Cleaning an M60 Barrel

The M60 machine gun, chambered in 7.62 NATO and in service since the 1960s, is one of the most iconic machine gun platforms of all time. It also happens to be one of the more popular machine guns that enjoys fairly wide civilian ownership. 

With that being said, it is therefore incumbent on civilian owners to know how to safely and effectively disassemble the M60 and clean it so that it enjoys longer service life. 

And, while the bolt, operating rod and gas tube will typically be the dirtiest parts of the platform after firing, it is equally important that you keep the M60 barrel clean. Here’s why and how to do it.

The Importance of Keeping Your M60 Barrel Clean 

Just like any firearm, a M60 barrel is liable to accumulate both powder and copper fouling after periods of extended use, especially after the barrel heats up during periods of sustained fire. 

Keeping your M60 barrel clean also carries with it other benefits: 

• A clean barrel will shoot more consistently and accurately. 
• A clean barrel will last longer.
• Fouling can attract moisture, salts and other compounds that can accelerate corrosion. 
• A clean barrel and chamber will feed and fire more reliably.
• Plus, since a clean barrel will last longer, keeping it clean is an investment in the value of your M60 platform. 

So, now that you can see that there’s no good argument against routine maintenance, here’s what you need to know. 

How to Do It 

After a period of sustained fire, your M60 barrel assembly should be fairly well caked with fouling and will need a thorough cleaning. Fortunately, once you have the platform disassembled, it’s not too hard to do. 

The first step to cleaning an M60 barrel assembly is to clean the bore, just as you would do with any other firearm platform. 

While you can use a cleaning rod for this, some M60 operators have commented that a .308 bore snake is a lot easier to use and will pay for itself after just a few uses. They can also save you a good bit of time if you use them properly.

Take a few passes through the M60 barrel by dropping the weighted end of the bore snake through the chamber towards the muzzle, then pass it through. The cool thing about a bore snake is it combines a brush and a mop into one cleaning tool. 

The brush passes through, loosening any fouling in the bore, and the rest of the body of the bore snake passes behind the brush, mopping up any fouling that got scrubbed loose. 

Give it ten passes or so, and unless the barrel was in particularly bad shape, when you hold the barrel up to the light and look through the chamber, the inside should be shiny and not show any dark or shadowed areas which would indicate that fouling remains there. 

The chamber is going to take some special attention, because this is one area where fouling really tends to accumulate. Using a nylon or a brass brush, scrub the chamber and its face where it meets the receiver. You can use an appropriate solvent like Hoppe’s No. 9 to help loosen the fouling if the brush alone is not getting the job done. 

You also want to clean the interior of the chamber. You’ll want a cleaning rod and a chamber brush for 7.62 NATO. Use some solvent if you need to, and scrub out the chamber until it is completely clean. After that, dry it thoroughly, then apply a little bit of gun oil to prevent surface corrosion that can cause cartridges to stick in the chamber.

Keeping the chamber clean will help prevent rounds from sticking, which is critical to operation. 

Your gas system, though it is not technically a part of the M60 barrel, also needs to be cleaned from time to time. If the piston is moving freely in the system, you’re good, but after every 4 to 5 times you visit the range, you should clean out the gas system. Remove the piston, clean the piston, then clean the inside of the gas system, before reassembling. 

Here for an M60 Barrel Replacement?

The M60 barrel is just one of the gun parts on this platform that you need to inspect and keep clean routinely. Notably the operating rod and bolt, which are subject to fairly extreme forces, should also be periodically inspected and kept fastidiously clean. 

And, if there’s one thing we’re good for here at SARCO, Inc., it’s machine gun parts. We carry a wide range of M60 parts, so whether you’re here for a new M60 barrel, charging handle, recoil spring, or bolt assembly, we have you covered

Check out our collection of gun parts and if you have any questions, get in touch with us directly and we will be more than happy to help you out.