It’s time to relocate to Germany to take a look at the M249 Light Machine Gun in action. Yes, this is what TFB’s Photo Of The Day is all about! Above you see a U.S. Soldier, assigned to the 173rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team-Airborne (173rd IBCT ABN), as he [Read More…]
Good afternoon everyone and welcome back to TFB’s Silencer Saturday brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the new YHM Turbo T3 rifle suppressor. We got a first look at the Turbo T3 and we will return to a second part of the review next week. This [Read More…]
The number of internet users worldwide will soon reach the 5-billion mark. Our world has never been so connected. Great photos can spread like wildfire, but the story and the necessary context sometimes gets left behind. TFB’s Photo Of The Day, we will always [Read More…]
Norway’s Armed Forces have been using the FN Minimi Light Machine Gun (in 5,56×45 NATO) since the late 80s. Recently they awarded FN Herstal another contract to supply up to 4,000 FN Minimi 7.62 Mk3 Light Machine Guns, a movement up in caliber as you can see. In this [Read More…]
Photo Of The Day: The M249 Light Machine Gun is made in the United States by FN Manufacturing LLC in Columbia, South Carolina. Here we can see it in action in the exercise Cold Response, spitting out those 5.56mm bullets at a high rate of fire. The M249 with the [Read More…]
Today we have pictures from the Russian-Pakistani Friendship shooting competition from 2018. The results were a draw, but we’re left with images of interesting firearms. Here is a description machine-translated from Russian: According to the results of the [Read More…]
![[SHOT 2022] Get My Belt! The FN M249S Returns For All Your Crew-Served Needs](https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/BB8D1EF4-E8F2-4F86-9DD0-688D4976097E-660x260.jpeg)
At the last four SHOT Shows I have longingly fondled the FN 249S semiautomatic belt-fed rifles. I have made wishes while blowing out birthday candles, on shooting stars, and on pulled wishbones. In 2020 I even asked Santa (publicly) for an FDE Para version and the [Read More…]
The M249 Squad Automatic Weapon or SAW is one of the most iconic crew-served weapons in current use. Designed in 1976 by FN Herstal, the M249 SAW has seen use in the Gulf War, Somalia, and the current War on Terror. The design has been modified slightly over the [Read More…]
Sitting on Santa’s lap as an adult is a completely different experience from when you were a young kid. Back then you had no money, completely dependent on your parents for any sort of commercially available goods and services. As a grown-up, you have the means and [Read More…]
The Ministry of Defense of Georgia and the US Embassy in Georgia have published news articles telling about a US-funded program of equipping the Georgian Defense Forces with 600 M249 SAW light machine guns. The program includes a two-week weapon familiarization course [Read More…]
FN America have confirmed that the US Army has awarded them a contract to deliver an unspecified number of new M249 Squad Automatic Weapons. The contract is due to be fulfilled by 2025 with deliveries set to begin soon. The M249 has been in the US Army service for [Read More…]
The U.S. Army reports that for the first time an additively manufactured item has been qualified and provisioned for production. While not as cool as a suppressor or other 3D printed accessories, the humble M249 Sight Adjustment Tool is an important milestone. Moreover, [Read More…]
In previous Photos Of The Day articles we have taken a look at the Idaho Army National Guard reference style pictures of the M107 Semi-Automatic Long Range Sniper Rifle and the M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System. Today it is time for the M249 Light Machine Gun.(FN [Read More…]
In fact, it isn’t an M249 SAW at all. It looks like a SAW, probably sounds like a SAW when fired, operates similarly to a SAW, but it isn’t one. What you are actually looking at is an RPD derivative that has been externally modified to fit the overall [Read More…]
So far the only U.S. civilian legal semi-automatic version of the venerable M249 Squad Automatic Weapon was from the same company that makes the actual machine gun, FN Herstal. However, we recently learned about another semi-automatic M249, from Utah based Machine Gun [Read More…]
One of the more interesting new gun announcements of 2016 was the M249S rifle from FN America. The gun was a semi-automatic rifle version of the M249 light machine gun (aka squad automatic weapon or SAW.) Unfortunately, the M249S is now being recalled by FN America. The [Read More…]
Ladies and Gentleman – I stand here before you today and eulogize our dear friend Suppressor. Suppressor was the strong and silent type. Suppressor was a great Silencerco SWR can, who devoted his whole life to the protecting the ears of our beloved shooters. His [Read More…]
After over 30 years of using the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, it seems the US Army may be moving away from the concept of squad-level belt-fed automatic firepower in favor of a lower-capacity but more precise (and probably magazine-fed) weapon. In a recent Special [Read More…]
Last year some of the most-talked-about guns were the three in FN’s new Military Collector Series, and the darling of the trio was the M249S civilian SAW. For 2017, FN is expanding the line to include the FN M249S Para, the SAW designed for paratroopers. In [Read More…]
With more TFBTV coverage of SHOT Show’s Industry Range Day, James checks out the FN USA tent for the scoop on FN’s newest addition to its “Military Collector” line – the FN M249S “Para” version. The Para is similar to the civilian version of the M249S [Read More…]
FN America just released their 2017 catalog. It’s a very tempting catalog to read, with a lot of nice firearms and pictures. There’s also the LE and Military section, what dreams are made of. One of the news, for consumer and law enforcement buyers – [Read More…]
Jim Grant of Burst Review just posted a video showcasing the manufacturing process of the FN M249 SAW. Nothing much more fun than dumping loads of ammo through a belt fed automatic weapon.
The much-hyped M249S (S for “Semi-Automatic”) is finally starting to make it out to the wild after being the showpiece for many a tradeshow. One of the first to get one in their hands is Copper Customs, Military Arms Channel’s sister company, which [Read More…]
Since first seeing the M249S at the NRA show, I have been waiting to try one out. That wait was finally over today…kind of. Believe me, a LOT of people wanted to try this one out, and so it was a little bit more of a wait. Settling into the gun, many things [Read More…]
FNH USA has announced a new semi-auto variant of the M249 series that will be available this fall. James got to take the new semi-auto M249S for a spin at SHOT Show’s Industry Day at the range. TFB writer Rusty S. previously broke this story as follows: “This morning I headed over to the FNH [Read More…]
Picatinny Arsenal took a look at the M249 and experimented with reducing its hefty weight of 17.5 lbs down to 9.2 lbs. They also gave it a new name: Cased Telescoped Light Machine Gun, or CT LMG. To achieve this impressive weight loss, they did not use exotic [Read More…]
FNH USA has announced a new semi-auto variant of the M249 series that will be available this fall! As far as I know, this is the first time a major manufacturer has released a belt-fed semi-auto to the general public. From our newest writer Rusty S reporting from the [Read More…]
Down in the lower levels of the SHOT Show is where you’ll usually find newer and smaller companies. While I was browsing I stumbled upon a booth from Flashco who were showing off their new M249 SAW conversion kit for the Ruger 10/22. It’s made of both metal [Read More…]
No, you did not read the title incorrectly. My friends at Strike Industries recently got to inspect U.S. Machine Gun Armory’s new “Featureless” Cali-legal SAW. They plan on offering semi-automatic SAWs to California residents with either a pistol [Read More…]
The US Machine Gun Armory have developed a set of kits to convert the MK46 / M249 SAW into a range of 7.62mm calibers including the 7.62x39mm, 7.62x40mm Wilson Tactical, .300 AAC BLK and 7.62x51mm. All that is required is swapping out the top-cover, barrel and a few [Read More…]
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