The FN MINIMI is often fitted with an optical sight mounted on a rail that is integral with the feed cover. However, it is difficult to mount two optics in-line on the current rail. Configurations of both the FN MINIMI 5.56 Mk3 and FN MINIMI 7.62 Mk3 have been introduced with a longer rail feed cover that includes 23 slots. 

The one-piece rigid top rail gives sufficient rail length to mount two optics in-line. For example, a non-magnifying day optic with a magnifier, or a day optic with a night vision optic. Mounting both optics on a single rail provides reliable assembly and ensures greater accuracy. The standard adjustable rear iron sight has been replaced by a flip-up non-adjustable rear sight for back-up use. 

A cover retaining latch holds the feed cover open during loading, unloading and clearing actions to counter the weight of the optics. This ensures that handling is equally safe and easy with or without optics fitted. 

These modifications give the user a valuable added capability that can make a real difference in current operational conditions. 

This variant of the FN MINIMI Mk3, available in 5.56x45mm NATO or 7.62x51mm NATO calibre, will be on display at the FN Herstal stand at the major EUROSATORY trade show, to be held in Paris-Villepinte, from 17 to 21 June 20.

The purpose of the LMG-M is to bridge the gap between the M2 and M240 machine guns. The program’s objectives are to deliver a man-portable system that has overmatch capability over opposing enemy 7.62x54R machine guns. The LMG-M’s performance should be close to that of a .50 caliber machine gun in terms of engagement distance, however, the smaller 300-grain projectiles used in the 338 NM will not have the kinetic energy of a 660+ grain projectile fired from a 50 BMG. In addition, there is a growing need for lightweight systems for aircraft and side-by-side type vehicles. In many cases, these heavy gun systems exceed the total system weight (weapon, ammunition feed systems, and ammunition) allowable for operation on these vehicles. They need a lighter-weight option going forward.

To understand the program’s objectives, let’s take a closer look at the systems the LMG-M is designed to replace.

OLD FAITHFUL – THE M2 MACHINE GUN

The LMG-M system is designed to replace John M. Browning’s masterpiece, the .50 caliber/12.7x99mm M2 (“Ma Deuce”) heavy machine gun. This iconic weapon has dominated the battlefield for the last 91 years. It’s been in service since 1933, with no end in sight. “Replace” is probably not the right word. As mentioned, the U.S. M2 will be around for the foreseeable future. The .338 LMG-M is going to replace it in some applications. Why? Because the LMG-M is going to be around 25 pounds versus the 84 pounds of the M2. That’s nearly a 50-pound difference. A complete M2 system including optics, M3 tripod, spare barrel (required because of heat issues), and 400 rounds of ammunition weighs 288 pounds. This is clearly not a single-man portable system; it takes a small team to utilize this weapon.

In a vehicle situation where 4000 rounds are likely present, you now have 1320 pounds of ammo. This additional weight is not an issue in an Abrahams tank, however, it is a no-go for smaller vehicles and modern side-by-sides. Next, of course, is aircraft. This system is far too heavy for many small aircraft and helicopters. I’m sure drones will come into the conversation here too. The M2 and 1320 pounds of ammo is probably a no-go scenario for a typical drone, however, a lighter LMG-M with lightweight ammunition is a different story.

The LMG-M concept is man-portable and considerably lighter, a boon not only for infantry, but for other weight-conscious applications such as in aircraft, boats, or vehicles. The weight of the machine gun and ammo makes a very compelling argument for a lighter-weight weapon and ammo.

LIGHT AND PORTABLE – THE M240 MACHINE GUN

To go a little deeper into history, we need to also discuss the U.S. M240 machine gun in 7.62x51mm. This is the little brother to the .50 cal M2. The LMG-M will become the middle child in the family and have middle child syndrome to boot. The LMG-M is also going to partially replace the M240. Just as with the M2, we foresee the M240 being around for a very long time. The M240 fires the 7.62x51mm cartridge. The M240 has been in service since 1977 and was an upgrade for the prior M60 that was in service since 1957. This system is man-portable and vehicle- and aircraft-mountable. A complete system for this weapon including optics, M192 tripod, spare barrel, and 800 rounds of ammunition is 101 pounds, making it very possible to carry in a multi-person team.

THE OVERMATCH PROBLEM

In the U.S. war in Afghanistan, the troops on the ground had a major problem. These teams would come up against the enemy with the non-standard PKM machine gun firing the 7.62x54mm R caliber (R= rimmed for the protruding rim from original cartridge designs to be easier to extract) that has an effective range of 1500 meters. Troops equipped with this weapon had overmatch capability on U.S. and NATO forces. This has been a known issue for decades, however, the U.S. has been involved in few conflicts where it was a major issue, as it is in the open deserts of Afghanistan.

The overmatch issue is probably driving about 60-70% of the need for the LMG-M. The other 30-40% is the need to reduce the weight of the current machine gun for use in numerous vehicles, boats, and aircraft. A modern, lightweight attack vehicle could not handle carrying a .50 caliber system with 1000 rounds of ammo. Included in that percentage is the capability to be single-man portable, where something in the target weight range would be mission-changing.

Since we are talking machine guns, it’s appropriate to include in our comparison the Soviet-era PK machine gun our allied forces face in the field. The original PK has been in service since 1961. It was designed by probably the world’s number two machine gun designer (after Browning), Mikhail Kalashnikov. The improved PKM variant went into Soviet service in 1969. There are nearly eight variants. It has seen action in as many as 36 conflicts around the globe. The fully equipped weapon is estimated to weigh 65 pounds with bipod, optic, spare barrel, and 800 rounds of ammunition.

THE OBJECTIVE OF SOCOM’s LMG-M PROGRAM

The objectives of the LMG-M program are as follows; to supply a lightweight medium machine gun with the following capabilities and features:

• Weight less than 31.1 pounds (threshold) and (objective) 23 pounds with fully equipped with rail, handle, bipod, buttstock, and suppressor.
• Length less than 61 inches (threshold) and (objective) 56 pounds with fully equipped with rail, handle, bipod, buttstock, and suppressor.
• Barrel changes without tools in less than 10 seconds (threshold).
• Minimum velocity of 2400 fps.
• Trigger pull between 8 and 16 pounds.
• Average mean radius (accuracy): single shot not to exceed 6 MOA (threshold) and 3 MOA (objective)at 100 meters.
• Cyclic rate of 450-750 rounds per minute (threshold) and 550 +/- 25 rpm (objective).
• Capable of 125 rounds at a maximum rate of fire without catastrophic failure both unsuppressed and suppressed.
• Recommended 1:8-inch twist.
• 8,000 round barrel life (threshold) and 15,000 (objective).

Keeping in mind that the U.S. government often asks for near-impossible things, it’s doubtful that any weapon will meet all of these criteria 100%. Then it becomes a guessing game about which of the criteria is deemed more important. For example, would a shorter weapon that is lighter, however less accurate, be preferred over a longer, heavier, and more accurate weapon? How much weight and length are worth the potential sacrifice? The government typically uses a matrix. The scoring parameters and the value of particular scores can only be guessed, depending on the winners and losers.

THE CURRENT CONTENDERS

The LMG-M contract competitors are (in alphabetical order):

• True Velocity
• Ohio Ordnance Works
• SIG Sauer

THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE PROGRAM

Back in 2020, SIG Sauer’s MMG 338 passed safety certification and the company delivered a small quantity (estimated at 8 to 12 units) to SOCOM. These were early weapons to evaluate. It seems like there was a period when the manufacturers were willing to let the government evaluate the weapons while they still had time to make changes. It appears that, over the last several months, the competitors have been more secretive about the status of their weapons.

The program was held up waiting for ammunition to be used to evaluate the machine guns. The delay was due to projectile issues, COVID-19-related issues, and vendor changes. The government believed that they needed their ammunition to fairly evaluate the machine guns. This is probably a good idea in general, as most of the manufacturers might have their weapons function with ammunition of their choosing and maybe not function as well with another type of 338 ammunition. However, the links are different for all three manufacturers’ weapons. However, I’m told that all the links are close enough that they “should” run in the competitors’ weapons. Nonetheless, no one is going to take that chance in a competitive environment.

During the SOFWEEK conference In May 2023, Lt. Col. John “Tosh” Lancaster, program manager for U.S. Special Operations Command’s lethality acquisitions, told Defense News that the lightweight medium machine gun is scheduled to field in fiscal 2026. He also told the outlet that SOCOM is still actively looking for the accessories and suite of ammunition needed for the weapon.

Back on February 7, 2024, the competitors delivered three weapons. As of April 30th, 2024, the competitors will need to deliver a total of 12 weapons for a 10,000-round endurance test. Supplied kits included a conversion barrel to 7.62x51mm and testing for this was an “indeterminate” amount. I assume this means more than the 10,000 338 Norma Mag rounds. They also were required to submit 125,000 bare links to run the unlinked 338 Multipurpose ammunition delivered by UDC USA in support of this contract back in 2022-2023. The manufacturers are also to provide the complete technical data package (TDP).

Now, here’s a breakdown of the companies and weapons that have been submitted to SOCOM for its LMG-M contract.

TRUE VELOCITY RM 338

True Velocity, known for its lightweight ammunition, has the oldest design in the field. The company is in Dallas, TX. Their weapon is the RM 338 for Recoil Mitigation.

The True Velocity contract entry was originally designed and built by the General Dynamics Saco facility back in 2012. To GD’s credit, it saw a capability gap between the 7.62×51 M240 and the non-standard PK machine gun. In around a year, the company developed its weapon, an amazingly fast task for a big, slow-turning ship like GD. However, GD was not rewarded for its Herculean effort. The product of its labor was on display at trade shows for several years while the overmatch issue was hotly debated through 2016. Then, the weapon went out of the public eye for a year or two. Once SOCOM started talking about the LMG-M requirement in around 2017, GD’s machine gun was back in the spotlight. It was part of a Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office (CTTSO) Irregular Warfare project from several years ago.

True Velocity acquired the rights to GD’s weapon system in the 2021 timeframe and, soon after, started a sister company that you might have seen associated with the company’s machine development gun effort, Lone Star Future Weapons. This is more of a holding company set up by True Velocity to house the machine gun’s intellectual property.

This weapon visually resembles a slightly upsized M240 Bravo. This is a tried-and-true weapon system. The receiver assembly, cover plate, barrel assembly, and trigger housing assembly all look similar to the M240. The recoil mitigation system is impressive. True Velocity is proud that an operator can fire the RM 338 on targets at 1500 meters and continuously see the point of impact. They say they can also walk and fire the weapon. It’s an amazing weapon and is a serious contender. Its age makes it a little less interesting because it’s been around nearly forever. However, its maturity is a great thing for conservative, risk-averse government selection teams.

The weapon, fully equipped for combat with optics, an M192 tripod, a spare barrel, and 500 rounds of linked ammunition weights 102.7 pounds. Note, this is the weight with the 300-grain projectile, while SOCOM’s multi-purpose ammunition is 272 grains. Running the government ammo will reduce the overall load by two to three pounds for the 500-round load-out.

I had the pleasure of firing the True Velocity RM 338 in Las Vegas in April 2022. It’s an impressive weapon. The recoil was very minimal. It cycled like a champ. It seemed accurate; however, we were not shooting on paper, so accuracy was hard to gauge. It feels very familiar to standard machine gun designs. I’m told that it’s had millions of rounds fired through it over the last 12 years. It’s going to work, and work well.

An interesting point is their connection with polymer ammunition. SOCOM originally expressed an interest in lightweight ammo to go along with the weapon. They have placed this desire on hold for now. To meet government standards, qualification of the lightweight ammo could take years (or decades) depending on the approach.

As a salient aside, three weeks ago, True Velocity filed a lawsuit against SIG Sauer in Vermont’s Chittenden Superior Court alleging SIG Sauer stole True Velocity’s recoil mitigation concept by hiring its former employees and used it in its SIG-MMG 338 SOCOM LMG-M submission.

OHIO ORDNANCE WORKS REAPR

Ohio Ordnance Works (OOW), located in Charon, Ohio, was the third company to enter the competition. It specializes in making numerous machine guns, including the M240 and the M2. So, the company is highly qualified and has been around since 1992, pointing to them as a well-established, reliable contractor in the arms manufacturing space. This is a major move for OOW since they traditionally manufacture older designed weapons. Their efforts started before 2020 when patents were filed.

The machine gun is called the Recoil Enhanced Automatic Precision Rifle or REAPR, for short, and its design is pretty impressive. The patented sliding feed tray is unique and purposeful. It’s so unique that it is going to need a lot of testing for the government to feel comfortable with it. It’s probably a game-changer. Having tons of optics mounted and never moving them is a huge deal. Per OOW staff, this gives them the most rail space of any of the guns in the competition. The other big win is the breakdown into three pieces to be backpack-carriable. The barrel is just under 25 inches (and would be the longest part), so we are not talking about a giant pack, here. That makes this a one-man system, with a small load of linked ammunition.

I got behind a gun at a special event in Las Vegas in April 2022. It’s really impressive. I know they have fired a ton of ammo over those last few years, so they are trying hard to catch up to the time the other systems have in the space. It seems like they have closed the gap. They fully released the weapon as the REAPR at SHOT 2024. This was strategic to ensure none of its competitors could copy anything from the weapon before the submission was due a very short time later. It is currently capable and has been fired in 338 Norma Mag and 7.62x51mm.

SIG SAUER SIG-MMG 338

SIG Sauer, Inc. was the second company to enter the competition with its SIG-MMG 338. It has two New Hampshire locations for weapon manufacturing and an Arkansas facility for ammunition manufacturing. SIG Sauer was founded in 1976 in Germany. The original SIG Sauer has undergone several corporate transformations and is now two independently operated brands owned by the German management group L&O Holding; the small Swiss manufacturer, SIG Sauer AG, and the much larger American firearm manufacturer, SIG Sauer, Inc. All references to SIG Sauer in this article point to the American company, SIG Sauer, Inc.

The weapon seems like a cross between an M240 and other modern SIG weapons. It does have a short-stroke gas piston system and a SIG proprietary recoil reduction system. In a deviation from the standard M240 style cover, the feed tray cover is a side-opening. This has advantages over non-moving optics. It has other modern features like a folding stock, a quick-change barrel, and a compact suppressor.

SIG had already provided samples to the government in early 2020. It’s been demonstrating the weapon at numerous range events around the country. I was able to shoot the weapon in Las Vegas in April 2022. It’s an impressive weapon with reasonable recoil. Unfortunately, the machine gun’s accuracy was hard to evaluate since we were not shooting paper targets. The gun functioned flawlessly. The only complaint I have concerns the suppressor and all the gas blowing back at the shooter. This can be addressed with a different suppressor. All the demos and public exposure have SIG’s effort positioned in the early lead of the competition. Their SIG-MMG 338 has had lots of public exposure in the last few years.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

This will be a tight competition. It will not be as well-publicized (because of the limited field of expertise in machine guns) as the 6.8 NSGW competition, nor will its outcome have the battlefield impact of replacing the entire suite of squad-level weaponry. However, it will still have a large impact on the way the battle is conducted in the future.

Why would True Velocity win? This weapon has 12 years of extensive General Dynamics-style development, testing, and evaluation. It has the longest history and the most amount of rounds down the barrel. If SOCOM wants tried and true, tested, and run to its limits again and again – this is the choice. If SOCOM is really interested in fielding lightweight ammo, True Velocity’s ability to leverage its lightweight ammunition may give it an edge in the competition. There are very few lightweight ammunition options in 338 Norma Mag.

Why would Ohio Ordnance Works win? Its very innovative design, reliability, and extensive experience with belt-fed machine guns are the company’s hallmarks. There are a lot of very nice features, like the sliding feed tray that allows nearly any optic to be placed upon it. Also, there is the one-handed barrel change. Are these “unlisted” items enough to sway SOCOM?

Why would SIG Sauer win? It has a solidly performing weapon and a compelling history of producing weapons under military contracts. It also has a history of treating its major U.S. government contracts as loss leaders, pricing them aggressively and leaving thin margins that it offsets with profits on commercial, international, and other agency sales.

CLOSING

The biggest winner will be the U.S. warrior. Some don’t see the benefit of this system. I 110% see it changing the way warfare takes place. Imagine a single soldier or operator being able to sneak up and lay suppressed suppressive fire on targets 3000+ meters away, then pack up and be gone before the enemy has any idea where it came from. Then repeat 30 minutes later. What it will do for aircraft will be similarly impressive. Longer distances with a lighter weight system.

Some minigun systems may get switched out to the 338 LMG-M due to the weight savings (50 pounds), lesser cost, and greater downrange effects. It’s a long shot. However, it could happen. This will probably be impacted by the future of the 338 Norma Magnum suite of ammunition and the capabilities it provides.

It will be impressive. It will make a difference. It will be the future. It might have 90 years of service life like the M2. This future date is 2114. They should have phasers or laser guns by then, however, I’m sure someone back in 1933 thought we’d have lasers in 2024.

SADJ was invited to visit the FNH UK facility in Kent, U.K., during the Shrivenham Close Combat Symposium. We were able to visit after testing the company’s Evolys machine gun. The visit worked out well and we were able to see the entire operation. FNH UK was the company that was formed and purchased long-time FN Herstal licensee Manroy Ltd., who supplied the M2HB and the L7A1/A2 MAG58 variants to the U.K. military. The facility was moved to this new location and has been expanding capability ever since.

More info: www.fnhuk.com

We received a factory tour, and then proceeded to a deep dive on the FN Evolys, which we fired at Shrivenham. FN Herstal has a long history with reliable machine guns; the MAG58 in its various guises – US M240, Swedish KSP-58, British L7/L8 – and the Minimi which started life chambered in 7.62x51mm and has come full circle. The Minimi became the M249, then the MK46, and the MK48, now the the MK3 from Herstal. So, this long experience with lighter weight machine guns has led to the Evolys UltraLight Machine Gun. Our test was in 5.56x45mm and the system is available in 7.62x51mm NATO, as well.

FNH UK has been making the FN 509 pistol slide (above) for the U.S. market to the tune of about 2,000 per month, while assembling the FN SCAR P, as well.

The plates and parts for both the MAG58/L7 general purpose machine gun and the M2HB/M2QCB are all made on location in the U.K., above. The op rods, pistons, and breaches are also CNC machined on location. The receivers are cold riveted, and the tolerances are tight – the fixtures used are extraordinarily well made.

Machining of the FN Herstal M2 Quick Change Barrel machine gun barrels is done in-house in the U.K., among other processes. The FN QCB is an M2A2-type, with the guide slot in the barrel and a replaceable guide pin in the barrel support – very effective.

EVOLYS

The Evolys is a gas-operated, rotating bolt, short stroke piston belt fed machine gun system. The most unique feature is the extremely fast and accessible patented side-opening feed system that holds the belt at a 45-degree angle. The receiver has a one-piece optic rail and M-LOK receiver features. All of the controls are ambidextrous.

The Evolys in 5.56mm is 33.46 inches long (850mm) collapsed, and with stock extended 37.7 inches (950mm). The barrel is 14 inches long (355mm). It weighs 12.12 lbs. (5.5kg) with a rate of fire approximately 750 rpm.

The Evolys in 7.62mm is 36.42 inches long (925mm) collapsed, and with stock extended 40.35 inches (1025mm). The barrel is 16 inches long (406mm). It weighs 13.67 lbs. (6.2kg) with a rate of fire approximately 750 rpm.

The short stroke piston system might, at first, resemble the Minimi. But the resemblance applies only to the bolt/op-rod and fixed firing pin. The side shuttle feed system requires new geometry for the operating rod. When firing, we found it very smooth to operate.

FN Herstal chose the Finnish made Ase Utra Dual 556-BL MG suppressor for the Evolys program. This is a light-weight, robust, reliable machine gun suppressor that has been tested by SOCOM in the United States and is frequently a contender for belt fed contracts. This requires the Evolys system to use the Ase Utra Borelock birdcage flash hider, as shown.

 More info: www.aseutra.fi

Up until quite recently, the 338 Lapua Magnum cartridge was the preeminent sniper caliber with 338 Norma Magnum looking ready to surpass its popularity. The war in Ukraine caused a resurgence in the Lapua caliber, gifting it a stay of execution, of sorts. There were numerous weapons systems available at the time sniper ammunition was needed, and 338 Lapua Mag fit the bill. It’s unclear how much this spike may add to its life span, though. Some say a decade or more. Regardless, the long-term implications for the round’s future use my today’s militaries are the same. 338 Norma Magnum is set to take the Lapua’s place on the throne of tactical long-range cartridges.

This article will dig a little deeper and provide more information about round’s ascension.

Let’s start with what’s included in the 338 NM kingdom and what is not. Its will eventually reign over the future of U.S. military and law enforcement sniper applications. It will not be the king of civilian long-range precision competitions like “The King of Two Miles.”  It does not have the necessary powder capacity to dominate that domain. That arena will be left to larger platform cartridges for the foreseeable future. It does have a chance at becoming the King of One Mile… however, its little brother, 300 Norma Magnum, seems to have a better shot in this dominion since there’s no need for projectile payload in a target shooting competition.

The jury is out on whether the 338 NM will be the king of international military and law enforcement, as these groups fully adopted the 338 Lapua Mag (however, the U.S. didn’t). Eventually, in 10 to 20 years, the 338 NM will replace the 338 Lapua Mag in any holdout groups or countries. This is because the 338 NM can do everything the 338 Lapua Mag can do, but in a slightly smaller package. This includes smaller rifle actions and chambers, slightly less brass, and slightly less propellants. This might be irrelevant to the individual shooter, but it’s significant to defense departments when they’re paying for millions of rounds.

SO WHY THE CHANGE IN THE U.S.?

The U.S. has held .50 caliber and 300 Winchester Magnum as the prior sniper caliber of choice.  There was a brief glimmer of hope for 338 Lapua Mag in 2014, when Remington Defense won the U.S. Department of Defense’s Precision Sniper Rifle (The Mk 21) competition that fired 338 Lapua Mag, 300 Winchester Magnum, and 308 Winchester. This program failed. However, military and law enforcement officers need a man-portable, robust system that can reach extreme distances in the range of 2500 to 3000 meters. The .50 caliber could meet that requirement; however, the weight of the weapon and the ammunition were and are always a challenge.

In addition, the .50 caliber faced some political stigma as being “overkill”, especially in LE and other applications. The .50 caliber Browning Machine Gun (50 BMG) started its life as a military machine gun round that was anti-material and anti-personnel. Ronnie Barrett turned the .50 caliber into a shoulder fired weapon in the 1980’s. His modern rifle design and muzzle break made shooting the .50 caliber manageable. However, the 660-grain payload is devastating on human targets and in any scenario besides combat the risk of extensive collateral damage to people and property is typically deemed too great for the round to be considered in any civilian roles, and even in some military roles, as well. 

WHAT ABOUT 300 WIN MAG?

Historically, 300 Win Mag has struggled with longer distances, and it’s a belted magnum. Belted magnums headspace off the belt at the base of the cartridge instead of the shoulder. Headspacing from the shoulder is universally considered to give consistently better accuracy. In addition, the 300 Win Mag is only a .30 caliber bullet, and it does not have the ability to go up to 300 grains, as the .338 bullets can and do. This reduces kinetic energy and limits the round’s use in the destruction of vehicles. It also has a major impact on armor piercing capabilities in 300 grains with a tungsten core.  Taking out an engine block is well within the scope of a 300 grain Armor Piercing projectile. 

Moreover, the new Barrett MK 22 MRAD (Kudos again to Ronnie) is the next generation sniper weapon system, and it comes chambered in 338 NM, 300 NM, and 308 Win. This is the first weapon that has been chambered in the 338 NM for the U.S. armed forces. In addition, the Army/SOCOM is ordering these rifle systems by the truckload. Barrett’s initial contract from the Army is nearly $50m for around 2,800 weapon systems. This contract (W15QKN21F0192) was awarded in March 2021. Around $8m was funded with the base award and the rest will be rolled out over the term of the 5-year indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract. The contract is forecasted to be completed in March 2026. This does not include all the weapons that will be ordered by other (three-letter) agencies. Under the contract, weapons will probably be delivered to the Army, Navy, Air Force, USMC, and SOCOM, as the Army is typically the central buying hub for the various services. In addition, the U.S. Army recently awarded a 5-year, $157m contract to Sig Sauer for ammunition in both the 300 NM and 338 NM calibers.

SOCOM’S LATEST MACHINE GUN

The Lightweight Medium Machine Gun (LWMMG) in 338 Norma Mag has been around since 2012. General Dynamics created this next generation weapon system to get .50 cal performance but at the weight of a standard machine gun. General Dynamics was ahead of their time with a great idea. Unfortunately, their effort was unsuccessful and was basically forgotten. Then, around 2020, SOCOM identified the need for a lightweight medium machine gun in 338 Norma Mag and has been ramping up for a full weapon competition ever since. This included an ammunition contract for the 338 Norma Mag Multi-Purpose round that was awarded to UDC USA, Inc. There have been a couple of evaluation contracts for weapons, including one that was won by SIG Sauer for its MG 338 machine guns in 338 NM. The main competition will close in early 2024 and maybe we’ll have a winner in late 2024.

SO WHY THE 338 NM NOW? 

The 338 Lapua Mag has been the king of the international sniper community for decades. This caliber and weight bullet range (250 to 300 grains, typical) is the right combination for this application. However, the latest modern propellants are fine-tuned for maximum performance and can get the .338 caliber bullet to the ideal velocities in the smaller chassis of the 338 Norma Magnum, which could not be accomplished 30 years ago in the 338 Lapua. In addition, the shorter length of the Norma cartridge opens up the number of rifle actions that can fire the round. 

The number of actions that can fit the 338 Lapua Mag length cartridge is limited. The 338 Lapua Mag is designed to be fired in a belt-fed machine gun. However, since the 1980’s there haven’t been any serious weapon development efforts to fire the 338 Lapua Mag in a machine gun. The 338 NM has been fired in machine guns since General Dynamics created the prototype Lightweight Medium Machine Gun in 2012. This powerhouse system was never adopted by any domestic or international military group, though.

NO BETTER ALTERNATIVE

Why doesn’t the sniper community use “king of two miles” calibers like 375 Cheytac or 375 Enabler? The KO2M distance is 3219 meters. According to the competition’s rules, weapons cannot exceed 40 pounds. Compare this to the Barrett MRAD (MK22) at an extremely light 15.2 pounds. The length of a typical KO2M rifle is 1500mm to 1600mm and is not collapsible. Again, compare this to the MRAD at 1255mm, fully extended, and much shorter when collapsed for transport. The KO2M weapons and calibers are not designed for combat, they are designed for maximum accuracy at maximum distance. Therefore, a larger and heavier cartridge is not an issue, as no one is carrying these rifle systems for days.

WHO DESIGNED THE 338 NM CALIBER?  

Jimmie Sloan is the inventor of the 338 NM caliber. It began as a wildcat caliber in 2008 and entered production with Norma in 2009. It was certified by CIP in 2010. So, clearly, this wildcat was on the fast track to success from the very beginning.

ADOPTION HEADWINDS  

The only competitor to the 338 NM is its brother the 300 NM. At worst, they could end up being co-kings. The 300 NM would dominate in precision long-range and the 338 NM would dominate in combat and anti-material requirements. I believe the 300 NM has an advantage in the number of great bullets available to deploy. I think the 338 NM will see more bullets developed for it in the near future. One popular commercial website has 286 products for .30 caliber bullets and only 72 in .338 caliber bullets. The numbers will never be equal, though, since there are so many .30 caliber cartridge offerings and so few in 338. The additional payload capabilities of the 338 NM allow it to carry more tungsten in a penetrator or other increased energetic materials for downrange impact.

THE FUTURE OF 338 NORMA MAGNUM

Expect to see the following in the coming years for the 338 NM:

• More companies will offer sniper and hunting rifles chambered in this caliber. First, because it’s a good caliber, and second to follow suit with what the U.S. government is using.  
• More weapon systems will be offered in 338 NM. In the past, the systems were created by the end user and there was no standardization. The 408 Cheytac was one of the first to be offered as a complete system based on a cartridge and now Barrett follows suit with its MK 22 MRAD (if you have a spare $22k). These packages included: a weapon, barrels, optics (day and night), a ballistic computer system, and more.
• A suite of military tactical ammunition will be developed, similar to the way the .50 caliber spawned a suite of purpose-built cartridges. This will include sniper rounds and machine gun rounds. Right now, the U.S. military only has two rounds for this caliber, the Army’s M1162 300-grain AP round and SOCOM’s 272-grain Multi-Purpose round. The .50 caliber currently has around a dozen fielded options, dozens of commercial variations, and a couple dozen inactive configurations. Obvious potential versions would include a tracer, M962 Saboted Light Armor Piercing (SLAP), and Mk211 (High Explosive Armor Piercing), or as near to these versions as requested by the government.

SIGNIFICANT GROWING PAINS

This is the first time in history a sniper caliber will become a machine gun caliber. This is nothing to be taken lightly, this may well be a major undertaking. There will be challenges now in the development of future rifles. There will be challenges down the road with sniper ammo not running in machine guns and machine gun ammo not being able to hit the broadside of a barn.

There are significant differences between ammunition optimized for long-range precision use and use in a machine gun. For instance, the brass thicknesses between sniper-grade and machine gun-grade cartridges are different. There are also major differences in the hardness, seating depth, and performance of primers that must be optimized for the two, very different, applications. Ammunition issues across sniper and machine gun platforms using the same caliber may come with a dearth of problems such as accuracy, reliability and other performance issues related to operating temperatures, barrel erosion, and even wear and breakage of weapon system components that may be novel to each system.

It’s clear that long-range precision ammo and machine gun ammo are not interchangeable. The two will have to be developed separately, end-users must learn to differentiate them through education, and they must be carefully segregated in the field in order to maintain safety and performance. Let’s not forget that the .50 caliber cartridge had significant growing pains when it went from a machine gun caliber to a sniper caliber. So, history tells us these issues can be overcome.

On the whole, however, this is an exciting transition in the ammunition and weapon worlds. We should all be looking forward to the enhanced capabilities afforded by the continuing adoption of 338 Norma Magnum. More to follow… 100% guaranteed.

During 1983-1985, Harold “Hal” Johnson designed and built an experimental prototype .30 cal., lightweight machine gun for the Austin Aerospace Corporation for use on their ultra-light aircraft, the Austin Hawk, the Austin Armament Support Program (ASP) referred to it as the ASP machine gun, showing it as a twin gun system in their promotional literature. Two ASP machine guns and a supply of 1000 rounds of belted .30 caliber carbine ammunition in M-27 links formed a light-weight offensive/defensive gun system. This gun system, when mounted under a Hawk, would have been used for scout and escort missions in a hostile environment. This system never saw field use, and all that remains is one gun, some drawings, some literature, several memos, a few photos, and a rather interesting story.

Prior to tasking Johnson with the design and manufacture of the ASP machine gun, Austin Aerospace did a trial with dual-mounted 7.62 NATO caliber M-60 machine guns on their Hawk aircraft. The M-60 was available as an off-the-shelf item and was well worth trying as it had a proven track record. Two M-60s were mounted on a Hawk and, during live fire with the Hawk air born, one of the M-60s jammed and ceased firing. Due to the sudden lack of recoil impulse on one side of the aircraft, the aircraft became unstable in flight. At that point it was decided that a recoil-free machine gun was what they needed. This live fire testing was done at Edwards Air Force Base, California.

The .30 caliber carbine round was chosen because it most closely met the criteria for this weapons system: a gun and caliber combination that Austin literature states has an effective range of 600-700 meters and a maximum range of 1400 meters, and that was as near to recoil free as possible. The fact that an ASP with a given load of ammunition was approximately half the weight of an M-60 with the same quantity of ammunition was also a factor.

The gun is simple in design, and could be produced in quantity without great expense. The bolt has a fixed firing pin, with a claw extractor, and operates much as a blow back sub machine gun does. When cycling, the bolt travels to the rear, until spring tension overcomes the movement of the bolt, and pushes it forward to pick up and fire the next round.

The gas operating system is somewhat unique. Gas is tapped from the barrel, travels to the feed block in a gas tube and powers a feed piston with an attached feed pawl. High pressure gas pushes the piston and the attached feed pawl over the next linked round. As  pressure drops in the barrel, the compressed gas piston spring repositions the piston, whose feed pawl positions the next linked round in the feed block for pick-up by the forward traveling bolt. The  guns are fired by the pilot via an electric trigger motor.

The Austin Hawk was intended for sale to small countries fighting small non-conventional wars. It was small, lightweight, and modular for ease of shipping. It would be easy to maintain and easy to learn to operate. (Part of what Austin Aerospace was going to offer was training on operation, and use and maintenance of the system). It could operate off a 300 foot, smooth surface and while no information exists as to the cost of a complete system, it would certainly have been less expensive to buy and operate than modern military aviation hardware.

Johnson did not make any profit from his design and work on the ASP. There is a memo to him from Austin Aerospace explaining that he would receive a $15-per-gun royalty for the first 2000 guns sold, and $7.50-per-gun thereafter. In this he joins many inventors throughout history who did not receive a benefit for the fruits of their labor.

Sidebar: A word on Hal Johnson. Hal grew up in New York near Bannermans, and got an early start In the world of guns. He enlisted in the Marines at age 17 in 1944 and fought on Okinawa as a bow gunner in an M4-A2 Sherman tank. He served in the Korean war as a platoon Sgt in 1st Battalion, 5^th Marines. He went on to serve 20 years and retired as a Chief Warrant Officer after spending most of his career in ordnance, to include having been the officer in charge of the 5th Atomic Ordnance Platoon at Camp Pendelton. (Atomic Ordnance Platoons are now called Nuclear Ordnance Platoons). He authored several editions of the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Small Arms Identification and Operation Guide’s. Simply put he was the master of all things ordnance.

For many years I’ve been involved in performing and chronicling MIL-SPEC testing for firearms. I’ve also been involved in many M249 programs, supplying DoE, DoS, foreign governments and OGAs with the M249. When Steve Helzer told me that US Ord had the production line ready to go and was about to conduct the full MIL-DTL test, I had to be there and get the story….

Manufacturing the M249 machine gun requires a number of different skill sets, and there have been many attempts by companies to go into production. Obviously, the original manufacturer has been successful; FN Herstal as the Minimi, then FNMI for the U.S. government contracts. Besides U.S. Ordnance, there is one other who has had some success, but most crash and burn, especially on the receiver. Fixturing and properly welding the sheet metal receiver has been the bane of many a dream, but U.S. Ordnance has all the needed skill sets: Manufacturing and machining capability, Engineering design capability, and perhaps the most important of all- being a firearms manufacturer with vast and varied experience. If you’re not a “gun maker” you’ll be missing a lot of detail on any firearms project, and fighting through TDPs (Technical Data Packages) that never include all the details needed to make a firearm.

The receiver components here are being prepped to go to the various welding fixtures. Due to the special innovations, these fixtures are proprietary to U.S. Ordnance and not shown. The receiver channel is now considered to be a Title I firearm, a semi-automatic. Once the components are installed, it becomes Title II, a machine gun.

It’s always a great pleasure to visit U.S. Ordnance, they know what they’re doing, and make excellent machine guns. The M249 test visit to the plant in July 2023, was business as usual. We were set up like clockwork to go through the MIL-SPEC, so this article will follow it, as well.

MIL-DTL-70446C is a very boring document. AMENDMENT 1 adds to the “thrilling” reading. The latest document we had available was the 27 March 2009 version, which superseded all others. There are several round counts involved in the test, the longest of which is barrel wear.

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FIRST ARTICLE

This purpose of this MIL-SPEC test is getting the U.S. Ordnance M249 to the contract “First Article.” First Article doesn’t mean the first part or assembly off a production line- it means that a responsible person from the buyer takes an agreed number of the items from the production run, randomly, and puts them through a specified series of tests and measurements. Most contracts allow 270 days to reach First Article, as is the case with the other firearm tested during our program, the US Ord MK19 Mod 3 Grenade Machine Gun, which U.S. Ordnance has been the U.S. government supplier since 2016 and is now the NSN contractor. In this M249 test, it’s exactly what we’re doing on this MIL-SPEC test. In the case of the M249, the First Article language is as follows and, after meeting the full tests done here to prove it out, the customer will repeat the examination as follows, if required. But the contracting officer can forgo further testing if satisfied:

4.2.1 First article quantity. The first article sample shall be representative of the manufacturing methods and processes to be used for quantity production. The first articles shall consist of the quantities specified in Table IV unless otherwise specified.

TABLE IV. First article quantity:

Machine Gun, 5.56mm, M249 (9348199): 10

All components (except unmodified commercial parts): 5

All subassemblies: 5

All assemblies: 5

The testing starts out very simply; does the safety work properly. Note that the tech spec is very specific on this, and yes, red showed when in fire, clicks were audible, and we performed extra tests regarding the springs for proper pressure. The sear and disconnector are visually available in the picture. It’s difficult to quantify 3.4’s sear engagement test in a photo unless there was a cutaway receiver (which defeats the point of testing a real one) but we were able to visually inspect full sear contact, and conducted some buttstock kinetic tests while the sear was engaged to ensure it was in solid contact.

3.3 Small arms safety. The small arms safety, drawing 9348364, shall move manually without binding between the “safe” and “fire” positions and shall remain in the set position under spring pressure until reset. The trigger mechanism shall not function when the safety pin is set in the “safe” position (to the right). The trigger mechanism shall function when the safety is set in the “fire” position (to the left). When moving the safety between the two positions, there shall be an audible and tactical click. When in the “fire” position, the red warning ring shall be displayed.

3.4 Sear. When assembled into the weapon the trigger assembly, drawing 9348354, shall be capable of full engagement with the sear engagement notches of the operating rod assembly, drawing 9348408, and of holding the piston assembly, drawing 9348405, in the rearward, cocked, position.

Trigger pull is tested in a standard manner. One thing is for sure, a machine gun should never have a “match” trigger, and long experience has taught procurement people and trainers (as well as end users,) that you want a good, solid pull with enough weight required so that the flowing adrenaline prevalent in combat ensures the operator needs to positively engage the trigger. We used a Lyman Professional Electronic Trigger Pull Gauge, and tested in two manners: first, with the trigger group in a vise. This showed a pull of 7 pounds, 2 ounces, and then the more important pull measurement, when assembled and the bolt carrier is engaged in the sear notch and ready to fire to see what the trigger break was. This was a 9-pound, 1.2-ounce pull.

Trigger pull gauges measure an actual weight; gravity related. We’re not talking about foot-pounds, a unit of energy, we’re testing actual pounds as if you were pickup up X pounds with your finger, on the earth, against gravity. It’s “pound-force” not “foot-pounds.” A foot-pound is applying the force of one pound-force linearly, a distance of one foot. An energy measurement. We use this in muzzle energy calculations, and in torque in mechanics. Foot-pounds correspond to joules, not to newtons.

The specification in 3.5 is in “newtons,” a system that is not normally used in the U.S. firearms community but is standard in physics. Generally called a “newton-meter.” One newton is the force necessary to give a mass of 1 kilogram an acceleration of 1-meter-per-second, per second. Yes, it’s a unit of energy but doesn’t correspond to foot-pounds. In contrast, our test instruments are in pound-force as noted above. 1 newton = 0.22481 of pound-force, so in the specification below, 35 N = 7.86835 lbs on the low end, and 70 N = 15.7367 lbs on the upper end. Our test guns were well within the ranges under load.

3.5 Trigger pull. The force on the trigger required to release the operating group from the sear with the bolt in the open position shall not be less than 35.0 Newtons and shall not be greater than 70.0 Newtons.

PROOF TESTING

The spec calls for the completed firearm to be tested with an M197 High Pressure Test round. The M197 uses a 56-grain (3.63 gram) projectile, with SR7641 powder, which is an extruded/flake powder. This powder produces a chamber pressure of 70,000 PSI (pounds per square inch) as opposed to the M193 Ball with 52,000 PSI, or the M855 with 55,000 PSI. You can recognize the M197, it has a silvered (stannic-stained) or nickel-plated cartridge case. This cartridge is used to test M16s also, and should not be fired in normal weapons use.

3.6 Proof firing. Each main and assigned barrel (see 6.7) and bolt assembly shall be capable of withstanding the firing of a Government standard 5.56mm M197 high pressure test cartridge in accordance with MIL-C-46936 or approved equivalent. After firing, each barrel and bolt assembly shall be subjected to visual and magnetic particle inspections to determine that these components are free from cracks, seams and/or other defects.

After the proof testing called for in 3.6, Magnetic Particle Inspection (MPI) is performed. Generally, this is called “magnafluxing” after the manufacturer usually associated with the process. It’s a non-destructive process, and in the case of U.S. Ordnance, they use a “wet” system which is ideal for production needs. In this wet system, a petroleum based “suspension vehicle,” basically a light oil, has a specified quantity of fluorescent magnetic particles added to it (suspended in it). The formula is pretty standard in this use; Magnaglo 14A particles in Carrier II liquid.

This shows the M249 barrel to be tested, supported by a copper coated rod from end to end, and on each end of the machine there is a woven copper screen (copper is non-magnetic). The system is magnetized while the operator applies the wet liquid to it and continues until the magnetization is 100%.

He then uses an ultra-violet light source wand like this Magnaflux EV6000 in a darkened area, to make the magnetic particles visible.

As seen in the MPI enclosed area, the fluorescent magnetic particles on the surface present a unified appearance. If there is a structural break in the metal (this only works on ferromagnetic materials like iron, nickel, cobalt and alloys that feature them prominently, they must be capable of holding a magnetic field), it will appear as a darker area, an anomaly in the color. Thus, fracture lines, breaks, stress areas, will be indicated to the operator’s visual inspection. These are recorded.

The Carrier II is tested for viscosity and color, and in the left jar, the solution in use is tested for color, suspension, and the particle level in the bottom. This must be done periodically to ensure a quality test. When finished, the workpiece has to be demagnetized.

3.6 M249 Proof Marking

As called for in the MIL-SPEC, when certain parts are required to be proofed, or magnetic particle inspected, the markings “PM” are applied in a non-destructive manner. This bolt has been proofed with M197 firing and then magnafluxed.

For headspace testing, it’s important to gauge the firearm with the actual 5.56x45mm NATO gauges, not .223. “Headspace” is the distance from the face of the bolt to the point where the cartridge is seated in the chamber- in discussing bottleneck cartridges, it’s from the face of the bolt, to the datum line on the shoulder that is considered the point the cartridge is seated. For rimmed cartridges, it’s the distance from the face of the bolt to the front face of the chamber wall (barrel) and the gauge will be very short with a thick rim. The point is, headspace means different things in different calibers and styles of cases. A chamber for a machine gun will usually be a bit looser in tolerance than a rifle, and as close as .223 Remington and 5.56x45mm NATO are, the NATO chamber is a bit longer out of necessity, the throat is longer thus, the leade would be 0.0125 inches longer. (It’s safe to shoot .223 in the NATO gun, but not always the opposite.) Without getting too far out, there are other differences. Just be sure to use the M249 5.56x45mm NATO gauges on the M249, and not the ones for the British SA80 or the Swedish AK5, or the French FAMAS, all of which are slightly different even though they are all “NATO.” Example in just the U.S.: the civilian .223 “Go” gauge is 1.4640-inch while the M16 “Go” gauge is 1.4646-8-inch and the M249 military “Go” gauge is 1.4940-9-inch. For the “No-Go,” civilian .223 is 1.4670-inch, the M16 is 1.4704-06-inch and the M249 is, well, 1.4980-2-inch.

Just make sure you have the correct gauges.

3.7 Headspace. Headspace in the assembled weapon shall be in accordance with drawing 9348200.

Testing firing pin protrusion is critical to performance as is the next test for indentation. Protrusion is a different subject. Generally, for the size primer in 5.56x45mm NATO ammunition (small rifle) the specification is .030-inch, minimum protrusion, and .055-inch maximum protrusion. U.S. Ordnance has a very clever method of testing this using a milled down barrel extension section, early M249 carry handle, and a special gauge holder that threads into the assembly they created.

The firing pin protrusion test fixture in place in the threaded adapter.

The fixture as prepared for firing pin protrusion testing.

The fixture and gauge in position, with firing pin forward and the gauge measuring. The FP was well within the spec on each M249 we tested.

3.8 Firing pin protrusion. The firing pin protrusion, in the assembled weapon, shall be in accordance with drawing 9348200.

Firing pin indentation is a different type of measure, not just protrusion, but indicates there being enough inertia in the firing pin release to crush the anvil and activate the primer. There are several other indicators in this test, but the specification calls for measuring the original surface of the copper crush cylinder before striking, then the depth of the firing pin indentation compared to that, as well as compared to the potential “pillowing” of the copper around the indentation. U.S. Ordnance made their own gauges as shown in the photos of the testing.

Copper crush cylinders are specified to be 99.9% copper; if silver is added it is counted as copper percentage. They are made from an electrolytic copper rod, and yes, electrical resistance counts in this testing, as an indicator of the rod’s purity. The crush cylinder is specified as 0.399-to-0.4010 inches long and a diameter of 0.2245-to-0.2265 inches; the well in the test fixture must match tightly.

The crush cylinders were made in huge quantities in the WWI and WWII period, and government testing has always drawn from this supply. In 2018, the supplies were dwindling, and new criteria for the cylinders was being worked in – and there are civilian sources for the proper cylinders, such as SAAMI.

U.S. Ordnance has made an excellent fixture for holding the crush cylinders properly. Starting with an M249 5.56x45mm “Go” gauge, the toolroom milled out a spec dimension well for the cylinder. This cylinder has been tested, note the indentation.

Firing pin indent gauge inserted in the barrel chamber with fresh crush cylinder.

After testing, the crush cylinder showing the firing pin indent.

The fixture and crush cylinder are returned to the Mititoyo dial indicator depth gauge in a custom fixture, and measurements are made. Section 3.9 calls for an indent of not less than 0.51mm, which is 0.020-inch. Each test of the U.S. Ordnance M249 produced an indent of 0.32-inch, a solid, proper strike.

3.9 Firing pin indent. The firing pin indent, when utilizing copper pressure cylinders in accordance with MIL-C-20109, shall not be less than 0.51mm.

Dispersion and rate-of-fire is part and parcel to a number of related tests. On the table here, we’ve prepped for live fire dispersion, magazine test, and belt pull test, with our two barrels – the main and the assigned (spare) to the gun. These barrels are part of the long-term barrel life test later down, and we kept them in the process.

Firing for record. Here, we fired 18 rounds to get a longer string (the spec calls for 10 rounds). We did that several times and were well within spec and wanted a longer burst. The rate of fire is recorded as 702 rpm, which in section 3.13 is right in the target range – low end (preferred by most SAW gunners). We had one “flyer” and it was still within 20cm, and the group was a 2.09-inch mean radius; which is a 7.3cm square, far exceeding the 20cm square in section 3.10.

Both the main, and assigned barrel were tested with a government supplied 30 round M16 magazine, and we witnessed no malfunctions. As any M249 or Minimi variant gunner knows, the magazine feed can be finicky or unreliable in some manufacturer’s products. This is basically due to the dual feeding lobes needed on the M249 bolt, to feed from either above in the feed tray, or, push through a magazine feed lip set on the lower left. If this is not absolutely perfect in presentation (this is a welding issue for the fixturing of the magazine well) the magazine feed is usually what suffers. U.S. Ordnance was cognizant of this, and we fired many more magazines than required, with no malfunctions.

Magazine test target, no malfunctions, all rounds in the square.

3.10 Dispersion and targeting. When fired at a target located 50 meters from the muzzle, the machine gun with its main and assigned barrel shall meet the following criteria. The weapon must be placed in a government approved mount. Nine out of ten rounds fired in a single burst shall realize a figure of merit H+L (height + length) not exceeding 33cm. No keyholing (defined in 6.7.5) shall be permitted. The mean point of impact of 9 rounds of a 10-round burst shall be within a 20cm by 20cm square. The center of this square shall be 5cm above the point of aim.

3.12 Thirty round magazine. The machine gun shall be capable of functioning without failure (see 6.4) or unserviceable parts (see 6.7.4) with its main and assigned barrel using a government furnished 30 round magazine (see 6.8).

3.13 Cyclic rate of fire. The cyclic rate of fire for each M249 machine gun with its main and assigned barrel shall be between 700 and 850 rounds per minute. This requirement shall be met without failure (see 6.4) or unserviceable parts (see 6.7.4).

In section 3.11, belt pull is specified as pulling 2.86kg (6.305 pounds) while feeding with no malfunction. This test used to be done by mounting the gun very high, and hanging the belt freely at full length. After many studies, it was determined that a more effective pull test to ensure the machine gun transfers the proper amount of energy from moving operating group, to the feed shuttle mechanism, is to use a flat shelf, free roller, X amount of linked rounds and a hanging weight as shown in the picture. The weight is slightly higher than 2.86kg, on purpose, to show the machine gun exceeds the spec.

3.11 Belt pull. The machine gun shall be capable of functioning without failure (see 6.4) or unserviceable parts (see 6.7.4) while pulling 2.86 kilograms (the equivalent of a 200 round free hanging belt).

Section 3.14 of the MIL-SPEC calls for an interchangeability of parts test. The testing quantities can get complex based on monthly productions, IDIQ numbers, first article requests, etc. – that’s a book in itself. In this case, we chose a basic method from the specifications for 10 guns taken randomly from the production line. These were disassembled into components; first as basic assemblies and mixed up, then assembled with random assemblies and function tested and gauged. All passed. Second, the parts were broken down to a lower level and reassembled, then the firearms assembled, function tested, and gauged. All passed. This is a prove-out of the requirement in section 3.14.

Next, some parts from other manufacturers, from older models, common parts with the MK46 machine gun, etc., were used in assembling U.S. Ordnance M249s. All exchanges were successful, and in 3.14.2, it all must be done on the main assemblies, with no tools. A small hammer is required to persuade some new pins, but that is acceptable.

3.14 Interchangeability. Unless otherwise specified on the drawings, all component parts or inseparable subassemblies shall be interchangeable.

3.14.1 Interplant. Unless otherwise specified on the drawing, all component parts or inseparable subassemblies shall be interchangeable with weapons representing production from each of the previous manufacturer(s).

3.14.2 Tooling. No tools shall be required to assemble/disassemble the following assemblies from the M249 receiver: Bipod, drawing 13022945, Trigger Assembly, drawing 9348354, Buttstock, drawing 12556935, Gas Cylinder, drawing 9348345, Barrel Assembly, drawing 12011986, and Ejector, drawing 9348223. The Bolt Assembly, drawing 9348412, Slide Assembly, drawing 9348391, and Piston Assembly, drawing 9348405, shall not require any tools to assemble/disassemble from each other. The Heat Shield, drawing 12540405, shall not require any tools to be assembled/disassembled from the Barrel Assembly, drawing 12011986.

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U.S. Ordnance has developed a water firing system that is environmentally protective. This is a 155mm howitzer barrel that has been altered so that water runs through it under pressure, and the machine gun fires into the water. At the other end, the water cycles the spent bullets into a container with a conveyer system. The water recycles through the system many times, and is properly filtered.

The conveyor brings the spent projectiles, many of which have the jackets stripped in the water-firing process and dumps them into 55 gallon drums.

In section 3.15, Endurance, the mean rounds between failures, other failures are all defined. During the testing, the records showed well within the spec. I personally didn’t observe any failure that required more than charging the gun or sweeping the feed tray. Fast, normal machine gunner procedures, well within spec.

3.15 Endurance. When subjected to 10,000 rounds of firing using the 200-round magazine, each endurance weapon shall exhibit no more than 4 failures attributable to the machine gun. Of the 4 failures a maximum of 2 failures are allowed which take more than 10 seconds but less than 10 minutes to clear. All remaining failures must be immediately clearable within 10 seconds. No failures which require more than 10 minutes to clear and no instances of uncontrolled firing are allowed. When firing with the government furnished 30 round magazine (see 6.8), 3 failures (attributable to the machine gun), which take less than 10 seconds to clear are allowed in each endurance weapon. Only l failure (attributable to the machine gun) is allowed which takes more than 10 seconds but less than 10 minutes to clear. All incidents shall be recorded. Any incidents not chargeable to the weapon shall be substantiated and reported. No unserviceable parts are allowed during the endurance test. See Table I for endurance summary.

4.18 Barrel life. The 15,000 rounds barrel life test shall be conducted simultaneously with the 10,000 round endurance test (and 50,000 reliability test when applicable). If only the endurance test is being performed, an additional 5000 rounds shall be fired on the barrel for a total of 15,000. The ammunition, firing schedule, and data recording for the additional 5000 rounds shall be identical to those specified for the endurance test except that use of the government furnished 30 round magazines (see 6.8) is excluded. Likewise, the endurance maintenance schedule shall be continued. Acceptability inspection of the barrel life test shall be determined by magnetic particle inspection in accordance with ASTM E 1444 of the barrel for cracks, projectile velocity, and yaw measurement at 15,000 rounds. Magnetic particle inspection and velocity and yaw measurements (using 20 rds of M855 ammunition) shall be taken in accordance with the procedures specified for the endurance test.

U.S. Ordnance is in full production now on the M249 machine gun. They’ve passed a full MIL-SPEC test regimen, they are in process of delivering hundreds of M249 machine guns to government customers in various countries. The M249 lives on, and many countries (as the United Kingdom just announced) are sticking with the 5.56x45mm cartridge until the mid-2030s.

Contacts for U.S. Ordnance:

www.usord.com

sales@usord.com

marketing@usord.com

training: training@usord.com