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The M249 Light Machine Gun, formerly designated as the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, is the US-produced version of the Belgian-made FN Minimi. The M249 is a light machine gun manufactured by FN Herstal that chambers the 5.56x45mm NATO round.

There are two other variants of the M249 in the Rainbow Six universe;

  • The M249 SPW, full name Special Purpose Weapon, is a variant designed to meet USSOCOM special forces requirements, sacrificing the barrel changing handle, magazine insertion well and vehicle mounting lug, while adding a Picatinny rail on the bottom, a detachable bipod and a lightweight barrel that is longer than an M249 Paratrooper's.
  • The M249 Paratrooper is a compact version of the M249 with a shorter barrel and sliding aluminum buttstock based on that of the Minimi Para, 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 M249, M249 SPW and M249 Paratrooper are categorized as light machine guns in the Rainbow Six universe.

Rogue Spear[]

The 5.56mm M249 LMG is a light machine gun featured in Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear.

The 5.56mm M249 LMG is a light machine gun firing the 5.56x45mm round. It is the standard US Army squad support weapon. This gun comes with a 200 round box magazine, and fires only in fully automatic mode. It packs tremendous firepower, but is only accurate from a crouched stationary position. Used this way, it is an effective covering weapon.


Raven Shield[]

The M249 is a weapon featured in Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield.


Rainbow Six 3 (Console)[]

The M249 SAW is a weapon featured in Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3 (Console).


Black Arrow[]

"Belgian manufacturer, FN, produces this light machine gun in standard 5.56x45mm caliber. It is the standard issue light machine gun of the United States Army. The SAW can only be fired in fully automatic mode."
— In-game Description

The M249 SAW is a weapon featured in Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Black Arrow. It is equipped with an ACOG Sight be default.


Lockdown[]

"This air-cooled, gas operated, belt fed, automatic only weapon is used by military forces around the world and is equipped with a vertical foregrip and a retractable buttstock. The M249SPW does not support attachments."
— In-game description

The M249SPW is a weapon featured in Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Lockdown.

In the PC version of the game, the M249SPW is used by the Global Liberation Front in the mission Castle.

Gallery[]

Critical Hour[]

The M249SPW is a weapon featured in Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Critical Hour.


Vegas[]

The M249 SPW is a weapon featured in Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas. The weapon also appears in a turret configuration, alongside its standalone configuration. The M249 SPW is the standard weapon of Kan Akahashi.

Weapon Attachments[]

Gallery[]

Vegas 2[]

The M249 SPW is a weapon featured in Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2. Since Vegas 1 and 2 share the same engine and models, the weapon appears in the same turret configuration as its counterpart in the previous installment.

Weapon Attachments[]

Gallery[]

Shadow Vanguard[]

"A 5.56 mm belt-fed light machine gun that can fire as rapidly as a machine gun and with as much accuracy and mobility as a rifle. With a sustained rate of fire of about 850 rounds per minute, it's no wonder the U.S. has used it in major conflicts for the past 22 years."
— In-game Description

The M249, designated in-game as simply the Light Machine Gun, is a weapon featured in Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Shadow Vanguard.

Siege[]

"Iconic LMG, accurate in medium range with high ammo capacity and efficient suppressive fire."
— In-game description

The M249 and M249 SAW are light machine guns featured in Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege. The former was introduced in the Operation Skull Rain expansion and is available for use by the Attack Recruits and Capitão. The latter was introduced in the Operation Burnt Horizon expansion and is available for use by Gridlock.

Overview[]

The M249 has a rather mediocre fire rate of 650, but it makes up for it with its high damage, controllable recoil and great accuracy. The M249 has a high magazine capacity, while the M249 SAW has slightly less capacity, but is able to reload much faster as a result of being magazine fed.

Pros[]

  • High damage per shot
  • High magazine capacity
  • Low vertical recoil

Cons[]

  • Low rate of fire
  • Slow reload time (M249 only)


Weapon Attachments[]

Sight
Barrel
Grip
Under Barrel

Recruit has access to these pre-set attachments: Reflex Sight, Compensator, Vertical Grip

Gallery[]

M249[]

M249 SAW[]

Patch Changes[]



Extraction[]

"Iconic LMG, accurate in medium range with high ammo capacity and efficient suppressive fire."
— In-game description

The M249 and M249 SAW are light machine guns featured in Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction. The former is available for Capitão at Operator level 3 while the latter is available for Gridlock at Operator level 3.

Overview[]

Both the M249 and M249 SAW function in the same manner as their counterparts in Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege. Both have a relatively low fire rate of 650 RPM, but make up for it with their high damage, controllable recoil and great accuracy. The M249 SAW differs from the M249 by having a lower magazibe capacity but is able to reload much faster as a result of being magazine fed.

Pros[]

  • High damage per shot
  • High magazine capacity
  • Low vertical recoil

Cons[]

  • Low rate of fire
  • Slow reload time (M249 only)


Weapon Attachments[]

Sight
Barrel
Grip
Under Barrel


Trivia[]

  • In Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Lockdown, the M249SPW is equipped with a cosmetic foregrip and heat shield by default.
  • In Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas and its sequel, the M249 SPW has an E2-style butt-stock. However, the weapon select screen shows a Para-type collapsible stock.

Siege[]

  • During the period of Y4S1(Burnt Horizon)-Y5S3(Shadow Legacy) was the unique sight that was labled Scope which only could be applied to the M249. While functionally similar to a regular ACOG Sight, the Scope was a unique model that had a different reticle. This scope has since been converted to the Scope 3.0x and is no longer available on the M249.
  • Gridlock's 60-round magazine is a casket magazine. A divider in the middle of the magazine allows rounds to be stacked into four columns, doubling the capacity. The magazine model itself is based on Surefire's High-Capacity Casket (or Quad-Stacked) magazines.
    • This magazine was once incorrectly used on the AR-15.50. The model was probably recycled for the M249 after it was removed from the AR-15.
  • The scope previously available for the M249 is based on the Steiner P4Xi 1-4x24 Scope.
  • Unlike the LMG-E or 6P41, the M249's belt does not deplete as the weapon is fired.
  • Prior to Operation Commanding Force, the M249 SAW had a 60 round capacity with no chamber tracking, as is the case with the rest of the open-bolt LMGs. After the update, it was restored to 60+1 capacity, likely to be more intuitive for the tactical reload rework.
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