~ 720th Military Police Battalion Reunion Association History Project ~
720th MP
Battalion
Battalion Weapons History
This Page Last Updated  19 February 2012
M60 Machine Gun 7.62mm
"The Work Horse of the Battalion in Vietnam"
   WANTED: If you have any unusual photographs or can provide any interesting personal stories related to your use of this weapon, please take the time to contact the History Project Manager via this Email Link Your contributions to the Battalion history are always appreciated and welcomed.

   The M60 Machine Gun was the meat and potatoes of the 720th MP battalion weapons inventory in Vietnam. It was mounted on the Battalion gun jeeps, Armored Personnel Carriers (APC) and V100 Armored Commando Cars for patrol, convoy and special escorts along with all River Patrol Unit boats. Each ambush and recon squad and village outpost were also assigned one.

 

 

Length: 42.4 inches (107.70 centimeters)
Weight: 18.75 pounds (8.51 kilograms)
Bore diameter: 7.62mm (.308 inches)
Maximum effective range: 3609.1 feet (1100 meters)
Maximum range: 2.3 miles (3725 meters)
Muzzle velocity: 2800 feet (853 meters) per second
Rates of fire:
Cyclic: 550 rounds per minute
Rapid: 100 rounds per minute*
Sustained: 100 rounds per minute*
(* with barrel changes at each 100 rounds)

 

   The M60 fires the standard NATO 7.62 mm round (same as the M14 rifle) and is used as a general support crew-served (two man) weapon. It has a removable barrel which can be easily changed to prevent overheating. The weapon has an integral, folding bipod and can also be mounted on a folding tripod.

   An ammunition can holding a 200 round belt was attached for vehicle mounted use and a small canvas bag that held 50 rounds was attached for ambush and recon duty.

   It has an ambidextrous safety, universal sling attachments, a carrying handle on the barrel, is a lightweight, air-cooled, disintegrating metallic link-belt fed machine gun designed for ground operations.

 

19 October 1966 When the Battalion arrived in Vietnam it was authorized by TO&E a total of twelve M60 Machine guns. Within a month they found the number of machine guns was woefully inadequate for their assigned missions.

31 January 1967 The Battalion Commander, LTC (COL Ret.) Glenn A. Hill, submitted a request to higher authorities to increase the battalion TO&E to a total of forty-six M60 Machine guns to perform their current convoy escort and security; ambush sites for 3rd Ordinance Ammunition Supply Depot; and other general combat support missions.

Photo G0797 SP/4 Thomas A. “Alfie” Alfano, Ambush Squad-75, B Company, 720th MP Battalion, conducting M60 machine gun familiarization at the range on Long Binh Post Vietnam in 1969. Courtesy of SP/4 William L. “Moe” Mohollen, B Company, 720th MP Battalion, Sep 1968 to Dec 1969.

 
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