ran out - until someone went back and fetched more ammo for it. They could carry more ammo for the weapon - but then - they had to have some one to do that carrying - who wasn't going to be doing something else if he was dedicated to supporting the machine gun. It was common for all infantry units to have men who were not part of the machine gun teams carry extra ammo for them - but - these men could only carry so much weight and had a lot of different things they might be carrying. There were technological advancements made but the weapons rate of fire was not a firm indicator of it's technological superiority. The M-1919 related machine guns and the M-1918 BAR were designed for WWI and during the inter-war years advancements were made. The M-1919 would eventually be replaced by the M-60 and the M-1918 BAR replaced by Assault Rifles but these John Browning designs were in service for a very long time. .
I liked it despite being 24 lbs plus ammo. That beaten zone did show itself too early . And hated some of its quirks But passably reliable. Prefer the bren.
As a Infantryman in early 80s I was a machinegunner and carried the 60. It was a decent gun and pretty much reliable. I hope its replacement the 240 Bravo is better? 🇺🇸
Even I question Batman in all in his gear... while stangling someone hold a M60 in his LEFT hand and fire one round out of it accurately. These LMG's are suppressors not snipers. Even Snipers aren't 100% accurate.
I carried an M60E3 in the Marines in Desert Storm. It works fine, was easy to handle with the foregrip and lighter barrel on the E3. I had no problems, but it had to be maintained well. Sand is rough on any weapon. Dust storms were my biggest enemy.
I used the M60 in the Australian army. I hated it! It was heavy, unreliable, and very inaccurate compared to say the Bren. It was full of design flaws such as breaking stuff if you closed the feed cover in the wrong position. Many movable parts had to be wired in place. Nah!
I've seen a few of these videos and some others by other UA-camrs, how come Australia always gets a mention when using a weapons system when so many others use it too?
The M60 in the first version I was associated with was temperamental. This was more to do with the modifications that we made. The ammunition could be an issue. When I started on the gun team we carried about 1400 rounds always in cans. Links would rust. However since the assault belt was about 150 to 200 rounds as long you cleaned the belt it wasn’t an issue. The unit had come back from Dak To. So all the rifleman carried a bandolier of 100 rounds. After about 300 rounds the gun was so hot the rounds cooked off. This could be a problem if you ran the gun like this you could burn up the barrel. So the 3 or 4 times I would fire off 2 or 3 cans. Stop and wait. If you fire this gun standing the accuracy could be limited. And once you started the opposition would target you. I started on the M60 about my 3D month. And for most of my time I was a gunner and never saw anything that resembles the movies. The gun weighs about 27 pounds. And I weigh 145. So I always fired it prone. I saw one guy firing it kneeling and he was hit in the head
Yep, The ones laying down heat are targeted most, thats why you dont stand up or move out of cover. Some people learn the hard way that they are a target, some people dont get the chance to learn at all.
Yeah, agree, saw a , 50. cal used for , practice, every 7th round tracer, it is never explained, I'am talking about used, on "Tripod", for ship security.
@@charletonzimmerman4205 Ah ship security? Makes sense. Heavy Machine Guns will sink little water craft in seconds, even reach out further than anyone else.
I was an M60 gunner in the 82nd Airborne - gunner and weapons squad leader. I went to a small course on m60 MG leadership taught by former Viet Nam vet green berets and - I shit you not - a former German WW2 infantry soldier.
Fun fact: The Danish army recently replaced their version of the MG3 with a modernized version of the M60, the M60E6, under the imaginative name of LMG M/60
And the M60e6 beat H&K's MG to win the bid! I just wish US Ordinance had got hold of the M60 earlier to improve it, maybe they'd have beat the M240 for US MG contract
Ya i like the M60 better than the M240B. The 60 is lighter weight, and easier to bring into action. I think the M240 was better suited as a stationary weapon on vehicles and air craft.
@@HollywoodMarine0351 I was thinking about Taps the other day. I remembered Tom Cruise was in the movie but I forgot about the weapon he was using at the end.
The Australian SAS used the M60 as a weapon for four man patrols. Two men would carry M16A1 rifles with underslung M203s, and the other two were armed with L1A1 rifles. The M60 receiver would be carried by one man, the barrel by the radio telephone operator, the tripod carried by a third man, and the ammo carried by the last man. The gun would be assembled for ambushes and similar situations where heavy fire was required. This arrangement gave the four man patrol significant firepower, allowing them to punch well above their weight. Two four man patrols could defeat battalions of VC, with minimal fire support from artillery or aircraft.
Having fired the M60 in the early 80’s and the British GPMG I can say out of the 2 the GPMG is by far the better weapon a little heavier with a better rate of fire and less prone the stoppages. Im also a British Army veteran that’s how I got to fire the M60.
I carried "The Pig" in Nicaragua when I was fighting with the Contra rebels. If I kept WD-40 on the links and kept it clean it ran well. But it was a bit temperamental. nice to have when you needed it though.
The SAW was not the replacement for the M60. It was an, "upgrade" of sorts for the automatic rifleman in each team/squad. During raids I was usually tasked to take my SAW up with the support fire as inevitably as the command to fire you'd hear, "kachunk, FUCK" from the pigs but the 2 SAWs would rip. The 60's I got to use just seemed old and the tolerances were off.
Either the gunner did not maintain and lubricate it properly or the feeder pawls were worn. They did not get the intermediate level maintenance they needed as the weapons got older.
@@scottmurphy650 This was up at 2nd bat so all weapons were getting heavy and regular use. The façade were beaten up but the inner workings were as well kept as the soldiers could. Maintenance couldn't/wouldn't get us new guns so they Frankensteined them.
When I first entered the Army I was a Pig gunner. I loved the wepon. I guess it was probably because it was the first machine gun I was exposed to. When the 249 came out I thought it was a waste, basically an overbuilt M16. When the 240B came out I thought it was a boat anchor and a pale imitation. One of my earliest and fondest memories was (during a training mission) rushing accross a field of waste hight grass at about 2am with my AG and ammo bearer firing the 60 and lighting up the whole field with the muzzle flash it made s strobe light effect. Still give me goose bumps.
Although poorly designed a new and well maintained and operated one will not betray its user. But as it goes through its life cycle its poorly designed elements become problems if broken parts are not replaced in timely manner or sometimes the entire gun should be replaced which the government failed to do so making its reputation of a pig and being unreliable. The same thing happened with the M92 pistols. It took to M60E6 to simplify its design elements and make it more reliable even under non-regular maintenance. It sits in the middle weight wise between PKM and FN MAG/MG3, while being closer to PKM in its role. Although not requiring as much maintenance as Stoner LMG it needs a disciplined and professional unit to get the best performance from it.
The biggest drawback of the M60 is it could only be fired right-handed. A lefty like myself always was a little off target the first few burst and I never really felt comfortable firing it.
@@cortex8239 what does 'D' mean? That poster told someone with experience to read up! But none of the "experts" know your username. Are you from the hills?
I was the designated “pig” gunner on my team, I resented it, mostly because I hated to clean it. However, when push came to shove, you could reach out and touch someone. One of the best trivia questions is: how many left handed M-60 gunners were there? None after the first burst!
The most accurate depiction of M60 in it’s GPMG role, was in Forrest Gump, imo (alongside We were Soldiers of course). From a guy serving ammunition, to it being called the Pig, a very accurate portrayal. However, I remember the first time I vividly saw an M60 was watching William Dafoe as Sgt Elias, carrying the M60 in Platoon
The problem with the M 60 it was not designed for durability. While great when used in Vietnam but the same gun 10 years later was too beat up to be reliable as such they had to be replaced with the 249.
I carried an M-60 in the early 1980's. I liked it a lot, it has a reasonable rate of fire so your BCL was not overly heavy. The weapon was heavy but could be easily shouldered. The M240B that replaced it was heavier, barrel heavy making it difficult to shoulder and the higher rate of fire meant more rounds in the BCL.
The door gunner scene really happened and was taken verbatim from a book written by a journalist covering the war. Michael Herr, Many of the lines in the movie were from his book, 'Dispatches'. The combat scenes, dialogue as well as the boot camp scenes were from a book called "The Shortimers", Written by Gustav Hasford
Loved the M60, although the SLR was my fave. Always remember an instructor (a Vietnam vet) commenting during an exercise how he loved the sound of a well crewed M60. Mad my day
I wasn’t impressed due to the rate of fire, barrel change, and instances of a runaway gun with both M60 and M60E3. The M240 (aka, FN MAG), although much heavier was a improvement on those issues including accuracy.
Served as a Gunnersmate in the U.S. Coast Guard from 97-2017 and we switched from the M60 to M240's around 2005/2006. M240 is a better gun overall though it is heavier than the M60.
@@Backonos It's possbile, I only know what I've read of it and sounds like it's got a number of improvements in regards to reliability and it's even lighter than older variants. It could definitely be better as an infantry weapon. The M240 is bigger and heavier than even the original M60 but it is more reliable. If the E6 can be close enough in reliability while being lighter and more compact it would likely be a better alternative to the 240 but it MIGHT not be better than the M249 SAW which is basically a smaller, lighter M240 that fires 5.56mm instead of 7.62mm. An MG crew could carry a good bit more ammo for the same weight, it's a bit easier logistically as it's the same ammo as the infantry rifles (though linked with a tracer every 5rds). But if you NEED that 7.62mm punch and you're carrying the gun (i.e. it's not mounted in a vehicle or emplacement) then the E6 would probably be preferable.
I was a fan of the M60 Machine Gun having served from 1981-2001. My primary MOS was 8541 (Marine Scout Sniper) but I also held secondary MOS's (0311-Infantryman as all Marines do), (0311-Machine Gunner and scored 98% at range qualifying), (0331-Mortarman able to launch at any given moment as well as calling in air strikes. I was at the top of my game and took it seriously because when the shit hit the fan it was going to be me versus them, and I had too damn many people depending on me to fail. WAR IS HELL if one it forced into it, I was not, had I been I was well trained, capable, and ready to do what I had to do, and the M-60 Machine Gun was a weapon I would want if confronted with a potential overrun of forces. It's a true weapon of WAR produced to clear any forward front and have a couple of times cooked the barrel "red-hot". Changing the barrel is said to be quick and easy but can be a venture to do so if people's lives depend on it. Change if you can but cook it if you have too and save as many lives as possible.
Miss the pig! Treat it right and it'll always be there for you! I can see why most guys hated it but I'm 6'3 200lbs. I never had a problem with it. Yeah that 1st road March was a bitch but tell you what, once I got my mitts on that thing didn't no one ever take it away.
In 06 I transitioned from active to the NG and was assigned to a weapons squad. The unit I was assigned still fielded the M60. So I got to fire it a few times and humped it around during field training. Absolutely loved the pig. I will say I wish that FN could afford fewer politicians. The gun was an absolute blast to shoot and far less painful humping it around for miles compared to the M240. Still go with the 240 for a mounted application.
I got my hands on an M60 as a Pineland guerrilla fighter for the Robin Sage SFG training program for Fort Bragg. I walked into a wall of hot lead and 2 flashbang grenade blasts as I was attempting to capture an enemy held bridge. I was KIA.
I carried the M60 nickname "the pig" my first 3 years in the Army, I was assigned to the 82nd Abn. And I loved her, you take care of her and she performed flawlessly. Of course their were malfunctions at times, like any weapon system, but if you knew your shit, you could get her up and running. She was great machine gun and yes humping the spare barrel and tripod with the TE (true machine gunners know what that is) and the pintel as ammo bearer was a pain in the ass.
Great, Which weapon did Weird Al have in the film UHF, oh wait, he just stared at the enemy, and they all died. I do own several of McFarlane's military figures that have various weapons that they use. Take care, and all the best.
One of my all-time favorite movies. I rented it from this hill-billy vhs rental store back in the day and never returned it. A county deputy showed about nine months later to my mom's house looking for it. That's how OLD that movie is LOL 😆
I joined the army in 2000 and always loved the M60 as a kid.. When I reached bragg after basic every Bivouac I'd request to carry the M60.. only got to do it once before we switched fully to the SAW.. The saw is Lighter and better accuracy and better fireing rate.. my new love lol... the 60 is a classic though lml
I seem to remember that a Machine-Gun was fired as three to five round burst, to keep the barrel change down and reliability up. The Movie use in long firing is pure Trash. Like current Politicians who think that a Machinenpistol will with its 32 round magazine is going to last forever. Many such guns fire 600-800 rounds per MINUTE, so how long is 32 rounds going really last?
Hey Johnny you know what I just realized at the M60 has a middle name it's called war Pig yeah that's its middle name M60 war pig I got that like from another video
if the belt were left to hang prior to the feed, it would jam....a ration can was typically taped or wired to the gun for the belt to lay over prior to the feed...sometimes seen in Viet Nam photos, later an improvement would address this.
I shot the M-60 in boot camp in 93. The instructor told us these were temperamental and would sometimes keep firing after releasing the trigger. They gave us 50 rounds and after my third burst, it kept firing so I just held on until my little belt was done. Good times.
We use the new M60e6 in Danish army and homeguard, and Iam a MG in homeguard. Its good walk with and shoot, do low rate fire, but it lack the feel of MG like the old MG3(new version of the MG42) I want shoot with MG3 and but walk with M60.
Beachmaster Unit One, Bravo Team. I was the machine gunner with the M60, everyone else in the team had M-16's with Mark 203 grenade launchers. I thank the good Lord above I had never had to use it lethally, but I did fire and train with it for many days.
Aviation M60s are still comon. I liked the M60 very much and never had any problems with it. Changing a barrel is very easy and quick if you kick the bi pod the barrel pops right out. Simple maintenence with keep it running. A c rat can attached to the feed port helps prevent jamming. Its always recommended to wear the asbestos oven mit when changing or handling a hot barrel.
the door gunner scene in full metal jacket is a true story as documented by micheal herrs book dispactches. several other scenes are from his book too like the guy who was killed and masturbated all the time to get out of Vietnam. on another note in forest gump a small detail i liked was that the vietcong deliberately hit the m60 crew with an rpg which was always a target to be taken out due to their effectiveness in battle. much as flamethrowers was a dangerous job in the islands of the pacific the m60 was in Vietnam apparently.
One of the cool things that you can do with “the pig” is what is called “Plunging Fire”. It’s a way to hit targets that you can’t hit with direct fire by firing up in an arc and have the bullets “rain” down on the target. Once you get the hang of it, it is a pretty cool way to zap bad guys.
Oh side note to this. During ww2, the marines found the need for a portable light machinegun so great, they actually invented their own. salvating parts from a Browning Automatic Rifle, and an M1 garand, they converted an AN/M2 machinegun take off an aircraft, to create a belt fed light machinegun with a rate of fire in the 1200-1350 range. This light machinegun named the M2 stinger, was used by the 28th Marines. with 6 of them being in service till the end of the war. in some ways this might be looked at as the grandfather of the m60.
My dad was an m60 man in Vietnam 70-71. He said it was supposed to be a 2-man thing, but it ended up being him alone the whole time, carrying his own ammo. He would wrap 1000 rounds around his torso instead of the required 500. Despite that, his main complaint was that they wouldn’t give him the handgun that the support guy was supposed to carry.
>Man loaded up with an M60 and 1000 rounds of ammo
"Bob, you know what I want?"
"What."
"More gun."
God bless your Dad, true American right there.
Nice what a legend
Yeah the gunner gets 500 the support hold 1000 . I was the ammo guy , my buddy Singleton was the M249 gunner
Thank your dad and family for your sacrifices
did he tell you how they lost the war?
@@juanshaftpatel7488 they lost because he wasnt allowed to carry a sidearm
Wasn't it known as"the pig"?doesn't sound too complimentary.Took the Septics years to adopt the best GPMG in the M240
It was known as "The pig" due to it being damn heavy, but was well liked when needed for spraying down ammo
although it couldn't remove the barrel without removing the Bi-pod along with the Barrel, and a shorter service life for the gun itself, as well as the prone to breakdown lead to a different gun taking it's role in the GPMG category, the FN-MAG, known in USA as the M240, and replaced by a gun as equally as unreliable as the M60 in the Squad Automatic Weapon role (Or SAW for short) led to the FN-Minimi's adoption in the US known simply as the M249
@@Cobra-King3 The name "Pig" came from the sound it made. It sounded like a pig. ;)
@@JazzJaRa My Grandfather used an M60 during Vietnam, he said it sounded too loud to be a pig
thanks for showing the names of movies in the video! very helpful!
the M60 is actually adopted by the Danish Armed Forces in the M60E6 configuration and the M60E3 and the Base M60 Model is still in used by the Armed Forces of the Philippines
Task & Purpose
@@kabardino1337 no I know this because of Larry Vickers in his M60 video and I researched about the Philippine Army's Arsenal
The US provides a lot of military aid to the Philippines, including weapons and has for decades.
So their adoption of it is more related to those aspects rather than the right weapon for the role.
Just once I'd like to fire an M60 whilst the guitar riff of Freebird is blasting
As of 2004, the USN still used the M60 as well as the M79. The M60 was still in use for good reason. Yes, it was a pain to hump around but we still used it because the caliber and because beyond its maximum effective range rounds would predictably fall in an egg-shaped cone of fire. This allowed us to engage area targets at greater range.
One thing about rates of fire - was that this could vary with what the nation producing the weapon wanted it to be. A higher rate of fire was NOT an indication of one weapon being "better" than another.
For Example - the version of the 1919 used as a aircraft's defensive rear gun, though using the same basic design as the version the Army used had a much higher rate of fire.
Here - for an aircraft - the gunner was only going to have brief seconds to hit an enemy aircraft so they wanted him to have a weapon with a very high rate of fire. The gunner also had an airplane to carry around all the ammunition this weapon could expend.
For the Ground version of the weapon - ground targets are not moving as fast as aircraft and so a gunner on the ground did not need as high a rate of fire and Infantry had to carry that ammo around themselves - unless they happened to have vehicles to do it.
There were in fact individuals that took the version of the 1919 mounted on aircraft and used it on the ground, sometimes calling it a "Stinger". This weapon did in deed have a very high rate of fire - but - the gunner was faced with the same problem as the MG-42 gunners - in constantly running out of ammunition.
When he had bullets to fire - he could really fire a lot of them but - then he couldn't fire any once he ran out - until someone went back and fetched more ammo for it. They could carry more ammo for the weapon - but then - they had to have some one to do that carrying - who wasn't going to be doing something else if he was dedicated to supporting the machine gun.
It was common for all infantry units to have men who were not part of the machine gun teams carry extra ammo for them - but - these men could only carry so much weight and had a lot of different things they might be carrying.
There were technological advancements made but the weapons rate of fire was not a firm indicator of it's technological superiority.
The M-1919 related machine guns and the M-1918 BAR were designed for WWI and during the inter-war years advancements were made. The M-1919 would eventually be replaced by the M-60 and the M-1918 BAR replaced by Assault Rifles but these John Browning designs were in service for a very long time.
.
I liked it despite being 24 lbs plus ammo. That beaten zone did show itself too early . And hated some of its quirks
But passably reliable. Prefer the bren.
As a Infantryman in early 80s I was a machinegunner and carried the 60. It was a decent gun and pretty much reliable. I hope its replacement the 240 Bravo is better? 🇺🇸
Much,we Brits have been using it for 40+years
@@stevenbreach2561 Cool. The weapon was fine for it time. The only problem I had with it is when firing it with blank rounds. It tended to jam.
I found a spare barrel for an m60 buried in the dirt while doing some training on fort Richardson
Even I question Batman in all in his gear... while stangling someone hold a M60 in his LEFT hand and fire one round out of it accurately.
These LMG's are suppressors not snipers. Even Snipers aren't 100% accurate.
I carried an M60E3 in the Marines in Desert Storm. It works fine, was easy to handle with the foregrip and lighter barrel on the E3. I had no problems, but it had to be maintained well. Sand is rough on any weapon. Dust storms were my biggest enemy.
Semper Fi dude
Pretty sure Hot Shots part deux has easily the most accurate depiction of an M60 machine gun ever to grace the silver screen.
I immediately started watching it as soon as this the video ended
BLOODIEST MOVIE EVARRR!
WAR! IT'S FUN!
IT'S FAN-TASTIC!@@bluv6430
@@bluv6430 War, Its FAN - TASTIC😂😂
I used the M60 in the Australian army. I hated it! It was heavy, unreliable, and very inaccurate compared to say the Bren. It was full of design flaws such as breaking stuff if you closed the feed cover in the wrong position. Many movable parts had to be wired in place. Nah!
"The Pig"
Thanks for adding some insight from your experience. Much respect to the Australian Army.
Arnold : no it's lightweight machine gun...i can handle it only with one hand 😎😎
that's military grade for ya
maybe he used it in bad faith.
M60 was a pretty good gun. But compared to it’s contemporaries (MAG, PKM) it was underwhelming. Still the M60 is a good design.
I doubt think that's true....the mag yes ..pkm...not really
M60E6 better than both these days. Check it out for yourself.
@@tasjan9190 Yeah the Danish version is excellent
@@dragonstormdipro1013 it was redesigned by an American firm then adopted by the Danes.
@@BinaryzeroNYC Yeah the PKM was so much better
I’m really enjoying these more and more with each new episode
Thank you kindly!
Agreed! The dudes content really does hit the spot
Also can say it was good and here's another weapon from WWI you can do a segment on the Lewis Light Machine Gun.
I've seen a few of these videos and some others by other UA-camrs, how come Australia always gets a mention when using a weapons system when so many others use it too?
I was a M60 gunner, 23 lbs of fun, God I love that weapon
I love it too, but i miss being able to hear with out whistling in my ears all the time.
How heavy was it
The M60 in the first version I was associated with was temperamental. This was more to do with the modifications that we made. The ammunition could be an issue. When I started on the gun team we carried about 1400 rounds always in cans. Links would rust. However since the assault belt was about 150 to 200 rounds as long you cleaned the belt it wasn’t an issue. The unit had come back from Dak To. So all the rifleman carried a bandolier of 100 rounds. After about 300 rounds the gun was so hot the rounds cooked off. This could be a problem if you ran the gun like this you could burn up the barrel. So the 3 or 4 times I would fire off 2 or 3 cans. Stop and wait. If you fire this gun standing the accuracy could be limited. And once you started the opposition would target you. I started on the M60 about my 3D month. And for most of my time I was a gunner and never saw anything that resembles the movies. The gun weighs about 27 pounds. And I weigh 145. So I always fired it prone. I saw one guy firing it kneeling and he was hit in the head
Thanks for adding this insight! I always love when actual experienced and trained people leave me a comment.
@Ray John… the one with the carrying handle is a M60E3 variant which was used by the Marine Corps in the 1980s through late 1990’s.
Yep, The ones laying down heat are targeted most, thats why you dont stand up or move out of cover. Some people learn the hard way that they are a target, some people dont get the chance to learn at all.
Yeah, I was the assistant gunner/ammo man. 1400 rounds is quite a heavy tote. At MOST, I'd carry 500 rounds while on patrol.
Another idea for your Weapons Comparison video:
The American 50.Cal HMG vs The Russian DSHK-41 HMG (Dushka)
M-16 vs AK-47.
Yeah, agree, saw a , 50. cal used for , practice, every 7th round tracer, it is never explained, I'am talking about used, on "Tripod", for ship security.
@@charletonzimmerman4205 Ah ship security? Makes sense.
Heavy Machine Guns will sink little water craft in seconds, even reach out further than anyone else.
I was an M60 gunner in the 82nd Airborne - gunner and weapons squad leader. I went to a small course on m60 MG leadership taught by former Viet Nam vet green berets and - I shit you not - a former German WW2 infantry soldier.
Now that would be an interesting course.
That one German infantry soldier: USE DAT MG42 COPY HANS
You are the problem
@@destroyerarmor2846 that's right
Then, you realised it was Lauri Thorne.😂
2:06 Did you laugh?
during World war 2 😂
Fun fact: The Danish army recently replaced their version of the MG3 with a modernized version of the M60, the M60E6, under the imaginative name of LMG M/60
Big downgrade
And the M60e6 beat H&K's MG to win the bid!
I just wish US Ordinance had got hold of the M60 earlier to improve it, maybe they'd have beat the M240 for US MG contract
@@hellion6737 some see the RPM of the MG3 too high making it waste ammo.
@@hellion6737 Not really, MG3 is too bulky for urban warfare or for mechanized infantry.
@@SavolaxMitsu The M60 is only around 2lbs lighter and 5 inches shorter than the MG3.
I was a 60 gunner. Loved it. loved it more than the M240. I had no issues with the ones issued to me
Ya i like the M60 better than the M240B. The 60 is lighter weight, and easier to bring into action. I think the M240 was better suited as a stationary weapon on vehicles and air craft.
@@blueduck9409 agreed
I hated the 240. It was heavier and not well balanced. It was barrel heavy and was tiring to have to shoot from the shoulder.
How about Tom Cruise in a very early role, holding off the National Guard in Taps. He certainly liked the gun.
ah shoot! I overlooked that one
David Shawn (Tom Cruise): It's beautiful, man! Beautiful!
@@HollywoodMarine0351 I was thinking about Taps the other day. I remembered Tom Cruise was in the movie but I forgot about the weapon he was using at the end.
The Australian SAS used the M60 as a weapon for four man patrols. Two men would carry M16A1 rifles with underslung M203s, and the other two were armed with L1A1 rifles. The M60 receiver would be carried by one man, the barrel by the radio telephone operator, the tripod carried by a third man, and the ammo carried by the last man. The gun would be assembled for ambushes and similar situations where heavy fire was required.
This arrangement gave the four man patrol significant firepower, allowing them to punch well above their weight. Two four man patrols could defeat battalions of VC, with minimal fire support from artillery or aircraft.
4 man SAS team with a tripod? WTF
@@debbiedoesellis3940 exactly what I was thinking, another keyboard veteran
British Nazi fighting brown people as usual
@@destroyerarmor2846 Check your racist bullshit at the door, please.
"God damn it, Elias, don't mess with my pig". 👍
Having fired the M60 in the early 80’s and the British GPMG I can say out of the 2 the GPMG is by far the better weapon a little heavier with a better rate of fire and less prone the stoppages. Im also a British Army veteran that’s how I got to fire the M60.
What a GPMG? The British M240?
@@woodonfire7406 yes, US designation M240, UK Gmpg, Manufacturers FN MAG
@@woodonfire7406 known to many Brit vets as the "Gimpy"(soft "G")
Ah okay
The M60 is better as a light machine gun than the MAG, however the MAG is a better GPMG.
I carried "The Pig" in Nicaragua when I was fighting with the Contra rebels. If I kept WD-40 on the links and kept it clean it ran well. But it was a bit temperamental. nice to have when you needed it though.
In "Maximum Overdrive" (1986) there was also one who could think for himself. Nice video Johnny.
That's right. It was mounted on something...
@@The_OneManCrowd it was on a “M274 4X4 1/2 Ton Utility Platform Truck” which was also known as the "Mule".
@@HollywoodMarine0351 Right. They used to mount a 90mm recoilless rifle on it too.
@@The_OneManCrowd Yup! Rode one mounting a 90mm recoilless rifle during a lunch break filming a Hue City battle documentary for the Discovery Channel.
@@HollywoodMarine0351 Very cool man!
Great stuff and always, really like how you talk about real life vs Hollywood. Plus the information from veterans is invaluable.
Thanks for the feedback as always Aaron 🙏
@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq how about an episode on the colt 45 revolver and the iconic 1911. There is also artillery from muzzle loading to breech.
The SAW was not the replacement for the M60. It was an, "upgrade" of sorts for the automatic rifleman in each team/squad. During raids I was usually tasked to take my SAW up with the support fire as inevitably as the command to fire you'd hear, "kachunk, FUCK" from the pigs but the 2 SAWs would rip. The 60's I got to use just seemed old and the tolerances were off.
The SAW is 5.56. M60 is 7.62, much bigger round.
Either the gunner did not maintain and lubricate it properly or the feeder pawls were worn. They did not get the intermediate level maintenance they needed as the weapons got older.
@@scottmurphy650 This was up at 2nd bat so all weapons were getting heavy and regular use. The façade were beaten up but the inner workings were as well kept as the soldiers could. Maintenance couldn't/wouldn't get us new guns so they Frankensteined them.
When I first entered the Army I was a Pig gunner. I loved the wepon. I guess it was probably because it was the first machine gun I was exposed to. When the 249 came out I thought it was a waste, basically an overbuilt M16. When the 240B came out I thought it was a boat anchor and a pale imitation.
One of my earliest and fondest memories was (during a training mission) rushing accross a field of waste hight grass at about 2am with my AG and ammo bearer firing the 60 and lighting up the whole field with the muzzle flash it made s strobe light effect. Still give me goose bumps.
Me and my grandpa's most favorite machine gun
“I would like Rambo’s gun”
Although poorly designed a new and well maintained and operated one will not betray its user. But as it goes through its life cycle its poorly designed elements become problems if broken parts are not replaced in timely manner or sometimes the entire gun should be replaced which the government failed to do so making its reputation of a pig and being unreliable. The same thing happened with the M92 pistols. It took to M60E6 to simplify its design elements and make it more reliable even under non-regular maintenance. It sits in the middle weight wise between PKM and FN MAG/MG3, while being closer to PKM in its role. Although not requiring as much maintenance as Stoner LMG it needs a disciplined and professional unit to get the best performance from it.
3:40 most soldiers in a platoon carried extra ammo for the m60. Usually 100 round belt each. Everyone was designated ammo carrier to an extent
What was the film at 4:30 with Arnold
Commando
@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq thank you and amazing video
The biggest drawback of the M60 is it could only be fired right-handed. A lefty like myself always was a little off target the first few burst and I never really felt comfortable firing it.
Not true. You fan watch forgoten weapons channel material about ?M60T and you will know why ot was ultra crap weapon .
@@zepter00 d.
@@cortex8239 what does 'D' mean? That poster told someone with experience to read up! But none of the "experts" know your username. Are you from the hills?
I was the designated “pig” gunner on my team, I resented it, mostly because I hated to clean it. However, when push came to shove, you could reach out and touch someone. One of the best trivia questions is: how many left handed M-60 gunners were there? None after the first burst!
I had a chance to fire the M60, comfortable to use, but not accurate. I prefer the MG3 any day
Maybe one day I'll get the chance if I visit the US 🙂 would make a fun comparison video.
M60 is not hard to shoot you just suck at shooting
@@charlesuplifted5216I said not accurate. I am very good with MG3, M240, rifles, hand guns so, go f..k yourself
I loved my MG3 too. 2002-2004 Fallschirmjägerbataillon 313 💪
@@charlesuplifted5216 Easy now its a comment thread designed to spark conversations. Chill out you don't know him you guys could be good friends.
2:34 is that Mr bean?
You bet your ass it is.
@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq never knew he was captured by the cong
@@willbill6663capturing Mr. Bean was a dark blemish on our history ;C
@@thekhoifish0146 Until he was rescued by Rambo :)
The "Pig" will always be one of my favorite machine guns
The most accurate depiction of M60 in it’s GPMG role, was in Forrest Gump, imo (alongside We were Soldiers of course). From a guy serving ammunition, to it being called the Pig, a very accurate portrayal. However, I remember the first time I vividly saw an M60 was watching William Dafoe as Sgt Elias, carrying the M60 in Platoon
5:11 Nobody talks about him firing around 50 rounds from this BAR😆
😂😂
The problem with the M 60 it was not designed for durability. While great when used in Vietnam but the same gun 10 years later was too beat up to be reliable as such they had to be replaced with the 249.
I loved it when animal mother used a m60 in full metal jacket
6:02 where did u get this clip??? I like it!
Hot Shots part 2. Good movie.
@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq thanks!
Thank you Germany.
If you're a Gen Xer the M-60 will always be synonymous with John Rambo.
Should have riddled murdock with a whole belt😀
I carried an M-60 in the early 1980's. I liked it a lot, it has a reasonable rate of fire so your BCL was not overly heavy. The weapon was heavy but could be easily shouldered. The M240B that replaced it was heavier, barrel heavy making it difficult to shoulder and the higher rate of fire meant more rounds in the BCL.
U.S. ORDINANCE M60E6 is the latest version and has addressed most of the issues of the original M60 design.
The door gunner scene really happened and was taken verbatim from a book written by a journalist covering the war. Michael Herr, Many of the lines in the movie were from his book, 'Dispatches'. The combat scenes, dialogue as well as the boot camp scenes were from a book called "The Shortimers", Written by Gustav Hasford
He never said it didn't happen, and that's not the point, but alright.
Loved the M60, although the SLR was my fave. Always remember an instructor (a Vietnam vet) commenting during an exercise how he loved the sound of a well crewed M60. Mad my day
I wasn’t impressed due to the rate of fire, barrel change, and instances of a runaway gun with both M60 and M60E3. The M240 (aka, FN MAG), although much heavier was a improvement on those issues including accuracy.
Served as a Gunnersmate in the U.S. Coast Guard from 97-2017 and we switched from the M60 to M240's around 2005/2006.
M240 is a better gun overall though it is heavier than the M60.
do you think the E6 model could be better then the 240?
@@Backonos It's possbile, I only know what I've read of it and sounds like it's got a number of improvements in regards to reliability and it's even lighter than older variants. It could definitely be better as an infantry weapon. The M240 is bigger and heavier than even the original M60 but it is more reliable. If the E6 can be close enough in reliability while being lighter and more compact it would likely be a better alternative to the 240 but it MIGHT not be better than the M249 SAW which is basically a smaller, lighter M240 that fires 5.56mm instead of 7.62mm. An MG crew could carry a good bit more ammo for the same weight, it's a bit easier logistically as it's the same ammo as the infantry rifles (though linked with a tracer every 5rds).
But if you NEED that 7.62mm punch and you're carrying the gun (i.e. it's not mounted in a vehicle or emplacement) then the E6 would probably be preferable.
@@brentbartley6838 thanks for the reply and info.
I was a fan of the M60 Machine Gun having served from 1981-2001. My primary MOS was 8541 (Marine Scout Sniper) but I also held secondary MOS's (0311-Infantryman as all Marines do), (0311-Machine Gunner and scored 98% at range qualifying), (0331-Mortarman able to launch at any given moment as well as calling in air strikes. I was at the top of my game and took it seriously because when the shit hit the fan it was going to be me versus them, and I had too damn many people depending on me to fail. WAR IS HELL if one it forced into it, I was not, had I been I was well trained, capable, and ready to do what I had to do, and the M-60 Machine Gun was a weapon I would want if confronted with a potential overrun of forces. It's a true weapon of WAR produced to clear any forward front and have a couple of times cooked the barrel "red-hot". Changing the barrel is said to be quick and easy but can be a venture to do so if people's lives depend on it. Change if you can but cook it if you have too and save as many lives as possible.
LOL How come 90% of guys who said they served claim to be snipers or SEALS? I never knew the Marines had 492,865 from 81-2001.
Ummm 0331 is the MOS for a Machinegunner snowflake.. USMC 1978-2000...0331/0369
Miss the pig! Treat it right and it'll always be there for you! I can see why most guys hated it but I'm 6'3 200lbs. I never had a problem with it. Yeah that 1st road March was a bitch but tell you what, once I got my mitts on that thing didn't no one ever take it away.
There’s some good E3 loving in Tears of the Sun too
Operated the M240G in the Marines, but always loved “the Pig 🐷”!
first
7:51 wouldn't that be the M240? they fill different roles although I have heard both the M60 and the M240 referred to and used as SAWs
In 06 I transitioned from active to the NG and was assigned to a weapons squad. The unit I was assigned still fielded the M60. So I got to fire it a few times and humped it around during field training. Absolutely loved the pig. I will say I wish that FN could afford fewer politicians. The gun was an absolute blast to shoot and far less painful humping it around for miles compared to the M240. Still go with the 240 for a mounted application.
What’s the movie at 5:47?
The Pig we used to call it when I was in the military in the 90's. Heavy SOB.
I got my hands on an M60 as a Pineland guerrilla fighter for the Robin Sage SFG training program for Fort Bragg. I walked into a wall of hot lead and 2 flashbang grenade blasts as I was attempting to capture an enemy held bridge. I was KIA.
Better than being god gunned.
Thanks for the fair and evenhanded video. Yes all due respect to those who served and would serve again.
Thank you for the feedback! I'll keep 'em coming.
I carried the M60 nickname "the pig" my first 3 years in the Army, I was assigned to the 82nd Abn. And I loved her, you take care of her and she performed flawlessly. Of course their were malfunctions at times, like any weapon system, but if you knew your shit, you could get her up and running. She was great machine gun and yes humping the spare barrel and tripod with the TE (true machine gunners know what that is) and the pintel as ammo bearer was a pain in the ass.
Great, Which weapon did Weird Al have in the film UHF, oh wait, he just stared at the enemy, and they all died.
I do own several of McFarlane's military figures that have various weapons that they use.
Take care, and all the best.
Man I totally forgot about that Weird Al scene. I'll have to work that into a future video sometime.
One of my all-time favorite movies. I rented it from this hill-billy vhs rental store back in the day and never returned it. A county deputy showed about nine months later to my mom's house looking for it. That's how OLD that movie is LOL 😆
“Bring me the 60.” Frank Castle Punisher: Born
I joined the army in 2000 and always loved the M60 as a kid.. When I reached bragg after basic every Bivouac I'd request to carry the M60.. only got to do it once before we switched fully to the SAW.. The saw is Lighter and better accuracy and better fireing rate.. my new love lol... the 60 is a classic though lml
I seem to remember that a Machine-Gun was fired as three to five round burst, to keep the barrel change down and reliability up. The Movie use in long firing is pure Trash. Like current Politicians who think that a Machinenpistol will with its 32 round magazine is going to last forever. Many such guns fire 600-800 rounds per MINUTE, so how long is 32 rounds going really last?
Hey Johnny you know what I just realized at the M60 has a middle name it's called war Pig yeah that's its middle name M60 war pig I got that like from another video
@3:30 what movie is that riverboat battle from?
Nicely done video. But you left out Chuck Norris in "Missing in Action" with some pretty memorable M-60 moments.
Damn! He is probably gonna chop my house down all the way from Texas now.
M60 my favorite machine gun it's always been my favorite gun Urban love akm 16 I preferred a heavy M60 simple looks power just awesome
0:31 GLASS DIDN’T BREAK?!?!?!?
I miss the M60 LMG 😢, the M240 is a great weapon…but I’m sentimental for my old friend (M60)❤️
Door gunners, a beer can, to feed rounds into the M60D, so the belt wouldn’t break while moving around
if the belt were left to hang prior to the feed, it would jam....a ration can was typically taped or wired to the gun for the belt to lay over prior to the feed...sometimes seen in Viet Nam photos, later an improvement would address this.
I was about to comment that you didn't show predator.
BUT YOU DID!
It would have been criminal not to.
I shot the M-60 in boot camp in 93. The instructor told us these were temperamental and would sometimes keep firing after releasing the trigger. They gave us 50 rounds and after my third burst, it kept firing so I just held on until my little belt was done. Good times.
We use the new M60e6 in Danish army and homeguard, and Iam a MG in homeguard. Its good walk with and shoot, do low rate fire, but it lack the feel of MG like the old MG3(new version of the MG42) I want shoot with MG3 and but walk with M60.
Deutsche FG42+MG42= Ameriken M60 «Pig». Plagiat!!!!
1:47 However much of M60s designs derived from German 'proto Assault rifle' the FG-42 with side inserting mag.
Well partially, it also was influenced by the M1's gas system and parts from the Lewis gun.
I never expected to see a South Park clip in any of your videos 😂
Haha but that clip was gold for this video
@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq definitely a pleasant surprise!
what movie is that at 6:38??
Forrest Gump
Beachmaster Unit One, Bravo Team. I was the machine gunner with the M60, everyone else in the team had M-16's with Mark 203 grenade launchers. I thank the good Lord above I had never had to use it lethally, but I did fire and train with it for many days.
Aviation M60s are still comon. I liked the M60 very much and never had any problems with it. Changing a barrel is very easy and quick if you kick the bi pod the barrel pops right out. Simple maintenence with keep it running. A c rat can attached to the feed port helps prevent jamming. Its always recommended to wear the asbestos oven mit when changing or handling a hot barrel.
German inspired, I loved the M60!!
Spent a week shooting this and the .50 cal. as part of a machine gun crew. I liked the m 60 but I LOVED the .50 cal.
do remember C ration cans being adapted near the feed to allow ammo to easily go in
the door gunner scene in full metal jacket is a true story as documented by micheal herrs book dispactches. several other scenes are from his book too like the guy who was killed and masturbated all the time to get out of Vietnam.
on another note in forest gump a small detail i liked was that the vietcong deliberately hit the m60 crew with an rpg which was always a target to be taken out due to their effectiveness in battle. much as flamethrowers was a dangerous job in the islands of the pacific the m60 was in Vietnam apparently.
These are underated
Have you seen an MG barrel swap in the movie? I can't really remember ever seeing it. Even with guns where it is very simple like MG42 or FN MAG.
I carried one of these for years, I hated the “pig” until it was needed! It never let me down.
One of the cool things that you can do with “the pig” is what is called “Plunging Fire”. It’s a way to hit targets that you can’t hit with direct fire by firing up in an arc and have the bullets “rain” down on the target. Once you get the hang of it, it is a pretty cool way to zap bad guys.
@J de Leon our mantra was to say “3 to 5 round burst”(release) and that gave you, based on its cyclic rate 4 to 6 rounds per trigger pull.
And sometimes, we see soldiers that running with two M60s on both hands. Thanks a lot for the video.
Imagine the absolute chad-units who complained about the M60 being too light.
😂
Oh side note to this. During ww2, the marines found the need for a portable light machinegun so great, they actually invented their own. salvating parts from a Browning Automatic Rifle, and an M1 garand, they converted an AN/M2 machinegun take off an aircraft, to create a belt fed light machinegun with a rate of fire in the 1200-1350 range. This light machinegun named the M2 stinger, was used by the 28th Marines. with 6 of them being in service till the end of the war.
in some ways this might be looked at as the grandfather of the m60.
Give a Marine a M-60 and you've basically given the Grim Reaper his scythe...they can throw a lot of hurt down range with the good ol "Pig"
Haha I heard that giggle after hearing “Alamo Alamo”.