The M240 is a 7.62 mm NATO Medium Machine gun. It is currently used by the US Armed Forces and other NATO forces. It is used extensively in the infantry as well as on vehicles and aircraft.

Design & History

Manufactured by Fabrique Nationale subsidiary FN Manufacturing, Inc. Columbia, SC, the M240 was chosen by the US military after a world-wide search for a weapon to replace the venerable but seriously flawed M60. While possessing many of the same basic characteristics as its predecessor, the durability of the M240 system results in superior reliability and maintainability when compared to the M60. Compared to other machineguns, its rating of 26,000 Mean Rounds Between Failure (MRBF), makes it the world's most reliable machine gun. The M240 is a left hand feed, gas operated, air cooled, fixed head space weapon. Its functionality is demonstrated by its ability to be mounted on the M122A1 tripod, a bipod, on vehicles, or on Aircraft.

Variations

The NATO version of the M240 is known as the MAG 58. The U.S. produced M240 family is produced to the same exacting specifications of the MAG 58 enabling all M240 variants to have interchangeable, interoperable components with foreign-produced NATO equivalent weapons. This has significant advantages in training, logistics support, tactical versatility, and joint operations. For example, an M240B buttstock and bipod may be carried in a vehicle to enable the crew to convert the coaxial weapon to an infantry model in the event that they are forced to withdraw from a non-operable vehicle.

M240B

The M240B is the standard infantry medium Machine gun of the US Army. It comes configured in for ground combat.

M240G

A similar version of the M240, the M240G, is the standard US Marine Corps medium machine gun. The Marine Corps is replacing the M60E3 with the M240G. The M240 allows for commonality throughout the Marine Corps whether the weapon is used in an infantry, vehicular, or airborne role. The M240G is the ground version of the original M240/M240E1, 7.62 mm medium class weapon designed as a coaxial/pintle mounted machine gun for Tanks and Light armored vehicles (LAVs). The M240G can be modified for ground use by the installation of an "infantry modification kit," (a flash suppressor, front sight, carrying handle for the barrel, a buttstock, infantry length pistol grip, bipod, and rear sight assembly).

M240D

The M240D has two possible configurations: aircraft and egress (ground). The aircraft configured M240D has a front and rear sight and a trigger group which accommodates the spade grip device. The ground configuration involves the installation of an Egress Package or "infantry modification kit" which is designed to provide downed aircrew personnel with increased fire power.

Operation

The rate of fire may be controlled by three different regulator settings. The first setting allows the weapon to cycle at 750 shot/min. The two remaining settings increase the SPM by 100 per setting (position number 2 = 850 shot/min; position number 3 = 950 shot/min).

See Also

• M249

• List of firearms
• List of modern weapons

• List of weapons of the U.S. Marine Corps
• List of individual weapons of the US Armed Forces
• List of crew served weapons of the US Armed Forces

External links

• Federation of American Scientists: M240 (http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/m240g.htm)
• USMC Factfile: M240G (http://www.hqmc.usmc.mil/factfile.nsf/0/681bfe800dc442378525627b006b71c7?OpenDocument)
• Fabrique Nationale Product Page (http://www.fnmfg.com/products/m240/m240g.htm)