I was a HAL-3 door gunner. The M60 feeds ammo from the left to the right. If you are the left door gunner and you are shooting with the M60 "normally" then your doorbox/ammo box would have to be located outside the helicopter. But if you rotate the gun 90 degrees clockwise the doorbox can be at your feet with the ammo coming strait up and folding over the feed tray cover. When I was flying in the right door I always had free gun as a backup to my "50" or the door mounted mini gun. By the time I got to HAL-3, free guns were officially frowned on but I often used a free gun just to keep in practice and no one called me on it.
My dad was a door gunner with HAL-3 1968-69. He was left handed and was on the right side of the gunship. He told me that his trigger finger was his pinky finger and fired a "free 60". Awarded the DFC in 1969 for heroic action- Dana L. Haggett
As the head armor in Vietnam from 1969 to 1971 for the 1st cav. Aviation. We did all that plus add 1&1/2 springs to the drive spring, double the feed pawl springs, drill out the hydraulic buffer, and block off the gas meter port. This got the m60 up to 1100 rounds per minute. After about 2 months of hard use, the receivers would breakdown. So we would just grab another one and do it again. M60's were easy to get, helicopters and men ....not so much.
My dad was a door gunner with the 11acr. He said they all had lightened m60's for ease of use. He also said they were all juiced up with an extra piece of recoil spring to increase the rate of fire. They did something w the feed pawls to help keep up, as well. He had a spare barrel mounted on the wall behind him, but he said he never used it. The ship's propwash kept the barrel cool, even with long, sustained fire. It never wore out.
Was a civilian contractor in vietnam. In 1969 was working at Vinh Long and installed the kit that converted the flex guns to the minigun on one of the sea wolf b models. After the war became a crewchief on a UH-1 M huey gunship AZ Army NG and we flew to San Clemente Island collaborated with a Navy reserve squadron (Hal 4 maybe) out of San Diego on gunnery. I don't remember the designation of their huey, but think they were the same as our M models with the addition of a rescue hoist off the starboard side of the helicopter.
Wow! I’ve been to Vinh Long 2022 and 2024, lovely little town. Their local museum still has a M60 in display. The old runway is still there and works as a road today. If you ever want to visit I have some good contacts for places to stay there.
If you worked on San Clemente Island with US Navy armed Huey's that would have been HAL- 5. I was a pilot, Regular Navy, Lieutenant in HAL -5. The Squadron was actually a Reserve Squadron. Served 1983-5. The Squadron had nearly Identical helicopters to HAL-3 I was the Armaments/Ordnance Officer and the Administrative Officer. And I was a prior Marine Sergeant & door gunner. Still alive.
I once read a book written by a US helicopter pilot of the era. He described door gunners running beside the B model Huey to allow the helo to gain translational lift before they piled aboard, allowed them to carry more ammo. Underpowered for sure.
One of our ONLY TWO CIB award winners (for Vietnam, this would be in 86) was the Chief Gunners Mate of our tin can. They sent us into the gulf, AND WITHIN A DAY, our mounted M-60s. Grew c-rat cabs on the feeds.
I was a door gunner on B model 1967 in the first cav i had a box of ammo about 2500 rounds solid tracers we never had a side grip our left hand fed the belts always keeping a short loop between our legs that way you never had to link any belts togeather never ran out of ammo never had a jam thats including the flex gun kept them clean and greased
One thing you didn't mention. M60 in the port door on a bungee cord or a pintel post, hot brass would, on occasion slide down the back of the co-pilot's flight suit! I was the HA(L)-3 Armament Leading Petty Officer in 1971. Besides maintenance I had the Armory and in my spare time flew as a crew chief in our slicks.
Are are correct! I remember the brass and occasionally parts of the Rockets getting into my flight suit next to.my skin. It stung, and left red marks on me. HAL-5 USN 1983-5, Aviator Lieutenant. 1971-6 Marines, enlisted , retired 1994, Navy Officer.
I like the U.S. Navy Seals modified M60s. In the book Rogue Warrior with by Richard (Demo Dick ) Marcinko. Some of the U.S. Navy Seals in Vietnam. Would greatly modify there M60s. One of the examples pictured in the book. The U.S. Navy Seals would get rid of the normal butt stock, and replace it with a door gunners butt cap. Then the barrel was cut down. The muzzle was rethreaded for the flash hider. Eliminating the bipod and front sight. Without a front sight, no need for a rear sight. Each one of these modifications, was to reduce weight, and increase the ability of the operator. To use the firearm in the close confines of jungle combat.
I believe the Australian SAS in Vietnam modified their M60s as well just like the one in the video. They also converted their L1A1 SLRs to full auto, removed the flash hider and acquired 30 round magazine's for them.
I enjoyed stretching the follower assembly spring a bit, it increased the cyclic rate for short (5 round) bursts ,also kept a broken trigger assembly spring handy for stovepipes and extraction failures which happened occasionally with or without modifications
This is a uniquely wonderful video. The information was conveyed very effectively and it was very entertaining as well. I look forward to more videos. The documentation of specific data like this incredibly important in regards to our country’s history and to show the importance of passing how this ingenuity happened
I joined the United States Army in 1996 … 19k (tank crewman ) excited about getting a M60 in my hands biggest let down ever , drill sergeants laid out 10 or so M240 machine guns . What is that ??? I grew up with Vietnam movies and books . I was crushed , heartbroken 😂. I very quickly understood why the 240, outstanding weapon . Love that 240 . Maybe one day I can shoot an M60 before I die . M60 is possibly the sexiest weapon I’ve Seen .
Very informative video. I have seen that setup before but not any information behind it. Kevin Dockery has written about how Navy SEALs cut down their M60 machineguns. SOG also had a few that were both cut down and were fed from what looks like door gun ammo packs. I have one blurry photo of a SOG M60 gunner with a cut down M60 with some sort of foregrip and a predator pack. I can't make out the details of the M60 itself. it would be interesting to see how some of the field modifications may have inspired official modifications to the M60.
What was always amazing to me when I was in, was the institutional need to quash learned knowledge. I came back from Desert Storm and literally had morons telling me how to fight a damn war. As a young combat PFC it was exceptionally annoying. I used to say we like to learn our lessons SLLLOOOOWWWLY. 🤣😂
My old man described this to me as a kid in the 80's and how he had to had to shoot it upside down, pulling the trigger with his pinky. He said the left door gunner had to do that otherwise the brass would hit the pilots. All I know is he came back late in 68.
Being a CATM guy in the Air Force the oldheads hated the M60 for the bipods alone. The bipods were deadweight when it came to the spare barrel and the gun needed to be supported during a barrel change. It's very interesting that the M60 has largely been swapped with the M240b, which is a 1950s design.
There's always been a thing about American Combat units once they were actually in combat. A lot of the bull shit disappeared. One thing during WWII that the vehicle mounted troops would do - is acquire weapons. One thing about coming along to a place where a battle had just been fought - is that there were sometime weapons just laying about - because the crews had been wounded. There's a story about an American Recon Outfit that held up the Germans in the first hours of the Bulge. The thing was - almost every person in that unit had acquired an automatic weapon. Infantry units had trouble doing things like that - as - if they didn't have transport - they had to carry whatever they had. So ... having an automatic weapon is one thing - carrying the ammunition for it is another. Thus - the Recon unit had vehicles so they could carry the ammo for all the Automatic Weapons they had acquired. The other thing was - up until the Insurance Companies killed the amateur auto enthusiasts - and the high schools dropped Auto shop - was that most American Boys had some degree of mechanical ability. There was a Marine Ontos unit in Vietnam - that ordered parts for the V-8 engines in their vehicle from speed shops back home - and they were delivered to their Unit in Vietnam. They then souped up their track. They just had be careful about Tromping the accelerator - as it could break the track links. One thing about this acquisitive nature was that they didn't always confine that to things that had been abandoned - but - would steal things. During WWII - if you parked your jeep somewhere - you took the Distributor Cap with you or it would be gone when you got back. One of my buddies was stationed in Long Binh - where the Junk Yard for Vietnam was - and this guy in his unit built himself a jeep out of parts he scavenged from the junk yard. The problem was - he had to paint Tac numbers on it if he was going to be able to drive it around. The Tac Numbers he chose - happened to be those of a Stolen Jeep - so he got arrested. His 1st Sargent came and got him but they kept his jeep. .
I wish I could've swapped for a .50. All I got was an 81mm mortar - with two problems - ammo and some staff weenie who didn't believe when I told him it was just a big pipe.
I recently saw a picture of a UH-1 with a twin modified door gun installation in the right door. There was no indication as to which service the helo belonged.
Well done and highly informative video! In future videos, will you be covering the SASR modifications made to the M60 platform? I’ve heard rumors that some had underbarrel launchers or shotguns mounted on them by SOCOM as well.
we used to half to hang on to them rotor blades until the torque would pull it away!! then jump on at the last second and pray like HELL that the durn pilot could pull enough power to clear the treeline and get up to altitude!"!
Leave it to the US Army to put the door of the helicopter on the wrong side for proper brass disposal the $50 dollar hammer at work with tax payer dollars and with not enough forethought and with no oversight. They should have made left and right side ejection models of the M-60 for the aviators but whatever lets just give them standard ground pounder weapons instead and send them into combat and our door gunners can be contortionists and still be effective LOL
I was a HAL-3 door gunner. The M60 feeds ammo from the left to the right. If you are the left door gunner and you are shooting with the M60 "normally" then your doorbox/ammo box would have to be located outside the helicopter. But if you rotate the gun 90 degrees clockwise the doorbox can be at your feet with the ammo coming strait up and folding over the feed tray cover. When I was flying in the right door I always had free gun as a backup to my "50" or the door mounted mini gun. By the time I got to HAL-3, free guns were officially frowned on but I often used a free gun just to keep in practice and no one called me on it.
@@bboomermike2126 great info sir. Thank you for posting
@@BeltFedsComLLC My pleasure. I should have also said that even mouthed M60's are rotated 90 degrees when they are fired from the left door position.
@@bboomermike2126 If you remember or know a CPO B Reyna keep him in your thought and prayer as he is on the sick ,lame, and lazy list .
My dad was a door gunner with HAL-3 1968-69. He was left handed and was on the right side of the gunship. He told me that his trigger finger was his pinky finger and fired a "free 60". Awarded the DFC in 1969 for heroic action- Dana L. Haggett
As the head armor in Vietnam from 1969 to 1971 for the 1st cav. Aviation. We did all that plus add 1&1/2 springs to the drive spring, double the feed pawl springs, drill out the hydraulic buffer, and block off the gas meter port. This got the m60 up to 1100 rounds per minute. After about 2 months of hard use, the receivers would breakdown. So we would just grab another one and do it again.
M60's were easy to get, helicopters and men ....not so much.
My dad was a door gunner with the 11acr. He said they all had lightened m60's for ease of use. He also said they were all juiced up with an extra piece of recoil spring to increase the rate of fire. They did something w the feed pawls to help keep up, as well. He had a spare barrel mounted on the wall behind him, but he said he never used it. The ship's propwash kept the barrel cool, even with long, sustained fire. It never wore out.
Was a civilian contractor in vietnam. In 1969 was working at Vinh Long and installed the kit that converted the flex guns to the minigun on one of the sea wolf b models. After the war became a crewchief on a UH-1 M huey gunship AZ Army NG and we flew to San Clemente Island collaborated with a Navy reserve squadron (Hal 4 maybe) out of San Diego on gunnery. I don't remember the designation of their huey, but think they were the same as our M models with the addition of a rescue hoist off the starboard side of the helicopter.
That’s sick! Mike Hueys were kind of rare if I’m not mistaken
Wow! I’ve been to Vinh Long 2022 and 2024, lovely little town. Their local museum still has a M60 in display. The old runway is still there and works as a road today. If you ever want to visit I have some good contacts for places to stay there.
..the "Seawolves"???
If you worked on San Clemente Island with US Navy armed Huey's that would have been HAL- 5. I was a pilot, Regular Navy, Lieutenant in HAL -5. The Squadron was actually a Reserve Squadron. Served 1983-5. The Squadron had nearly Identical helicopters to HAL-3 I was the Armaments/Ordnance Officer and the Administrative Officer. And I was a prior Marine Sergeant & door gunner. Still alive.
Awesome video! My Father was HAL-3 Det 5, door gunner M60 & Crew chief avation 50.cal
I once read a book written by a US helicopter pilot of the era. He described door gunners running beside the B model Huey to allow the helo to gain translational lift before they piled aboard, allowed them to carry more ammo. Underpowered for sure.
One of our ONLY TWO CIB award winners (for Vietnam, this would be in 86) was the Chief Gunners Mate of our tin can. They sent us into the gulf, AND WITHIN A DAY, our mounted M-60s. Grew c-rat cabs on the feeds.
I was a door gunner on B model 1967 in the first cav i had a box of ammo about 2500 rounds solid tracers we never had a side grip our left hand fed the belts always keeping a short loop between our legs that way you never had to link any belts togeather never ran out of ammo never had a jam thats including the flex gun kept them clean and greased
great information, amazing backdrop. The barrels look so good lined up, with the variance in the finish
One thing you didn't mention. M60 in the port door on a bungee cord or a pintel post, hot brass would, on occasion slide down the back of the co-pilot's flight suit! I was the HA(L)-3 Armament Leading Petty Officer in 1971. Besides maintenance I had the Armory and in my spare time flew as a crew chief in our slicks.
Are are correct! I remember the brass and occasionally parts of the Rockets getting into my flight suit next to.my skin. It stung, and left red marks on me. HAL-5 USN 1983-5, Aviator Lieutenant. 1971-6 Marines, enlisted , retired 1994, Navy Officer.
I like the U.S. Navy Seals modified M60s. In the book Rogue Warrior with by Richard (Demo Dick ) Marcinko. Some of the U.S. Navy Seals in Vietnam. Would greatly modify there M60s. One of the examples pictured in the book. The U.S. Navy Seals would get rid of the normal butt stock, and replace it with a door gunners butt cap. Then the barrel was cut down. The muzzle was rethreaded for the flash hider. Eliminating the bipod and front sight. Without a front sight, no need for a rear sight. Each one of these modifications, was to reduce weight, and increase the ability of the operator. To use the firearm in the close confines of jungle combat.
I believe the Australian SAS in Vietnam modified their M60s as well just like the one in the video. They also converted their L1A1 SLRs to full auto, removed the flash hider and acquired 30 round magazine's for them.
Wouldn't be a surprise HAL-3 did also work with the Australians
I enjoyed stretching the follower assembly spring a bit, it increased the cyclic rate for short (5 round) bursts ,also kept a broken trigger assembly spring handy for stovepipes and extraction failures which happened occasionally with or without modifications
Great video man. I’ve always heard about the modifications the end users made but never knew all the details. Really interesting stuff.
RAAAAAAAHHH I LOVE CUSTOM M60’s THIS IS EXACTLY THE VIDEO IVE BEEN WAITNG FOR!!!
That was cool! Thanks for posting!
Great video as always. Glad to hear my friend Michael Mirell mentioned in the video too, who I’ve interviewed for my channel a couple of times.
👍Good job, thanks for those information, very detailed😀
Only in Vietnam where you can trade a .50 cal for some beer lol
This is a uniquely wonderful video. The information was conveyed very effectively and it was very entertaining as well. I look forward to more videos. The documentation of specific data like this incredibly important in regards to our country’s history and to show the importance of passing how this ingenuity happened
Thank you for taking the time to provide me with some excellent feedback.
I'd read a book years ago about this unit but the author didn't go into the modifications the door gunners used. Great Video! Keep them coming.
Top vídeo. Good job Sir. Thank for your services. Apreciate.
@@spartanwarriordepth I appreciate the feedback. Thanks man
My dad was a Huey gunship driver in Hal-3 67-68 in Vung Tau and Nha Be.
Very cool show.
The lead medic at my last command was a BIG guy and, in Vietnam, as a SEAL, he carried a highly modified M-60.
Just discovered the channel through this video. Interesting shit! Looking forward to watching more.
La M60 es una Gran Arma .
I joined the United States Army in 1996 … 19k (tank crewman ) excited about getting a M60 in my hands biggest let down ever , drill sergeants laid out 10 or so M240 machine guns . What is that ??? I grew up with Vietnam movies and books . I was crushed , heartbroken 😂. I very quickly understood why the 240, outstanding weapon . Love that 240 . Maybe one day I can shoot an M60 before I die . M60 is possibly the sexiest weapon I’ve Seen .
Was in the Navy 1996 -and Army 2006, LOVED the M60 & M14. I hated the 240 & M16.
Outstanding Mods to the M60! Thanks for sharing this video!!
There are several HAL, helicopters on display in the US. One is at the Naval Air Museum in Pensacola, Florida.
That Armory setup is badass 💣
@@The_Armorer thanks man
the M60 is so iconic.
Very informative video. I have seen that setup before but not any information behind it. Kevin Dockery has written about how Navy SEALs cut down their M60 machineguns. SOG also had a few that were both cut down and were fed from what looks like door gun ammo packs. I have one blurry photo of a SOG M60 gunner with a cut down M60 with some sort of foregrip and a predator pack. I can't make out the details of the M60 itself. it would be interesting to see how some of the field modifications may have inspired official modifications to the M60.
@@Rockwolf66 I’ll be doing additional videos in this series on the Seal and SOG field modified 60s
This is really cool, silly question do you support the removal of the NFA and the Hughes ammendment part of the 1986 FOPA?
What was always amazing to me when I was in, was the institutional need to quash learned knowledge. I came back from Desert Storm and literally had morons telling me how to fight a damn war. As a young combat PFC it was exceptionally annoying. I used to say we like to learn our lessons SLLLOOOOWWWLY. 🤣😂
Narcissists love positions of power brother.
My old man described this to me as a kid in the 80's and how he had to had to shoot it upside down, pulling the trigger with his pinky. He said the left door gunner had to do that otherwise the brass would hit the pilots. All I know is he came back late in 68.
Yes, I would occasionally, get hot brass under my flight suit. And sometimes pieces of the rockets too! Retired HAL aviator.
@@raywhitehead730 Dad retired in 83 as an AMH1. Agent O got him in 8/15, ~90 days after I medically retired and only rember a few stories.
Well now you gotta do field modified m-79’s
Wasn’t much done that wasn’t obvious
Being a CATM guy in the Air Force the oldheads hated the M60 for the bipods alone. The bipods were deadweight when it came to the spare barrel and the gun needed to be supported during a barrel change. It's very interesting that the M60 has largely been swapped with the M240b, which is a 1950s design.
Wow thanks algorythem!
There's always been a thing about American Combat units once they were actually in combat. A lot of the bull shit disappeared.
One thing during WWII that the vehicle mounted troops would do - is acquire weapons. One thing about coming along to a place where a battle had just been fought - is that there were sometime weapons just laying about - because the crews had been wounded.
There's a story about an American Recon Outfit that held up the Germans in the first hours of the Bulge. The thing was - almost every person in that unit had acquired an automatic weapon.
Infantry units had trouble doing things like that - as - if they didn't have transport - they had to carry whatever they had. So ... having an automatic weapon is one thing - carrying the ammunition for it is another.
Thus - the Recon unit had vehicles so they could carry the ammo for all the Automatic Weapons they had acquired.
The other thing was - up until the Insurance Companies killed the amateur auto enthusiasts - and the high schools dropped Auto shop - was that most American Boys had some degree of mechanical ability.
There was a Marine Ontos unit in Vietnam - that ordered parts for the V-8 engines in their vehicle from speed shops back home - and they were delivered to their Unit in Vietnam. They then souped up their track. They just had be careful about Tromping the accelerator - as it could break the track links.
One thing about this acquisitive nature was that they didn't always confine that to things that had been abandoned - but - would steal things. During WWII - if you parked your jeep somewhere - you took the Distributor Cap with you or it would be gone when you got back.
One of my buddies was stationed in Long Binh - where the Junk Yard for Vietnam was - and this guy in his unit built himself a jeep out of parts he scavenged from the junk yard. The problem was - he had to paint Tac numbers on it if he was going to be able to drive it around. The Tac Numbers he chose - happened to be those of a Stolen Jeep - so he got arrested. His 1st Sargent came and got him but they kept his jeep.
.
Good video, really enjoyed it. Well done! I would like to see more. 👍🎥 #goodcontent #enjoyed #wellmade
@@myfinaloption I really appreciate the feedback …thank you
I wish I could've swapped for a .50. All I got was an 81mm mortar - with two problems - ammo and some staff weenie who didn't believe when I told him it was just a big pipe.
Dude!!! Tell me about that room!!!
Love it always have always will
I recently saw a picture of a UH-1 with a twin modified door gun installation in the right door. There was no indication as to which service the helo belonged.
SIMPER FI Devil Dogs
K3/9 1st MARDIV 0331🇺🇸✌️👍💪👊🇺🇸
Well done and highly informative video! In future videos, will you be covering the SASR modifications made to the M60 platform? I’ve heard rumors that some had underbarrel launchers or shotguns mounted on them by SOCOM as well.
@@Capt_Contractor that is a good idea. I’ll start looking for photos and info on how they deployed them.
Wish I could have modified my Pig back in the day.
we used to half to hang on to them rotor blades until the torque would pull it away!! then jump on at the last second and pray like HELL that the durn pilot could pull enough power to clear the treeline and get up to altitude!"!
Pretty sure I’ve seen pictures of a rations can or empty smoke mounted to side of gun to help feed ammo belt better??
Where’d he get these things I remember numrich for ever running adds trying to purchase parts anything they could get these have to be expensive
Bitchin' Channel!!!!!!!!! Thanks!!!!!!!! 🇺🇸
Thank you. Thanks for sharing about HAL-3
👌👍
🦅🇺🇸🫡
Leave it to the US Army to put the door of the helicopter on the wrong side for proper brass disposal the $50 dollar hammer at work with tax payer dollars and with not enough forethought and with no oversight. They should have made left and right side ejection models of the M-60 for the aviators but whatever lets just give them standard ground pounder weapons instead and send them into combat and our door gunners can be contortionists and still be effective LOL
I think all that came from Troy.And error from the first Calvary division air mobile
Wannabee soldier