Best Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) Available in the Universe
The U.S. military along with some NATO forces utilize the M249 light machine gun, also called the Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW), which is a 5.56×45mm NATO caliber weapon. It was created by Fabrique Nationale (FN) and made available to infantry units in the 1980s. Its suppressive firing is high volume. The M249 offers combat versatility by operating both belt-fed and magazine-fed. With an effective range of up to 800 meters, it can fire between 750 and 1,000 rounds per minute. The gun has a quick-change barrel for continuous fire, is gas-operated, and is air-cooled. Although it may be mounted on cars or tripods, it is usually used with a bipod.