Polymer Heat Shield for M249 Series Airsoft Aegs

Polymer Heat Shield for M249 Series Airsoft Aegs

Light motorcar gun

Light Machine Gun, five.56 mm, M249
M249 Para equipped with an ACOG telescopic
Type	Calorie-free machine gun
Place of origin	Belgium (Minimi) United States (M249)
Service history
In service	1984–present
Used past	Encounter Users
Wars	Invasion of Panama Gulf War Unified Task Force (Somalia) Bosnian War Kosovo War War in Afghanistan Iraq State of war Syrian Ceremonious State of war Yemeni Civil State of war (2015–present) Saudi-led intervention in Yemen
Production history
Designed	1976
Manufacturer	FN Herstal
Unit cost	US $4,087[ane]
Produced	Late 1970s–present
Variants	See Variants
Specifications
Mass	7.5 kg (17 lb) empty 10 kg (22 lb) loaded with 200 rounds
Length	40.75 in (ane,035 mm)
Butt length	465 mm (18 in) 521 mm (21 in)
Cartridge	5.56×45mm NATO
Action	Gas-operated long-stroke piston, open up bolt
Rate of fire	Sustained: 100 rounds/min Rapid: 200 rounds/min Cyclic: 700–850 rounds/min (gas setting 1: normal) 950–1,150 rounds/min[two] (gas setting ii: adverse)
Muzzle velocity	915 m/s (3,000 ft/south)
Effective firing range	700 m (ii,300 ft) (betoken target, 465 mm barrel) 800 m (2,600 ft) (point target, 521 mm butt) 3,600 m (11,800 ft) (maximum range)
Feed organisation	M27 linked disintegrating belt, STANAG magazine
Sights	Iron sights or Picatinny rails for various optics

The M249 light machine gun (LMG), likewise known equally the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW), which continues to exist the manufacturer's designation,^[3] and formally written as Light Machine Gun, 5.56 mm, M249, is the American adaptation of the Belgian FN Minimi, a calorie-free car gun manufactured by the Belgian company FN Herstal (FN).

The M249 is manufactured in the United States past the subsidiary FN Manufacturing LLC, a company in Columbia, S Carolina, and is widely used in the U.S. Military. The weapon was introduced in 1984 after beingness judged well-nigh effective (compared to a number of candidate weapons) to accost the lack of automated firepower in pocket-sized units. The M249 provides infantry squads with a high rate of machine gun burn, combined with the accuracy and portability of a rifle.

The M249 is gas operated and air-cooled, it has a quick-change barrel (allowing the gunner to apace replace an overheated or jammed butt), a folding bipod fastened to the forepart of the gun (an M192 LGM tripod too being bachelor). The SAW can be fed from both linked armament and STANAG magazines (such as those used in the M16 and M4), allowing the SAW operator to apply them every bit a source of ammunition in case they run out of belts. The STANAG magazines should just be used in emergencies, nevertheless, due to their high malfunction rate.

M249s take seen action in major conflicts involving the United States since the U.S. invasion of Panama in 1989. Due to the firearm's weight and historic period, the U.s.a. Marine Corps began fielding the M27 Infantry Automatic Burglarize, with plans to (partially) replace the M249 in USMC service in the future.^[four]

Etymology [edit]

The M249 is often referred to as a "Squad Automatic Weapon" (SAW).^{[5] [6]}

Development [edit]

Background [edit]

In 1965, the U.S. Army and U.South. Marine Corps' primary machine guns were the M2 Browning and M60. The M2 was a large-caliber heavy auto gun, usually mounted on vehicles or in fixed emplacements.^[7] The M60 was a more mobile general-purpose machine gun, intended to be carried by troops to provide heavy automatic burn down.^[8]

Both firearms were very heavy and usually required a coiffure of at least 2 in society to operate efficiently.^[ix] The Browning automatic rifle (BAR), the army's primary individual machine gun since its introduction in Globe War I, was phased out in 1957 with the introduction of the M14 rifle (which had a fully automatic mode).^[10] "Designated riflemen" in every squad were ordered to employ their weapons on the fully automatic setting, while other troops were required to utilize their rifle's semi-automatic style on most occasions to increase accuracy and conserve armament.^[eleven] Because the M14 and M16 rifles had non been designed with sustained automatic burn in mind, they often overheated or jammed.^[11] The twenty-circular and 30-round magazines of these weapons limited their sustained automatic effectiveness when compared to belt-fed weapons.^[vii]

The Regular army decided that an individual machine gun, lighter than the M60, but with more firepower than the M16, would exist advantageous; troops would no longer accept to rely on rifles for automatic fire.^[2] Through the 1960s, the introduction of a machine gun into the infantry team was examined in various studies.^[12] While there was a brief flirtation with the concept of a flechette- or sprint-firing Universal Machine Gun during one written report, most calorie-free machine gun experiments full-bodied on the Stoner 63 light machine gun, a modular weapon that could exist easily modified for different purposes.^{[13] [14]} The Stoner 63 LMG saw combat for a brief flow in Vietnam with the Marine Corps, and later on a wider scale with the U.S. Navy SEALs.^[14]

In 1968, the Regular army Small Arms Program developed plans for a new five.56 mm caliber LMG, though no funds were allocated (v.56 mm armament was viewed as underpowered by many in the armed services). Studies of improved 5.56 mm ammunition, with better performance characteristics, began.^[fifteen] The earliest reference to studies of other caliber cartridges for the LMG did not appear until 1969.^[16] In July 1970, the U.S. Regular army finally approved development of an LMG, with no specified caliber. At this time, the nomenclature "Squad Automatic Weapon" (SAW) was introduced.^[12] Actual design of culling cartridges for the LMG did not brainstorm until July 1971. A month after, Frankford Arsenal decided on two cartridge designs for the new LMG: a 6 mm cartridge and a new 5.56 mm cartridge with a much larger case.^[17] Neither blueprint was finalized by March 1972, when the Ground forces published the specifications document for the planned SAW.^[18] The vi mm cartridge pattern was eventually approved in May that year.^[19] Prior to July 1972, SAW development contracts were awarded to Maremont, Philco Ford, and the Rodman Laboratory at Rock Island Armory. These companies produced designs with Army designations XM233, XM234 and XM235 respectively – X denoting "experimental". Designs were required to take a weight of less than 9.07 kg (20 lb) including 200 rounds of ammunition, and a range of at least 800 meters (2,600 ft).^{[20] [21]}

Trials [edit]

Initial Belgian-designed Minimi prototype delivered to the U.S. Infantry Board for evaluation, before it received its XM249 designation^[22] (note the difference)

When the time came for developmental and operational testing of the SAW candidates, iii 5.56 mm candidate weapons were included with the 6 mm candidates: the M16 HBAR, a heavy-barrel variant of the M16 designed for prolonged firing; the Fabrique Nationale de Herstal (FN) Minimi; and the HK 23A1. The initial round of tests ended in December 1974.^[20] In February 1976, the Minimi and Rodman XM235 SAW were selected for farther development. At this fourth dimension, opinions of the 6 mm cartridge were offset to sour due to the logistical implications of providing withal another ammunition blazon to the infantry.^[23] In June, it was requested that the SAW specifications document be revised to emphasize standard 5.56 mm ammunition. In October, the requested revisions were canonical, and bids were solicited for the conversion of the Rodman XM235 to 5.56 mm. Product of the converted XM235 was awarded to Ford Aerospace, and its designation was changed to XM248.^[24] A new M16 HBAR variant, the XM106, was developed in 1978, and presently after, Heckler & Koch lobbied to include a five.56 mm conversion of its HK 21A1 (instead of the standard 7.62 mm NATO armament information technology was congenital for) in future SAW testing. The latter model was designated the XM262. At this time, the Minimi received the designation XM249.^[25] Testing of the iv candidates resumed in April 1979.^[26]

In May 1980, the FN XM249 was selected as the best option for hereafter development on the grounds of performance and price, while the HK XM262 reportedly came a close second.^[26] In September, FN was awarded a "maturity phase" contract for further development of the XM249,^[27] and testing of the new weapon began in June 1981.^[28] The official adoption took place in February 1982.^{[29] [30]}

Service [edit]

An early model of the M249

The new gun entered U.S. Army service as the M249 team automated weapon in 1984, and was adopted past the U.S. Marine Corps a year after. The U.S. production model has a different butt from that of the regular Minimi.^[31] Information technology is manufactured in the FN mill in Columbia, South Carolina.^[32]

Although institute to be reliable and accurate, the M249 was considered to present unacceptable hazards in the form of an exposed hot barrel and sharp edges. There were complaints that the front end sight required special adjustment tools. On August 23, 1985, then-U.Southward. Under Secretary of the Regular army James R. Ambrose suspended M249 product pending the development of the production improvement plan (PIP) intended to ready these problems.^[33] Congress deleted funds for the M249 from the Fiscal Yr 1986 defense upkeep, and so retroactively set up bated the plan'due south prior year's funds from the M249 plan for other purposes, including retirement and pay raises. Over 1,100 M249s already issued were to remain in utilize, merely exist retrofitted with the PIP kit when it became available. Over vii,000 remaining M249s were to stay in storage at depots until corrective changes could exist made. The PIP kit was eventually adult and implemented, and production of the M249 resumed.^[31] In 1994 the M249 squad automatic weapon was re-designated the M249 light machine gun.^[34]

Design details [edit]

A U.S. Marine firing an M249 from an M122A1 tripod at a preparation range in November 2003

The M249 is a belt-fed light motorcar gun.^[2] It fires the 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge, usually a combination of 1 M856 tracer and 4 M855 ball cartridges fed from M27 linked belts. Belts are typically held in a hard plastic or soft canvas box fastened to the underside of the weapon.^[2] The M249 can as well fire burglarize grenades.^[35]

It fires from an open bolt and is gas operated. When the trigger is pulled, the bolt and bolt carrier move forward under the ability of the recoil spring. A cartridge is stripped from the chugalug, chambered, and discharged, sending a bullet down the bore. Expanding propellant gases are diverted through a hole in the butt into a chamber. This pressure moves a piston providing the energy to extract and eject the spent casing also as advance the chugalug and compress the recoil jump, thus preparing for subsequent shots. At i,041 mm (41 in) long and 7.five kg (17 lb) in weight (10 kg (22 lb) including a 200-round belt and plastic ammo box), the M249 is a cumbersome weapon.^[32]

The M249's air-cooled butt is equipped with a machinery to remove and replace the barrel associates with a spare, this makes it easy for the operator to hands change the barrel on the field when it gets too hot during all-encompassing amounts of burn down. The barrel has a rifling twist rate of one turn in 180 mm (7 in).^[32] A folding bipod with adjustable legs is attached well-nigh the front of the weapon, though there are provisions for hard-mounting to a M192 Lightweight Ground Mount tripod or vehicle mount.

The M249'due south original gas regulator featured two different gas port sizes, normal and adverse. The agin setting increases the cyclic charge per unit of fire from 700–850 rounds per infinitesimal to 950–one,150 rounds per infinitesimal and is used but in extreme environmental weather condition or when heavy fouling is present in the weapon'south gas tube. The two-position gas regulator was discarded equally part of a product improvement program, which fabricated the M249'due south that received the product comeback kit can no longer fire at higher cyclic rate.^[two] The sustained rate of fire, the rate at which the gunner can fire continuously without overheating, is around 100 rounds per minute. Whilst the rapid rate of burn is around 200 rounds per infinitesimal.^{[36] [37]}

Comparable weapons in U.S. and foreign service

	M1918 BAR Retired U.Southward. LMG	M249 U.S. LMG	M249 Para U.S. LMG	M60D[38] U.S. GPMG	M240B U.South. MMG	RPK-74 Russian LMG	Negev[39] Israeli LMG	Ultimax 100 Singaporean LMG
Weight loaded	ix.v kg (21 lb)	x kg (22 lb)	9.1 kg (20 lb)	11.03 kg (24 lb)	12.5 kg (28 lb)	5.56 kg (12 lb)	nine.vii kg (21 lb)	half-dozen.8 kg (xv lb)
Length	one,194 mm (47 in)	1,041 mm (41 in)	893 mm (35 in)	1,111 mm (44 in)	1,245 mm (49 in)	1,060 mm (42 in)	i,020 mm (40 in)	1,030 mm (41 in)
Cartridge	.30-06 Springfield	5.56×45mm NATO	v.56×45mm NATO	7.62×51mm NATO	7.62×51mm NATO	5.45×39mm	5.56×45mm NATO	5.56×45mm NATO
Armament feed	20-round box magazine	200-circular belt	200-round belt	100-round belt	100-round belt	45-round box mag	150-circular belt	100-round drum
Muzzle velocity	860 m/southward (2,820 ft/south)	915 m/due south (3,000 ft/s)	915 m/due south (3,000 ft/s)	853 thou/s (2,800 ft/s)	905 m/southward (2,970 ft/s)	960 one thousand/south (3,150 ft/s)	915 one thousand/southward (3,000 ft/s)	945 m/due south (3,100 ft/s)

Operational history [edit]

The different rounds that can be successfully loaded into the M249 SAW

The M249 LMG entered service in 1984 as the M249 SAW. Initial reactions to the gun were mixed: it fulfilled the light machine gun function well when fired from the ground, but was non as constructive when fired from the shoulder or hip.^[xl] It was praised for its farthermost durability and massive firepower, though a number of areas for improvement were highlighted: the bare firing attachment fitted poorly, the bipod was very weak and broke easily, the sling attachment was awkward, and in that location were many slots and gaps that accumulated dirt.^[41] Some claimed that the heavy-barrelled version of the M16 burglarize was a more effective light motorcar gun.^{[42] [43]}

The M249 SAW was non used heavily before the 1991 Gulf War, though information technology has been used in every major U.S. disharmonize since. American personnel in Somalia in 1993, Bosnia in 1994, Kosovo in 1999, Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq since 2003 have been issued M249s. Surplus weapons were donated to Bolivia, Colombia and Tunisia.^[44]

Tactically, SAWs are either carried with a maneuvering unit and fired while handheld, or positioned to remain stationary and provide roofing fire for other units.^[ix] Upon introduction, the basic load of ammunition was 600 rounds, carried in three 200-round boxes.^[45] These boxes were carried in soft pouches named Case, Pocket-sized Arms, Armament, 200-Circular Magazine.^[46] The modern load of ammunition carried for the weapon is i,000 rounds in five 200-round belts, although upward to 500 extra rounds generally gets loaded into 100-circular soft pouches.^[1]

Western farsi Gulf War [edit]

A supply of 929 M249 SAWs was issued to personnel from the U.South. Army and Marine Corps during the Persian Gulf War. Although exposure to gainsay was scarce, M249 gunners who were involved in fighting mainly used their weapons to provide cover fire for friendly maneuvering troops from fixed positions, rather than maneuvering with them.^[47] In that location were many complaints about the weapons clogging up with sand after prolonged use in the desert environment.^[48]

State of war in Afghanistan [edit]

The standard squad automated weapon in Transitional islamic state of afghanistan is the M249 with PIP kit, which serves alongside its heavier analogue, the M240 automobile gun. Most M249s were given a collapsible buttstock immediately prior to the invasion to reduce its length and brand the weapons more practical for parachuting and close-quarters gainsay.^[49] Special Operations troops typically favor the shorter Para version of the weapon, which weighs much less.^[i]

A written report entitled Lessons Learned in Transitional islamic state of afghanistan was released by Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Dean and SFC Sam Newland of the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Eye in 2002. They found that 54% of SAW gunners had issues maintaining their weapons, and thirty% reported that the gun rusted easily. Soldiers reported ammunition boxes rattling and falling off. 80% percent of soldiers surveyed were pleased with the weapon's accuracy and lethality, yet only 64% claimed they were "confident in their weapon". Weapons clogging upwardly with sand in the desert seems to exist the master complaint.^[50]

Iraq War [edit]

The PIP and Para versions of the M249 have been used in the Republic of iraq war since the invasion. By 2004, many M249s had been in service for almost 20 years and were becoming increasingly unreliable. Soldiers were requesting replacements and new features, and at that place are reports of soldiers holding their weapons together with duct tape.^[48] The lethality of the 5.56 mm armament has been called into question by reports of enemy soldiers still firing after being hitting multiple times.^[51] As in previous conflicts, the sandy environment causes the M249s and other weapons to clog upward and jam if they are not cleaned frequently.^[48]

Operation Iraqi Liberty PEO Soldier Lessons Learned, a report on the functioning of weapons in the Iraq War, was published by Lieutenant Colonel Jim Smith of the U.S. Army on May 15, 2003. Smith spoke positively of the M249, claiming that it "provided the requisite firepower at the team level as intended". He praised the SPW variant, noting that its "curt barrel and forrad pistol grip allowed for very effective use of the SAW in urban terrain". At the National Defense Industrial Association in 2007, Lieutenant Colonel Al Kelly of the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry gave a presentation describing the M249 as having "practiced range, excellent reliability" and an "excellent tracer". He said that a textile pouch was preferred over the plastic box for holding linked armament, and that "knock-downwardly ability is poor, but is compensated by rate of fire".^[52]

In December 2006, the Heart for Naval Analyses (CNA) released a report on U.S. small arms in combat. The CNA conducted surveys on 2,608 troops returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past 12 months. Merely troops who fired their weapons at enemy targets were immune to participate. Three hundred twoscore-one troops were armed with M249 SAWs, making up thirteen percent of the survey. 71 percent of M249 users (242 troops) reported that they were satisfied with the weapon. 40 pct of users preferred feeding the SAW with the soft 100-round pouch, while 21 percent chose the soft and difficult 200-round pouches each. 60 pct (205 troops) were satisfied with handling qualities, such as handguards, size, and weight. Of those dissatisfied, only nether one-half thought that it was as well heavy. M249 users had the lowest levels of satisfaction with weapon maintainability at 70 percentage (239 troops), most due to the difficulty in removing and receiving pocket-size components and poor corrosion resistance. The SAW had the highest levels of stoppages at 30 percent (102 troops), and 41 percent of those that experienced a stoppage said information technology had a big impact on their power to clear the stoppage and re-engage their target. Threescore-five percent (222 troops) did not demand their machine guns repaired while in theater. Sixty-v percent (222 troops) were confident in the M249's reliability, defined as level of soldier confidence their weapon volition fire without malfunction, and 64 percent (218 troops) were confident in its immovability, defined as level of soldier confidence their weapon will non break or demand repair. Both factors were attributed to high levels of soldiers performing their ain maintenance. lx percentage of M249 users offered recommendations for improvements. Seventeen pct of requests were for making the weapon lighter, and some other 17 percent were for more than durable belt links and drums, as well as other modifications, such as a collapsible stock.^[53]

Future replacement [edit]

A "fully improved" U.Due south. Army-issue M249, circa July 2010

An all-encompassing maintenance program intended to extend the service lives of M249s has been carried out to refurbish rifles, peculiarly units that suffered from wear due to heavy use. In particular the warping of the receiver rails on the early-models was a defect that occurred in heavily used first-generation M249s. This defect however has been completely eliminated on subsequently models and is no longer present on the current-issue M249, which has reinforced rails and full-length welding rather than spot welding. A replacement of the M249's buttstock that is redesigned to be adaptable in length is besides available.^[54]

The U.S. Marine Corps tested the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle, a lighter, mag-fed burglarize to supplement and partially replace the M249. With plans to buy up to 4,100 IARs to complement and partially replace its 10,000 M249s (of which 8,000 will remain in service) held at platoon level,^[55] information technology acquired 450 of the Heckler & Koch HK416–based weapons for testing.^[4] The Marines started fielding the M27 in 2010, merely kept both weapons in the inventory due to the M249'south greater armament capacity and higher sustained fire rate; rifle companies are typically issued 27 IARs and six SAWs.^[56] The U.S. Army does not plan to introduce the IAR. Colonel Robert Radcliffe of the U.S. Army Infantry Inquiry and Development Heart stated that an automatic rifle with a mag would lower the effectiveness and firepower of a team. While the Marine Corps has 13-homo squads, the Ground forces organizes its soldiers into squads of nine and needs considerably more firepower from the squad machine gunners to make up the difference. The U.Due south. Army does, however, desire to replace crumbling M249s with newer weapons.^[55]

In early on 2017, the U.S. Army posted a notice soliciting bids for the Next Generation Squad Weapon-Automatic Burglarize (NGSW-AR or NGSAR) to supervene upon the M249. In July 2018, the Army awarded contracts to half dozen companies including Textron, head of the preceding LSAT plan where they made development leaps with cased telescoped (CT) ammunition, for NGSW-AR and ammunition prototypes. These first prototypes will be delivered to the Ground forces for evaluation in June 2019.^[57] The stated requirements include:^{[58] [59]}

• Maximum weight of 5.4 kilograms (12 lb), including sling, bipod, and sound suppressor
• Maximum total length of 89 centimeters (35 in)
• Engage pinpoint targets up to 600 meters (two,000 ft), and suppress (expanse burn down targets) to a range of i,200 meters (three,900 ft)
• Compatible with next-generation Small Arms Fire Command systems

Variants [edit]

M249 PIP Kit

The product improvement program kit replaced the original steel tubular stock with a plastic stock based upon the shape of the heavier M240 machine gun. The change in stocks allowed for the addition of a hydraulic buffer system to reduce recoil.^[60] In addition, the dual gas port settings were reduced to only i; variants with the product improvement kit can no longer fire at a college cyclic speed. A handguard was added to a higher place the barrel to prevent burns, and the formerly fixed barrel irresolute handle was swapped for a folding unit. Certain parts were beveled or chamfered to prevent cutting soldiers' hands and arms. Other changes involved the bipod, pistol grip, flash suppressor, and sights.^[61] Over the years, additional modifications take been introduced as role of the Soldier Enhancement Plan and Rapid Fielding Initiative. These include an improved bipod, 100– and 200–round cloth "soft pack" magazines (to replace the original plastic ammunition boxes), and Picatinny rails for the feed tray cover and forearm and so that optics and other accessories may be added.^{[49] [62]}

M249 Paratrooper

The M249 Paratrooper, oft called "Para", is a compact version of the gun with a shorter barrel and sliding aluminum buttstock based on that of the Minimi Para, so-called because of its intended employ past airborne troops. It is much shorter and considerably lighter than the regular M249 at 893 mm (35 in) long and vii.1 kg (xvi lb) in weight.^[39]

A Ranger with 2d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment armed with a Mk 46 machine gun provides overwatch security on an objective during a mission in Iraq, November 2006.

M249 Special Purpose Weapon

The M249 SPW is a lightweight and shorter version of the M249 is designed to meet USSOCOM special operations forces requirements. The barrel changing handle, magazine insertion well, and vehicle mounting lug all have been removed to reduce weight. As a result, the SPW cannot be mounted in vehicles or use M16 magazines. Picatinny track were added to the feed comprehend and forearm for the mounting of optics, lasers, vertical foregrips, and other M4 SOPMOD kit accessories. The SPW has a detachable bipod. The SPW's lightweight barrel is longer than that of the Para model, giving it a full length of 908 mm (36 in) and a weight of 5.7 kg (thirteen lb).^[32]

Mk 46

The Mk 46 is a variant of the M249 SPW that was adopted by USSOCOM. The program that led to both the Mk 46 and Mk 48, that was headed by the US Naval Special Warfare Command (NAVSPECWAR). Similar the SPW, the barrel changing handle, mag insertion well, and vehicle mounting lugs take been removed to save weight. However, the Mk 46 retains the standard M249 plastic buttstock instead of the collapsible buttstock used on the SPW. The Picatinny rail forearm differs slightly from the SPW. The Mk 46 has the option of using the lighter SPW barrel or a thicker, fluted barrel of the aforementioned length.^[63]

Mk 48

This is a 7.62×51mm NATO version of the Mk 46, used past USSOCOM, when a heavier cartridge is required.^[63] Information technology is officially classified as an LWMG (Lite Weight Machine Gun) and was developed as a replacement for the Mk 43 Modernistic 0/one. The M60 based machine guns are a great deal more portable than the heavier M240 based designs used elsewhere in the US armed services in the infantry medium automobile gun office. However, the M60 based designs have a long history of insufficient reliability. Trials conducted through the mid-1990s led the US Army to replace its M60 with the M240B GPMGs. The M240B, however, weighs in at ≈27.5 lb and is about 49" long with the standard butt. NAVSPECWAR was reluctant to give up the increased portability of the M60 (≈22.5 lb, 37.7" OAL with the shortest "Set on Barrel") designs in spite of the M240'southward increased reliability. A request was put in for a new automobile gun in 2001, and FN responded with a scaled-up version of the M249 weighing in at ≈xviii.five lb with an OAL of ≈39.five". The new design accomplished much amend reliability than the M60-based weapons while bettering its calorie-free weight and maintaining the same transmission of arms as the already in-utilise M249. USSOCOM was slated to begin receiving deliveries of the new gun in August 2003.^[64]

M249S

This is a semiautomatic version manufactured for the civilian sport shooting and collector's marketplace. Derived from the fully automatic war machine firearm, this version shares most of the major components of the military models with the exception of the firing mechanism and the add-on of welded internal components to forestall conversion to a fully automatic mode. Notably, this version retains the ability to be belt fed, an uncommon feature in noncombatant firearms.^{[65] [66]}

Users [edit]

See as well [edit]

• Daewoo Precision Industries K3
• FN Minimi
• Heckler & Koch MG4
• IWI Negev
• Third Arm Weapon Interface System
• QJS-161
• RPL-20
• Ultimax 100

References [edit]

1. ^ ^{a b c} Military Analysis Network Archived July 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, M249 Light Machine Gun.
2. ^ ^{a b c d east} Bonds and Miller 2002, p. 451.
3. ^ "FN® M249 SAW". FN America. Archived from the original on May 17, 2019. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
4. ^ ^{a b} Lamothe, Dan (July two, 2010). "Conway optics boosted testing for auto-rifle". Marine Corps Times. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
5. ^ Boe, David (August ane, 1997). "Mission Continues" (PDF). The Talon. Vol. 3, no. 31. Hawkeye Base, Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina: 1st Infantry Division (Task Force Hawkeye) Public Affairs Part. p. 6. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 22, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2013. Sitting atop the platoon leader's HMMWV, the xx-year-onetime soldier mans a Squad Automatic Weapon and monitors traffic at the crossroads.
6. ^ Lewis, Jack (September 12, 2007). Ken Ramage (ed.). The Gun Assimilate Book of Assault Weapons (7th ed.). Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. pp. 14, 74, 156, 245. ISBN978-1-4402-2652-6. Archived from the original on Jan 3, 2014. Retrieved November 27, 2013. When it comes to motorcar guns, FNH USA is turning out copies of the M249 Team Automatic Weapon (SAW) that has been in the U.s.a. military machine inventory for several decades.
7. ^ ^{a b} Willbanks 2004, p. 179
8. ^ Willbanks 2004, p. 131
9. ^ ^{a b} U.Southward. Army 1992, A-1 Rifle platoon.
10. ^ Jones 2005
11. ^ ^{a b} U.S. Regular army 2003, 7–9 Automatic or burst fire.
12. ^ ^{a b} Ezell 1983, p. 91
13. ^ U.S. Army 1968, pp. eighteen–22
14. ^ ^{a b} Ezell 1983, p. 89
15. ^ U.Southward. Army 1968, pp. 36, 41–42
16. ^ U.S. Army Weapons Control Future Weapons Systems Division 1969
17. ^ Woodin Laboratory 1980, p. 1
18. ^ Ezell 1983, pp. 92, 95
19. ^ Woodin Laboratory 1980, pp. 5–6
20. ^ ^{a b} Ezell 1983, p. 95
21. ^ United states Army Center of Military History 1974, p. 176
22. ^ "Infantry News". Infantry. 65 (four): 10. July–August 1975. Archived from the original on Oct 19, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
23. ^ Ezell 1983, pp. 96–97, 100
24. ^ Ezell 1983, p. 98
25. ^ Ezell 1983, pp. 96, 102
26. ^ ^{a b} United States Army Center of Armed forces History 1983, p. 240
27. ^ Ezell 1983, pp. 103–104
28. ^ United States Army Centre of Armed forces History 1988, p. 243
29. ^ Rottman, Gordon L. (2011). The M16. Weapon Series. Osprey Publishing. p. 35. ISBN978-i-84908-891-6. Archived from the original on October nineteen, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
30. ^ Cawthorne, Nigel (2008). The Mammoth Book of Inside the Elite Forces. Robinson. p. 210. ISBN978-i-78033-731-nine. Archived from the original on October nineteen, 2021. Retrieved September twenty, 2018.
31. ^ ^{a b} U.s.a. Army Center of Military History 1995, p. 43
32. ^ ^{a b c d} Crawford 2003, p. 17
33. ^ Ezell 1988, p. 415
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External links [edit]

• FN M249 webpage by FN America
• FN M249 webpage by the U.S. Ground forces
• FN M249 webpage past the FAS Military Analysis Network
• FN M249 webpage at Nazarian.no

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