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Originally Posted by Marc
Understood, thanks. How much time (more or less) to change the barrel?
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For your average light or medium machinegun, 5 seconds or less. (The testing standard for the M-60 when I was in was 8 seconds -- most guys I know could do it a lot faster - my personal best was just under 4 seconds.) The M-2HB and other really old designs is another matter - you have to set the headspace and timing when you change a barrel or you risk a stoppage, and that takes 20-30 seconds at a minimum.
If the barrel is really hot, changing the barrel on some guns, (like the M-60) takes longer, because the weapon's carrying handle is not on the barrel, but on the receiver or handguard. In a hard fight, it may not matter, but changing the barrel on such a gun could give you serious burns on your hands -- figure 5 seconds more to put on heavy-duty gloves or the silly asbestos gloves that come with the gun's kit. If the handle is on the barrel, no difference.
Good M-60 gunners also know a trick -- you shove the bipod into the dirt, release the barrel, then give it very quick twist and pull the gun sharply back. Usually, the barrel will fall out, and you can knock it aside with the gun and put the new barrel in. That won't work with a very hot gun, and sometimes doesn't work at all. But figure 2 more seconds. It works better if you have an assistant gunner to hold the barrel down -- no additional time.