The M60 served as the primary American general purpose machine gun for a good part of the 20th century, being fielded in the squad support and vehicle mounted roles during it's tenure." (Alex) This weapon was very influential in the war against Vietnam. It's range was 1,200 yards (Alex). This weapon could fire up to 600 rounds per minute, which was revolutionary in combat (Alex). The M60 was also very versatile. It could be used by vehicles to lay down cover fire, and it also could be carried by soldiers (generally stronger ones), to be used as an assault weapon (Alex). It was often equipped with a bipod for support when firing (Alex). The weapon was not flawless however; many soldiers complained that it was not very durable, and due to its rapid firing rate, it would often overheat; which caused the barrel of the gun to have to be replaced more often (Alex). Though it had it's flaws, the M60 GPMG was very influential in American combat, allowing soldiers to fire more rounds at a faster rate, unrivaled at that point in history.
Alex, Dan. "M60 GPMG - History, Specs and Pictures - Military Weapons."M60 GPMG. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.
Image Website: http://battleweapons.blogspot.com/2013/04/m60-gpmg-general-purpose-machine-gun-usa.html
Image Website: http://battleweapons.blogspot.com/2013/04/m60-gpmg-general-purpose-machine-gun-usa.html