When Pigs Fly: The Heliborne M60 Machine Gun in Vietnam

[4thIDvet]

The first of its kind in U.S. military service, the M60 General Purpose Machine Gun replaced at least three other guns. Nicknamed “The Pig,” it saw service on the ground, on the water and in the air.

https://www.americanrifleman.org/art...ArticleId=7627

[JD Miller]

Larry the cable guy did a gun episode last night.... He got invited to the NRA's Gun museum and shooting range..... The NRA as every cool gun that is known to man

.

[Sanders]

For 3 years, Uncle Sam actually PAID me to carry and shoot one of those. And I didn't even get charged for all the ammo!

Hell, I would have paid them!

Up and down mountains, through swamps, bogs, deep snow, and desert sands I packed that beast. Never once did I ever whine, bitch, moan or otherwise complain. Once, out at Ft. Irwin, a skinny little black TOW gunner had to carry the gun off his ITV through the desert with us. He couldn't hang, so I wound up carrying both mine and his as the 6 of us left alive from our company took "The Whale" by climbing up some crevices and canyons that were deemed "impassable". We then took out a platoon of Marines from 29 Palms, thus securing the objective we were originally sent to secure with an entire company, but it was just us "Dirty Half-Dozen".

I was issued a total of 3 different guns. The first two were worn out. One was so worn out that I could almost squeeze the receiver together with my fingers. The last gun I got issued, after I wrapped a brand new 3-digit serial # M249 around a tree, was a brand new Maremont. Oh, that was a beauty. It was that gun that I used to make the Bundeswehr and their MG42s look like a bunch of chumps playing at Army.

It was that gun that I used to outshoot a Cobra gunship on a brigade online firing range. I was on the far right, and no targets came up in my lane. The Cobra was hovering about 50 ft. off the ground and was close enough I could see the crew. He expended all his 20mm on his target, which was at 1,500 meters and he never hit it. So, I raised my sight all the way up and then added some Kentucky windage and elevation. Tracer burnout was 900 meters, so that was no help. I let a 100 round belt fly and down went his big BTR target. I got a thumbs up from the pilot and gunner. The Colonel showed up in his Jeep and wanted to know who the fuck shot down that target. I raised my hand, figuring I was going to get my ass reamed for going against the program, but got a "good shooting, Soldier", instead.

Anyone who ever said the M60 was a piece of shit, doesn't know what they are talking about. Take care of her, and she'll treat you right. Ignore and abuse her, and she might just say screw you when you need her the most.

[hangfire]

I wish I had a dollar for every round I fired from a pig.

[RTO]

You missing the good ol' days, Tim?

[baboon]

I'd owe one if I could afford it!

[4thIDvet]

Originally Posted by RTO

You missing the good ol' days, Tim?

Geez RTO I never fired one I was 11 H in A.I.T. Nam I never touched one. Just held one at the reunion and almost pulled my back out holding the damn thing.

Originally Posted by baboon

I'd owe one if I could afford it!

So I should have bought the one for sale at the gun show for $10,000 about 30 yrs. ago? Guy told me they were going up in price. I didn't want to tell the guy I had to borrow $3.00 to get in the damn show.

[baboon]

Originally Posted by 4thIDvet

So I should have bought the one for sale at the gun show for $10,000 about 30 yrs. ago? Guy told me they were going up in price. I didn't want to tell the guy I had to borrow $3.00 to get in the damn show.

Better investment thenmost shit we buy & own
http://machinegunpriceguide.com/html/us_belt_10.html

[REDOAK]

I like my M60. I really do.

[4thIDvet]

Originally Posted by baboon

Better investment thenmost shit we buy & own
http://machinegunpriceguide.com/html/us_belt_10.html

Damn dealer at the show was right on the high end of a fair price 20+ yrs ago at $10 grand.
Now pushing $70 grand. Hell that is more than I paid for this swamp shack by $20,000.
People who invested in gold, guns, real estate years back are sitting good right now. I used to have a lot of guns till I joined the Brady Bunch. Now people are banging on my door looking for them.
I shouldn't have tossed them in the canal. $$

[Sanders]

I hadn't been out of the Army more than 6 months and was sitting around drinking beers with some guys in Houston. Of course, the conversation got around to guns and fun and I mentioned how I'd sure like to have my own M60. One of the fellows from Louisiana, coonass to the bone - you could barely understand him when he spoke, his accent was so strong - in all seriousness told me he could get me one for $500 cash. I didn't have two nickels to rub together at the time, and besides that, I knew he was a drug dealer and wouldn't buy anything from him, anyway. So, I passed on the offer.

A couple weeks later, I was looking at a newspaper in Houston and there was an article about a National Guard armory that had been robbed in Louisiana. Well, being the smart guy I am, I pretty much figured out where that M60 was coming from if I'd decided to take that deal. Don't know what ever happened to that guy. He's probably dead by now.

[dinkydow]

I also have my own "hawg." It has been well lubricated and in my stash for a lot of years. Prob been 5-6 years since it has seen the light of day.