What is the best machine gun ever made?

Answer 1

Define "best." Best for what? Destroying anything and everything it's path? You could go with the M2 or (to stretch the definition of machine gun) the GAU-8 Avenger. but neither of those guns is easily man portable in a combat situation, so you're kinda stuck where you are unless you mount them on a truck (and the GAU-8 would need a BIG truck, maybe better off just leaving it in the A-10) Or perhaps you would like to go with the AK-74 or the M-16 both are great guns that shoot pretty good rounds, but you certainly won't be taking down a tank with either and there is (albeit not very light and easy to get around in) body armor that will stop the 5.56 NATO or the 5.45 x 39mm rounds. Do you mean a light single mand portable machine gun that is good for setting up a defensive point. Then the M60 is a good gun for that, but the M249 replaced the M60 in our service. Some like the 60 better as it is lighter, though many prefer the 249 as it has better reliability and maintenance. The problem with your question is that the reason we have so many different types of machine gun and some that have been in service for 50+ years is because different situations call for different tools. If I needed to defend a heavily contested point, I might want the M2, but if I'm going to be providing supporting fire that needs to be semi mobile, the 249. Maybe I need something I can carry. Well an assault rifle fits that nicely and there are a huge selection of those to choose from all that have their good points. Even between two rifles as similar as the AK 47 and the AK 74 there are tons of points of contention, some of which are regionally specific. Here in the states, I would pick the 47 just because it is too hard to find ammo that fits the 74 here and the 47 ammo is cheap and easy to find. The guns are nearly identical save for the difference in caliber, but that difference is a very large one here.