The 1960s were a tumultuous decade for the United States on the military front. During this time, U.S. had to confront the Cuban Missile Crisis and then would enter the Vietnam War just a few years later. The weapons and small arms that were developed and introduced during this era had all the hallmarks of the 1960s and reflected the innovation and tumultuous nature of the time. (These are the 18 newest guns currently in use by the U.S. military.)
Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at 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 included supplemental information regarding type of small arm, year introduced, manufacturer, firing action, caliber and feed.
One of the most revolutionary weapons to enter the U.S. arsenal during this time was the GAU-17/A Minigun. This was a six-barrel electrically-driven gatling gun, capable of dispensing thousands of rounds in less than a minute.
The GAU-17/A Minigun is designed to fire standard 7.62x51mm rounds and can hit targets nearly 3,280 feet away. This family of gatling gun became so popular that different iterations were mounted on vehicles, aircraft and naval vessels.
There are a number of other dynamic weapons that came from this decade that would go on to influence small arms for years to come. Separate from the GAU-17/A Minigun, this decade was privy to the development of anti-air countermeasures as well as grenade launchers. Although many were developed and discarded over the years, a handful still live on. (These are 30 American military guns of the 2000s.)
Here is a look at the American-made military guns introduced in the 1960s:
ArmaLite AR-18
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- 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
Source: Boksi / Wikimedia Commons
- 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
Source: Remigiusz Wilk (REMOV) / Wikimedia Commons
- 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
Source: Armémuseum (The Swedish Army Museum) / Wikimedia Commons
- 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
Source: Armémuseum (Swedish Army Museum) / Wikimedia Commons
- 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
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- 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
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- 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)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- 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
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- 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
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- 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
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Anti-tank rocket launcher
- Year introduced: 1963
- Manufacturer: Talley Industries
- Firing action: Single shot disposable tube
- Caliber and feed: 66mm; Single-shot
M79
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Grenade Launcher
- Year introduced: 1961
- Manufacturer: Various contractors
- Firing action: Single shot, breech-loaded, reusable
- Caliber and feed: 40x46mm; Single-shot
Model 1100
Source: Courtesy of Remington
- 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
Source: Courtesy of Remington
- 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
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- 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
Source: 39955793@N07 / Flickr / Public Domain
- 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
- 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
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- 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
Source: Shotgun / Wikimedia Commons
- 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
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