The FN M249 LMG was born out of true necessity; a need for something lighter than the M60 while still being able to provide ample suppressive firepower. This lightweight evolution of the machine gun is currently in service in the hands of the US military, as well as over 75 other nations around the world.
Based on the FN Minimi, the M249 uses a 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge in a belt-fed configuration, supplied from a plastic box magazine. In a pinch, you may also use STANAG compatible M16 magazines in this weapon system. Over the years the M249 has seen quite a few variants, all purpose-tailored to individuals' needs.
Light machine guns, like the FN M249, have been a vital asset on the field for years. Usually, the job of lugging one of these bad boys around falls on the shoulders of the strongest person on the team, but today that all changes. This FN Licensed M249 Para "Featherweight" Airsoft Machine Gun solves all the woes of wanting an LMG on the field, but not having the strength and/or willingness to carry it around all day. This M249 weighs in at a reasonable 8lbs, shedding almost 50% of the weight compared to its full metal counterpart! Fear not though, just because it's lightweight doesn't mean it's weak and flimsy.
The receiver and chassis are made from a fiber-reinforced nylon polymer that's constructed in a super high strength design, making this featherweight option extremely durable.
The FN M249 Featherweight has also shed some pounds by discarding the original brick-heavy standard M249 gearbox design in favor of a lighter weight souped-up Version 2 gearbox. Full specs of the gearbox internals can be found below:
- Aluminum alloy gearbox shell
- 8mm metal bushings
- Sintered steel 20:1 gear set
- Plastic delayer chip for optimized Full-Auto cycling
- Aluminum cylinder
- Polycarbonate tappet plate
- Polycarbonate piston
- High compression polycarbonate piston head
- High compression polycarbonate cylinder head
- Polycarbonate lightweight nozzle
- Quick-change spring guide
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