Civilian Versions
A number of semi-automatic versions for the civilian market have been produced in the United States. The internals must be extensively modified to make it essentially impossible to convert them to fully automatic weapons. If the design is approved by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), they are treated as belt-fed semi-automatic rifles; however, individual state and local regulations still apply.
The U.S. Ordnance company is the current maker authorized by Saco to produce mil-spec M60s and M60 parts. However, U.S. Ordnance put its civilian semi-auto sales on hold until 2006 because its production capacity is required for government orders. The company had charged $8000 for a new semi-automatic M60.
The Desert Ordnance company is a current maker of M60s and M60 parts. The company charges between $13000–$14000 for a new semi-automatic M60, depending on the model.
Various makes of older fully automatic versions are on the market as well, but there are many legal requirements to be met before purchasing them, and they cost upwards of U.S. $20,000–30,000. This is largely due to the restriction on the production of fully automatic firearms in the U.S. for the general civilian market since 1986. The combination of banning production and importation has led many to think it is illegal to own a machine gun, when, in fact, it is legal to own and use a fully automatic M60 machine gun in the United States (unless prohibited by other state or local laws).
Read more about this topic: M60 Machine Gun
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“The assumption must be that those who can see value only in tradition, or versions of it, deny man’s ability to adapt to changing circumstances.”
—Stephen Bayley (b. 1951)