M249

Lore & Background

The M249 SAW was adopted in 1982 to address the lack of sustained automatic fire capability at the squad level. It combines the rate of fire of a machine gun with the accuracy and portability of an assault rifle. It is gas operated and air-cooled, with a quick-change barrel. It can be paired with a folding bipod or an M192 tripod. It features a dual-feeding mechanism, primarily belt-fed but also compatible with STANAG magazines. It has been fielded in major conflicts since the U.S. invasion of Panama in 1989. In 2009, the USMC selected the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle to partially replace it. In 2022, the U.S. Army selected the M250 to replace it.

In Their Own Story

The dust on Mirage's A-site had settled into a fine grey film. Kovač crouched behind the ramp, the M249's stock pressed into the hollow of his shoulder, the cooling barrel ticking softly in the quiet. His teammate's voice crackled: "Two pushing B. I'll be back in twenty."

Twenty seconds. He counted them in the rhythm of the wind off the catwalks. The magazine was full—hundred rounds, a small army in his hands. He didn't need to kill them. He needed them to stop. He needed them to think the angle was occupied, that the site was alive, that the next step forward would cost them a bullet they couldn't afford.

The first footsteps on the B-site tiles. Then the second. Then the spray of a knife against the wall, a nervous tick. Kovaç exhaled, kept his crosshair on the gap between the crates, and waited. The M249 hummed in his grip, patient as a held breath. When they finally peeked, he would not miss. He had a hundred chances.

Reader's Guide

The M249 SAW is a light machine gun that provides sustained automatic fire. It is typically carried with a maneuvering unit or positioned to provide covering fire. The base load of ammunition was originally 600 rounds in three 200-round boxes; the modern load is 1,000 rounds in five 200-round belts, with up to 500 extra rounds in 100-round soft pouches.

Did You Know?

• The M249 SAW was adopted in 1982 by the U.S. Armed Forces.
• It is manufactured in Columbia, South Carolina, by FN Manufacturing, LLC.
• The M249 SAW can use both belt-fed ammunition and STANAG magazines.
• The U.S. Army selected the M250 light machine gun to replace the M249 in 2022.