DESCRIPTION

Browning M60 Machine Gun For Helicopters Model RESKIT 

RSU48-0153

1:48 Scale

Manufacturer: RESKIT

Material: Resin

Condition: New in original packaging

Historical reference

Since World War II, American gunsmiths have sought a better collective weapon to equip an infantry unit with a powerful firearm. As a result of many tests and research eventually settled on a hybrid of two systems of German development during World War II - automatic rifle FG-42 (automatic reloading with a gas engine) and machine gun MG 42 (belt pulling mechanism). This version of the automatic weapon under the standard American ammunition .30-06 Springfield received the machine gun code T44, but in 1948 further work on the project was stopped. In connection with the decision to standardize weapons in all armies of NATO countries, the Americans began testing a new type of automatic weapon - T52 with a charge of 7.62 × 51 mm NATO. The new model was in development from 1947 to 1952. The vertical movement of the belt has already been abandoned, making a new layout of the mechanism for pulling the machine gun belt in full accordance with the German MG 42. Subsequently, a prototype T52E3, soon renamed the new designation - T161. The third experimental modification of this weapon, T161E3, was adopted by the US Army and Marine Corps under the official designation of machine gun 7.62, M60 in 1957.

At the same time, the rather promising and powerful infantry weapon proved unsuccessful, which at the same time did not prevent it from becoming the main weapon of support for American infantry during the Vietnam War and a number of armed conflicts and military operations since the 1960s. In an effort to create a machine gun that would play the role of a hand-held machine gun in the department, the developers have greatly simplified the design, and allowed a number of engineering miscalculations. As a result, the machine gun was not very reliable, from the vibration when firing, he periodically "disassembled", allowed the incorrect assembly of the exhaust assembly, when worn or broken parts had a tendency to "arbitrary" firing. Due to the placement of bipods on the barrel, the replacement of the hot barrel became a problem.

Soon a number of shortcomings of the M60 machine gun were corrected in the M60E1 variant, which had an elongated barrel and a modified barrel change system, but due to unclear factors in the series, this variant was not launched. But on the basis of the M60 developed options for armor and helicopters.

M60 machine gun on deck of the nuclear aircraft carrier USS "Theodore Roosevelt"

Improving its development, Saco Defense has produced a lightweight version of the machine gun, called M60E3. In 1983, the M60E3 machine gun was adopted by the US Navy and Marine Corps as a 7.62-mm machine gun. The new machine gun had improved tactical characteristics of the original M60 and was intended primarily for the US Marines. The most serious improvement on this model was a more convenient process of changing the barrels, as the handle for carrying the weapon was moved to the barrel, and the gas cylinder was made fixed and bipods were attached to it.

In 1995, the Marines and Navy received a new modification of the machine gun - M60E4, which was a development of its previous modification. The M60E4 machine gun had a reinforced bipod, an improved receiver, a more durable barrel, a seat under the sight bracket (optical or night), as well as a better operation of the trigger mechanism. In order to test the survivability of the M60E4 barrel, an experiment was performed with a continuous firing of 850 rounds of ammunition in tapes for 1 minute 45 seconds, which the M60E4 fired without failure and malfunction.

With love from Ukraine