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M249 SAW In Action
Despite being loved for its lethal firepower the SAW is no joy to lug around — it weighs 22 pounds with its 200 round ammo drum attached. "A hell of a lot of weight to move around when the s*** gets thick," one infantryman commented.
Every day is routine for deployed U.S. troops. They pull duty, maintain their gear, and they go on patrol — day in and day out — until all hell breaks loose and a world of insurgents are trying to kill them.
When that happens, the SAW can effectively blanket an area with up to 120 rounds per minute. That's two 5.56mm bullets slipping from the barrel every second — fed from a 200 round belt — inside a quick-change drum.
Troops call it a "Wall of Steel" that has saved more American lives than they can count.