How to Maintain an M249 Machine Gun

The M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) is the primary base-of-fire element for an infantry squad. The SAW is prone to jam when it is dirty. Give your M249 a good wipe down as often as you can. Here are some tips for a quick field-cleaning that can be performed in a few minutes anywhere.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• M249 SAW cleaning kit
• Lubricant

1. Ensure that the SAW is clear, then place the weapon on "fire" and ride the bolt forward.
2. Pull the two pins that hold the butt stock in place to remove the butt stock assembly. The hand grip and trigger will come off as the bottom butt stock pin holds them in place.
3. Push in on the spring drive assembly to release it from its catch and remove it. Push the bolt and piston assembly out of the back of the weapon and catch it as it comes out.
4. Depress the barrel release latch and pull up on the carrying handle to remove the barrel. Run barrel swabs on a barrel rod from breech to muzzle until the swabs come clean.
5. Wipe down the inside and outside of the receiver with a clean rag, remove all of the dust and oil. Do the same for the bolt and piston assemblies. A scraper tool may be necessary on the head of the piston and inside the gas cylinder.
6. Cover all of the metal parts with an approved M249 SAW lubricant. Look for cracks, burrs and bends in the working parts of the weapon. Report any deficiencies you find to an authorized repair person.
7. Start the reassembly of your M249 with the barrel and work back to the butt stock.

Tips & Warnings

• Treat all weapons as if they are loaded all of the time and never point them at other people.
• Keep your guns parts out of the dirt by placing them on a rag.
• Always clear a SAW before disassembling or handling by pulling the charging handle to the rear and looking in the feed tray for brass and debris.
• The bottom butt stock pin also holds the hand grip in place. It takes a little practice to get them to fit together during reassembly so have patience.
• Don't try to force things when reassembling a gun.
• This is not a full disassembly procedure. Do not disassemble the bipod legs, feeder mechanisms, bolt or the gas tube.