M249

The M249 SAW is a fully-automatic, belt-fed light machine gun that is substantially heavier than the M27 IAR. The ZX Clan started using M249 light machine guns in 2010, around forty years after production began, and at around the same time that the USMC phased M249s out of use. It is the standard light machine gun for the army and the marine corps.

Production Information
The M249 Squad Automatic Weapon is a light machine gun designed by Fabrique National de Herstal (part of FN Minimi) that originates from Belgium. The M249 SAW began production in the 1970's, and hasn't changed much since. The M249 (the only variant) is the variant used by the ZX Clan.

Technical Information
The M249 is one metre and forty-one millimetres (forty-one inches) long and weighs a solid seven and a half kilograms (seventeen pounds). The machine gun uses 5.56x45mm NATO rounds that are fed to a side port on the gun by a hundred-round linked belt. The rounds are pumped through an open bolt by compressed gas. The M249 SAW light machine gun is equipped with a bipod to improve suppressive fire.

Service History
The ZX Clan army and marine corps started using the M249 SAW in 2010. The M249 is used by light machine gunners in infantry corps. The M249 has yet to be in service during a war.