If that's truly what used ones are going for, I wish I had bought a dozen back when they were 6,500 bucks!!

Doc

As the owner of a "used M249S" that's an absurd price.  You can get them for just under $10K on GB right now.

The only possible explanation for that price might be that the owner doesn't really want to sell it unless they get that ridiculous price, OR they are claiming that value because it's one of the few M249S's from the first batch that were not returned to FN for the "safety recall".

That "safety recall" seems to be a masked motive to retrofit the internals with some changes to prevent an easier conversion to full auto and had the wonderful side-benefit of a ~20 pound trigger pull.  All the newer M249S's, unfortunately, also have those internals and trigger pull.  

It's not.

It's not.

AFAIK the recall has nothing to do with that, and I know for sure that the current production ones are just as readily converted with genuine SAW parts (op rod, slide, and a few FCG parts)

I think it's because the "slide hammer" kept breaking on the earlier designs.

Yeah, that sucks.

It's like 17 pounds because as soon as the trigger moves, you're having to compress the hydraulic buffer that the slide hammer is already resting against. (Well it's technically resting against a transfer block on the recoil spring guide, but the effect is the same.)

Collector's Firearms is notorious for having the highest prices around. As others have said, they can be had for much less... like everything else at Collector's.

Fishing.

Is that from a good source?
Gun sellers often use that line and it's usually just a sales tactic, but FN has discontinued them previously.

The standard black M249S is $9,500 at 2 online vendors here: https://gun.deals/search/apachesolr_search/46100169
I bought a used one late last year on the EE for $8800. It was a Para though.

I see you've just discovered Collector's Firearms.

That's just how Collector's prices everything.

Yeah that gun has been sitting for quite a while now. It's double what it's worth easily. Don't see it selling ever unless a complete rich idiot comes in. I mean brand new ones are going for $10K. But hey more power to them if they can sell it and make a killing, haha

I just picked up a brand new in box Para. Both the trigger and the action are surprisingly smooth. Considering that I almost paid $12.5k a year or so ago, I feel like I lucked out. I do wish I could find a KAC M249 RAS for it…

I'll never understand the appeal.

Until I owned one, I said the same thing.

Its like a gatling gun without the crank and LOTS more ammo.

"What's the point?" clamor members of site dedicated to semi-auto M16s

For real though you can only have so many of the same fucking gun until you have to switch it up. Belt-fed is something you don't see every day!

lol

I'd want a 240 I think if I had to deal with that weight. If I could get the fancy lightweight 249 that would certainly be better.

Same, picked one up for $7K when they first came out and sold it a year later.  Debated getting a para model but price started going beyond what I was willing to pay for a semi (not as enjoyable to shoot as one of my MGs).

The 240 (even the 240L) is significantly heavier than a 249.

So is an M60E3, but it does balance & handle better than a M249 so it has that going for it.
249s are just kinda awkward to carry for any length of time. I've never carried an M240, but it has got to be noticeably worse.

Barrett designed and made a lightweight M240 (including a quasi-bullpup variant resembling the M60 layout) but they sold the design rights to Geissele a few years ago. I haven't heard of Geissele making any yet, but it looks interesting.

FN's M249S actually comes with many of the lightened (and/or improved) small parts from the MK46, including the charging handle. Most of the gun's weight is in the barrel assembly, and you can find used MK46 barrels on the secondary market sometimes (for about twice the price of M249 Para barrels). So the only real difference is that you're stuck having the magazine well and front mounting point welded onto the receiver, but those only add a few ounces versus a real MK46. I'd like to see the actual weight diffrence, but I don't have both receiver assemblies. We have a member here with a really nice M249S in MK46 config, including the forend rail normally seen on the MK46 Mod 1.

The MK46 utilizes a lightweight bipod assembly as well, but unfortunately it's very rare on the civilian market. (If you see one for sale, "holler at ya' boy.")
I'm not paying MGW's list price because it's insane.

Yeah got to shoot the 240 and 249 back to back along with the lightweight gun. Fun day. We weren't allowed to move around or anything though so it's not exactly a good way to evaluate them.

How durable would a M249S be with a Mk48 kit? I feel like the magwell would remove some of the structural integrity of the receiver, at the same time there does not seem to be a better avenue to go for an 07/02 who wants a Mk48 than starting with a M249S. We all know the Mk48 is not kind on parts or the receiver to begin with.

Oh please how bad could it be...



HOLY SHIT