M-249 SAW

Name: M-249 SAW
Model: FN Herstal Model 249 Squad Automatic Weapon
Caliber: 5.56x45mm NATO
Type: light machine gun
Scale: character
Skill: firearms
Ammo: 200 / 30
Ammo Container: boxed belt / magazine
Weight: 7.5kg
Cost: $4,087
Ammo Cost per Round: $0.32
Availability: 3
Fire Mode: fully automatic
Rate of Fire: 63-83 per round
Range: 1-39 / 195 / 390 m
Damage: 3D+2

Capsule: The M249 light machine gun (LMG), previously designated the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW), and formally written as Light Machine Gun, 5.56 mm, M249, is an American version of the Belgian FN Minimi, a light machine gun manufactured by the Belgian company FN Herstal (FN). The M249 is manufactured in the United States and is widely used by the U.S. Armed Forces. The weapon was introduced in 1984 after being judged the most effective of a number of candidate weapons to address the lack of automatic firepower in small units. The gun provides infantry squads with the heavy volume of fire of a machine gun combined with accuracy and portability approaching that of a rifle.

The M249 is gas operated and air cooled. It has a quick-change barrel, allowing the gunner to rapidly replace an overheated or jammed barrel. A folding bipod is attached near the front of the gun, though an M192 LGM tripod is also available. It can be fed from both linked ammunition and STANAG magazines, like those used in the M16 and M4. This allows the SAW gunner to use rifleman's magazines as an emergency source of ammunition in the event that he runs out of linked rounds. However, this will often cause malfunctions where the magazine spring has difficulty feeding rounds quickly enough to match the SAW's high cyclic rate.

M249s have seen action in every major conflict involving the United States since the 1989 invasion of Panama. Soldiers are generally satisfied with the weapon's performance, though there have been reports of clogging with dirt and sand. Due to the weight and age of the weapon, the United States Marine Corps is testing the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle with plans to partially replace the M249 in Marine Corps service.

Game Notes: If using a magazine instead of a belt, the M-249 SAW will only fire 1D rounds before jamming. This happens because the magazine cannot feed the rounds fast enough. It is easily unjammed by just cycling the bolt.