When Fabrique Nationale introduced they had been releasing the M249s, a semi-auto variant of the U.S. navy’s M249 Squad Computerized Weapon (SAW), the response was fairly blended. Positive, a couple of FFL/SOT producers had been going to purchase them to transform into put up pattern machine weapons, however the market wouldn’t be there for a (then) $7,000 semi-auto…proper? Nicely, a humorous factor occurred and FN offered all of them. Then, they offered the entire subsequent batch. Just a few years down the street, and I’ve acquired my arms on one now. Right here’s what I feel, what I do know and what I think concerning the FN M249s.
A lot of the M249s stays an identical to the M249 correct. We’re nonetheless trying on the similar feeding mechanisms (drum and journal), the identical buttstocks full with hydraulic buffer, the identical bipod and barrels. Most of the different components for the M249 will work within the M249s, however they’re not an identical.
The internals had been redesigned for semi-auto operation, with the bolt/firing pin/op rod being barely modified and a slide hammer being added. This modified the M249s to a closed bolt design, an ATF requirement for maintaining any firearm from being too readily convertible to full-auto.
The early M249s items had a wonderful set off, round 4 kilos of pull weight. Racking the charging deal with to get the gun into operation was pretty simple as properly. FN additional modified the firing pin and slide hammer and added a stronger set off spring. These modifications elevated the set off pull weight to between 8 to fifteen kilos of pull. The first cause is that the newly prolonged slide hammer has to press backwards in opposition to the hydraulic buffer as you pull the set off.
There’s solely a pair modifications in operation (in addition to being semi-auto). First, in the event you rack the bolt whereas the gun is on protected, the slide hammer will get caught partway to the rear. It’s not terribly exhausting to clear (pop feed tray cowl, jam your thumb downwards on the slide hammer and it ought to pop free), only one extra small factor to concentrate on. Second, there isn’t a extra locking the bolt to the rear. This does make barrel modifications tougher, however in semi-auto it’s additionally so much much less essential.
I haven’t made main modifications to this M249s, although I did change the plastic forend with a Knights Armament rail system to permit attaching my previous ahead grip and visual/IR Surefire gentle. That is along with the M68 (Aimpoint COMP M2) crimson dot mounted on the feed tray cowl. If I determine to buy my check gun, I’ll add on a Para buttstock, PAQ-4 IR laser and a suppressor.
In case you didn’t serve within the navy and haven’t been capable of lease a M249 at some vary in Vegas, right here’s a bit of primer on the FN Minimi/M249s/M249/MK46 household of weapons. It is a machine within the truest sense of the phrase. Grabbing a SAW variant means you’re hauling roughly 17 kilos of metal round. Loading, working and firing this gun feels far totally different than your standard AR, Mini-14, FAL or HK93 clone, and never simply due to the numerous enhance in weight. It is a platform constructed to take the heavy abuse of 11Bs, 0311s and so many extra. It is a system hilariously overbuilt for semi-auto fireplace.
The M249s, however for Who Although?
The query is, who’s the goal marketplace for an M249s? Clearly there’s curiosity, since FN retains churning these out and promoting them for round $10K at the moment.
First, there’s the 07/02 SOT FFLs in search of a less expensive option to produce full-auto M249s, and the semi-auto platform is one of the best place for them to start out.
Second is the LARP/milsim/cloner group. I say this with no judgement in any respect, however there’s a good chunk of the inhabitants that wishes to hit the vary and really feel like an Airborne Ranger for a few hours. Gear collectors, airsoft milsim groups, replica cloners and Civil Warfare reenactors all really feel this want to differing levels. I don’t blame them! To get a bit of style of the motion with out all of the downsides of navy service is an intoxicating prospect. The M249s matches that invoice.
Lastly, there may be the group I fall into, the graying vets. Early GWOT was my time of service, and a very good portion of my time in 2nd Ranger BN was spent with a SAW in my arms. The M249s is an enormous shot of nostalgia, and I break it out each time an previous Ranger buddy (or new capturing buddy) stops by the house vary. Everybody loves it, and I do know precisely why. This gun is f’ing cool.
The place To Purchase
Vary Days with the M249s
However a dummy M249 can be a lot if nostalgic dialog was all I needed. I wanna shoot the rattling factor, too! So, how does the up to date M249s fare with stay rounds?
Higher than anticipated. Prvi Partisan was good sufficient to ship a few of their Rangemaster 55-grain 5.56mm ammo for this evaluation. I linked it up utilizing the metal hyperlinks FN offers with the gun. I grabbed a fast zero with the M68 crimson dot and ran some CQB drills at roughly 8 yards. Yep, the gun remains to be as heavy because it was 20 years in the past on my fifth deployment. The set off didn’t stand out in any manner at this level.
Recoil is laughably nonexistent. We’re speaking Mp5 ranges of recoil. The gun shifts a bit because the heavy op rod and bolt cycle forwards and backwards, however the weight of the gun mixed with the hydraulic buffer and hefty recoil spring unfold the recoil impulse out over a comparatively lengthy time frame.
Hitting my mini e-type metal at 100 yards is simple because it will get within the inclined capturing off the bipod. Even kneeling or standing, these are simple pictures till you’ve been holding the gun up on track for some time.
Being the inquisitive kind, I needed to dig into this technique and see what sort of uncooked accuracy numbers I may get. I mounted a 5-25x optic, throughout which period I couldn’t open the feed tray cowl. Apart from mocking up for the photograph under, I ran the match ammo from the 30-round magazine that FN included with the rifle. I loaded that magazine with Federal Gold Medal Match 77-grain ammo.
Taking pictures at 25 yards, teams ranged from 2.63-4.29 MOA. Because the day went on, I noticed one thing about this set off. Once I tried to carry out my standard set off squeeze, the sort I exploit with two-stage match triggers, the heavy weight of the M249s set off was exacerbated. Once I ignored typical knowledge and yanked the set off like I used to be slicing free a trebuchet, that’s when the two.6- to 3-MOA teams appeared. My curiosity has been glad in the interim, until a greater set off turns into obtainable some day.
Having fired lengthy belts of ammo out to 200 yards, I’m discovering that the M249s is, as anticipated, immensely comparable with regard to accuracy to the a number of M249s I used to be issued. Dropping rounds on a man-sized goal is simple properly previous 300 yards, and you may maintain sending rounds on track till your poor set off finger seizes up from the trouble wanted to yank the expectedly heavy set off.
By the primary 1,000 rounds, reliability hasn’t been a difficulty. That is principally having run the gun with linked ammo, however I’ve used the included FN STANAG journal for about 120 rounds with no failures as properly. Wipe down the internals once in a while, and for a useful previous Ranger acronym for machine weapons, attempt “At all times Wants Ample Lube.”
The place Does It Go From Right here?
So that you determine to purchase an FN M249s. What now? The aftermarket is proscribed and costly. It isn’t completely naked although. There are totally different barrel lengths obtainable to incorporate uncommon 300 BLK conversion barrels. There’s a pair totally different gasoline techniques that exist and a minimum of 4 totally different sorts of buttstocks. In case you dislike the forend, there’s classic KAC tri-rails just like the one proven right here, and some different choices. You may ditch the plastic 200-round drum for delicate material 100- and 200-round “nutsacks.” A sling is a necessity. Anticipate sticker shock on the costs of the few equipment obtainable.
So, a couple of aftermarket bolt-on components can be found. What now? Nicely, now you may get to work burning the remainder of your retirement. First, a tripod makes long-range capturing way more correct. Second, surplus Humvees are usually dropping in value. Purchase one to haul your M249s and you may concurrently look cool and get horrible mileage!
However the third choice? It’s too ridiculous by far, however no one’s going to import a Toyota Hilux and make a homebrew technical for a future article…proper?
Backside Line
Sure, it’s cool. Sure, this can be a huge nostalgia dump. No, I’d by no means have the ability to justify dropping this a lot money on a gun on a author’s pay, because the FN M249s at the moment has an MSRP of $10,584 with a avenue value of $8,500-$9,000. It seems after a couple of many years of capturing, buying and selling and amassing weapons, I had a good sized assortment of weapons that I not shot usually or had a lot enthusiasm for. So, promoting a few of these off ought to web sufficient to pay the M249s off. Is such a deal value it to you? For many the reply will likely be no. It is a excessive greenback merchandise geared toward a reasonably area of interest market. For a couple of, nonetheless, sufficient clearly to be value it to FN, the reply will likely be sure. Anticipate to be requested to indicate it off, usually.
For many who’ve echoed some model of the sentiment “a semi auto model of a machine gun is ineffective,” I’ll disagree. First, any M249s that’s offered now is perhaps transformed to full auto if accomplished by an FFL down the street, maybe at a rental vary. Second, extra receivers, barrels, shares and so many different components being produced for brand new weapons implies that there will likely be spare components round for years and years of repairs. Lastly, shopping for certainly one of these most definitely means I gained’t be bidding in opposition to you on GunBroker for fairly a very long time!
I’ll take a second to commend FN on having the center to even try to launch the M249s. It takes cash to revamp an open bolt machine gun to fulfill ATF necessities for semi-auto weapons, and it took verve for somebody inside an organization like FN to even recommend it within the first place. Similar to the few hundred imported Toyota Hilux diesel pickups within the U.S., having extra M249s across the nation (even semi-auto variations) is a rising tide for us all. So, in the event you see me on the vary, be at liberty to ask…and sure, I’ll fortunately allow you to shoot it.
Tech Specs:
Try extra articles from Jens “Rex Nanorum” Hammer or go to him on Instagram @Rexnanorum.
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