M-60 and peach cans

[DMZ-LT]

An Armored Cavalry Platoon has , among other weapons , 12 M-60 machine guns. Every one of them in my platoon had a C ration empty peach can on the left side to assist in feeding the belt into the machine gun it fit perfect and attached well to the gun like it was just made for it. So did others do this ? Was there a part that was ment to attach to the gun rather than a peach can ? Inquiring minds need to know !

[SuperScout]

LT, you were vastly under-gunned by a good Mech Scout Platoon! With my ten ACAV's, I had 20 M-60's, not to mention the ten .50 M-2's, two 106mm RR, a hand-held 60mm mortar, and all the personal weapons we could carry, borrow or steal.

It seems that pragmatism reigned supreme with regards to the M-60. While the feeding mechanism works well in semi-sterile firing environment, such as the firing line at Ft. Benning, a whole 'nuther world existed in the Land of the Live Fire Exercise. Too sharp of an angle between the belt of ammo and the feed tray would cause a stoppage, a rather nasty thing to have in the midst of a firefight, ergo the necessity being the mother of all invention. My guys used the same technique. You and I were both blessed to have such wondrous warriors! God bless them all!!!
Scouts Out!!

[DMZ-LT]

I don't know about being out gunned Brice. Had the six ACAV's , each with two 60's and a Ma-duce. A 4.2 inch mortor track with a 50 and 3 Sheridans with that deadly 152 mm main gun and a 50. You are right on about serving with heros though , the best of our generation ! Scouts out !!!!

[SuperScout]

Did you ever get to use that 152mm bad boy?

One of my problems was acquiring enough fleshette ammo for the 106; firing an HE at some poor Chuck was a bit overkill!

Does my description of the peach can addition jib with your much more accurate recollections?

[DMZ-LT]

Sure did use the Sheridan and that 10,000 fleshette round. It would lead the column when we were moving. Best one I saw was when we were guarding some Engineers building a road around Khe Sanh. We would go to a lager at night and back to the road building in the morning. Told my guys it wouldn't take a genius to figure out this game plan so the lead Sheridan loaded fleshetts and off we go. As we approached the road building site a NVA with an RPG jumps up about 50 meters away and the Sheridan shoots. The guy turned into a red mist. Had to call in a medivac for the Engineer LT as he shot himself in the foot with his 45 ! Sheridan was a big morale builder on an NDP too. Yes about the peach can. I thought maybe something had already been used on the 60 cause it held the can real tight just like it was made to do that job

[Bill Farnie]

Yes Homie we used them too

[82Rigger]

That Sheridan musta been pretty good.

The Eighty-Deuce had 'em until 1996.

LT, did ya'll have any of the 152mm armor-busting missles that could be launched from the main gun of the Sheridan?

"MGM-9 Shillelagh" missles, I think they were.

Steve

[DMZ-LT]

Steve , no missles but that's what they made it for. Caseless ammo that went up in a heart beat , a 51 would go through it. But that 152 was like a giant shotgun. They dropped us LAW's during Lam Son 719 when we could hear tanks moving at night

[82Rigger]

Lessee...

Caseless ammo inside an aluminum hull.

Soldiers inside the aluminum hull with the caseless ammo.

RPG hits the hull....

I was gonna say that you Cav people had a death wish...but I can't say that 'cause I jumped outa airplanes!

Wait, I know! We were ALL crazy!

[DMZ-LT]

If you ain't Cav you ain't sh*t. Hope to see you on the mountain in April. Me and the dog going up tomorrow for two days