What was the pig in Vietnam War?

M60
The up-gunned M113 armored personnel carrier ACAV added two M60 gunners beside the main .50 caliber machine gun, and the Patrol Boat, River had one in addition to two .50 cal mounts. During the Vietnam War, the M60 received the nickname “The Pig” due to its bulky size and appetite for ammunition.

What machine gun was used in Vietnam?

One of the most common infantry weapons used by U.S. troops in Vietnam was the M-60 machine gun, which could also be used as an artillery weapon when mounted or operated from a helicopter or tank.

Was the M60 a good gun?

American soldiers loved it and hated it. They loved its reliability and rate of fire but disliked its bulk, which earned it the nickname “the Pig.” Changing the barrel on an M60 was an awkward, cumbersome task, all but impossible in the heat of battle.

How many M60 tanks are left?

The M60 Patton was the mainstay of the U.S tank fleet in the 1960s and 1970s, before being replaced by the M1 Abrams tank currently in service. However, more than five thousand Pattons remain in service in the armies of nineteen countries.

Was the M60 machine gun used in the Vietnam War?

The M60 was ubiquitous in the Vietnam War. U.S. Army photo It was a fixture in Vietnam. Second only to the Huey helicopter as the “most recognizable” weapon of its era according to a poll by the trade journal Army Times, the M60 machine gun was everywhere in the Southeast Asia conflict.

What replaced the M60 in the US Army?

In the 1980s the Army began replacing the M60 with the 5.56 mm M249 Squad Automatic Weapon and, soon afterward, the M240 7.62 mm machine gun. Weights: Empty, 23 pounds (10.43 kilograms); loaded 28 pounds (12.70 kilograms)

Can the M60 machine gun be fired from the shoulder?

A U.S. airman firing an M60 machine gun from the standing position during the Defender Challenge competition in 1988. The M60 can be accurately fired at short ranges from the shoulder thanks to its design. This was an initial requirement for the design and a hold-over in concept from the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle.

What is the difference between the T-44 and the M60 machine gun?

The experimental T-44 machine gun developed from the German FG 42 and MG 42 machine guns. The M60 machine gun began development in the late 1940s as a program for a new, lighter 7.62 mm machine gun. It was partly derived from German guns of World War II (most notably the FG 42 and the MG 42), but it contained American innovations as well.