M60 (machine gun)

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The M60 is an air-cooled and gas-operated machine gun firing from an open bolt. It chambers the 7.62 × 51 mm cartridge and feeds from a disintegrating belt of metallic M13 links. In most variants, it has an integrated folding bipod and can be mounted on the M122 Tripod and some fixed mounts. It was first conceived as a vehicle mounted weapon by the Allied Forces during the Great World War II.

The M60 is considered effective up to 1,100 meters when firing at an area target and mounted on a tripod; up to 800 meters when firing at an area target using the integral bipod; up to 600 meters when firing at a point target; and up to 200 meters when firing at a moving point target.this machine gun weights about 40 pounds.

The M60 is generally used as crew-served weapon and operated by a team of two or three men. The team consists of the gunner and an assistant or a gunner, assistant gunner, and an ammo bearer. The gun's weight and the amount of ammunition it consumes when fired makes it difficult to carry and operate by a single soldier. The gunner carries the weapon while the assistant carries a spare barrel and extra ammunition in linked belts. The ammo bearer, if assigned, typically carries additional ammunition and the tripod with associated traversing and elevation mechanism, if issued. The basic ammunition load carried by the crew is 600 to 900 rounds which allows approximately two minutes of continuous firing at the maximum rate of fire. Due to this fact and issues with continuous supply of ammunition, Allied and later GDI and Nod vehicles using this weapon rarely used it as a suppression weapon, prefferying short controlled bursts against enemy infantry.

The machinegun was the standard issue weapon of M113 APCs used by both sides as well as a veriety of other vehicles, including the Chenowth Patrol Vehicle and Humvees. Eventually, it was made obsolete by better, more powerful weapons.