Fabrique Nationale M249 SAW / LMG

Fabrique Nationale M249 SAW / LMG History

The US Army selected the excellent Belgian Fabrique Nationale FN Minimi as the "M249 SAW" ("Squad Automatic Weapon") when introducing a new light machine gun. The M249 was a more or less direct adaptation of the Belgian design, with some changes based on Army requirements to suit mission requirements and American production methods. The weapon was selected in 1982, adopted by the US Army in 1984 (the US Marine Corps accepted the weapon in 1985), and after a long period of testing common to most US military weapons, the M249 was eventually forwarded to the US Armed Forces Front delivered in 1992. Overall, the M249 retains the general form and function of the FN Minimi, with the most notable changes being the addition of a perforated barrel heat shield and a new stock.

The heat shield protects the operator from accidental burns and also minimizes the effects of the warping action of the heat seen through the visor.

Like other modern infantry units, the U.S. military survives through various levels of specialists who benefit the whole. Base infantry armed with standard service rifles led the charge, and these units were supported by special forces armed with larger, heavier automatic weapons for fire fighting and direct contact with enemy forces.

The M249 is a portable, bulky firepower design designed to support squad infantry operations.

The U.S. shift to more compact machine guns stemmed from a 1960s initiative that linked U.S. ground forces with the bulky Vietnam War-era rifle-caliber M60 General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) and Browning M2HB heavy gun systems. So it turned out to be a "bridge requirement" to create a more portable system for the smaller 5.56mm NATO ammunition via a belt. The gun will be operated by a single operator for efficient management in the field and provide the required sustained firepower through high-volume automatic action. While various experiments were carried out to find this weapon during the Vietnam War, it wasn't until the settlement of FN Minimi in Belgium after the war ended in the 1980s that a solution emerged.

Since 1974, Minimi has been successfully evaluated with Colt M16 HBAR and Heckler & Koch HK23A1 (as XM249). Testing continued until 1981.

The M249 retains the general look and layout of the previous FN Minimi. The receiver is a large rectangular block that houses the necessary internal components. The butt was a webbed double support assembly attached to the rear of the receiver in the usual way. The trigger group and pistol grip are hidden under the receiver. In front of the receiver is the front guard/handguard, which wraps the barrel and part of the gas cylinder.

A collapsible bipod assembly attaches to the gas cylinder and folds back when not in use. The barrel protrudes a short distance in front of the forearm and is closed by a flash suppressor with a conical slot. Iron sights are provided above the receiver and in the center of the barrel.

The carrying handle is offset to the right for easy transport and barrel replacement. Ammunition is fed through an opening (box or belt) on the left and exits on the right. The carrying loop allows the use of the shoulder strap. The M249 can also be supported using the M192 LGM tripod kit.

The M249 has a barrel length of 41 inches and an empty weight of 16 pounds. The barrel is 18 to 20.5 inches long, and the rifling has 6 grooves and a right-hand twist. The weapon is loaded with a NATO standard 5.56x45mm cartridge - the same cartridge used in the M16 series assault rifles and M4 carbines - which can be fired from a 30-round hard magazine (STANAG) or 200-round M27 series ammunition in a soft pouch Metal chain strap. So the M249 can actually be fed from an M16/M4 magazine. The cyclic rate of fire is 750 rounds per minute, the muzzle velocity is 3,000 feet per second, the effective range is up to 870 yards, and the maximum range is up to 3,900 yards.

Ignition is gas operation through open bolt assemblies. A typical SAW person would receive 2 x 200 rounds of 5.56mm conveyor belts.

The M249 was baptized by fire when the U.S. invaded Panama in 1989 to overthrow dictator Manuel Noriega. During the 1991 Gulf War, it was again used heavily. Since then, the weapon has continued to serve in the Bosnia and Kosovo wars, the 2001 US-led war in Afghanistan and the 2003 US-led war in Iraq. In service, the M249 performed well as a reliable high-capacity gun. It performs well as a stationary weapon, but is slightly less effective when operated from the shoulder.

The M249, in particular, proved to be prone to gripping mud and sand, which became a major complaint from users of this weapon. A collapsible stock was eventually released for a more compact form factor and was recognized as the "Para" version due to its airborne paratrooper intent.

The M249 has become the primary weapon of U.S. urban warfare operations in Iraq.

U.S. M249 production is taken over by FN Manufacturing in Columbia, SC, USA. The first 1,100 M249s were built and supplied directly from the Belgian factory and were marked with such marks. Since entering service as the "M249 SAW", the system was renamed the "M249 Light Machine Gun (LMG)" in 1994.

In addition to the basic first-generation M249, the M249 was produced or improved in several notable forms. The M249 PIP was an early form of a product improvement program, replacing the original metal stock with a plastic stock. New sights have also been added, as well as a new pistol grip, bipod and flash hider. Finally, the Picatinny rail section was installed.

The M249 PARA is a more compact version with a sliding stock. The M249 Special Purpose Weapon is a compact SOCOM production version that is extremely lightweight - no carrying handles, magazine wells and vehicle attachments.

Another SOCOM type is the Mk 46 Mod 0 with Picatinny rail support and various barrel options. The Mk 48 is another SOCOM after the Mk 46 Mod 0, although it accommodates the larger caliber 7.62x51mm NATO standard cartridge.

Notably, the FN Minimi has been adopted by many of the major armed forces of the modern world, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan , Thailand, Turkey and the UK (among others).

Specification

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Performance

Changes