19m 30s | 619770 view | 1157 rating

This educational video shows how the United States designed M60 works, how its operated and used. The M60 was first placed into service in 1957, and has served with all branches of the US though it has been replaced by the M240. In Vietnam is where it proved itself to be effective and reliable. Its a gas operated design, fired from the open bolt position and does have a removable barrel. Firing the NATO 7.62mm, it uses many different types of ammunition, belt fed: ball, tracer, armor-piercing rounds, and HE tipped. The M60 owes its roots to the German FG-42 and the MG42 type machine-guns developed in the early 1940's, which were in turn based on the MG43 technology as well. It was a superb design modified from the original German to fit American industry, ammo requirements, and the effectiveness. Germany still uses a the MG3 which is essentially a slightly updated MG42, having plastic parts instead of wood, and the mechanics modernized, but the design is nearly identical to the original. For more on the M60, goto: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M60_machine_gun HOW IT WORKS playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rIHdcwlvlk&list=PLCIsViWU6sLkATemOAURLlP0GK4-dyHRm FOLLOW on: https://www.facebook.com/documentarytube.net https://twitter.com/DocArchive