FORCETALLY
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At a glance
M60 machine gunlarger figure on 2 of 4
MG 51larger figure on 2 of 4
Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.
Measured figures
Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.
Configuration
| Specification | M60 machine gun | MG 51 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | General-purpose machine gun Medium machine gun[source] | General-purpose machine gun[source] |
| Place of origin | United States[source] | Switzerland[source] |
| In service | 1960–present[source] | 1951–present[source] |
| Used by | See Users[source] | Swiss Army[source] |
| Wars | Vietnam War Laotian Civil War Dominican Civil War Cambodian Civil War Moro conflict The Troubles Lebanese Civil War Cambodian–Vietnamese War Sino-Vietnamese War Salvadoran Civil War Operation Urgent Fury Operation Just Cause Persian Gulf War Operation Gothic Serpent War in Afghanistan Iraq War Cambodian–Thai border stand-off Colombian armed conflict Insurgency in the Philippines Bougainville conflict Myanmar conflict various others[source] | — |
| Designed | 1952–1957[source] | 1942–1950[source] |
| Manufacturer | Saco Defense U.S. Ordnance[source] | Waffenfabrik Bern[source] |
| Unit cost | US$6,000 (M60E3)[source] | — |
| Produced | 1957–present[source] | 1951–present[source] |
| Variants | See Variants[source] | — |
| Cartridge | 7.62×51mm NATO[source] | 7.5×55mm Swiss[source] |
| Action | Gas-operated , short-stroke gas piston, opened rotating bolt[source] | Short–recoil , flapper-locked[source] |
| Feed system | Disintegrating belt with M13 Links[source] | 50-round magazine belt[source] |
| Sights | Iron sights[source] | Iron sights 2.3x optical sight[source] |
| Reported operators |
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