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| Light Machine Gun, 5.56 mm, M249 | |
|---|---|
 M249 Para equipped with an ACOG scope | |
| Type | Light machine gun Squad automatic weapon |
| Place of origin | United States / Belgium |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1984–present |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1976 |
| Manufacturer | FN America |
| Unit cost | US$4,087[2] |
| Produced | Late 1970s–present |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass |
|
| Length | 40.75 in (1,035 mm) |
| Barrel length |
|
| Cartridge | 5.56×45mm NATO |
| Action | Gas-operated long-stroke piston, opened rotating bolt |
| Rate of fire |
|
| Muzzle velocity | 915 m/s (3,000 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range |
|
| Feed system | M27 linked disintegrating belt in a 100- or 200-round soft pouch STANAG magazine |
| Sights | Iron sights or Picatinny rail for various optical sights |
The M249 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon),[4][5][6] formally the Light Machine Gun, 5.56 mm, M249, is the United States Armed Forces adaptation of the Belgian FN Minimi, a light machine gun manufactured by FN Herstal (FN).
The M249 SAW is manufactured in the United States by the subsidiary FN Manufacturing LLC, a company in Columbia, South Carolina (FN America), and is widely used in the U.S. Armed Forces. The weapon was introduced in 1984 to address the lack of sustained automatic fire capability at the squad level. The M249 SAW combines the rate of fire of a machine gun with the accuracy and portability of an assault rifle.
The M249 SAW is gas operated and air-cooled. It features a quick-change barrel (allowing the operator to rapidly replace an overheated or obstructed barrel) and a folding bipod attached to the front of the weapon (an M192 LGM tripod is also available). The M249 SAW is normally belt-fed, although it is technically compatible with STANAG magazines (such as those used in the M16 and M4).
The M249 SAW has seen action in major conflicts involving the United States since the U.S. invasion of Panama in 1989. In 2009, the United States Marine Corps selected the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle to partially replace the M249 in USMC service.[7]
In 2022, the U.S. Army selected the SIG Sauer XM250 to replace the M249 SAW.
- ^ Moss, Matthew (July 11, 2023). "How a Ukrainian Furniture Company Started Producing Ammo Belt Boxes for Ground Troops". Popular Mechanics. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Military Analysis Network-1999was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ LIGHT MACHINE GUN M249 SERIES (PDF) (Field Manual). Headquarters, Department of the Army. May 2017. pp. 100–101. FM 3-22.249.
- ^ Boe, David (August 1, 1997). "Mission Continues" (PDF). The Talon. Vol. 3, no. 31. Eagle Base, Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina: 1st Infantry Division (Task Force Eagle) Public Affairs Office. p. 6. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 22, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
Sitting atop the platoon leader's HMMWV, the 20-year-old soldier mans a Squad Automatic Weapon and monitors traffic at the crossroads.
- ^ Lewis, Jack (September 12, 2007). Ken Ramage (ed.). The Gun Digest Book of Assault Weapons (7th ed.). Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. pp. 14, 74, 156, 245. ISBN 978-1-4402-2652-6. Archived from the original on January 3, 2014. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
When it comes to machine guns, FNH USA is turning out copies of the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) that has been in the US military inventory for several decades.
- ^ "FN® M249 SAW". FN America. Archived from the original on May 17, 2019. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
- ^ Lamothe, Dan (July 2, 2010). "Conway eyes additional testing for auto-rifle". Marine Corps Times. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved July 2, 2010.