The belt-fed M60 was chambered for the 7.62x51mm NATO (.308) cartridge and fired a relatively sedate 550 rounds per minute at the slowest (up to a possible 650 rpm). It weighed a reasonably light 22 lbs., which is much lighter than earlier machine guns. And it featured an overall length of about 43″, with 22″ of this made up by the barrel system. These compact dimensions and light weight, along with the slow rate of fire, made the M60 a gun that could be managed and operated by just one shooter.