M249 Minimi
Summary
| Country | 🇧🇪 Belgium |
| Category | Light machine gun |
| Manufacturer | FN Herstal |
Technical specifications
| M249 Minimi | |
|---|---|
| Fire Rate | 850 rounds/min. |
| Caliber | 5.56 x 45 mm OTAN |
| Magazine | 30 - 100 - 500-belt rounds |
| Length | 1040 mm (40.9 in) |
| Weight | 7.2 kg (15.9 lb) |
| Range | 800 m (2625 ft) |
Description
The M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW), officially designated as the Light Machine Gun, 5.56 mm, M249, is the United States Armed Forces adaptation of the Belgian FN Minimi. Manufactured in the U.S. by FN Manufacturing LLC in Columbia, South Carolina, it was introduced into U.S. Army service in 1984 and adopted by the U.S. Marine Corps in 1985 to provide sustained automatic fire at the squad level. Development trials in the 1970s led to the selection of the 5.56 mm FN Minimi, initially designated XM249, in May 1980, with official adoption in February 1982. Production was suspended in 1985 due to safety hazards, but resumed after a Product Improvement Program (PIP) was implemented. In 1994, the M249 squad automatic weapon was re-designated the M249 light machine gun.
The M249 SAW is a gas-operated, air-cooled, belt-fed light machine gun that fires the 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge from an open bolt. It primarily uses M27 linked belts from plastic or canvas boxes but is also compatible with STANAG magazines. Key features include a quick-change barrel and a folding bipod. It can also be mounted on an M192 Lightweight Ground Mount tripod or a vehicle mount. The standard length is 41 inches (1,041 mm), and it weighs 17 lb (8 kg) unloaded. Original models had a two-position gas regulator, which was standardized to a single setting with the PIP. The standard cyclic rate is around 850 rounds per minute, with a sustained rate of fire of around 50 rounds per minute. The PIP kit introduced a plastic stock with a hydraulic buffer, a handguard, a folding barrel handle, and reinforced receiver rails on later models.
Several variants of the M249 have been developed:
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M249 Para (Paratrooper): A compact version with a sliding aluminum buttstock and a shorter 13.7-inch (348 mm) barrel, measuring 35 inches (893 mm) long and weighing 16 lb (7.1 kg).
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M249 SPW (Special Purpose Weapon): Designed for USSOCOM, it removed the barrel handle, magazine well, and mounting lug to reduce weight. It has a lightweight barrel longer than the Para, Picatinny rails and a detachable bipod. It measures 36 inches (908 mm) and weighs 13 lb (5.7 kg).
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Mk 46: A further development of the SPW led by NAVSPECWAR, retaining the standard plastic stock and having slightly different Picatinny rails, with an option for a heavier fluted barrel.
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Mk 48: Developed from the Mk 46 by FN for NAVSPECWAR, it is a scaled-up version chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO, classified as a Light Weight Machine Gun (LWMG), weighing 18.5 lb (8.4 kg) and 39.5 inches (100 cm) long.
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M249S: A semi-automatic only variant manufactured for the civilian market, retaining belt-feed capability.
The M249 SAW has been used in U.S. military conflicts since the U.S. invasion of Panama in 1989. It was also used in the Persian Gulf War, Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. It is employed with maneuvering units or from fixed positions to provide cover fire. Early feedback praised its durability and firepower but cited issues like fragile bipods, awkward slings, and dirt accumulation. During combat deployments, particularly in desert environments, soldiers reported issues with sand causing clogging and jamming, maintenance difficulty, rusting, and rattling from the original plastic ammunition boxes. Despite concerns about maintenance and clogging, troops generally expressed satisfaction with the weapon's accuracy, lethality, handling, reliability, and durability, often performing their own maintenance. In 2009, the U.S. Marine Corps began partially replacing the M249 with the magazine-fed M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle. The U.S. Army initiated the Next Generation Squad Weapon-Automatic Rifle (NGSW-AR) program to find a full replacement for the M249, selecting the SIG Sauer XM250 in April 2022.
Current users include Afghanistan, Argentina, Colombia, Czech Republic, Georgia, Haiti (by UTAG of the Haitian National Police), Hungary, Iraq, Lebanon, Malaysia, Kurdistan, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand, and the United States. The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was a former user.