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| CH-47 Chinook helicopter Armament |
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| Machine Gun, 7.62mm, M60 series (above): The M60 was type classified in 1957 as a companion to the 7.62mm M14 rifle. The M60 is lighter than the .30 caliber M1919A6 and only slightly heavier than the .30 caliber M1918A2 Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) it replaced. The M60 7.62mm machine gun has been the U.S. Army's general purpose medium machine gun since the late 1950s. The M60 fires standard NATO 7.62mm ammunition and is used as a general support crew-served weapon. It has a removable barrel which can be changed to prevent overheating. The weapon has an integral, folding bipod and can also be mounted on a folding tripod. The M60 has a rate of fire of 600 spm. The M60C and M60D are aircraft versions of the basic M60 machine gun. The M60 series is being replaced by the M240B 7.62mm medium machine gun. |
| M60D 7.62mm Flexible Machine Gun (below): The M60D machine gun is a standard NATO M60 machine gun that has been modified for use as a door gun with helicopter armament subsystems. The M60D is a flexible link-belt fed, gas-operated, air-cooled machine gun having a firing rate of 550-650 spm (shots per minute). The M60D has spade grips, an aircraft ring and post type sight and an improved ammunition feed system. A canvas ejection control bag attaches to the machine gun to catch ejected links and cartridge cases, preventing them from being ejected into the path of the rotor blades or turbine engine intake. The effective range is 1,100 meters. The overall length of the M60D is 44.875 inches. The M60D was classified Standard A. |
| The armament subsystems are the M24 and M41 machine guns. The M24 system is installed in the cabin escape panel (left side door gunner) and main cabin door (right side door gunner). The M41 system is installed on the ramp. Both systems utilize the M60D machine gun. The difference between the two systems is the way in which the weapon is mounted on the helicopter. |
| The machine guns are free pointing by the operator, but limited in traverse, elevation, and depression by cam surfaces, stops on the pintles, and pintle posts of the left and right mount assemblies. This precludes accidental shooting of the helicopter rotor system and fuselage by the operator. Spent cartridges are collected by an ejection control bag on the right side of the machine gun, and the ammunition can is on the left side. |
| Depression and Elevation Limits (M60D) |
| Left (M24): | Total Traverse - 122.0° | ||
| Maximum Depression - 67.5° | |||
| Maximum Elevation - 7.5° | |||
| Right (M24): | Total Traverse - 127.0° | ||
| Maximum Depression - 73.0° | |||
| Maximum Elevation - 7.0° | |||
| Ramp (M41): | Total Traverse - 94.0° | ||
| Maximum Depression - 69.0° | |||
| Maximum Elevation - 12.5° | |||
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| M60D Machine Gun |
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| Looking outside through the Left Door Gunner position, just behind the avionics compartment which is aft of the cockpit. Note the dust stirred up by the bullets hitting the ground (M60D). |
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| The Left Door Gunner position, as seen from outside (M60D). |
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| The Right Door Gunner position, as seen from outside (M60D). |
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| The Ramp Gunner position (M60D). |
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| The Ramp Gunner position, as seen from outside (M60D). |
| The M240B 7.62mm Machine Gun |
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| The M240B 7.62mm Machine Gun |
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| The M240B 7.62mm Machine Gun being mounted on the ramp of a CH-47D Chinook helicopter by the Flight Engineer. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image. |
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| The M134 minigun in use on some Royal Air Force Chinook helicopters. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image. |
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