GPMG IN SF MODE

[muffett.2008]

Theres two things the M60 was renowned for............it either emulated a Del Shannon song(RUNAWAY) or vibrated itself to pieces.

[skiprat]

The Gun is not issued with a spare barrel.....
2 barrels come with the tripod as part of the kit, and any gun is then fitted to the tripod and barrels by an Armoured ( fitted for headspace) so the barrels are actually serial numbered to the tripod not the gun.

Well that is what it says in the good book, its not always done that way..

In the clip you can hear a couple of the guns start a burst slow and speed up during the burst... Many of the guns firing a bit fast (should be 750 rpm) ....First stoppage Immediate Action ( IA) should be cock the weapon and fire..( like the old LMG)

I had the pleasure of been the Armourer for the GPMG SF courses run from Catterick. 30 guns firing on the point for 2 weeks in the field. It took a good crew to keep the gun in good condition to keep it firing the whole time.... ( They did not always clean the gas plug and piston....Resulting in the gun locking forward.

[Peter Laidler]

When the GPMG SF courses were run at Warminster and occasionaly at Brecon we'd get the courses round to have a talk and look at the history and importance of SF. SF is a morale booster for 'our' side just to hear and more importantly, actually SEE the volume of fire going down range. But a morale destroyer for the opposition because most of their positions are fixed or logged into the gun layers maps or notes, sent back by the FOO's. So turning great volumes of map directed fire as soon as troop movements are noted is soul destroying for them (followed if necessary by mortars). Most of the lessons learned and taught aren't those from the wars but from Korea (there's a name to conjure with!). During the last week we would put a Vickers in a gun pit (no gun pits in the video I notice.....) and cover it with a cam net or hide behind a vehicle. It was always a nice slice of history to see it steaming after a few belts. That's history for real I used to tell them........ Good times

The second barrel looks like it is being held up by 2 trip flare-pot pickets. You find them and schermuley parachutes all over theplace!

[Gil Boyd]

You can't escape the "Beaten Zone" when those old beauties start up, no place to hide

[browningautorifle]

the M60 was renowned for...(RUNAWAY)

The firing mech had a flat spring holding it's axis pins in place. Supposedly assembled from the bottom it would lose it's tension and fall out allowing the firing mech to fall off. The Aussie instructors had us install them from top so they wouldn't fall off...just one of the things.

The Gun is not issued with a spare barrel.....
2 barrels come with the tripod as part of the kit, and any gun is then fitted to the tripod and barrels by an Armoured ( fitted for headspace) so the barrels are actually serial numbered to the tripod not the gun.

Very different from the way we do it. We issue a second barrel that's numbered to the gun. The third barrel comes with the mount group and "Extra barrels are provided during SF role"...meaning as stated others are checked and brought to that gun. Interesting, such a vast difference in doctrine...

The second barrel looks like it is being held up by 2 trip flare-pot pickets.

That's possible...Here's pics of aiming stakes and trip flare stakes...item "C" in our SF kit.

Our doctrine states after every 220 rds a barrel will be changed.

Here's a mistake from the past, the correction comes from the current book...a quote..."If the fire has to be delivered for long periods, whether at the normal or rapid rate, the barrel is to be changed every 440 rounds. The gas plug and block are to be cleaned with the issued reamers before re-use..."