M249 light machine gun
| Light Machine Gun, 5.56 mm, M249 SAW | |
|---|---|
M249 Para with an ACOG optical sight | |
| Type | Light machine gun Squad automatic weapon |
| Place of origin | Belgium / United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1984–present |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1976 |
| Manufacturer | FN America |
| Unit cost | US$4,087 |
| 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 | 850 rounds/min |
| 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 |
| References | |
The M249 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon), 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 a 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 (enabling 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.
In 2022, the U.S. Army selected the SIG Sauer XM250 to replace the M249 SAW.