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M60 machine gun vs SKS A Small arms
General-purpose machine gun Medium machine gun
B Small arms
Semi-automatic carbine
VS At a glance Head to head Details Methodology Length comparison One shared metre scale 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2
Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope. M60 machine gun larger figure on 5 of 5
Mass+173% Range+175% Barrel length+7% Rate of fire+1500% Muzzle velocity+16% SKS larger figure on 0 of 5
Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.
M60 machine gun SKS
1.11m
1.02m with bayonet folded
Length
All recorded figures & sources 1.105 m Length
Single source 1,105 mm (43.5 in)[source]
1.021 m with bayonet folded
Single source 1.021 m (40.2 in) (with bayonet folded)[source]
10.5kg
3.85kg
Mass +173%
All recorded figures & sources 10.5 kg Mass
Single source 10.5 kg (23.15 lb)[source]
3.85 kg Mass
Single source 3.85 kg (8.5 lb)[source]
1.1km Effective; Effective firing range
0.4km Effective; Effective firing range
Range +175%
All recorded figures & sources 1.1 km Effective; Effective firing range
Single source 3.724 km Maximum; Maximum firing range
Single source 1,200 yd (1,100 m)[source]
4,073 yd (3,724 m)[source]
0.4 km Effective; Effective firing range
Single source 400 m (440 yd)[source]
560mm
521mm
Barrel length +7%
All recorded figures & sources 0.56 m Barrel length
Single source 560 mm (22.0 in)[source]
0.521 m Barrel length
Single source 521 mm (20.5 in)[source]
7.6mm Caliber
—
Calibre
All recorded figures & sources 7.62 mm Caliber
Single source 7.62 mm (0.308 in)[source]
550–650rounds/min
35–40rounds/min
Rate of fire
All recorded figures & sources 550–650 rounds/min Rate of fire
Single source 550–650 rounds/min[source]
35–40 rounds/min Rate of fire
Single source 35–40 rounds/min[source]
853m/s
735m/s
Muzzle velocity +16%
All recorded figures & sources 853 m/s Muzzle velocity
Single source 2,800 ft/s (853 m/s)[source]
735 m/s Muzzle velocity
Single source 735 m/s (2,410 ft/s)[source]
Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.
M60 machine gun and SKS configuration Specification M60 machine gun SKS Type General-purpose machine gun Medium machine gun[source]
Semi-automatic carbine[source]
Place of origin United States[source]
Soviet Union[source]
In service 1960–present[source]
1949–present[source]
Used by See Users[source]
See Users[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]
See Conflicts[source]
Designed 1952–1957[source]
1941–1944[source]
Manufacturer Saco Defense U.S. Ordnance[source]
Tula Arsenal[source] Soviet SKS production · 1949–1958
Izhevsk Arsenal[source] Soviet SKS production · 1953–1954
Unit cost US$6,000 (M60E3)[source]
— Produced 1957–present[source]
1949–1958 (Soviet Union) 1956–1980 (China)[source]
Variants See Variants[source]
See Variants[source]
Cartridge 7.62×51mm NATO[source]
7.62×39mm[source]
Action Gas-operated , short-stroke gas piston, opened rotating bolt[source]
Gas-operated (short-stroke, tilting bolt )[source]
Feed system Disintegrating belt with M13 Links[source]
10-round fixed magazine fed by a stripper clip[source]
Sights Iron sights[source]
Iron sights graduated from 100 to 1,000 meters[source]
Designer — Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov[source]
No. built — 5,000,000 –15,000,000[source]
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