the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW)

The scenario has been played time and time again. It’s SHTF/doomsday-is-here time and you have to pick your guns. While the obvious utilitarian choices always surface, nothing says doomsday-ready like the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW)!

Ultimate Doomsday Weapon: M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW)

There are few things that stir a more primal grin than the sound of a belt-fed machine gun. The pounding of the rounds running downrange coupled with the light ping sounds as the brass and links hit the ground is an experience not soon forgotten. The M249 is a gas-operated, air-cooled belt-fed machine gun that has seen action in every major conflict involving the United States since the U.S. invasion of Panama in December of 1989.

While the SAW has its own magic, the driver ultimately determines what it can do. Many have commented that shooting the SAW is like running an overgrown AR-15, just much faster. While the gun is beefy, Gail (shown above) has no problem handling it. A highly educated and professional woman dedicated to fitness, Gail also has no problem grabbing an available M249 and making it rain brass. She is far from a cliché helpless woman and clearly ready to hold her own in any Apocalypse-Right-Friggin’-Now scenario.

The second question that usually arises during doomsday-scenario discussions is “Who would you want on your team of survivors?” I pick Gail fielding a mighty M249 SAW. Good luck to the rest of you!

WATCH: Running a 249 SAW From an Aerial Gunship!

FN M249 SAW

Today, the FN America turns out the M249 SAW for the U.S. military and our allies. A frontline belt- or box magazine-fed machine gun, the SAW serves at the infantry squad and fireteam level. The platform saw considerable use in the War on Terror, in both Afghan and Iraqi theaters. The beauty of the SAW comes in its relatively lightweight package. Yet it still delivers an accurate, suppressive base of fire.

The SAW features a formed steel frame receiver, with a claw extractor. A fixed, pivoting ejector produces side ejection of cases. The top cover utilizes an integrated Mil-Std 1913 mounting rail for sighting systems. A changeable barrel system, the SAW comes with a cold hammer-forged steel unit. The bore and chamber are hard chrome-plated.

The polymer buttstock features a hydraulic recoil buffer system. A non-slip buttplate helps operators stay into the weapon during fire. A cross-bolt safety and curved trigger delivers familiar controls. Finally, the SAW utilizes disintegrating link belt-feeding.

M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) Specs

• Caliber: 5.56x45mm
• Operation: Open-Bolt
• Overall Weight: 17 pounds
• Barrel Length: 20.5 inches
• Overall Length: 40.75 inches
• Overall Height: 9.5 inches
• Rate of Fire: 775 RPM
• Effective Range: 800 meters, point target
• Maximum Range: 3,600 meters
• Twist Rate: 1:7″ RH
• Trigger Pull: 7.9-15.7 pounds
• Color: Matte Black, Non-Reflective Finish

GAIL Force originally appeared, by Fred Mastison, in a previous issue of Ballistic Magazine. Get your copy or online subscription at OutdoorGroupStore.com.

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