MK43 - Editorial - NIOA LEM

2005, Nevada. STS President Dale McClellan,a former M60 gunner with SEAL Team 8,prepares to test fire a MK43 Mod 1 machinegun fitted with the short (17.5 inch), flutedAssault barrel. It is topped with a TrijiconAdvanced Combat Optical Gunsight on thedistinctively angular machined feed cover’srock-steady integral rail and a PEQ-2A laseraiming module on the Mod 1’s new Rail InterfaceSystem forearm. He has moved theTango Down vertical grip to just the right placefor his shooting preference. Note on his loadharness the specialized rectangular carryingpouches for belted ammo, available now indesert tan from US Ordnance as a sturdy alternativeto the flimsy GI bandoleers. (Photocourtesy of Vantage Pointe Studios)NEW LIFE FOR A COMBAT CLASSIC:US ORDNANCEMK43 MOD 1MACHINE GUNa special report byROBERT BRUCE“The M60E4 is a great weapon and definitely fills the gapbetween vehicle mounted M240B and dismounted M249SAW. Scout teams have been taking them out to overwatchand support the snipers, occupying OPs near themand carrying the M60E4 because it is small enough to humpa good distance and has great firepower. Some commentsdirectly from soldiers: The M60E4 is small enough to maneuverin tight places, it allows for easy access enteringand exiting vehicles and aircraft, can be shoulder fired inshort bursts accurately, does not require a complete crewto operate effectively.” Email to US Ordnance from an officerof 101st Airborne Division in Operation Iraqi FreedomWhat’s not to like about a real machine gunthat’s significantly lighter than a chunkyM240, about the same size as a punySAW, pumps out powerful 7.62mm roundswith reliability and accuracy, and has longbeen a force multiplier in elite Navy SEAL Teams? GIswho’ve tried ‘em love ‘em, they’re comparable in price tobuy and sustain as the FN guns, they’ve been in the logisticsand combat doctrine chains for ever, and they’re 100percent American designed and built. Slam dunk? Sorry.The “Screaming Eagles” in Iraq only had a few of thenewest Sixties, provided free of charge by US Ordnancein response to their urgent request while forward deployedfor the Global War on Terror. US Ord sent a crate full ofMK43s (M60E4), spare barrels and spare parts to FortCampbell and the Army delivered it to Iraq.Subsequent use in the unforgiving arena of intense urbancombat resulted in a number of enthusiastic responsesleaking out, but any formalized after action report has apparentlybeen kept on close hold. We are unaware of anyplans by the Army for further evaluation and PM SoldierWeapons is moving out at double time to develop a lighterABOVE: The tough and rigid machined feed cover with integralMIL-STD 1913 rail, as well as additional rails on bothsides and underneath the improved Rail Interface System(RIS) forearm, immediately identify this as the new MK43Mod 1 machine gun from US Ordnance. That’s an ELCANM145 Machine Gun Optic clamped on top and the RIS is fittedwith an Insight ANPEQ-2A laser aiming module on the sideplus a Tango Down vertical foregrip underneath. The short,fluted Assault barrel (17.5 inches) seen here has the E4 versiongas cylinder extension that is self-locking. The barrel’simproved “birdcage” flash suppressor is closed on the bottomto minimize dust dispersion when firing from prone. (Photocourtesy of Vantage Pointe Studios)and shorter version of the M240.Meanwhile, production of M240s and 249s at FN’sSouth Carolina plant continues at breakneck pace but thereremains a substantial backlog. This necessitates keepinglarge numbers of existing M60s in service with all branchesof the US Armed Forces. But these guns are mostly oldand tired veterans of decades of hard service and victimsof poor maintenance with shoddy and cannibalized parts.What’s going on here?66 | SMALL ARMS DEFENSE JOURNAL - SPRING 09 SMALL ARMS DEFENSE JOURNAL - SPRING 2009 | 67

Passing a Sputtering TorchPrior to its last-ditch effort in the“Upgrade Kit” trials, M60 productionhad long been the exclusive domainof Saco Defense, where a skilled forceof dedicated craftsmen had been turningout hundreds of thousands of theseguns in various configurations. But forsome reason the level of quality seemsto have dropped.This is particularly puzzling givenNavy Special Warfare’s apparent satisfactionwith their measurably improvedM60E4/MK43s of about the same timeframe.It must be left to others to explain thereasons for the abysmal performance ofthe eighteen guns SACO brought to theArmy’s gunfight in 1994. Our numerousphone calls – with detailed messagesleft for a certain individual who hadbeen identified to us as a key player onthe industry side of the trials – were notreturned.Market forces being what they are,SACO was acquired by defense industrygiant General Dynamics in 2000.No secret that the Sixty was by then aneglected stepchild as Big Army transitionedto the M240 and it would haveslowly faded away if it weren’t for a visionarynamed Curtis Debord.We contacted Steve Helzer, GeneralManager of US Ordnance, Inc., locatedin Reno, Nevada, to get the straightstory on how the M60 was saved froma lingering but certain death. What followsis based on telephone conversationsand email exchanges.SADJ: Who is primarily responsible foracquiring the M60 rights from SACOand what was his reason for pursuingthis?Helzer: In 2000, Curtis Debord recognizedthat there was a business opportunityfor a small arms manufacturer inacquiring the original tooling, technicaldata packages, processes, and proceduresnecessary to make a MIL-SPECM60. General Dynamics (GD) wasjust completing the purchase of SACODefense and recognized that they hadan obligation to ensure the availabilityof spare parts for the M60 for the nextfive to ten years. But GD wanted out ofthe 7.62mm General Purpose MachineGun business so a licensing agreementbetween US Ordnance and Saco Defense/GDwas a logical conclusion. Itensured the availability of spare partsand ensured that the M60 remained inproduction. Spare parts and completeweapon systems would be available,and design improvement work couldcontinue.SADJ: We have seen plenty of evidenceto convince us that US Ordnance’sM60E4 – initially fielded byNavy Special Warfare as the MK43 Mod0 and now the Mod 1 – represent significant‘design improvements’ over all previousversions. Will you take our readersthrough its mechanical upgrades?Helzer: US Ordnance’s MK43s featuretwenty-two key improvements. I’ll listthem roughly from muzzle to buttstock,not necessarily in order of importance:1. Redesigned flash suppressor. It’sshorter, more effective and not prone tobreaking like the ‘duck bill’ variant usedin early SEAL team guns.2. Adjustable front sight allows for zeroingof spare and primary barrel priorto mission operation. The old designrequired the gunner during combat toremember to adjust the rear sight foreach barrel change. A small relief cutin the new front sight base decreasesthe chance of losing the front sight inthe field.3. Bipod moved from barrel to receiver.This has reduced the weight of thespare barrel and keeps the receiverstable, off the ground away from debrisand pointed down range during barrelchanges.4. Bipod is strengthened and simplified,one hand operated and has ambidextrouslegs to ease maintenance andspares.5. Improved forward handguard withincreased heat shielding that protectsthe operator from barrel heat, plus a forwardpistol grip for better control.6. Mod 1 variant has a Rail InterfaceHandguard with removable/repositionablepistol grip. This accommodatesdifferent sized soldiers and allowsmounting of the gun to most all existingplatforms. Three rails (both sides andunderneath) allow mounting of multipleitems like lasers and aiming devices.7. Carry handle is mounted on the barrelto facilitate hot barrel change and offsetso it won’t get in the way of the sights.8. Improved gas system is “soldierproof” reversible. The old system wasone direction only and if assembledwrong the gun would fire once and not19 Feb 1968, South Vietnam. An M60 machine gun team from Charley Company,1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division takes cover behind a palmtree during Operation Hue City. Note the gunner’s secondary armament, a .45caliber M1911 pistol, and both he and his assistant gunner carry a spare belt of7.62mm ammunition worn bandoleer style over their flak jackets. The gun’s bipodis deployed for accurate shooting from a prone position. (USMC photo/NationalArchives)cycle.9. Gas tube on the barrel is simplifiedwith three fewer parts than the old standard.10. Both the Mod 0 and Mod 1 comewith an aluminum rail top cover to facilitatethe mounting of optics.11. A new spring loaded feed cam allowsloading of the weapon with thebolt forward (safe position) or rearward(charged) without damaging the feedcam assembly.12. A redesigned feed cam, feed pawlassembly, and cartridge retaining pawlfor 30% improved belt pull to overcomemisaligned ammo and debris.13. Two sear notches on the operatingrod help prevent run away gun in extremeoperating environments.14. The operating rod tube is now hardchrome plated for corrosion resistanceand to facilitate cleaning. Its fore end isinduction hardened to resist mechanicalwear from the forward sling mount.15. A new captured pin prevents accidentaldetachment and loss of the triggergroup.16. Improved trigger grip housing thatis stronger and redesigned to preventtrigger pin from being installed backwardsin unsafe position.17. Ambidextrous safety.18. A trigger guard that hinges down toallow trigger finger access wearing thickwinter mitts or NBC protective gloves.19. Nyloc safety nut on cocking handleretainer holds tight despite vibration andallows for multiple assembly and disassemblywith no degradation.20. The ammunition hanger is now rigidlymounted to the side of the receiver– unlike the previous version, wherethe hanger was mounted to the feedtry. Now, when checking the chamber,OPPOSITE TOP: 2005, Nevada. Formidable topside armament for a desert camo’d HMMWV, this versatile MK43 Mod 1machine gun fitted with the distinctively fluted 17.5 inch long Assault barrel and its new type self-locking gas cylinder extension.A Trijicon Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight is securely clamped on the integral section of MIL STD 1913 rail on thefeed cover and the bipod is neatly folded up but instantly ready if needed for dismounted operations. Note also the PEQ-2Alaser aiming module on the side and the Tango Down “broomstick” vertical foregrip underneath the Mod 1’s new Rail InterfaceSystem forearm. (Photo courtesy of Vantage Pointe Studios)LEFT: 27 May 2003, Al Hillah, Iraq. Engineering Aide 1st Class Scott Lyerla, of Navy Mobile Construction Battalion 15, mansa MK43 Mod 0 machine gun to provide security for his convoy conducting a road movement during Operation Iraqi Freedom.(US Navy photo by PHM1C Arlo Abrahamson)68 | SMALL ARMS DEFENSE JOURNAL - SPRING 09 SMALL ARMS DEFENSE JOURNAL - SPRING 2009 | 69

Navy. The M60 family of weapons is stillvery popular around the free world.SADJ: What’s the price of the MK43retro-fit parts kit?Helzer: Anyone with a serviceable M60receiver can have what amounts to abrand-new MK43 for about 60 percentof the cost of a complete new gun. Or,we’ll be happy to sell them a completeMK43 Mod 1 for $11,200 (domesticsuggested retail price). That’s less thancommercial price for FN’s M240 andsignificantly less than their MK48 guns.Our MK43s are in stock and ready fordelivery to US Government and lawenforcement pending ATF transfer approval.SADJ: We know that US Ord used tosell semiauto M60s that were civilian legalwith no special paperwork. But now,the website says resumption of sales isdelayed indefinitely. Comment?In a recent telephone conversation,Lomont told us he has put more than70,000 rounds of “every kind of ammo”through his US Ord MK43 with excellentresults. In no uncertain terms he declared,“It’s a goddamn good gun! Forthe first time there’s a Sixty you can betyour life on.”Lomont’s salty and straightforwardendorsement tracks with what we haverepeatedly heard from law enforcementand military users. To the point,the MK43 has proven itself over recentyears in hard training and combat operationsby Navy SEALs and other eliteformations such as the “Screaming Eagles”in Iraq.We have personally observed thesituation where one US Ordnance MK43Mod 1 was run without incident for severalthousand rounds in the industrydemo and participant live fire opportunityat NDIA Small Arms 2006. Then,in our day on the range with students ofNavy Center for Security Forces’ CrewServed Weapons Instructor Course, noproblems occurred with either of two USOrd MK43 guns that were hard-used allafternoon by a dozen Sailors.Those who are still skeptical are invitedto see for themselves some real torturetests of the MK43. A couple different850 round continuous burst videos arelinked on the Special Tactical Services’website at www.spectacserv.com. ClickVIDEOS on the navigation bar, then selectMACHINE GUNS. Plenty more folkshave accessed and marveled the one atBlackwater that is posted on YouTube.29 Mar 2004, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Master-at-Arms Seaman Ray Cowan, assigned to Naval Station Pearl Harbor Security,mans a MK43 Mod 0 machine gun aboard a 28 foot SeaArk patrol boat. (US Navy photo by PHM1C William Goodwin)the gunner doesn’t have to lift a belt ofheavy ammunition and also risk dumpingit out of the bandoleer.21. Improved polymer buttstock that islighter and stronger while retaining thehinged shoulder rest feature.22. Overall weapon length (fitted withshort barrel) is 5 inches shorter thenthe Standard M60 and almost 4 poundslighterSADJ: When we interviewed Dale Mc-Clellan at STS he said there were someother improvements in the works.Helzer: That’s right. Our improvedshort fluted barrel is currently availableand is based on the ones that STS didthe 850 round demos with. Still in theRDT&E (research, development, testand engineering) stages are the improvedcocking handle, bolt with newmetallurgy, and a modification to thefeed tray. We’re always working to improveour M60 family of guns and thereare a couple of other things that maybewe can talk about in a few months.chased at least several guns and/orquantity orders for spares in the lastcouple of years?The scope of this feature is not intendedCYCLIC RATEto include a hands-on evaluationWEIGHT500 to 600 rounds per minuteHelzer: Colombian Navy and Army,of the new Sixties from US Ordnance. 20.5 pounds with short barrelCzech Republic for their 601st SpecialThis has been well done by others,MAX EFFECTIVE RANGESADJ: What US military/government/Forces, Philippine Air Force, Spanish Airmost notably Kent Lomont, the highlyLENGTH1,100 meterslaw enforcement entities have pur-Force, Italian Navy, Chilean Air Force,respected tactical small arms guru. 37 inches with short (16.5 in.) barrelMexico, Denmark, Tunisia and Thai70 | SMALL ARMS DEFENSE JOURNAL - SPRING 09 SMALL ARMS DEFENSE JOURNAL - SPRING 2009 | 71Helzer: We have sold to numerousSheriff Departments to assist with theirnew role in Homeland Security. Primarilyfor Maritime Security escort dutyfor tankers carrying oil or LNG (LiquefiedNatural Gas) in states with oceanaccess ports. We would prefer not tomention their names as this might besomewhat sensitive. It is safe to say wehave ongoing programs on both coastsand in with the gulf coast states to armtheir various patrol boats with Mk43s.The US Army Tank and AutomotiveCommand in Rock Island, Illinois(TACOM-RI) is our largest customer.TACOM-RI purchases are primarily forForeign Military Sales. We have alsoreceived US Government purchaseorders for spare parts from TACOM-RI, Defense Supply Center Columbus(DSCC) and Defense Supply CenterPhiladelphia (DSCP) for use by our ownsoldiers. These have primarily beenspare barrels and sub assemblies forcomplete weapons.And, we just delivered a small quantityof complete MK43 Mod 1s to theUS Navy.SADJ: What foreign countries havegotten guns in quantity over the last twoyears?Helzer: The Global War on Terror hascaused a dramatic impact on the smallarms industry. As our government ordersramped up we pulled our employeesfrom the semi-auto production lineand converted that area in our shop tomilitary and law enforcement. This wasa difficult decision because of the largeand loyal civilian M60 following but anecessary one to support the warfighterand our coalition partners. Sales arestill delayed indefinitely.SADJ: How many semiauto US OrdSixties are out there now?Helzer: There are more than 150 ofthe M60, M60E3 and a small number(10-20) of factory M60E4/Mk43 Mod 0and Mod 1 semi autos in civilian hands.US Ordnance have resumed semi-autosales and now offer a semi-auto M249SAW in limited numbers. These areavailable from Desert Ordnance (www.desertord.com)Live Firing the MK439 Sep 2005, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. Expended brass cartridgecases and steel links pile up as STS President Dale McClellan hammers awaywith a MK43 Mod 0, nearing the end of another highly convincing demonstrationof the gun’s ability to sustain a continuous 850 round burst when fitted with USOrdnance’s high reliability retrofit kit. (Photo courtesy of Special Tactical Services)MK43 MOD 1 TECH SPECSCALIBER7.62x51mm NATOOPERATIONGas piston with 2-lug turning boltBARREL OPTIONSShort (16.5 in.)Assault (17.5 in.)Long (21.5 in.)