The M60 replaced the M1919A4 and M1919A6 air-cooled machine guns and the M1917A1 water-cooled machine gun, which were the standard .30-cal. ground machine guns for many years.

Watch this American Rifleman "At The Range" video segment above to learn about the M60 general-purpose machine gun chambered in 7.62 mm NATO.

The story of the M60 begins right after the end of WWII. During WWII, U.S. soldiers faced down the advanced MG42 machine gun and FG42 automatic rifle.

Key Points – The Nazi German MG 42, introduced in 1942, was a fearsome 7.92x57mm Mauser general-purpose machine gun renowned for its devastatingly high rate of fire (1,200-1,800 rpm) and ...

M60 Machine Gun > Entered service in: 1957 > Est. rate of fire: 550-650 rounds per minute > Magazine: 200-1,000 round disintegrating belt > Chambered for: 7.62Ã 51mm NATO ammunition ...

The indictment describes the firearms as fully automatic weapons not legally available to the public, including an M60 machine gun, a belt-fed weapon widely used by the U.S. military since the ...

These included the addition of M60 machine guns, flamethrowers, and even Vulcan 20mm Gatling guns. The role of tanks in the war. Bettmann/Getty Images.