Accuracy is overrated.
In the chaos of combat, you might not know where the enemy is -
but with enough firepower you can always make 'em keep their heads down.
The M60.
A classic post-war American machine gun known for its service in Vietnam - and its role
in action cinema.
So, what prompted the development of a new machine gun?
What problems did this design face?
And what makes it perfect for on-screen action?
The end of World War 2 was relief for a world weary of conflict, but to call what followed
'peace' wouldn't be entirely accurate.
Warfare had entered a nuclear age - and the tactics and equipment used at the start of
the war were now woefully inadequate, and so military budgets were redirected towards
research.
The greatest lessons from war are taught by the opposition - and the Americans looked
to the tactics and captured equipment of the Germans to better understand their own shortcomings.
German squads consisted of 10 men: one squad leader, five riflemen, one SMG user for close-range
support - and a 3-man machine gun crew.
The bolt-action K98k rifles carried by most of the squad were arguably out-of-date - but
that didn't really matter, as their job was to protect the MG, carry extra ammunition
and spare barrels, and flush the enemy into its fire.
Everything hinged on the machine gun - fortunately, Germany had a pretty good one.
At the start of the war, they used the MG 34 - a belt-fed design that was light enough
to be carried by a single soldier, but nonetheless capable of sustained automatic fire.
It was supplemented by the later (and more famous) MG 42 design; simpler, cheaper, easier
to manufacture - and with an astonishingly high rate of fire that earned it the nickname
'Hitler's Buzzsaw'.
Comparatively, the American automatic rifleman was issued with the M1918 BAR: firing at about
half the rate from measly 20 round box magazines.
It was this difference in suppressive firepower that post-war America sought to remedy - and
so work began on a new machine gun.
Designed by committee, and not shy of taking elements from German designs - early prototypes
fused the semi-bullpup configuration of the FG 42 with the feed system of the fearsome
MG 42.
Originally intended to fire the Springfield .30-06 cartridge, the pending standardisation
of the shorter, more modern NATO round led to prototypes being adapted for this new calibre.
Tested, revised and re-revised during the 1950s - fending off foreign competition such
as the Belgian FN MAG - the new machine gun was finally adopted in 1957: designated the
'M60'.
One stand-out trait is the weapon's versatility: whether vehicle-mounted, on tripod or prone
with bipod it remains effective - even while fired standing from the shoulder.
Compared to the BAR and M1919A6, it was a dream - the perfect compromise between sustained
fire and portability.
By now, the situation in Vietnam was getting worse: prompting America to take escalating
action in order to contain the irresistible spread of communism.
American soldiers deployed for combat - and the M60's first real performance test.
Vietnam was a taxing environment, and firing thousands upon thousands of rounds will quickly
identify any flaws in a design.
Some parts were surprisingly fragile, requiring expedient repair in the field - and without
diligent maintenance, stoppages and failures would become frequent.
And so the weapon earned rather a mixed reputation - becoming affectionately known as 'The Pig'.
It was big, it was heavy: a pain to carry, with a voracious appetite for ammunition - but
when things got hairy - its ability to lay down suppressive fire was very welcome indeed.
Alongside the new M16, the M60 became a familiar sight in war photography - its large size
and impressive-looking ammunition belts particularly distinctive.
Public attitude to the war was rapidly souring, however - and the rising counterculture of
the late sixties clamoured for its end.
As America's will to fight evaporated, the communists redoubled their ferocity - prompting
an American withdrawal and leading to the fall of Saigon.
This wasn't like World War 2 - no heroes, nor a noble goal - Vietnam was an impotent
mess: a foreign war with pointless involvement, pockmarked with atrocity.
The war was over - and America was hurt.
It was around this time that 'New Hollywood' was emerging - a shift away from safe studio-led
projects to a more artistic and daring direction.
Films like 'The Deer Hunter' and 'Apocalypse Now' were a far cry from your typical war
movie - there was no glory in their depiction of war.
Despite the surrounding tragedy, there is a vein of black humour that flows through
these depictions of Vietnam - not to mention a killer soundtrack.
By the 1980s, the counter-cultural hangover was slowly giving way to a new wave of optimism
- and we saw the re-emergence of a proud American identity: reckless, untamed - and free.
The M60 was the logical choice for a chaotic force like Rambo: strongly reminiscent of
Vietnam, and an embodiment of America's struggle.
Sling an ammo belt over your shoulder and head for the jungle: there's something about
the M60 that screams out for reckless fire from the hip.
Perhaps it's because the weapon is quite well suited to it - moreso than most machine guns,
at least.
American doctrine has long favoured a 'walking fire' concept - the ability to move while
still suppressing the enemy - and, like the Thompson and BAR before it - the M60 was made
with this in mind.
There's also the fact that it's just plain cool.
For a while, the M60 was the king of action movie firepower - at least, until it was usurped
by the Minigun.
A vent for all the misgivings and frustrations pent up over the last decade, the action genre
was a Vietnam do-over: a chance to reinvent the hero; where the good guys win by shooting
all the bad guys until they die.
The machine gun cobbled together from World War 2 had led an exciting life - but it would
be a relatively short one.
Wear and tear took its toll on too many parts - and as inventory aged, reliability plummeted.
Later design variants attempted to address these issues - the M60E3 and later E4 brought
performance up to a more acceptable grade - but it was already starting to be replaced.
Belgian rival, the FN MAG, outperformed the M60 in testing significantly - firing over
three times as many rounds on average before stoppage or failure.
The MAG was adopted by the US as the M240 in 1977, replacing the M60 in vehicle-mounted
roles.
In 1982, the FN Minimi was adopted as the M249 SAW, displacing the M60's infantry role.
In 1995, the M240 Bravo stepped in to fill the demand for an infantry-carried medium
machine gun - relegating the M60 to limited use.
It might have been home-grown, but when faced with plainly better alternatives, 'good enough'
isn't nearly good enough.
Still, it might have been a mid-century stopgap; a mishmash of wartime design; and a mascot
of an unpopular war -
but the pig still performed its duty.
A beastly burden - a drudge to hump.
Some love it, others hated it - but the M60 never failed to make an impression.
An imperfect hero, not without flaw - but a hero nonetheless.
The M60.
Get some.
Get some!
GET SOME!!
Thank you very much for watching - and until next time, farewell.