What would "SMG .30 Cal." have been in the Vietnam era?

[entropy]

I think you are a bit confused, my friend. Adjusting headspace and timing were operations that needed to performed on an M-2HB 50. cal Browning machine gun. The early ones, at least, did not have a quick change barrel Changing the barrel was a time consuming process. The new barrel needed to have timing and headspace adjusted before firing. This was rectified on modern versions.

There are no headspace and timing adjustments on an M-60

"Operator headspace and timing" is Armorer speak for the soldier is an idiot.

 

[12Bravo20]

I think you are a bit confused, my friend. Adjusting headspace and timing were operations that needed to performed on an M-2HB 50. cal Browning machine gun. The early ones, at least, did not have a quick change barrel Changing the barrel was a time consuming process. The new barrel needed to have timing and headspace adjusted before firing. This was rectified on modern versions.

There are no headspace and timing adjustments on an M-60

NO I am not confused. I did NOT say anything about adjusting head space and timing on the M60. I was talking about the soldier's head space and timing being off.

 

[12Bravo20]

If he was a tanker then the M2 is the only logical choice. I thought maybe the M3 and somebody just misremembered the caliber, but you suggest this is written in his service record…

Most tanks and even the M88 recovery vehicles had at least one M3A1 assigned to it.

 

[12Bravo20]

"Operator headspace and timing" is Armorer speak for the soldier is an idiot.

That term was used by us guys in the motor pool too. And yes it was a term used to say someone was an idiot. Other terms that meant the same were: ID10T, Einstein, rocket scientist, and nuclear physicist. And if someone was really ate up with a bad case of dumb*!@ we would say that Einstein was a real rocket scientist or nuclear physicist.

As far as the OP's question goes, I would say it was a typo. I can't say for sure with 100% accuracy about the load out for the M60 during Vietnam. But when I was in the load out was; 1 50 caliber machine gun (commander's cupola), 1 M240 coax and 1 M3A1 SMG. Though only the National Guard and Army Reserves still used the M60 at that time. I was normally assigned to combat engineer units and we had the M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle which was a modified M60.

 

[Sovblocgunfan]

Most tanks and even the M88 recovery vehicles had at least one M3A1 assigned to it.

Correct. My FIL was a tanker in the ‘70’s and trained on one. I think those M3’s were still rattling around even into the early ‘80’s.

I just wonder if the service record notation was written by an also-non-gun guy.

 

[12Bravo20]

Correct. My FIL was a tanker in the ‘70’s and trained on one. I think those M3’s were still rattling around even into the eary ‘80’s.

I just wonder if the service record notation was written by an also-non-gun guy.

The M3A1 was still in use with some active duty units until late 1992 or early 1993. I know it was in that time frame when we had to turn all of our M3A1's in.

 

[tark]

NO I am not confused. I did NOT say anything about adjusting head space and timing on the M60. I was talking about the soldier's head space and timing being off.

I stand corrected.. You infantry guys have some strange sayings. I never heard that one, but now I have learned a new phrase.

 

[12Bravo20]

Well I wasn't infantry. I was a combat engineer. And even after I reclassed to a machinist, I was still stuck in engineer units. As a machinist, I worked side by side with the armorers to fix what they could not.

 

[LimaCharlie]

A sub-machine-gun (SMG) traditionally refers to a full-automatic gun in a handgun cartridge like the Thompson 45 or an Uzi 9mm. As used in the Viet Nam era, A 30 caliber SMG could have been a select fire M-2 Carbine, a select fire M-14, a BAR, or possibly an M-60. The M-60 is normally listed as a machine-gun (MG).

The military lists 30 caliber cartridges with NATO 7.62X33 (30 Carbine) 7.62X 51mm (308), 7.62X63mm (30-06) designations. The ammo boxes would list 308 ammo as US 30 caliber - 7.62X51mm or 30-06 ammo as US 30 caliber - 7.62X63mm.

 

[HighRoadRover]

The M2 (selective fire variant of the M1).

 

[Bcwitt]

The person that writes the records likely never saw battle. The only info they have comes from actual witnesses. You can see how details get confused.

 

[Bcwitt]

Mabey he picked up a ppsh41 that the Chinese supplied to the NVA. AK 47 perhaps.

 

[lemaymiami]

Me... I figure it's a qualification on the M-60 - but one thing is certain -anyone that thinks military records are golden - might want to add a bit of skepticism regarding their accuracy... (understatement)....