These Guns Were Introduced to the US Military in the 1960s

The 1960s were undoubtedly a groovy time, bringing the American landscape the Civil Rights Movement, hippie culture, cat eye glasses, and Twiggy. Unfortunately, the 60s was also the decade America intrenched itself in the Vietnam War. It was of extreme importance that America’s military be up to par in every way possible. Weapons needed to be ultra effective and technologically sound. Overall, many of the guns designed in the 60s continue to shape our military today.

One such weapon created and utilized in this decade was the GAU-17/A Minigun. This gatling gun was a six-barrel electric weapon capable of firing thousands of rounds in less than a minute. This gun became an indispensable part of the U.S. arsenal.

Here, 24/7 Wall St. more closely examines the guns of the 1960s. To identify American military guns introduced in the 1960s, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed a catalog of small arms from Military Factory, an online database of military vehicles, arms and aircraft. We ordered these guns alphabetically. We also included supplemental information regarding type of small arm, year introduced, manufacturer, firing action, caliber and feed.

Why We Are Covering This

The 1960s saw significant advancements in firearms and new gun features. These weapons helped the U.S. establish power and control in Vietnam, as well as during the Cuban Missile Crisis. They have shaped the defense industry for decades since. By exploring the American-made military guns introduced in the 1960s, we can better understand U.S. strategy during the Cold War and how changing weaponry suited military needs.

Here is a look at the American-made military guns introduced in the 1960s:

ArmaLite AR-18

• Type: Automatic rifle
• Year introduced: 1969
• Manufacturer: ArmaLite
• Firing action: Gas-operated, rotating bolt, short-stroke piston
• Caliber and feed: 5.56x45mm NATO; 20-, 30- or 40-round detachable box magazine

CAR-15 Commando

• Type: Assault carbine / submachine gun
• Year introduced: 1966
• Manufacturer: Colt
• Firing action: Semi/full auto, gas-operated, locking bolt
• Caliber and feed: 5.56x45mm M193; 20- or 30-round detachable box magazine

China Lake Grenade Launcher

• Type: Pump-action grenade launcher
• Year introduced: 1968
• Manufacturer: China Lake Naval Weapons Center
• Firing action: Manually-actuated pump-action, repeat fire
• Caliber and feed: 40x46mm SR; 3-round tubular magazine

Colt M16

• Type: Assault rifle
• Year introduced: 1963
• Manufacturer: Colt
• Firing action: Gas-operated rotating bolt
• Caliber and feed: 5.56x45mm NATO; 20- or 30-round detachable box magazine, 100-round beta C-Mag drum

FIM-43 Redeye

• Type: Man-portable air defense system
• Year introduced: 1968
• Manufacturer: General Dynamics
• Firing action: Blast fragmentation, tail-chase
• Caliber and feed: 70mm; Single-shot

GAU-17/A Minigun

• Type: Six-barrel gatling gun
• Year introduced: 1965
• Manufacturer: General Electric
• Firing action: Electrically-driven, belt-fed
• Caliber and feed: 7.62x51mm NATO; 1,500 to 4,400-round linked belts

M134 Minigun

• Type: Six-barrel gatling gun
• Year introduced: 1963
• Manufacturer: General Electric
• Firing action: Electrically-driven, belt-fed
• Caliber and feed: 7.62x51mm NATO; 4,000-round linked belt

M21 Sniper Weapon System (SWS)

• Type: Semi-automatic sniper rifle
• Year introduced: 1969
• Manufacturer: Rock Island Arsenal
• Firing action: Gas-operated, rotating bolt
• Caliber and feed: 7.62x51mm NATO; 5-, 10- or 20-round detachable box magazine

M28 / M29 Davy Crockett

• Type: Tactical nuclear recoilless gun
• Year introduced: 1961
• Manufacturer: Rock Island Arsenal
• Firing action: Manually-actuated
• Caliber and feed: 120mm, 155mm; Single-shot

M67 Recoilless Rifle

• Type: Portable anti-infantry / anti-armor weapon
• Year introduced: 1963
• Manufacturer: State Factories
• Firing action: Recoilless, reusable launch tube
• Caliber and feed: 90mm; Single-shot

M72 LAW

• Type: Anti-tank rocket launcher
• Year introduced: 1963
• Manufacturer: Talley Industries
• Firing action: Single shot disposable tube
• Caliber and feed: 66mm; Single-shot

M79

• Type: Grenade Launcher
• Year introduced: 1961
• Manufacturer: Various contractors
• Firing action: Single shot, breech-loaded, reusable
• Caliber and feed: 40x46mm; Single-shot

Model 1100

• Type: Semi-automatic auto-loading shotgun
• Year introduced: 1963
• Manufacturer: Remington Arms
• Firing action: Semi-automatic, autoloading
• Caliber and feed: 12-, 16-, or 20-gauge; 4- or 10-round internal tubular magazine

Model 700

• Type: Bolt-action rifle
• Year introduced: 1962
• Manufacturer: Remington Arms
• Firing action: Bolt-action, rotating bolt
• Caliber and feed: .223 Remington, .30-06; 3-, 4-, 5- or 6-round internal magazine

Remington M40

• Type: Bolt-action sniper rifle
• Year introduced: 1966
• Manufacturer: Remington Arms
• Firing action: Bolt-action, rotating bolt
• Caliber and feed: 7.62x51mm NATO, .308 Winchester; 5-round integral box magazine, 5-round detachable box magazine

Saco Mk 19

• Type: Automatic grenade launcher
• Year introduced: 1967
• Manufacturer: Saco Defense
• Firing action: Self-powered, air-cooled, belf-fed, blowback operated
• Caliber and feed: 40x53mm; Belt-fed

Smith & Wesson Model 76

Submachine gun Model 76 (CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED) by Staffan Vilcans

• Type: Submachine gun
• Year introduced: 1967
• Manufacturer: Smith & Wesson
• Firing action: Blowback-operated
• Caliber and feed: 9x19mm parabellum; 14-, 24- or 36-round detachable box magazine

Stoner 63

• Type: Modular assault weapon
• Year introduced: 1963
• Manufacturer: Cadillac Gage Company
• Firing action: Gas-operated, rotating bolt
• Caliber and feed: 5.56x45mm NATO; 30-round detachable box magazine, disintegrating link belt, 75-round drum

Winchester Model 1200

• Type: Pump-action slide shotgun
• Year introduced: 1968
• Manufacturer: Winchester Repeating Arms Company
• Firing action: Manual pump-action slide system
• Caliber and feed: 12-, 16- or 20-gauge; 4-, 5-, 6- or 7-shot capacity