M249 SAW

The M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) is a US-made light machinegun based upon the Belgian-made FN Minimi. The M249 uses the 5.56x45mm NATO round, which lowers the weight of the gun when loaded yet grants the user with highly accurate yet reasonably powerful fire, and coupled with the M249's high rate of fire. It has a selective fire ability that allows it to shoot 750 to 1000 rounds per minute, it can easily match a heavier machine gun at range.

Battlefield 2
The M249SAW in Battlefield 2 is the first weapon unlocked in the Support kit for the United States Marine Corps. The M249 also appears as a turret that will spawn near certain control points that are held by the USMC, although without usable ironsights and infinite ammo. It is tied with the Chinese Type 95 LMG for the highest accuracy and lowest power. When compared to its MEC counterpart the RPK-74, it has a much lower power output, but is far more accurate. Though having a high rate of fire, it is fairly inaccurate when standing up, due to its default high spread. Therefore, it is a good idea to go prone to maintain an acceptable amount of accuracy. In addition, it has a very long reload time, which can be disadvantageous during combat.

3D modeling
246px|thumb|right|3D modeling demonstration

Battlefield 2: Modern Combat
In Battlefield 2: Modern Combat, the M249 SAW is issued to the EU and USMC Support Kit. It has decent range and power but cannot be aimed down sights, just like the Type 88 LMG or PKM, and is therefore relatively ineffective at range.

Battlefield: Bad Company
In singleplayer, the M249 can be found on a few single player levels, such as Acta Non Verba, in a house off the right side when the player must escort the convoy of M1A2 Abrams MBTs. It comes with 5 HG-2 grenades, and a capacity of 150 rounds (with 300 in reserve). It is always in the hands of Terrence Sweetwater.

In multiplayer, the M249 SAW is the default US Army light machine gun issued to the Support Kit. Like most other machine guns, it has 150 rounds per belt and the player will have 300 rounds in reserve. It's Russian counterpart is the PKM medium machine gun, while its MEC counterpart is the QJY-88. It has a high rate of fire and average damage, as well as mediocre accuracy. A player can make use of it as a good close quarters weapon, because of its high rate of fire and ammunition capacity.

M249
The M249 was released as part of the Battlefield Heroes gets Bad Company event, and is available through the store to both the Royal Army and the National Army. The M249 has a 120 round magazine and works best at longer ranges, thanks to its low rate of fire. However, as with all Gunner weapons, the M249's accuracy degrades at extreme range, which can prove problematic on maps such as Midnight Madness and Sunset Showdown, where long range firing is prevalent.

Tier 1 M249
The Tier 1 Elite M249 was released as part of the Medal of Honor event, and acts as the close range machine gun variant of the M249. The Tier 1 Elite variant has a 130 round magazine and a high rate of fire, making it very effective at close range encounters, but it's low accuracy means it is less effective at longer ranges. A special desert camouflage is present on the Tier 1 Elite M249, but has very little use. Maps such as Riverside Rush and Victory Village, where the fighting is mostly close range combat, are where the Tier 1 Elite M249 works very well, although other, specialised weapons, such as shotguns and knifes, can be superior at those ranges.

SOF M249
Released as part of the Battlefield Heroes Christmas event, the SOF M249 is available to Royal Army gunners. The SOF M249 differs from the other M249s in Battlefield Heroes as it has a usable scope, which improves accuracy at longer ranges. The SOF M249 has a moderate rate of fire, between that of the standard M249 and the Tier 1 Elite M249, and is most effective at medium ranges. The SOF M249 also has a winter camouflage, which is purely for visual purposes. The SOF M249 works well on all maps, but has an advantage on maps such as Sunset Showdown and Midnight Madness, where it's scope can be very useful in the open expanses.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Only available in multiplayer, the M249 SAW is the second light machine gun issued to the Medic kit requiring 1100 points to unlock. It has a high rate of fire, modest recoil, and a large magazine size. Its high rate of fire makes it much more effective than other LMGs at close range, however it also works well at longer ranges in extended bursts especially with 4x Scope. Overall, the M249 SAW is a very effective weapon in the hands of a player who knows how to control the high rate of fire.

M249 SAW
In Battlefield Play4Free, the M249 SAW is a buyable Elite light machine gun for the Medic Kit. it features a 120 round magazine, low recoil, and a decent fire rate for the amount of damage it puts out. When the weapon was first released, it was said to fire the 7.62x51mm round, as well as having a recoil reducing muzzle break, giving reason for its high damage and low recoil.

The weapon itself performs very well in combat. It can easily keep its sights on a target with minimal adjustment, but it will start to become inaccurate after many rounds have been fired, meaning the user should try to fire in medium length bursts of 5-10 rounds per burst to stay accurate.

In close quarters, the weapon's high fire rate and damage will trump even some submachine guns, although its spread is very high, making best for medium ranges and suppressing fire. Although considered an Elite weapon, the M249 SAW - like the UMP45 - features an all-black paint scheme, compared to the usual tan and black paint scheme of the other Elite weapons.

Holosight M249 SAW
The Holosight M249 is identical to the standard M249 SAW, but it is equipped with a custom Holographic Sight for better target acquisition at range over its standard iron sights.

With the same statistics as the regular M249, the attached Holographic Sight allows the user to pull up the M249 faster to view down range and be able to fire accurately faster. The weapon is completely separate from the default M249 SAW and costs 150 for one day, 525  for thirty days, and 1050  for unlimited use.

FN Minimi Para
The FN Minimi Para is a compact version of the M249 and M240 with a shorter barrel and sliding aluminum butt stock. The designation Para stems from its intended use as a weapon for airborne troops. Its short barrel and stock makes it a powerful short range machine gun.

Battlefield 3
In Battlefield 3, the M249 is issued to the Support kit. It is capable of equipping a Deployable Bipod and various attachable sights. It has a high rate of fire and moderate recoil. It is the second unlock for the Support kit.

Unlocks

 * M145 x3.4 - 10 Kills
 * Flash suppressor - 20 Kills
 * Extended Magazine - 30 Kills
 * Tactical Flashlight - 40 Kills
 * Holographic Sight - 50 Kills
 * Foregrip - 60 Kills
 * Laser Sight - 70 Kills
 * Reflex RDS - 80 Kills
 * Suppressor - 90 Kills
 * IRNV (IR 1x) - 100 Kills
 * ACOG 4x - 125 Kills
 * PK-A (3.4x) - 150 Kills
 * PKA-S (Holo) - 175 Kills
 * Kobra RDS - 200 Kills
 * PSO-1 (4x) - 235 Kills

Trivia

 * The M-249 in both Battlefield: Bad Company and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 resembles more like the FN Minimi Para as observed by its stock and its shorter length than the actual M-249.
 * The ironsights of the M249 in Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 2 are different from all the other games in the series, having more space between the rear aperture and front hood.
 * Although the in-game model of the M249 in Battlefield 3 is equipped with a fixed stock, the silhouette featured on the M249 proficiency dog tag is equipped with a sliding paratrooper stock.

Videos
Video:M249 BF2|Review of the M249 in Battlefield 2 Video:M249 SAW|Gameplay with the M249 SAW in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 at Nelson Bay in Conquest and Arica Harbor in Squad Deathmatch