Armory Sponsor
Posted: 2/1/2025 12:23:01 PM EST
| For you guys that have a 249S, would you buy it again if you had it to do over? It would make more sense to buy a beltfeed upper so I could use a binary trigger, but then I wouldn't have a 249. I have been wanting one for awhile and almost pulled the trigger on one listed in the EE the other day, but I spent too much time debating if I wanted to spend the money and someone else made the decision for me. So let's hear the good and the bad, the for and against. |
|
The good: - Its an M249 - Its a belt fed weapon - Every accessory that works on a 249 works on a 249S (barrels, stocks, nut sacks, magazines, etc.) - (Sort of) Quick change barrel, various stocks, rail for optics, easy to conform it to what you want it to be (except light weight) The bad: - Its an M249 - Its a belt fed weapon - It draws a lot of attention, depending on where you shoot perhaps too much attention - You could buy so many other things for the cost, other things that arguably do the same thing for less - Everything for it is expensive, and you WILL buy things for it - Its semi auto, nobody makes a binary trigger, and due to the small user base and inherent design nobody probably will - The trigger on the newer built guns is heavy Basically the reason you buy a 249S is because you WANT specifically a 249S. If all you want is a belt fed semi auto weapon you have much cheaper options with better triggers. I compare it to buying an old Italian sports car. Everything it does can be done better by newer, cheaper things. Every part for it is going to be stupid expensive compared to other things. The ergonomics and handling are going to suck compared to other, newer things. Buy you are buying and owning and maintaining that old Italian sports car because you want that specific old Italian sports car... and you go into it knowing that the joy you get out of it is mostly going to come from the notion that you own that specific old Italian sports car. You don't own it to race anybody, you don't own it to move lumber from the Home Depot. You own it to own it. Once you've climbed that hill and walked down the other side you will either own an M249S or you will have bought something else. Long story short, it is a collector's item. Perhaps one day in the misty dreamy future of never never land someone will repeal the ban on post 86 machine guns and we M249S owners can finally deneuter our guns... but let's face it, that day probably isn't coming. So you buy it for what it is right now, and what it is right now is a big, heavy, expensive, attention grabbing collector's item. |
|
Originally Posted By JsARCLIGHT: The good: - Its an M249 - Its a belt fed weapon - Every accessory that works on a 249 works on a 249S (barrels, stocks, nut sacks, magazines, etc.) - (Sort of) Quick change barrel, various stocks, rail for optics, easy to conform it to what you want it to be (except light weight) The bad: - Its an M249 - Its a belt fed weapon - It draws a lot of attention, depending on where you shoot perhaps too much attention - You could buy so many other things for the cost, other things that arguably do the same thing for less - Everything for it is expensive, and you WILL buy things for it - Its semi auto, nobody makes a binary trigger, and due to the small user base and inherent design nobody probably will - The trigger on the newer built guns is heavy Basically the reason you buy a 249S is because you WANT specifically a 249S. If all you want is a belt fed semi auto weapon you have much cheaper options with better triggers. I compare it to buying an old Italian sports car. Everything it does can be done better by newer, cheaper things. Every part for it is going to be stupid expensive compared to other things. The ergonomics and handling are going to suck compared to other, newer things. Buy you are buying and owning and maintaining that old Italian sports car because you want that specific old Italian sports car... and you go into it knowing that the joy you get out of it is mostly going to come from the notion that you own that specific old Italian sports car. You don't own it to race anybody, you don't own it to move lumber from the Home Depot. You own it to own it. Once you've climbed that hill and walked down the other side you will either own an M249S or you will have bought something else. Long story short, it is a collector's item. Perhaps one day in the misty dreamy future of never never land someone will repeal the ban on post 86 machine guns and we M249S owners can finally deneuter our guns... but let's face it, that day probably isn't coming. So you buy it for what it is right now, and what it is right now is a big, heavy, expensive, attention grabbing collector's item. Thanks, that just about sums it up. |
|
If you can find a MK46 barrel, that’ll cut the weight down significantly. I really like the newest collapsible lightweight stock too. They have interchangeable high and low cheek risers so it’ll work with optics. Take the steel bipod off and run it with no bipod, or something like a Magpul bipod on a RAS and you’ll have a lighter weight setup. The MK46 barrel can’t take as much sustained fire without heat damage, so have a thicker barrel ready to swap on, if you’re going to be dumping a serious amount of rounds (and a barrel bag to lay the hot one on). Used 249 barrels are all over the place right now, and the US Army is ditching all their Para barrels. The 249S can easily be converted to full auto using modified 249 parts without any modification to the 249S itself. (The semi-auto parts will just swap back in.) Everyone says they’re more reliable and tolerant of M27 link irregularities than a Shrike/MCR/Raptor upper. I haven’t had both, but a friend owns an MCR upper and says it’s not ultra reliable. You’ll see a lot of mil guys trash talk the M249, but their weapons are poorly maintained so that’s the source of unreliability there. The M60 got a bad rep like this too (and it is trickier to maintain than a 249) but civilians run both with high reliability all the time so it’s not difficult. Another one to watch would be the Lima Six (currently in development) here. It’s supposed to be like the MCR/Raptor, but more reliable due to longer bolt travel than the MCR, and using as many standardized M249 and AR parts as possible. |
|
The look of the iconic M249, you’re a SOT and can make it open bolt with a little matching, and the bragging rights to owning a M249S because it costs a lot are the only reasons why you’d buy one. The practicality isn’t there if you're just wanting a beltfed. The MCR uppers can be had for almost half the going rate of the M249s (at least the pre recall ones) you can make it operate similar to any full auto M249 buy having a FRT or similar trigger, and it weighs half the weight with all the same features more or less. If money is no object than buy one. But if money is really not an object just buy a transferable M249 or open a gun store with a SOT and get a post sample. |
|
Originally Posted By redman797: The look of the iconic M249, you’re a SOT and can make it open bolt with a little matching, and the bragging rights to owning a M249S because it costs a lot are the only reasons why you’d buy one. The practicality isn’t there if you're just wanting a beltfed. The MCR uppers can be had for almost half the going rate of the M249s (at least the pre recall ones) you can make it operate similar to any full auto M249 buy having a FRT or similar trigger, and it weighs half the weight with all the same features more or less. If money is no object than buy one. But if money is really not an object just buy a transferable M249 or open a gun store with a SOT and get a post sample. If I’m not mistaken there is only one transferable M249 on the registry. There may be pre and post samples but only one transferable one. |
|
Originally Posted By DanishM1Garand: If I’m not mistaken there is only one transferable M249 on the registry. There may be pre and post samples but only one transferable one. I thought I was told at one point there’s a couple dozen out there from a FN rep who came to our gun store 15+ years ago but I honestly have no clue and no clue how to find out the real answer to that. Never would be able to spend the kind of money they’d want for it. A FRT or super safety on a Fightlite or any of the future beltfeds like Lima would be the way to go personally. The only down side is the cyclic rate is way fast on them. Even with a H3. |
|
Originally Posted By redman797: I thought I was told at one point there’s a couple dozen out there from a FN rep who came to our gun store 15+ years ago but I honestly have no clue and no clue how to find out the real answer to that. Never would be able to spend the kind of money they’d want for it. A FRT or super safety on a Fightlite or any of the future beltfeds like Lima would be the way to go personally. The only down side is the cyclic rate is way fast on them. Even with a H3. Interesting you mention the cyclic rate. The Lima Six has way more reciprocating mass than an AR15 and almost an inch more travel. I havnet shot it in full auto yet, but I'm anticipating around 600 rpm. |
|
Originally Posted By Type7SOT: Interesting you mention the cyclic rate. The Lima Six has way more reciprocating mass than an AR15 and almost an inch more travel. I havnet shot it in full auto yet, but I'm anticipating around 600 rpm. Sweet. I have an A5 buffer tube I haven’t but on yet and a hydraulic buffer that’s around 6.5 oz, so almost an ounce heavier and longer tube imma try next. I also am shooting suppressed with a SOCOM, |
|
Originally Posted By redman797: Sweet. I have an A5 buffer tube I haven’t but on yet and a hydraulic buffer that’s around 6.5 oz, so almost an ounce heavier and longer tube imma try next. I also am shooting suppressed with a SOCOM, I think you'll need to use a standard carbine buffer if you are running an A5 tube, not the A5 buffer, otherwise you wont get the extra travel |
|
I would rebuy, but only because of the trade value that it ultimately provided. $10-12k buys a lot of everything else. When they were first introduced and available for $5.8-6.5k, they made a little more sense. I kept mine as long as I did because I didn’t have anything more intriguing to replace it — until I did. |
Armory Sponsor