The Saw

Information about the SAW:


General Info:
The SAW, short for Squad Automatic Weapon, was the primary weapon of Saul and was retrieved from the arms room at the Army Reserve Cente.

Appears in:
[list]
[*]Chapter 4 - Used by Saul to clear "zombies" that got into the tower.
[*]Chapter 13 - Used by Burt and Angel to keep the "zombies" off the fire truck.
[/LIST]



General Information on the SAW:
The SAW provides
[list]
[*]Long-range, close defensive, and final protective fires as part of the squad?s defensive lines
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[list]
[*]Close and continuous fire in support of front-line rifle squads
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Weight: The following table lists the approximate weights (in pounds) of the M249 SAW and box of 5.56 ammo.
[table] border="0"
! Item
! Weight (in pounds)
|-
| style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"|Weapon (with bipod and tools)
| style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"|17
|-
| style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"|200-round box (filled)
| style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"|6.92
[/table]
Length The length of the M249 SAW is 40.75 inches.

Range: The following table lists the range (in meters) for the M249 SAW.
[table] border="0"
! Type of Range
! Range (in meters)
|-
| style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; "|Maximum
| style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; "|600
|-
| style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; "|Area target:
| style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; "|1,000
|-
| style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; "|Point target:
| style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; "|800
|-
| style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; "|Grazing fire:
| style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; "|600
[/table]

Rate of Fire: The following table lists the rate of fire (in rounds per minute) for the M249 SAW.
[table] border="0"
! Rate of Fire
! Rounds per Minute
|-
| style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; "|Cyclic
| style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; "|850
|-
| style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; "|Sustained
| style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; "|50
|-
| style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; "|Rapid
| style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; "|100
[/table]

Sights: The following table lists the types of sights for the M249 SAW.
[table] border="0"
| style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; "|Sight
| style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; "|Type
|-
| style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; "|Front
| style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; "|Semi-fixed hooded post
|-
| style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; "|Rear
| style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; "|Fully adjustable peep type
[/table]
Descriptive Characteristics The M249 SAW is

[list]
[*]Gas-operated. Gas taken from the barrel acts on a piston directly fixed to the bolt carrier (slide). A single piston controls the gas pressure.
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[list]
[*]Air-cooled. The barrel is air-cooled and has a fixed head space. No special cooling measures are required. The normal outside temperature provides adequate cooling in any climate.
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[list]
[*]Belt- or magazine-fed. The M249 SAW uses a 200-round ammunition box consisting of a combat mix of linked ammunition under usual conditions. During firing, the links disengage and feeding is continuous. The weapon has an alternate 30-round magazine provision authorized only during emergency situations. Using the 30-round magazine reduces the performance of the weapon.
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