What Did the Marines Call the Stoner M63?

The M63 Stoner Machine Gun was a weapon used briefly by the United States Marine Corp and U.S. Special Forces. According to CheaperThanDirt.com, the gun was liked by many, despite its complicated design and high maintenance needs.

Namesake

• The gun was designed by Eugene Stoner and Jim Sullivan. It is a light machine gun that came in a carbine, assault rifle and light machine gun configurations.

Operation

• The gas-operated M63 could fire 700 rounds a minute. At 11.5 pounds, it featured a maximum shooting range beyond one-half mile with its 20-inch barrel.

Valuable

• The Stoner was not widely used. It lost out to the Colt M16 as the go-to weapon for foot soldiers. Since most of the Stoner M63s that were made were destroyed, they are valuable to collectors.