MK 249 PARA'

Type	Squad automatic weapon/Light machine gun
Place of origin	Belgium (FN Minimi)  United States (M249 derivative)

In service	1984–present (m249)
Used by	United States Armed Forces, U.S. Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), and Lebanon
Wars	Invasion of Panama Persian Gulf War Unified Task Force Bosnian War Kosovo War Afghan War Iraq War

Designed	1976 (m249)
Manufacturer	Fabrique Nationale de Herstal
Unit cost	US$4,087
Produced	late 1970s–present
Variants	See Variants

Weight	9.1 kg (20 lb)
Length	893 mm (35 in)
Barrel length	521 mm (21 in)

Cartridge	5.56x45 mm NATO
Action	Gas-operated, open bolt
Rate of fire	750–1,000 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity	915 m/s (3,000 ft/s)
Effective range	1,000 yd (910 m)
Feed system	M27 linked belt, STANAG magazine

The M249 Para is a compact version of the gun with a shorter barrel and sliding aluminum buttstock, so called because of its intended use by airborne troops. It is much shorter and considerably lighter than the regular M249 at 893 mm (35 in) long and 7.1 kg (16 lb) in weight.The Army's Rapid Fielding Initiative is in the process of replacing the original collapsible buttstock with an adjustable model based loosely on the design of the M4 carbine buttstock.

M 249 SAW

The M249 light machine gun (LMG), previously designated the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW), and formally written as Light Machine Gun, 5.56 mm, M249, is an American version of the Belgian FN Minimi, a light machine gun manufactured by the Belgian company FN Herstal (FN). The M249 is manufactured in the United States and is widely used by the U.S. Armed Forces. The weapon was introduced in 1984 after being judged the most effective of a number of candidate weapons to address the lack of automatic firepower in small units. The gun provides infantry squads with the heavy volume of fire of a machine gun combined with accuracy and portability approaching that of a rifle.
The M249 is gas operated and air cooled. It has a quick-change barrel, allowing the gunner to rapidly replace an overheated or jammed barrel. A folding bipod is attached near the front of the gun, though an M192 LGM tripod is also available. It can be fed from both linked ammunition and STANAG magazines, like those used in the M16 and M4. This allows the SAW gunner to use rifleman's magazines as an emergency source of ammunition in the event that he runs out of linked rounds. However, this will often cause malfunctions where the magazine spring has difficulty feeding rounds quickly enough to match the SAW's high cyclic rate.
M249s have seen action in every major conflict involving the United States since the 1989 invasion of Panama. Soldiers are generally satisfied with the weapon's performance, though there have been reports of clogging with dirt and sand. Due to the weight and age of the weapon, the United States Marine Corps is testing the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle with plans to partially replace the M249 in Marine Corps service.

 mk 249 parà video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDVubBLbw1k&feature=related