These differ from the M16 adaptors, which are square.  The ones for the M249 are round/cylindrical.  Our SAW gunners destroyed most of them at our last Convoy Live Fire Exersize, shot so many blanks that they snapped from the heat.  Apparently I need to pull 14 out of my ass immediately and send them to the unit at JRTC.  Anyone know where I can find some in the civilian world, because it's a 4 day weekend and there's no way to steal/beg/borrow any until Tuesday.

I'd try calling FN directly.  Here's their 249 page...

www.fnmfg.com/products/m249/m249main.htm

If no luck there, try calling Long Mountain Outfitters - www.longmountain.com

if its military tell him to sit and spin and let supply handle it.

Unfortunately DeadSled, at the moment, I am all that's left of supply.  I'm a telephone man in an Armorer slot, and the only reason I'm in the rear is because my wife got really sick a couple of weeks ago.  Our Supply Sgt is off at the Basic Noncomissioned Officer Course, and our only other supply Joe is deployed and an incompetant E3.  I've been told to go around to different companies and try to borrow some and mail them, which I could have done before the deployment if they had told me they needed blank adaptors sooner, instead of the day before the deployment.  Thanks for the links though guys, I'll see what I can do if  I can't beg them off of others.  The thing that irks the hell out if me is that the SAW has the same A2 birdcage flash suppressor that the M16A2 does, and will do the same job, the only difference is the shape.  I don't buy for a second that the shape makes any difference in strength, because of the way the SAW blank adaptors broke last time we used them.  I call bullshit, but you can't tell the commander that because appearance is everything.  Maybe I could call the 1st Sgt and have him explain to her, he's a fellow gun nut and might listen...

They're already there, but I guess I'll do what I can from 1000 miles away... sometimes I long for a "real" unit, I've heard rumors of such units, where small and inconsequential things aren't made needlessly complicated and given the utmost importance, and mission accomplishment is actually job one...

No  other units in your brigade to hand receipt THEIR adaptors from while you order more  for your unit through regular supply channels? I find that hard to believe. Adaptors are a dime a dozen, please don't tell me they only had enough on hand to have one per weapon, with no spares, as it sounds to be the case.

When we went to JRTC, we had a ton of cash dumped into our train-up for 5 years prior, then the funding got yanked right afterwards ( of course, 9-11 happened 2 weeks after we got back; our stuff was still at Drum on railhead coming back from Polk). So get anything you need NOW and right after they get back, before the funding gets shut down.

sometimes I long for a "real" unit, I've heard rumors of such units, where small and inconsequential things aren't made needlessly complicated and given the utmost importance, and mission accomplishment is actually job one...

Fear not friend, in 16 years in uniform, 8 years of that deployed OUTUS,  I've found that there are no "real " units, just varying degrees of the same old shit. I suggest that you salute smartly and carry on...Do the best that you can with what you got and don't sweat the small shit because when it all comes down to it, it's ALL small shit.

Although they are less reliable have you tried M16 BFA?  You hardly ever find SAW BFAs in the Marine Corps so we just use M16 BFAs.

Quoted: sometimes I long for a "real" unit, I've heard rumors of such units, where small and inconsequential things aren't made needlessly complicated and given the utmost importance, and mission accomplishment is actually job one... Fear not friend, in 16 years in uniform, 8 years of that deployed OUTUS,  I've found that there are no "real " units, just varying degrees of the same old shit. I suggest that you salute smartly and carry on...Do the best that you can with what you got and don't sweat the small shit because when it all comes down to it, it's ALL small shit.

+1 on the small shit.

Halloween78:
It's you commander's problem, not yours.  You have already done more than anyone would expect of you.  Besides, they should be easier to find at Ft. Polk than in VA - unless you have contacts that are REALLY flexible.  Quite frankly, you commander's pickle isn't worth me asking friends (who don't owe me any favors, in fact, I owe them) at Ft. Lee to come in on the weekend and sign over some blank adaptors to someone I don't know.

Female CO That's all I need to know!!!
(so Much for a Load plan, Pre combat Inspections and Unit SOP's)
What the hell kinda unit rotates thru JRTC and forgets BFA's.
You can use the M15A2 BFA's on your SAW's but the gas Port in the BFA is a different size so cyclic performance will be piss poor  in some weapons and work OK on other's, You can adjust the Gas regulator on the barrels to help find a sweet spot as well.

Units have been using the red BFA's on M4 carrbines and Vice versa and that is wrong. the gas holes in the BFA's have diffferent apeture size's for the differnce in gas pressure between the two weapons. and the SAW needs more gas to cycle the action/Overcome the weight of the bolt and return spring,etc..

Besides. A god Plt Sgt will hook is guy's up some how

Do NOT use the M16 BFA no matter what anyone tells you. There is a a reason they are different and a reason why M16's BFA's get destroyed on SAW's - don't do it. My unit was training in Hofensfels Germany several years ago and we could not use our M249's at ALL until we were able to get in M249 BFA's - thanks to some timely work by DISCOM - Division Support Command. I don't have the NSN here for the M249 one - sorry - but it is distinct from a M16 version - Its cylindrical in design as opposed to square. Be safe - and do not take shortcuts for your commands ever. I used to be an armorer and trust me - go by the book if safety has anything to do with it - unless you are physically AT war - but thats totally different. Good luck.

Quoted: Do NOT use the M16 BFA no matter what anyone tells you. There is a a reason they are different and a reason why M16's BFA's get destroyed on SAW's - don't do it. My unit was training in Hofensfels Germany several years ago and we could not use our M249's at ALL until we were able to get in M249 BFA's - thanks to some timely work by DISCOM - Division Support Command. I don't have the NSN here for the M249 one - sorry - but it is distinct from a M16 version - Its cylindrical in design as opposed to square. Be safe - and do not take shortcuts for your commands ever. I used to be an armorer and trust me - go by the book if safety has anything to do with it - unless you are physically AT war - but thats totally different. Good luck.

If you have an option no BFA and no training or M16 BFA and train, I suggest you use what ever BFA you can get and atleast get a little training out if if.

probably too late now, but take those M16 blank adapters over to the motor pool and see if those guys can't modify some of them for you. Be ready with bribes.

Its a female CO right.  In other words its her ass for screwing this up.  Not your problem.  You did your best and that is enough.  Do not use m16 adaptors on saws, it will not work right any way, or break some thing.  When the shit hits the fan for your after action review explain how you were notified of this problem the day before ship out, and did your best in the time given.
Remember this, she is trying to cover her ass by blaming you.  My experience with females in charge of any thing is that when some thing goes wrong it is not there fault, and that the people below her are sabotageing her.  Don't let her get away with it.  She is going to try and pin some thing on you regardless of what ever happens, because she is perfect and can not make a mistake.  Get ready for it.

P.S.  There is no such thing as a unit that gets it all right.  Only units with less knuckheads to deal with.