M249 SAW
Technical Summary

Caliber:	5.56 x 45 mm (STANAG 4172)
Action:	Gas-operated, open bolt
Mass:	6.9 kg (15.2 lb) empty 10 kg (22 lb) w/ 200 rounds
Length:	1,038 mm (40.9 in)
Barrel length:	465 mm (18.3 in)
Rate of fire:	725 round/min w/ ammo belt 1,000 round/min w/ M16 magazine
Belt/Magazine:	200-round M27 disintegrating links 100 or 200-round re-usable soft packs 30-round STANAG (M16) magazines 100-round Beta C-Mag
Effective range:	1,000 m (FN Herstal) 600 m, point target, fired from the shoulder/1,000 m area target; 800 m, area target, fired from the shoulder, point target, prone (U.S. Army doctrine) Fabrique Nationale M249 SAW Taken from http://www. ... The word calibre (British English) or caliber (American English) designates the interior diameter of a tube or the exterior diameter of a wire or rod. ... U.S. Military 5. ... STANAG is the NATO abbreviation for Standardization Agreement, which set up processes, procedures, terms and conditions for common military or technical procedures between the member countries of the alliance. ... In firearms terminology, an action is the system of operation that the firearm employs to seal the breech (in a breech-loading firearm), and to load consecutive rounds. ... The gas-operated system for implementing automatic reloading of a firearm is one of five such systems, the others being recoil-operated, gatling, chain, and blowback. ... A semi or fully-automatic firearm which is said to fire from an open bolt is one where, when ready to fire, the bolt and working parts are held to the rear. ... The barrel of a gun or other firearm is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion is released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at great speed. ... A belt feeding into an M249 machine gun, from an Army training manual A belt feeding into a M1919A4 from a wooden ammo box A belt is an ammunition feeding device for a firearm. ... An M16 Magazine Various Mags A magazine (also called a mag) is an ammunition storage device within or attached to a firearm. ... M16 is the U.S. Military designation for a family of rifles derived from the ArmaLite AR-15. ... Transparent Beta C-Mag The Beta C-Mag is a hundred-round capacity magazine designed for assault rifles and SMGs firing the 5. ... The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... 400 m, point target/600 m area target, prone (Australian Army doctrine)
Production:	1982—

The Minimi (Mini-mitrailleuse, "mini-machine gun") is a light machine gun manufactured by Fabrique Nationale (FN). The Australian Army Emblem The Australian Army is Australias military land force. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... A Home Army (Polish resistance) soldier equipped with an Brno ZB26 LMG during the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. ... Fabrique Nationale de Herstal, more often known as Fabrique Nationale and abbreviated simply as FN, is a well-known firearm manufacturer that originated in the Belgian city of Herstal, near Liège. ...

The M249 SAW designation is used by the United States military. The Minimi and the M249 are not exactly the same weapon — they weigh different amounts and have slightly different configurations- M249 variants can vary significantly. The M249 adoption program was the result of an over 20-year search for a small caliber squad automatic weapon (SAW) by the U.S. military. Although officially adopted in the early 1980s, some early production problems delayed full deployment until the turn of the decade. One thousand Minimis were purchased directly from FN for the Gulf War in 1991, as there were not enough M249 yet in service at the time. The M249 has undergone a number of variant and improvement programs, though is scheduled to be replaced by a new lightweight machine gun — possibly, the AAI LMGA (2004 contract). The armed forces (or armed services) of the United States of America consist of the United States Army United States Marine Corps United States Navy United States Air Force United States Coast Guard Approximately 1. ... Individual weapons by type and current level of use. ... A squad automatic weapon (SAW) is a light or general-purpose machine gun, usually equipped with a bipod and firing a 7. ... Combatants U.S.-led coalition Iraq Commanders General Norman Schwarzkopf, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell Saddam Hussein Strength 660,000 600,000+ Casualties 345 dead, 1,000 wounded 100,000 dead, 300,000 wounded, 60,000 prisoners 35,000 civilian The 1991 Gulf War was a...

Overview

The M249 is an air-cooled, belt-fed, fully-automatic-only firearm that fires from an open bolt position. It can accept linked 5.56 x 45 mm NATO ammunition through the top-mounted feed tray or M16 magazines through the side-mounted port. Linked ammunition can be fed from either a loose belt or from a plastic 200-round ammunition box clipped under the receiver. The SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon) features a built-in bipod and a tripod-mounting lug for supported fire, and a quick change barrel that helps prevent overheating during sustained fire. A belt feeding into an M249 machine gun, from an Army training manual A belt feeding into a M1919A4 from a wooden ammo box A belt is an ammunition feeding device for a firearm. ... M2 machine gun An automatic firearm is a firearm that will continue to load and fire rounds of ammunition as long as the trigger (or equivalent) is activated or until it runs out of ammunition. ... An assortment of modern firearms using fixed ammunition, including military assault rifles, a sporting shotgun (fourth from bottom), and a tactical shotgun (third from bottom). ... A semi or fully-automatic firearm which is said to fire from an open bolt is one where, when ready to fire, the bolt and working parts are held to the rear. ... U.S. Military 5. ... Boxes of ammunition clog a warehouse in Baghdad Ammunition is a generic military term meaning (the assembly of) a projectile and its propellant. ... M16 is the U.S. Military designation for a family of rifles derived from the ArmaLite AR-15. ... An M16 Magazine Various Mags A magazine (also called a mag) is an ammunition storage device within or attached to a firearm. ... A squad automatic weapon (SAW) is a light or general-purpose machine gun, usually equipped with a bipod and firing a 7. ... A bipod is a support device that is similar to a tripod or monopod, but with only two legs. ... Tripod can refer to: A tripod supporting a television camera. ... The barrel of a gun or other firearm is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion is released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at great speed. ...

The gun has good firepower for its size. The latest reports on failures of M249 SAW weapons in Iraq are sometimes attributed to the age of the weapons used, sometimes to the dusty environment in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most of the current issue M249s in U.S. Army are more than 10 years old, which is not actually that old for a service firearm, but can reduce reliabilty. There have been issues with its performance at other times, particularly earlier in its development. US Army Seal HHC, US Army Distinctive Unit Insignia The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces that has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ...

Usage

• United States (M249)— the M249 has been in officaly adopted 1 February 1982. However, it had a delyed introduction with fielding not starting in earnest until the late 1980s. The U.S. Army website lists 1987 as the year it entered Army service. In the U.S. Marine Corps, the SAW is usually carried at the fireteam level; that is, one member of a three to five-man team carries this weapon. The SAW is also standard issue for a four to five-man amphibious reconnaissance team.

• Australia (F89)— the Australian Army uses a locally built version of the FN light machine gun. It is essentially the same, but fitted with a Picatinny rail and a 1.5x magnification optical sight. It also has a longer flash suppressor (same type as the FN MAG 58) than the standard Minimi. Unlike the M249, there is no heat shield and the carrying handle is fixed, not folding. Each F89 comes with two live barrels and one blank-firing barrel. The gunner will normally carry the spare barrel in the field. Two F89s are carried in each nine-man infantry section. Small numbers of the Minimi Para are used by Australian paratroopers and special forces.

• Belgium (Minimi)— the Belgian Army and Belgian Air Force regular troops use the standard Minimi (M1). Paracommando troops use the para Minimi (M3).

• Canada (C9)— the original Canadian Armed Forces C9 is a standard factory Minimi with a steel tubular stock. The C9A1 comes fitted with a Picatinny rail on the feed cover and a 3.4x Elcan C79 Optical Sight. The C9A2 mid-life upgrade introduces a shorter barrel, camo green components, cloth ammo boxes (replacing plastic magazines), an M4 Carbine-style collapsible stock, a folding pistol foregrip, and a standard-issue laser aiming module/device (LAM/LAD). Two C9s are carried by each infantry section.

A Minimi operator in the 93rd Marine Artillery Regiment of the French Army

• France (Minimi)— the Minimi is widely used by the French Armée de Terre.

• Israel (Minimi)— the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF). Limited numbers of Minimis were purchased in the early 1990s and saw combat in south Lebanon. The Minimi performed well and built itself reputation, but in 1995 it was decided to purchase the IMI Negev, an Israeli manufactured 5.56 mm light machine gun, which fitted more into Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) requirements.

• Japan (M249)— the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces replaced the Type 62 machine gun with the Minimi. Licensed and manufactured by Sumitomo Heavy Industries.

• Nepal (Minimi)— the Nepal army uses 5,500 Minimi machine guns. The weapon delivery was endorsed on July 11, 2002 by the Belgian government.

• Netherlands (Minimi)— the Royal Netherlands Army has brought in the Minimi to replace the FN MAG in infantry use. The MAG is still being used as a vehicle-mounted weapon.

• New Zealand (C9)— the New Zealand Army uses the Minimi designated as the C9.

• Sweden (Ksp 90)— the armed forces of Sweden use the Minimi machine gun.

• United Kingdom [L108A1 (SAW)/L110A1 (Para)]— recently, the British Army has equipped each four-man fire team (2 per section) with the current variant of the Minimi Para. It is considered a fire support weapon between light support weapons and general purpose machine guns. They are usually fitted with the Common Weapon Sight (CWS) - an optical day and night sight.

US Army Seal HHC, US Army Distinctive Unit Insignia The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces that has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the U.S. military. ... A fireteam is a small military unit of infantry. ... Mixed reconnaissance patrol of the Polish Home Army and the Soviet Red Army during Operation Tempest, 1944 Reconnaissance is the military term for the active gathering of information about an enemy, or other conditions, by physical observation. ... The Australian Army Emblem The Australian Army is Australias military land force. ... The Picatinny rail is a bracket used on some firearms in order to provide a standardized mounting platform for scopes and other accessories such as tactical lights and laser sighting modules. ... An American Paratrooper using a MC1-B series parachute Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force. ... Special forces or special operations forces is a term used to describe relatively small military units raised and trained for reconnaissance, unconventional warfare and special operations. ... The Belgian Army forms the land component of the Belgian Armed Forces. ... Ensign of the Belgian Air Force // Early Years The Belgian Air Force was founded in 1909 as a branch of the Belgian Army. ... The Canadian Forces (CF) (Fr: Forces canadiennes (FC)) are the combined branches of the military of Canada. ... A stock or buttstock is present in many firearms and some crossbows to transfer the recoil from firing the weapon into the shooters shoulder. ... Elcan is a Canadian optics company owned by Raytheon. ... // Headline text The M4 Carbine traces its lineage back to earlier carbine versions of the M16, all based on the original AR-15 made by Armalite. ... The range of sizes in which lasers exist is immense, extending from microscopic diode lasers (top) to football field sized neodymium glass lasers (bottom) used for inertial confinement fusion. ... A section is an infantry unit in the British Army consisting of eight soldiers, including a Corporal as section commander, a Lance-Corporal as second-in-command, and six privates. ... Image File history File links Minimi operated by 93th marine artillery regiment of the French Army source photo by adjutant Deschamps (93th marine artillery regiment) This work is copyrighted. ... Image File history File links Minimi operated by 93th marine artillery regiment of the French Army source photo by adjutant Deschamps (93th marine artillery regiment) This work is copyrighted. ... French soldiers of the IFOR in Mostar, 1995. ... French soldiers of the IFOR in Mostar, 1995. ... The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) (Hebrew: צבא ההגנה לישראל Tsva Ha-Haganah Le-Yisrael ([Army] Force [for] the Defense of Israel), often abbreviated צהל Tsahal, alternative English spelling Tzahal, is the name of Israels armed forces (army, air force and navy). ... IMI Negev multi-purpose machine gun The IMI Negev is a light-weight, 5. ... The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) (Hebrew: צבא ×”×”×’× ×” לישראל â–¶ (help· info), [Army] Force for the Defense of Israel), often abbreviated צהל Tsahal, alternative English spelling Tzahal, is the name of Israels armed forces, comprising the Israeli army, Israeli air force and Israeli navy. ... The Japan Self-Defense Forces (Japanese: 自衛隊, Jieitai) or JSDF, are the military forces in Japan that were established after the end of World War II. The force has been engaged in no real combat but has been engaged in some international peacekeeping operations. ... The Royal Netherlands Army (Koninklijke Landmacht) is the land forces element of the Military of the Netherlands. ... Caliber: 7. ... // Structure of the New Zealand Army The New Zealand Army (or NZ Army) is the land armed force of the New Zealand military and comprises around 4,500 regular personnel and 2,500 non-regulars and civilians. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ...

Variants

U.S. Army soldier with a compact M249 variant

• M249 Para— features a retractable stock and a shorter barrel. It was designed as a paratrooper weapon, although its compact dimensions make it desirable in any combat scenario.

• M249E4— the M249-based variant of the FN Minimi Special Purpose Weapon (SPW) has Picatinny rails mounted on the feed cover and forward grip, a short barrel and a Para-style retractable stock. Some features from the SAW and Para models were removed to save weight - these include the STANAG magazine port, the tripod mounting lug and the built-in bipod.

• Mk 46 Mod 0— adopted by the USSOCOM, the Mk 46 Mod 0 features an improved rail handguard and uses the standard fixed buttstock, which is significantly lighter than the E4's M5 retractable unit from FN. While extremely similar, the Mk 46 Mod 0 and the M249E4 are not the same weapon.

(Note: See Mk 48 Mod 0 for the 7.62 x 51 mm light machine gun based on the M249 design.)

Many U.S. SAWs have been modified to carry SPW-style Picatinny rails on the feed cover. This allows them to mount commercial day and night optical sights like the M68 Aimpoint or low-magnification scopes. Additionally, some SAWs have fixed steel tubular stocks instead of the polymer stock pictured above. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1989x1542, 820 KB) Summary From: http://www4. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1989x1542, 820 KB) Summary From: http://www4. ... An American Paratrooper using a MC1-B series parachute Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force. ... The Picatinny rail is a bracket used on some firearms in order to provide a standardized mounting platform for scopes and other accessories such as tactical lights and laser sighting modules. ... Emblem of the United States Special Operations Command. ... Caliber: 7. ... NATO 7. ... The CompM2 is a red dot gunsight manufactured by Aimpoint AB. Its US Army designation is M68 Aimpoint. ...

All SAWs can mount the laser equipment needed to participate in a MILES combat simulation. This picture shows an M249 fitted with MILES gear. See mile - unit of measurement (distance) Miles Aircraft Ltd - UK manufacturer of light and military aircraft Miles Tails Prower - a fictional fox Miles Davis was an American jazz composer and trumpeter and was one of the most influential and innovative musicians of the 20th century. ... MOUT/FIBUA simulated in US Army exercise This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ...

The weapon can also mount third-party suppressors. In particular, Gemtech manufactures suppressors designed to be mounted on NATO standard flash hiders, such as the one used by most variants of the M249. In reality however, this practice should be limited to responsible burst firing (as dictated in the M249 technical manual) since 5.56 mm ammunition is prone to soften, shed jackets, and destabilize when the host firearm is subjected to abusive firing schedules. Line drawing of De Lisle carbine, A . ... This article or section should be merged with Flash suppressor A flash hider, also known as flash eliminator, is an attachment on the end of the barrel of a weapon that is intended to reduce the amount of flash given off when firing. ...

Variant Designations

Caliber: 7. ...

Popular culture

The M249 is present in the computer game Counter-Strike as the only 'machine gun'. In-game, it carries a 100-round belt and is the single most expensive firearm for players to purchase. The M249 and its variants have made their way into a number of military-themed games, including the Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon series, Full Spectrum Warrior, and America's Army. It is also the primary weapon for the "Support" class of the Marines in the computer game Battlefield 2. Counter-Strike (CS) is a popular team-based mod of Valves first-person shooter (FPS) Half-Life. ... Tom Clancys Ghost Recon (also known as simply Ghost Recon) is a video game in the tactical shooter genre, inspired by the work of Tom Clancy. ... Full Spectrum Warrior is a video game classified as a real-time strategy action/war game. ... Americas Army (also known as AA or Army Game Project) is a tactical multiplayer first-person shooter owned by the U.S. government and released as a global public relations initiative to present an image of the current U.S. Army and help with U.S. Army recruitment. ... Battlefield 2 is a computer game in which up to 64 players, over the internet, fight in a modern battlefield using contemporary firearms and vehicles. ...

The M249 SAW was also seen in the 2001 movie Swordfish on a number of occasions as well as other movies like Black Hawk Down. Movie poster for Swordfish Swordfish is a action/thriller film released in 2001. ... Black Hawk Down is a 2001 film by Ridley Scott, based on the book Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War by Mark Bowden. ...

External links

• US Army M249 Fact File
• Official FN Herstal Minimi page
• FAS Military Analysis Network - M249 SAW
• Modern Firearms - FN Minimi
• Nazarian`s Gun`s Recognition Guide

Video links

• Nazarian`s Gun`s Recognition Guide (FILM) FN M249 SAW Presentation (.MPEG)

See also

• Machine gun, light machine gun
• List of individual weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces
• List of crew-served weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces
• Ares Shrike 5.56 (M16/M4 belt-feed conversion kit)
• Other 5.56 mm light machine guns:
  • Colt CMG-1/CMG-2 (5.56 mm x 45, 5.56 mm +)
  • WAK 'Interim SAW (5.56 x 45 mm)
  • XM106 (5.56 x 45 mm)
  • XM262 (HK 21E variant, pre-HK 23E; 5.56 x 45 mm)
  • XM234 (5.56 x 45 mm, 6 x 45 mm)
  • XM235/XM248 (5.56 x 45 mm, 6 x 45 mm)