History

The M60 (formally named United States Machine Gun, Caliber 7.62 mm, M60) is a family of American general purpose machine guns firing 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges from a disintegrating belt of M13 links. There are several types of live ammunition approved for use in the M60, including ball, tracer, and armor-piercing rounds. The M60 was referred to as "The Pig" during the Vietnam War.
 
Introduced in 1957, it has served with every branch of the U.S. military and still serves with other armed forces. Its manufacture and continued upgrade for military and commercial purchase continues into the 21st century, though it has been replaced or supplemented in most roles by other designs, notably the M240 in U.S. service.

 The M60 is a belt-fed machine gun that fires the 7.62 mm NATO cartridge(.308 winchester) commonly used in larger rifles. It is generally used as crew-served weapon and operated by a team of two or three men. The team consists of the gunner, the assistant gunner (AG in military slang), and the ammunition bearer. The gun's weight and the amount of ammunition it consumes when fired make it difficult for a single soldier to carry and operate. The gunner carries the weapon and, depending on his strength and stamina, anywhere from 200 to 1000 rounds of ammunition. The assistant carries a spare barrel and extra ammunition, and reloads and spots targets for the gunner. The ammunition bearer carries additional ammunition and the tripod with associated traversing and elevation mechanism, if issued, and fetches more ammunition as needed during firing.
 
Firing an M60 machine gun from the standing position during the DEFENDER CHALLENGE '88 competition
The basic ammunition load carried by the crew is 600 to 900 rounds and theoretically allows approximately two minutes of continuous firing at the maximum rate of fire. All crews carry more than the basic load, sometimes three or more times the basic amount

 
The M60 can be accurately fired at short ranges from the shoulder due to its design. This was an initial requirement for the design and a hold-over in concept from the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle. It may also be fired from the integral bipod, M122 tripod, and some other mounts.
 
M60 ammunition comes in a cloth bandolier containing a cardboard box of 100 pre-linked rounds. The M60 changed from M1 link to the different M13 link, a change from the older link system with which it was not compatible. The cloth bandolier is reinforced to allow it to be hung from the current version of the feed tray. Historically, units in Vietnam used B3A cans from C-rations packs locked into the ammunition box attachment system to roll the ammunition belts over for a straighter and smoother feed to the loading port to enhance reliability of feed. The later models changed the ammunition box attachment point and made this adaptation unnecessary.

The M60 machine gun began development in the late 1940s as a program for a new, lighter 7.62 mm machine gun. It was derived from German machine guns of World War II (most notably the FG 42 and slightly the MG 42),[3] but it contained American innovations as well. Early prototypes, notably the T52 and T161 highly resembled both the M1941 Johnson machine gun and the FG-42. It was intended to replace the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle and M1919A6 Browning machine gun in the squad automatic weapon role, and in the medium machine gun role. One of the weapons tested against it during its procurement process was the FN MAG.
 

 The experimental T-44 machine gun developed from the German FG 42 and MG 42 machine guns.
The U.S. Army officially adopted the M60 in 1957. It later served in the Vietnam War as a squad automatic weapon with many U.S. units. Every soldier in the rifle squad would carry an additional 200 linked rounds of ammunition for the M60, a spare barrel, or both. The up-gunned M113 armored personnel carrier ACAV added two M60 gunners beside the main .50 caliber machine gun, and the Patrol Boat, River had one in addition to two .50 cal mounts.

 
In the 1980s, the M60 was partially replaced by the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon within the infantry squad. The M60 was retained in the vehicle mounted role and the general-purpose role due to its greater power and range compared to the 5.56 mm M249. In USMC service, concerns about the M60's reliability, the system's weight, and high round counts of many M60s in service prompted the adoption of the M60E3 to replace most original M60s in infantry units.
 

 A 19th Special Forces Group soldier mans an M60 machine gun on a Humvee in Afghanistan, in March 2004. An AT4 anti-tank launcher can be seen in the foreground.
Starting with Ranger Battalions, the US Army began adopting and modifying M240 variants for replacing their remaining M60s in the early 1990s. By comparison, the M240 is several pounds heavier than the M60, and has a longer barrel and overall length, but is more reliable in use and testing. However, the M60 uses a much simpler gas system that is, when care is taken during reassembly, easier to clean. This advantage is obviated by the fact that, in practice, the gas tube is wired shut with lockwire to prevent the gun from disassembling itself due to vibration in hard use.
 

 A sailor fires an M60E3 machine gun during a live-fire exercise at the Mobile Inshore Underwater Warfare Site (MIUW) at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
The M60 continues to be used by U.S. Navy SEALs and as a door gun on U.S. Army helicopters into the 21st century, and as the main 7.62 mm machine gun by some U.S. special operations forces into the late 1990s. As of 2005, it is used by the Coast Guard, Navy, and a number of reserve forces, though it is being phased out in favor of the M240 7.62 mm medium machine gun. The use as an Army helicopter door gun will soon be tapering off, as an improved M240 version has been adopted for this role.

Singleplayer/Spec-Ops

Multiplayer

The M60E4 is unlocked at Level 72 in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's multiplayer. It features extremely high power up close, but a slow rate of fire and the slowest reload time of any LMG. It is also the primary weapon equipped with the Juggernaut point streak, along with the MP412.

Attachments

Attachments	Challenges	Icon
Reflex Sight	Get 60 kills while looking through a Red Dot Sight attached to a LMG.
Silencer	Get 15 kills with a Silencer attached to a LMG.
Grip	Get 60 kills with a Grip attached to a LMG.
ACOG Scope	Get 20 kills while looking through a ACOG Scope attached to a LMG.
Rapid Fire	Get 40 kills with Rapid Fire attached to a LMG.
Holographic Sight	Get 40 kills while looking through a Holographic Sightattached to a LMG.
Extended Mags	Get 40 kills with Extended Mags attached to a LMG.
Thermal	Get 40 kills while looking through a Thermal attached to a LMG.

Proficiencies

Proficiency	Description	Icon
Kick	Kick Reduces recoil by 20%, allowing for steadier full-auto and faster recovery from shots.
Impact	Impact grants maximized penetration for any weapon. This is especially powerful on Assault Rifles and SMGs, as LMGs already have strong penetration, and Sniper Rifles are difficult to use for intentional walling shots.
Attachment	Allows the use of 2 Attachments. It is a solid all-around Proficiency, useful in many situations. This Proficiency is also notably useful for stealth builds, as it allows you to use a Silencer alongside any other Attachment. The Attachment Proficiency is also helpful if you are still getting comfortable with iron sights, as it allows you to take and optical Attachment and a second utility Attachment.
Focus	Reduces visual recoil by 50% when you are hit. Focus is very effective for SMGs and Shotguns. It is also helpful for ARs, as it can keep your shots on target when you enter a heads-up one-on-one firefight.
Speed	Improves movement speed by 10%, or one step up on the mobility scale. Speed is an important upgrade for LMGs and Riots Shields. It is less critical for Sniper Rifles, excepting the Barret and AS50, which are heavier and slower than other Sniper Rifles.
Stability	Reduces idle sway by 25%. Consider this to be an 'automatic' Breath for long-range combat. It is most useful on LMGs, as they need the enhanced accuracy for long-range shots, though ARs also benefit from it.

Challenges