Editing M1 Abrams (section)

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[[File:M1 Abrams 1981 Gunner and Coax M240.jpg|thumb|right|A commander (left) and loader man their 12.7&nbsp;mm M2HB and 7.62&nbsp;mm M240 machine guns of their 105&nbsp;mm-armed M1 in 1981.]]

The Abrams tank has three machine guns, with an optional fourth:
# A .50 cal. ([[.50 BMG|12.7&nbsp;mm]]) [[M2 Browning|M2HB]] machine gun in front of the commander's hatch. On the M1 and M1A1, this gun is mounted on the Commander's Weapons Station. This allows the weapon to be aimed and fired from within the tank. Normal combat loadout for the M1A1 is a single 100-round box of ammo at the weapon, and another 900 rounds carried. The later M1A2 variant had a "flex" mount that required the tank commander to expose his or her upper torso in order to fire the weapon. In urban environments in Iraq this was found to be unsafe. With the Common Remote Operated Weapons System ([[CROWS]]) add-on kit, an M2A1 .50 Caliber Machine gun, M240, or [[M249 light machine gun|M249 SAW]] can be mounted on a CROWS remote weapons platform (similar to the [[Protector (RWS)|Protector M151]] remote weapon station used on the [[Stryker]] family of vehicles). Current variants of the Tank Urban Survival Kit (TUSK) on the M1A2 have forgone this,{{citation needed|date=December 2023}} instead adding transparent gun shields to the commander's weapon station.{{sfn|Zaloga|2019|p=24-25}} The upgrade variant called the M1A1 Abrams Integrated Management (AIM) equips the .50 caliber gun with a thermal sight for accurate night and other low-visibility shooting.<ref name="generaldynamics1">{{cite press release |url=http://generaldynamics.com/news/press_releases/2008/newsrelease%20september%205,%202008-3.htm |title=General Dynamics Awarded $34 Million for M1A1 Abrams Tank Upgrades |publisher=General Dynamics |date=5 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100103064632/http://generaldynamics.com/news/press_releases/2008/NewsRelease%20September%205%2C%202008-3.htm |archive-date=3 January 2010}}</ref>
# A [[7.62×51mm NATO|7.62&nbsp;mm]] [[M240 machine gun]] in front of the loader's hatch on a skate mount (seen at right). Some of these were fitted with [[gun shield]]s during the Iraq War, as well as night-vision scopes for low-visibility engagements and firing. This gun can be moved to the TC's position if the M2 .50 cal is damaged.
# A second 7.62&nbsp;mm M240 machine gun in a [[coaxial gun|coaxial]] mount (i.e., it points at the same targets as the main gun) to the right of the main gun. The coaxial MG is aimed and fired with the same computerized firing control system used for the main gun. On earlier M1 and M1A1s 3000 rounds are carried, all linked together and ready to fire. This was reduced slightly in later models to make room for new system electronics. A typical 7.62&nbsp;mm combat loadout is between 10,000 and 14,000 rounds carried on each tank.
# (Optional) A second coaxial .50 cal. (12.7&nbsp;mm) M2HB machine gun can be mounted directly above the main gun in a remote weapons platform as part of the CSAMM (Counter Sniper Anti Material Mount) package.