Aaron in Mohnton Pa Posted June 30, 2022 Report Share Posted June 30, 2022 (edited) I don't think I have ever seen anyone else outside the military shooting with this mod so I figured i'd post about it........... In Vietnam most doorgunners on helicopters were issued Ammunition chute, with a bending bracket which hooked up directly to the gun... Most had bad experiences with this being the chute would be prone to causing jams. So guys quickly ditched it. The problem with that is the belt then hangs up on the M60 Feed Chute mounting bracket which causes the belt to break mid firing............ So, some doorgunner must have been eating his meal at one point / messing around and discovered that C Ration cans (not all but some) fit perfectly into the Feed Chute Bracket... Its actually a very secure tight fit too.... This mod became widely used by door gunners in Vietnam and was combat proven to be very effective. It greatly assisted with feeding the gun and preventing jams. So much so that Grunts on the ground also started doing this. If any of you running M60Ds want to pursue this, C ration cans from the Vietnam era can still be purchased on Ebay. Vietnam war dated cans ad to the collector value. Beware that not all cans fit the bracket. These add a nice look to the gun and compliment the M60 given its history. Some photos below for reference. Aaron - Mohnton, Pa Sales@BeltFeds.Com Vietnam Apocalypse Now Edited July 17, 2022 by Aaron in Mohnton Pa 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taylorwso Posted June 30, 2022 Report Share Posted June 30, 2022 Thats awesome. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryo Posted June 30, 2022 Report Share Posted June 30, 2022 Great info. Never knew this. You got to love the ingenuity of soldiers in the field. Love the Apocalypse Now reference. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattnh Posted June 30, 2022 Report Share Posted June 30, 2022 Cool pics!!! Another Nam-era bush improvement was to put a nickel behind the buffer to boost the rate of fire… GI ingenuity… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron in Mohnton Pa Posted June 30, 2022 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2022 @mattnh I have heard many guys who were in Vietnam say that about the nickel... Never tried it myself. Curious how it would work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnsonlmg41 Posted July 1, 2022 Report Share Posted July 1, 2022 (edited) Yes, they were either smart, or maybe just good at copying a simple idea? Could be there were some historians in the bunch and as they say history repeats. The wood actually rolls very easily as the belt passes over. By 1930, just about every good idea had already found a home? The key after that was to take the best ideas and start combining them and reducing manufacturing time and costs. There's still a few of us antique collectors around! Edited July 1, 2022 by johnsonlmg41 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Cagnacci II Posted July 1, 2022 Report Share Posted July 1, 2022 Thanks Arron, I have wondered how the can was attached to the side of the M60, ( got a D kit from you a few years ago) well have to try that.As to the Nickel My brother in law told Me he used a quarter but could note remember how to install it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron in Mohnton Pa Posted July 1, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2022 @Roy Cagnacci II If you got a D kit from us then you should have a bracket, so you should be ready to go. Baked Bean cans from the grocery store also fit in the bracket fyi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron in Mohnton Pa Posted July 4, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2022 (edited) Video of some shooting using the C Ration Can. Getting some love from the door gunner from the movie FULL METAL JACKET Edited July 6, 2022 by Aaron in Mohnton Pa 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattnh Posted August 5, 2022 Report Share Posted August 5, 2022 Nice - I hope Tim C gets some M60 time again!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron in Mohnton Pa Posted August 5, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2022 @mattnh I have been talking with Tim. Trying to make it happen…. We are taking Vietnam Vet / Author Johnnie Clark out in two weeks. His book Guns Up is an amazing portrayal of the role / importance of the Machine Gunners in Vietnam. I am excited to see him run a 60 again. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattnh Posted August 5, 2022 Report Share Posted August 5, 2022 For the book readers here - J Clark has a couple books that look interesting: https://www.amazon.com/Guns-Up-Firsthand-Account-Vietnam/dp/0345450264/ref=pd_bxgy_img_sccl_1/139-4944578-7105263?pd_rd_w=xrGsl&content-id=amzn1.sym.7757a8b5-874e-4a67-9d85-54ed32f01737&pf_rd_p=7757a8b5-874e-4a67-9d85-54ed32f01737&pf_rd_r=K7P9GEZAM7T57DN6S638&pd_rd_wg=g1ouY&pd_rd_r=77320708-f2d2-4e2b-81ed-5ca0621d7902&pd_rd_i=0345450264&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/Gunners-Glory-Untold-Stories-Machine/dp/0345463897/ref=pd_bxgy_img_sccl_1/139-4944578-7105263?pd_rd_w=EkJoL&content-id=amzn1.sym.7757a8b5-874e-4a67-9d85-54ed32f01737&pf_rd_p=7757a8b5-874e-4a67-9d85-54ed32f01737&pf_rd_r=R2Q0FDBKJW79MPWX08YX&pd_rd_wg=AsYFd&pd_rd_r=6a7d7013-5c66-4c71-be98-1496c1bfd693&pd_rd_i=0345463897&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/Semper-Fidelis-Johnnie-M-Clark/dp/1419684590/ref=pd_bxgy_img_sccl_2/139-4944578-7105263?pd_rd_w=QSgzG&content-id=amzn1.sym.7757a8b5-874e-4a67-9d85-54ed32f01737&pf_rd_p=7757a8b5-874e-4a67-9d85-54ed32f01737&pf_rd_r=7680BVQ4ERPYCNEKQV42&pd_rd_wg=urO02&pd_rd_r=79f1692b-ea8c-4e4b-ae50-fa94e401b9ef&pd_rd_i=1419684590&psc=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron in Mohnton Pa Posted May 18, 2024 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2024 Here is a video on this from our YouTube Channel: Aaron - Mohnton, Pa Sales@BeltFeds.Com 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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