I know the Army uses the 240B, and the Marines use the 240G. But just from tech specs I've got I can't see the difference.

the B has handguards(handy to prevent burns when moving with a hot gun), a picatinny rail on top of the feed tray cover(newer G models may have this as well) and IIRC the G can detatch the buttstock from the buffer, I cant remember and I dont have my M240 -10 in front of me either

All the 240g I have seen have the rail on the feed tray cover.  I do not belive that the 240g buffer can be removed(Im not an machinegunner so dont quote me)

I though the B model was the one for vehicles, but Im not sure.

Quoted: All the 240g I have seen have the rail on the feed tray cover.  I do not belive that the 240g buffer can be removed(Im not an machinegunner so dont quote me) I though the B model was the one for vehicles, but Im not sure.

the removeable butt was hearsay from a couple of jarhead buddies of mine.  the 240 basic and the 240 C(right hand feed for the Bradley) are the coax versions and the D has the spade grips for tanker and helo duty.

decent link on the M240 series with pics

The M240C is the base M240 with a reversed feed direction to work in the Bradley.  

The M240D is equipped with spade grips for use as a pintle moutned gun on vehicles. (I think this is also called the M240E1)

The M240H is the door gun. (this was known as the M240E5)  The Army just let out a contract to FN-South Carolina for several thousand of them.  The Army will replace all of the M60D's left on helicopters with M240H's by 2007.

The M240H is similar to the M240D in that it has spade grips, but it has a different FS that's compatible with NVGs and a different mounting system compatible with the helicopter mounts.  It also comes with an "egress kit" that converts the gun from a door gun to a ground gun in less than 60 seconds, so the gun can be utilized out of the aircraft for security, or if the aircraft is forced down.

Allot of Gs have all the features of Bs these days other than the buffer/buttstock combination.  The feed tray cover MO came out when the weapon was being fielded, so it's pretty much universal.  The heat shields are ordered by the units if they want them.

Hey Ross

Thanks for the tip.  I had no idea the 240H was contracted.

Quoted: The M240C is the base M240 with a reversed feed direction to work in the Bradley.   The M240D is equipped with spade grips for use as a pintle moutned gun on vehicles. (I think this is also called the M240E1) The M240H is the door gun. (this was known as the M240E5)  The Army just let out a contract to FN-South Carolina for several thousand of them.  The Army will replace all of the M60D's left on helicopters with M240H's by 2007. The M240H is similar to the M240D in that it has spade grips, but it has a different FS that's compatible with NVGs and a different mounting system compatible with the helicopter mounts.  It also comes with an "egress kit" that converts the gun from a door gun to a ground gun in less than 60 seconds, so the gun can be utilized out of the aircraft for security, or if the aircraft is forced down.

The M240C  what a POS!

I noticed while serving with some Army units their 240Bs had ejection port covers, handguards, and a contraption on the left side of the reciever that would hold ammo.  None of our 240Gs had any of that (although later some ended up with handguards somehow). ;)

Quoted: The M240C is the base M240 with a reversed feed direction to work in the Bradley.   The M240D is equipped with spade grips for use as a pintle moutned gun on vehicles. (I think this is also called the M240E1) The M240H is the door gun. (this was known as the M240E5)  The Army just let out a contract to FN-South Carolina for several thousand of them.  The Army will replace all of the M60D's left on helicopters with M240H's by 2007. The M240H is similar to the M240D in that it has spade grips, but it has a different FS that's compatible with NVGs and a different mounting system compatible with the helicopter mounts.  It also comes with an "egress kit" that converts the gun from a door gun to a ground gun in less than 60 seconds, so the gun can be utilized out of the aircraft for security, or if the aircraft is forced down.

And...

The M240B was a purpose built ground mount.

The M240G was originally a "kit" supplied by FN to the USMC to convert M240Cs or Ds (can't remember which) into groundmounts when the Marine Corps got a bunch of them on the cheap from the Army IIRC.

if that is so, then it must have been a kit to convert the D model to a ground mount.  it makes sense as it already has a front sight and is left feed.  the M240C is right feed and has no sights, the 240 basic model(m1 abrams coax) has no sights but is left feed.

If I remember right, the Marine Corps was able to get them from the army via DRMO at like no cost.  The army was DRMOing allot of the guns as part of its draw down of armor/heavy forces following ODS.

Quoted: If I remember right, the Marine Corps was able to get them from the army via DRMO at like no cost.  The army was DRMOing allot of the guns as part of its draw down of armor/heavy forces following ODS.

Yes, the Army had extra basic M240's left over one year because of a difference in vehicle production numbers vs gun numbers.  The "R" in DRMO is Reutilization, and things going to DRMO don't have to be junk or things getting scrapped.  Much of it is stuff that ends up going to other parts of DoD.  This was the case with the M240s.  The USMC basically got them free, transferred from the Army.

The Marines used a conglomeration of parts, like some FN and some Brit L7 IIRC to build up the first M240Gs to test.  It worked out so well that the "conversion kit" was born.  It had all the parts needed to make a basic M240 coax into a GPMG (pg, fs, stock, sights, etc).  

The Army got pissed and wanted the USMC to pay for the guns, but DoD said, "no, you're the ones that surplused them."  Apparently the Army surplussed them in the first place for accounting purposes to shift money to the next year or something.  The way the DoD buys stuff is beyond comprehension some times.   But for some reason it was more advantageous for the Army to surpuls them than stock them for the next year's vehicles.  It doesn't have to do with "real" money, just the way the DoD accounts for stuff and what budget it comes out of.

Anyway, the USMC did indeed get the guns for free, and most of us in the Army actually thought it was pretty slick the way they did it and it definately had the "two thumbs up" from us.

The Ranger battalions managed to get some.  I believe they were provided by FN on the chance for futrue sales (FN is pretty sharp).  They may have just gotten the conversion kits and some M240s.  Either way the Army finally caught on to the fact that this was the gun we should have bought in 1958 when the rest of the world bought it, and the M240B was born, after the obligatory changes made by the service.