NOTE: This article is about M249 LMGs featured in the main ARMA games. For its U.S. military counterpart in ArmA 3's CSLA Iron Curtain Creator DLC, see M249 (CSLA). |
The M249 SAW is a 5.56 mm light machine gun featured in ArmA: Armed Assault, ArmA 2, ArmA Tactics, and ARMA Reforger.
ArmA: Armed Assault[]
« | The M249 Squad Automatic Weapon is a fully-automatic, gas-operated, magazine or belt-fed individual weapon. It is the standard US Army light machinegun based on the Belgian FN Minimi, featuring a 200 round plastic magazine box. The bipod can be collapsed and the weapon can be fired from the hands. The M249 SAW provides the squad with the accurate and sustained fire required to suppress and destroy enemy targets. Library Description
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The M249 SAW is used by both U.S. Army forces and Black Element PMCs in ArmA: Armed Assault.
Overview[]
The M249 is a gas operated light machine gun with an open bolt design. It is chambered to fire the 5.56×45 mm NATO round.
It feeds from 200-round belts stored in plastic boxes. The M249 can attain a fire rate of up to 857 rounds per minute, and has a muzzle velocity of 915 m/s. The M249 features a (non-functional) integrated bipod but is not fitted with any optical sights or sound suppressors.
The M249 essentially functions as a lightweight counterpart to the heavier 7.62 mm-chambered M240 GPMG. Unlike the M240, the M249 has a reduced effective firing range and has twice the amount of dispersion at long ranges. However, it boasts a slightly higher ROF compared to the M240, and thanks to its 200-round belt box, has double the ammo capacity.
Unfortunately, this does come at a cost due to the lower velocity and stopping power of the M249's 5.56 mm round, which falls off sharply against targets located beyond 600 metres. As a result, the M240 still remains (arguably) as the superior platform when it comes to providing reliable and accurate suppressive fire.
Ironsights[]
Ammunition[]
Round name | Base damage value | Initial velocity (m/s) |
---|---|---|
5.56×45 mm NATO | 8 | 915 |
5.56×45 mm NATO SD | 7 | 320 |
The M249 is able to load from both its own 200-round plastic boxes or regular STANAG magazines. The former require two inventory slots to carry, while the latter only take up a single slot instead:
200Rnd. M249 Belt[]
Standard 200-round linked belt stored inside a plastic box.
Rounds fired from this box specifically have a muzzle velocity of 915 m/s.
30Rnd. Stanag[]
Basic 30-round rifle magazine used with the M4 carbine and M16A4 rifle.
Unlike 200-round boxes, rounds fired from 30-round STANAGs have a lower velocity of just 850 m/s instead.
30Rnd. Stanag SD[]
Specialised magazine loaded with subsonic 5.56 mm ammunition. Identical to regular 30-round STANAGs save for a much lower velocity of 320 m/s.
20Rnd. Stanag[]
20-round box magazine used by the Mk12 marksman rifle. Aside from its capacity it is otherwise completely identical to regular 30-round STANAGs.
Trivia[]
- At launch, the M249's recoil remained unchanged even when the user was lying prone. This was subsequently fixed with the release of Patch 1.02.[1]
- The M249 is able to optionally feed from regular 20- or 30-round STANAG magazines (like real M249s), but the in-game model does not actually change to reflect this.
- It appears to be Dewan Robinson's weapon of choice, as he is always heard fondly boasting about the capabilities of his M249.[2]
Gallery[]
ArmA 2[]
« | The M249 Squad Automatic Weapon is a fully-automatic, gas-operated, magazine or belt-fed individual weapon. It is the standard US Army light machine gun based on the Belgian FN Minimi, featuring a 200 round plastic magazine box. The bipod can be collapsed and the weapon can be fired from the hands. The M249 SAW provides the squad with the accurate and sustained fire required to suppress and destroy enemy targets. Armoury Description
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The M249 SAW is used exclusively by the U.S. Marines in ArmA 2.
Overview[]
Returning in ArmA 2, the M249 SAW continues to serve as the standard-issue LMG of U.S. military forces.
It still loads from 200-round belts stored in plastic boxes and is also capable of (optionally) feeding from 30-round STANAG magazines, 100-round Beta-C drums, or the British L110A1's 200-rounder belt boxes. The ArmA 2 M249 retains the same fire rate (~ 857 RPM) and muzzle velocity of its predecessor (915 m/s) and still features a (non-functional) integrated bipod. As before, it does not support being fitted with optical sights, side rail accessories or sound suppressors.
The M249 serves as the standard-issue light machine gun of U.S. Marines deployed to Chernarus. The M249 boasts the ability to load 200-round belt boxes, which is effectively double the amount of its counterparts (XM8/MG36) while retaining decent accuracy. Lastly should the need arise, it can feed from 30-round 5.56 mm STANAG magazines used by M16A4s and M4A1s.
Its only drawbacks are the lack of magnified optics and usage of 5.56 mm ammunition which suffers from a significant damage drop-off the further the round travels. These two factors combined limits the M249's effective range to just under 800 metres as opposed to 7.62 mm medium machine guns like the M240. The latter can not only hit targets that are further out, but are better at retaining the energy of their rounds over long distances.
Variants[]
M249 Para[]
The M249 Para is a sub-variant of the baseline M249 SAW but is used by both U.S. Army and Czech military forces instead. It was added with the release of the Operation Arrowhead expansion pack.
Unlike its parent weapon, the M249 Para has a few variants that are fitted with either the M145 telescopic sight or the TWS thermal scope, though all variants feature IR laser pointers for use in nighttime conditions. Additionally, the M249 Para can not only load the baseline M249 SAW/L110A1's 200-round belts but is also capable of feeding from its own unique 100-round soft packs.
Other than the inclusion of the new optics and the ability to feed from 100-round soft packs, the changes from the baseline M249 SAW are mostly cosmetic. The M249 Para simply has more rails fitted from which it can mount the sights and accessories.
Sights[]
The sight itself is unable to toggle enhanced vision modes, though the user does have the ability to wear their own night vision goggles while looking through the sight.
Camouflage[]
- Black: Standard matte black/dark grey scheme. Utilised on both M249 variants.
Ammunition[]
Round name | Base damage value | Aerodynamic velocity | Initial velocity (m/s) |
---|---|---|---|
5.56×45 mm NATO | 8 | -0.001425 | 915 |
5.56×45 mm NATO SD | 7 | -0.0006 | 320 |
There are nine kinds of "magazine" varieties that both M249 variants can feed from. However, only the M249 Para can be fed with all nine types. The baseline M249 SAW with no optics support is not capable of loading the M249 Para's 100-round soft pack magazines.
The 200- and 100-round linked belts along with the 100-round drums take up two inventory slots apiece, while the individual rifle magazines only take up one slot:
200Rnd. M249 Belt[]
Standard 200-round linked belt stored inside a plastic box loaded with a mix of 5.56 mm ball and tracer ammunition.
Every fourth round fired will always emit a visible red tracer. Only the last four rounds will consist exclusively of tracers.
M249 Mag.[]
100-round linked belt stored inside a soft pack. It is designed primarily for M249 Paras but is fully interchangeable with the L110A1. However, it cannot be loaded into the baseline M249 SAW.
Other than its reduced capacity, the 100-rounder soft pack shares the same ball/tracer ammo loadout.
200Rnd. STANAG[]
Alternate 200-round belt box specifically intended for use with the L110A1.
Aside from its appearance, it is statistically identical to regular 200-round belt boxes.
30Rnd. STANAG[]
30-round STANAG magazine used by M16A2s, M16A4s and M4A1s. None of the rounds fired will emit visible tracers.
Rounds fired from this magazine specifically have a muzzle velocity of 930 m/s.
30Rnd. STANAG SD[]
Specialised magazine loaded with subsonic 5.56 mm ammunition. It is mostly identical to regular 30-round STANAGs but has a significantly reduced velocity.
Rounds fired from this magazine specifically have a muzzle velocity of 320 m/s.
20Rnd. STANAG[]
Alternate 20-round box magazine used by Mk12 SPRs. Aside from its reduced round capacity, it is completely identical to regular 30-round STANAGs.
Rounds fired from this magazine specifically have a muzzle velocity of 930 m/s.
G36 Mag.[]
Plastic magazine used exclusively by the G36 and XM8 families of modular rifles. Aside from its appearance and slightly lower muzzle velocity, it is identical in every other aspect compared to regular 30-round STANAGs.
Rounds fired from this magazine specifically have a muzzle velocity of 920 m/s.
30rnd G36 SD[]
Alternate plastic magazine loaded with subsonic 5.56 mm ammunition.
Rounds fired from this magazine specifically have a muzzle velocity of 320 m/s.
MG36 Mag.[]
100-round Beta-C drum used by the MG36 light support weapon. Every fourth round fired will always emit a visible red tracer. Only the last four rounds of the drum will consist exclusively of tracers.
Rounds fired from this magazine specifically have a muzzle velocity of 920 m/s.
Trivia[]
- M249 variants carried by U.S. Army infantrymen feature "TangoDown" vertical foregrips attached to their underbarrel rails. However, they are merely cosmetic and do not affect the M249's recoil or handling in any way (both the baseline M249 SAW[3][4] and Para[5][6] share the same recoil settings).
- Just like in Armed Assault, M249s in ArmA 2 can be fed with STANAG magazines but their models do not change to reflect this.
- As part of the latest Steam version patches (CorePatch), all variants of the M249 can properly share their ammunition with the British L110A1. Prior to the update, neither variant of the M249 could utilise the latter's unique 200-round belt boxes.[7]
- CorePatch also added hidden versions of the M249 SAW/Paras that allow for a backpack to be worn whilst wielding them.[7] However, these variants are not available in any USMC/U.S. Army/ACR ammobox crates by default and can only be spawned in via scripting commands or through the use of a custom addon.
Gallery[]
ArmA Tactics[]
« | The M249 light machine gun (LMG), previously designated the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW), is an American version of the Belgian FN Minimi. It provides infantry squads with the heavy volume of fire of a machine gun combined with the accuracy and portability approaching that of a rifle. Armoury Description
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The M249 is used exclusively by the Operators in ArmA Tactics.
Overview[]
The M249 can be unlocked at the Armoury for 800 credits.
Compared to the M4A1, it possesses slightly more range and has significantly increased damage; in most cases, a single burst at close distances is sufficient to outright kill an enemy (even without landing a critical).
On the downside, the M249's magazine capacity is smaller and without the Extended Magazine upgrade, will most likely require wasting AP on reloading after a single firefight. Its hit probability drops off the further the target, which negates some of its range advantage though fortunately, it doesn't fall off as sharply compared to the M1014.
It should also be noted that since the M249 can't be suppressed, equipping it on missions which require or favour a stealthy approach is ill-advised. In such cases, it may be better to exchange the M249 for the M4A1 - at least temporarily until the following mission.
With regards to weapon selection, any member of the team can be equipped with the M249 provided you have enough credits to outfit them with it. However, due to its high acquisition price (especially in a first playthrough), it is advisable to prioritise equipping Masters first as he is the only member of the team who starts off with a decent level in LMG usage.
Upgrades[]
The M249 supports two upgrades:
« | Advanced Combat Optical Gunsights (ACOG) provide fixed power magnification levels from 1.5x to 6x. The reticles are illuminated at night by an internal phosphor. Armoury Description
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Trivia[]
- Neither upgrades will visibly alter the M249's in-game appearance when equipped.
- The M249's upgrades were slightly less expensive before Update 1.2158's release.[8]
Gallery[]
ARMA Reforger[]
« | 5.56×45mm light machine gun. Weapon Description
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The M249 SAW is used exclusively by U.S. military forces in ARMA Reforger.
Overview[]
- This section is a stub. You can help Armed Assault Wiki by expanding it.
The M249 SAW returns in Reforger and still feeds from 200-round linked belts stored in an ammobox.
Unlike its predecessors, the fire rate of Reforger's M249 has been reduced to 800 RPM, though its muzzle velocity remains mostly unchanged at approximately ~ 914.19 m/s.
The main addition to Reforger's M249 is the inclusion of a fully functional folding bipod, which makes providing suppressive fire with the M249 a feasible option provided that the operator is lying prone on the ground or deploys the weapon on a flat surface.
However, unlike in ArmA 2, Reforger's M249 has lost the ability to mount attachments. It cannot be suppressed, doesn't support laser sights, and is unable to mount an optical scope.
The M249 SAW occupies 2x1 inventory slots and has a volume of 2,000 cm3. If it is taken from an Arsenal Box, the M249 SAW has a Supply cost of 40 units.
Ironsights[]
The M249's ironsights can be manually zeroed, starting from a minimum of 300 metres up to a maximum of 1,000 metres (300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000).
By default, it is always set to use a default zeroing of 300 metres. The sights are not illuminated.
Melee[]
A buttstroke with the M249 SAW will inflict 45 points of damage to the target (assuming no reductions by protective vests). It has a maximum range of 1 metre.
Ammunition[]
NOTE: Although the M249 SAW's linked belts utilise the same M855/M856 rounds as other 5.56 mm-chambered weapons, their performance will be slightly different due to the M249's lower muzzle velocity. All other aspects remain identical, however.
Ammo parameters | M855 | M856 |
---|---|---|
Base damage value | 76 | 76 |
Classification | FMJ | FMJ + Tracer |
Aerodynamic friction | 0.0000050 | 0.0000050 |
Initial velocity (m/s) | 930 | 874 |
Penetration depth (mm) | 7 | 7 |
Penetration density (g/cm3) | 7.86 | 7.86 |
Penetration speed (m/s) | 920 | 920 |
Deflection angle (degrees) | 45° | 45° |
The M249 SAW is able to load two types of magazines:
5.56×45mm 200rnd M249 Belt[]
Standard 200-round linked belt stored in an ammobox. The belt uses a mix of M855 ball and M856 tracer ammunition. Every fifth round fired will emit a visible tracer. Only the last six rounds of the belt consist entirely of tracers.
When it is fully loaded with all two-hundred rounds, the ammobox has a weight of 3.15 kg (each individual round in the belt has a weight of 0.014 kg). When emptied, it only weighs 0.35 kg. The ammobox occupies 1x1 inventory slots and has a volume of 1,400 cm3.
This magazine specifically has a Supply cost of 1 unit if it is taken from an Arsenal Box or a Resupply Pack.
5.56×45mm 200rnd M249 Tracer Belt[]
Dedicated tracer magazine. The belt is loaded exclusively with M856 tracers.
It weighs and takes up the same amount of inventory slots/volume as the standard mixed load 200-round ammobox. It also costs the same amount of Supplies to retrieve from an Arsenal Box/Resupply Pack.
Trivia[]
- At release, Reforger's M249 was not able to unfold its bipod. Proper functionality was only introduced after Update 0.9.6.[9]
- Prior to the Ground Support update, the M249's belts only weighed 0.350 kg. The patch subsequently refactored Reforger's weighting system and now properly accounts for each individual round on the belt.[10]
Gallery[]
Notes[]
References[]
- ↑ Španěl, M et al. 2007, ArmA: Armed Assault: Version History, Bohemia Interactive Community Wiki, viewed 7 April 2023, <https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/ArmA:_Armed_Assault:_Version_History#Version_1.02>.
- ↑ ARMA: Armed Assault Queen's Gambit 2007 [Video Game], Bohemia Interactive a.s., Royal Flush, Spy, "COME FOR A SECOND HELPING, DARLINGS! MY M-249 HAS ENOUGH AMMO FOR EVERYONE."
- ↑ ARMA 2 2009 [Video Game], Bohemia Interactive a.s., \ca\weapons\config.bin, CfgWeapons >> M249 >> manual >> recoil
- ↑ ARMA 2 2009 [Video Game], Bohemia Interactive a.s., \ca\weapons\config.bin, CfgWeapons >> M249 >> manual >> recoilProne
- ↑ ARMA 2: Operation Arrowhead 2010 [Video Game], Bohemia Interactive a.s., \ca\weapons_e\config.bin, CfgWeapons >> M249_EP1 >> manual >> recoil
- ↑ ARMA 2: Operation Arrowhead 2010 [Video Game], Bohemia Interactive a.s., \ca\weapons_e\config.bin, CfgWeapons >> M249_EP1 >> manual >> recoilProne
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Mazzon, M et al. 2019, CorePatch, GitHub, viewed 7 April 2023, <https://github.com/Goliath86/CorePatch/blob/master/Changelog.txt>.
- ↑ Ulm, A 2013, Update 1.2158 available, Bohemia Interactive Forums, viewed 15 April 2024, <https://forums.bohemia.net/forums/topic/150165-update-12158-available/>.
- ↑ Bohemia Interactive a.s., 2022, 0.9.6 Stable, Arma Reforger, viewed 21 October 2022, <https://reforger.armaplatform.com/news/october-update-20>.
- ↑ Bohemia Interactive a.s., 2022, Ground Support Changelog, Arma Reforger, viewed 27 January 2023, <https://reforger.armaplatform.com/news/december-update-1>.
External links[]
See also[]
Weapons of comparable role and configuration[]
- RPK-74 (Soviet/FIA counterpart, ARMA Reforger only)
- L110A1 (British Army counterpart, ArmA 2: BAF only)
- RPK-74 (Russian Armed Forces counterpart)
- Mk200 (AAF counterpart, ArmA 3 only)
- LIM-85 (Syndikat/Loyalist successor, ArmA 3: Apex only)
Weapons of ArmA: Armed Assault | |
---|---|
Handguns | M9 9 mm • Makarov 9 mm |
Submachine guns | MP5A5 9 mm |
Carbines | AKS-74U 5.45 mm • M4A1 5.56 mm (M4A1 GL, M4, M4 GL) |
Assault rifles | AK-74 5.45 mm (AK-74 + GP-25, AKS-74 PSO) • G36 series (G36, G36C, G36K) • M16A2 5.56 mm (M16A2 + M203) • M16A4 5.56 mm (M16A4 M203) |
Designated marksman rifles | Mk12 SPR 5.56 mm |
Sniper rifles | KSVK 12.7 mm • M107 .50 • M24 7.62 mm • SVD Dragunov 7.62 mm |
Squad automatic weapons | M249 SAW 5.56 mm |
Machineguns | M240 7.62 mm • PKM 7.62 mm |
Grenade launchers | 6G30 |
Launchers | 9K32 Strela • FIM-92F Stinger • Javelin Launcher • M136 • RPG-7V |
Static | AA Pod • AT Tripod • AGS-30 • D-30 • DShKM • M2 • M119A1 • Mk. 19 • Searchlight |
(Parenthesis) denote variants. Queen's Gambit |
U.S. Army - Armoury (ArmA: Armed Assault) | |
---|---|
Handguns | M9 9 mm* |
Submachine guns | MP5A5 9 mm |
Carbines | G36 series* (G36C*, G36K*) • M4A1 5.56 mm* (M4A1 GL*, M4, M4 GL) |
Assault rifles | G36 5.56 mm • M16A4 5.56 mm (M16A4 M203) |
Designated marksman rifles | Mk12 SPR 5.56 mm* |
Sniper rifles | M107 .50 • M24 7.62 mm |
Squad automatic weapons | M249 SAW 5.56 mm* |
Machineguns | M240 7.62 mm |
Launchers | FIM-92F Stinger • Javelin Launcher • M136 |
Static | AA Pod • AT Tripod • M2 • M119A1 • Mk. 19 • Searchlight |
(Parenthesis) denote variants. * denotes weapons also used by the Black Element sub-faction. |
USMC - Armoury (ArmA 2) | |
---|---|
Handguns | M1911 .45 • M9 9 mm |
Submachine guns | MP5 9 mm |
Shotguns | M1014 |
Carbines | M4A1 5.56 mm (M4A1 M203) |
Assault rifles | M16A4 5.56 mm (M16A4 M203) |
Designated marksman rifles | DMR 7.62 mm • Mk12 SPR 5.56 mm |
Sniper rifles | M107 .50 • M24 7.62 mm (M40A3) |
Squad automatic weapons | M249 SAW 5.56 mm |
Machineguns | Mk 48 Mod 0 7.62 mm • M240 7.62 mm |
Launchers | FGM-148 Javelin • FIM-92F Stinger • M136 • SMAW |
Static | M2 • M252 • Mk19 • M119A1 • Searchlight • Stinger • TOW |
(Parenthesis) denote variants. |
U.S. Army - Armoury (ArmA 2) | |
---|---|
Handguns | G17 9 mm • M1911 .45 • M9 9 mm |
Submachine guns | PDW 9 mm |
Shotguns | M1014 |
Carbines | Mk16 CQC 5.56 mm |
Assault rifles | SCAR series (Mk16, Mk16 EGLM, Mk17, Mk17 EGLM) |
Designated marksman rifles | M14 7.62 mm • Mk17 Sniper 7.62 mm |
Sniper rifles | M107 .50 • M110 7.62 mm • M24 7.62 mm |
Squad automatic weapons | M249 SAW 5.56 mm |
Machineguns | Mk 48 Mod 0 7.62 mm • M240 7.62 mm |
Grenade launchers | M32 • Mk13 |
Launchers | FGM-148 Javelin • FIM-92F Stinger • M136 • MAAWS |
Static | M2 • M252 • Mk19 • M119A1 • Searchlight • Stinger • TOW |
(Parenthesis) denote variants. Operation Arrowhead |
ACR - Armoury (ArmA 2) | |
---|---|
Handguns | CZ 75 9 mm • G17 9 mm |
Submachine guns | CZ Scorpion Evo 3 A1 9 mm |
Carbines | M4A3 5.56 mm (M4A3 M203) |
Assault rifles | CZ 805 BREN A1 5.56 mm (CZ 805 A1 G1, CZ 805 BREN A2, CZ 805 B1 G1) • Sa-58V 7.62 mm (Sa-58P) |
Sniper rifles | CZ 750 S1 M1 .308 • SVD Dragunov 7.62 mm |
Squad automatic weapons | M249 Para 5.56 mm |
Machineguns | M60E4 7.62 mm • UK-59 7.62 mm |
Launchers | MAAWS • RPG-7V |
Static | DShKM • RBS-70 |
(Parenthesis) denote variants. Operation Arrowhead | Army of the Czech Republic |
Weapons of ArmA Tactics | |
---|---|
Shotguns | M1014 |
Assault rifles | M4A1 5.56 mm |
Sniper rifles | M110 7.62 mm |
Squad automatic weapons | M249 SAW 5.56 mm |
Weapons of ARMA Reforger | |
---|---|
Handguns | M9 9 mm • PM 9 mm |
Carbines | M16 Carbine 5.56 mm (M203) |
Assault rifles | AK-74 5.45 mm (N) • M16A2 5.56 mm (M203) • Sa 58 P 7.62 mm (V) |
Sniper rifles | M21 SWS 7.62 mm • SVD 7.62 mm |
Squad automatic weapons | M249 SAW 5.56 mm • RPK-74 5.45 mm (N) |
Machine guns | M60 7.62 mm • PKM 7.62 mm • UK-59L 7.62 mm |
Launchers | M72A3 LAW • RPG-7V1 |
Static | 2B14 • M2HB - Tripod • M252 • M60 - Tripod • NSV - Tripod • PKM - Tripod |
(Parenthesis) denotes variants. Italics denote weapons confirmed to become available in future updates. |
United States - Armoury (ARMA Reforger) | |
---|---|
Handguns | M9 9 mm |
Carbines | M16 Carbine 5.56 mm (M203) |
Assault rifles | M16A2 5.56 mm (M203) |
Sniper rifles | M21 SWS 7.62 mm |
Squad automatic weapons | M249 SAW 5.56 mm |
Machineguns | M60 7.62 mm |
Launchers | M72A3 LAW |
Static | M2HB - Tripod • M60 - Tripod |
(Parenthesis) denote variants. |