The M60 may be old, but like the M16, it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. One of the most recognizable machine gun platforms in history (at least in the eyes of Americans), it has served faithfully in every branch of the US Military as well as in official duty in other countries around the world. 

While other more modern machine gun platforms have largely eclipsed it, the M60 is still an iconic platform, and we’re here to answer a simple question: How long will (or should) an M60 barrel last? 

Let’s take a closer look.

Factors That Affect How Long a Barrel Lasts

The M60 is chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO, which, in case you are not familiar, is basically the military variant of .308 Winchester. While it is a much more powerful round than its smaller cousin 5.56, as cartridges go, it’s in the middle of the road when it comes to chamber pressures and incurring barrel wear.

But we are talking about a machine gun here, which involves high rates of fire and much higher temperatures than most other rifle platforms would normally experience even if they were chambered in the same thing. 

So, one of the first things we have to look at is chamber pressure. Depending on load data, the 7.62x51mm NATO should produce roughly 60,000 PSI of chamber pressure, with a maximum pressure of 60,191 PSI. 

Now, every time a bullet engages the rifling and travels down the bore, it literally scrapes away a minute quantity of the barrel. This degrades the rifling and over time, the rifling will become less effective. The gun will still fire, but accuracy will degrade. 

Rate of fire is another thing that influences barrel life because a high rate of fire will heat up a barrel. As the barrel heat increases, the steel softens, making it easier for the bullets to wear it away as they pass through it. 

Therefore more responsible, metered rates of fire can extend barrel life. Letting the barrel cool between bursts can also extend barrel life, as can a routine maintenance schedule to keep the barrel clean of powder fouling and corrosion. 

So this is all well and good, but the question we are attempting to answer is, how long will an M60 barrel last before it is shot out? Let’s take a closer look at that. 

Estimates for Barrel Life

Depending on the firing and maintenance schedule, an M60 barrel can last as long as 20,000 rounds, as long as it is well-cared for. 

More reasonable estimates suggest the barrel can last approximately 15,000 rounds before accuracy starts to degrade. 

If the barrel is not well cared for, high rates of fire are sustained, the barrel is allowed to overheat when firing, or it is a shorter barrel, it may only last as long as 5,000 rounds. 

But rest assured, past 20,000 rounds, you can expect the accuracy to start to flag. Even repeating rifles chambered in 7.62 NATO should expect a barrel life in the area of 10,000 rounds before the barrel should be replaced.

Where to Get an M60 Barrel 

If you’re in the market for a new M60 barrel or any machine gun parts, visit SARCO, Inc. They carry one of the widest assortment of machine gun parts on the internet for an equally impressive range of platforms including but not limited to the M60, 1919, BAR, BREN, Lewis gun, and countless others. Visit their website and get in touch with them today if you have any questions.

For More Information About Rifle Parts and Springfield Parts Please Visit: Sarco Inc.