M240 Medium Machine Gun
After extensive operational and technical tests, the US Army selected and type classified the M240B 7.62mm medium machine gun produced by Fabrique Nationale as a replacement for the M60 Series machine gun. This is a ground mounted variant of the original M240/M240C/M240E1 coaxial/pintle mounted machine gun used on M2/M3 Series Bradley Fighting Vehicles, the M1 Series Abrams tank, and the U.S. Marine Corps LAV-Series of Light Armored Vehicles. While possessing many of the same basic characteristics as the M60 Series medium machine guns, the durability of the M240 system results in superior reliability and maintainability when compared to the M60.
The M240B 7.62mm Machine Gun is a very reliable, fully-automatic, gas-operated, belt-fed, crew-served weapon. The M240 family of machine guns replaces the 40 year old M-60 design. The M240B is the US Infantry version, equipped with a folding bi-pod, pintle mount, forestock and accessory rails to mount optics and target illuminators. The pintle mount allows tri-pod and vehicle mounting. The M240C coaxial version is used in all US armored vehicles. The M240D/H spade grip version is being fielded to Army utility and cargo helicopter units. The M240G is in use by the US Marines. At over 50,000 MRBF (mean rounds between failure) the M240 is widely accepted as the most reliable machine gun in the world. The M240B provides the accurate and effective sustained rate of fire required to suppress and destroy enemy soft targets.
The M240D 7.62mm machine gun is a left hand feed, gas operated, air cooled, fixed head space weapon. The M240D has two possible configurations: aircraft and egress (ground). In the aircraft configuration the M240D has a front and rear sight and a trigger group which accommodates the spade grip device. The ground configuration involves the installation of an Egress Package which is designed to provide downed aircrew personnel with increased fire power. The Egress Package contains a buttstock assembly, a buffer assembly, a bipod assembly, and a conventional trigger assembly. The M240D is issued for aircraft configuration. The barrel assembly contains a three position gas plug. The first gas plug position allows the weapon to cycle at 750 shots-per-minute (SPM). The two remaining ports increase the SPM by 100 each (I.E., gas port position 2 = 850 SPM; gas port position 3 = 950 SPM). The aircraft configured M240D weighs 25.6 lb. and is 42.3 inches long. The egress configuration weighs 26.2 lb. and is 49.0 inches long.
A similar version of the M240, the M240G, is the standard US Marine Corps medium machine gun. The Marine Corps is replacing the M60E3 with the M240G. The ground version of the M240 allows for a common medium machine gun throughout the Marine Corps. The M240G Machine Gun is the ground version of the original M240/M240E1, 7.62mm medium class weapon designed as a coaxial/pintle mounted machine gun for tanks and light armored vehicles. The rate of fire may be controlled by three different regulator settings. The M240G is modified for ground use by the installation of an "infantry modification kit," comprised of a flash suppressor, front sight, carrying handle for the barrel, a buttstock, infantry length pistol grip, bipod, and rear sight assembly.
One of the ARNG critical readiness requirements is small arms and crew-served weapons modernization. As of late 2004 the ARNG still had in it’s inventory 3,753 M-60’s which are no longer supportable in the combat theaters of the GWOT. The M240B is issued to units requiring the capability to deliver high rates of suppressive fire. It has become the machine gun of choice for the Global War on Terror.
The RDD validated an FY2006 ARNG requirement for 4,163 M240B’s at a cost of $9k each. On hand are 1,964 M240B’s, almost all of which are deployed. Future fielding to fill the UFR of 2,199 weapons has been suspended IOT push the entire weapons production to the combat theaters and to Active Army Modularity requirements. Mobilized ARNG BCT’s have received approximately 216 additional M240B machine guns prior to deployment. Funded procurement for the ARNG is limited to 400 M240B’s, purchased with FY-04 NGREA, that should be delivered in 05. The remaining UFR is for 1799 M240B’s and may increase as ARNG modularity is documented. The only alternative weapon system is the M-60E4/Mk43 conversion of the existing M-60, in limited use by the Marines and USAF. This cost effective (~$3k) retrofit of the 40 year old M-60 design incorporates the key features and improvements of a contemporary M240 at 1/3 the cost, but it has not been adopted by the US Army.
Funding the M240B will give National Guard Soldiers the same capability as Active Army Forces to deploy and operate with maximum effectiveness on all fronts of the Global war on Terror. It greatly contributes to their ability to rapidly defend themselves with high volume, suppressive fire in adverse conditions. It is essential that the M-60’s be replaced as soon as possible. Failure to fund the M240B will increase soldier risk and the costs of pre-deployment cross-leveling, which also degrades the ARNG’s ability to train for and execute both its federal and state missions.
Manufacturer: Fabrique Nationale Manufacturing, Inc.
Length: 47.5 inches (120.65 centimeters)
Weight: 24.2 pounds (10.99 kilograms)
Bore diameter: 7.62mm (.308 inches)
Maximum effective range: 1.1 miles (1.8 kilometers) on tripod mount
Maximum range: 2.31 miles (3.725 kilometers)
Rates of fire:
Cyclic: 650-950 rounds per minute
Rapid: 200 rounds per minute
Sustained: 100 rounds per minute
Unit Replacement Cost: $6,600
