Neo-Luddite
Member
An obvious and fair answer as "firearm" was not specified; the KA-BAR USMC Fighting Knife.
And 5 lbs. heavier! The easiest way to have kept the M60 in service would have been a replaceable 'modular receiver' - it wouldn't have been hard to do.
Maybe the Army sent the lemons to Germany? Lol.
At that same time I had deuce and 1/2 trucks (or maybe they were 5 tons as we had both) which were in Vietnam.
An obvious and fair answer as "firearm" was not specified; the KA-BAR USMC Fighting Knife.
I don't think those are issued.
Is the M-60 completely out of service now? I trained with one in basic in 94, but, not being in the combat arms, I didn't see them frequently afterward.
As has been mentioned, some SpecOps groups still use M60E3's, but the M60 is long since retired otherwise; the M240B is the standard GPMG.
In the Trans-9/11 era, we mostly had SAWs, M240Bs and M2s. I don't recall the M2s being specifically older production. The 240Bs were pretty new to the unit, as well- maybe they replaced the M60s at the same time the Grease Guns went away.
Don't feel bad. When I was in, everything was changing:Wow. Everything I had anything to do with in the military is pretty much gone. M60. Gone. M16A1 Gone. M16A2. Gone. M9. Gone. M35 Deuce and half. PRC77 Radio. Gone. I feel old.
Don't feel bad. When I was in, everything was changing:
Jeep to HUMV
Fatigues to BDU's
M60 to M1 Abrams
UH1 to Blackhawk
1911 to M9
C-Rats to MRE's
(and I could probably go on and on.....)
Of course, most of this was the fact that we were finally coming out of post-Vietnam malaise, and the money that was pumped in once Ronald Reagan replaced "smiling boy" as CIC.
BDU's weren't too bad for what were considered the likeliest theaters of operation (Europe, Korea) when they were introduced in the early 1980's. Not so good for desert warfare. Another uniform that was phased out during that period was the Class B khakis. They looked sharp, especially with a good press. The grey-green shirt with green Class A pants looked terrible. Another change during the time that I served.Since you mentioned BDUs...I never thought that highly of them as camouflage; they were just...uniforms. Last year I took a friend and a friend of his hunting. The friend of a friend wore some old BDUs. (My friend and I were in orange.) I watched that guy int hose old BDUs walk off a trail into the brush and instantly disappear before my very eyes. I couldn't believe it.
BDU's weren't too bad for what were considered the likeliest theaters of operation (Europe, Korea) when they were introduced in the early 1980's. Not so good for desert warfare. Another uniform that was phased out during that period was the Class B khakis. They looked sharp, especially with a good press. The grey-green shirt with green Class A pants looked terrible. Another change during the time that I served.
I wore BDU's along with both patterns of DCU's ( tri color and 6 color "choc. chips"). The summer BDU's looked good starched and pressed.
As far as weapons, I was issued both the M16A1 and A2 while on active duty (89-96). I carried the M16A1 until 1992 when I got to Germany and was finally issued the A2. Most of the time the M60 was my primary weapon. I also was issued both the 1911A1 and M9 along with the M3A1. Ma Deuce is definitely been in continuous service the longest. They have tried several times to improve it and also to lighten it with out much success. The M4 was just getting issued when I got out. SOCOM along with the 82nd and 101st got the M4 first and the Army finally started issuing the M4 to other units as replacements for the M3A1 for combat vehicle crews in late 95-early 96.
There have been some really good improvments to the M2. Now they have quick change barrels that don't need a headspace and timing gauge. They have also improved the feed system.
Don't feel bad. When I was in, everything was changing:
Jeep to HUMV
Fatigues to BDU's
M60 to M1 Abrams
UH1 to Blackhawk
1911 to M9
C-Rats to MRE's
(and I could probably go on and on.....)
BDU's weren't too bad for what were considered the likeliest theaters of operation (Europe, Korea) when they were introduced in the early 1980's. Not so good for desert warfare. Another uniform that was phased out during that period was the Class B khakis. They looked sharp, especially with a good press. The grey-green shirt with green Class A pants looked terrible. Another change during the time that I served.
I think that it was before that. I PCS'd to ROK in early 1983, and I wore the grey/green with green trousers and black sweater for travel. If the khakis were still allowed I would have much preferred to travel that way.I agree... I remember travelling in Khakis in the early 80's. Nice uniform. IIRC, it went out in 1985 or so...
Jeff B.
Not a rumor. Also the only currently active USN vessel to have captured an enemy vessel during time of war.And rumor has it, the only, currently active ship in the US Navy to have sunk an enemy vessel.
Yes. And No. USN changed over to the L80 from the L70 patterns (also to 40x365 from 40x311).Aren't there still some Bofors pattern 40mm guns on some smaller ships? Just asking
That story may be a bit blurry as the last US AFV with a bow gun was the M-47, which only soldiered on in NG use into the 60s.one of the tanks in his unit had an M3 come loose from its bracket inside the turret and discharged when it hit the basket floor, killing the hull gunner.
They were really pretty good for Europe. The ERDL green were scary good in the tropics. Woodland pattern evolved out of the "brown" ERDL used by the Rangers for a while.Since you mentioned BDUs...I never thought that highly of them as camouflage