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FN Minimi
The FN Minimi was a combination 'belt-fed'/magazine fed' light machine gun, designed to serve in the role of "Squad Automatic Weapon". The SAW was a mobile suppressive fire platform that was light weight and single man transportable - much more so than the venerable M60 (which was always supposed to be a General Purpose Machine Gun, i.e. a crew served weapon). The U.S. Military adopted the first models of the FN Minimi in the 1980s directly as the XM249 or later as the M249 SAW (with some slight design changes in the official U.S. Adopted version). Later versions of the gun, reflected upgrades and design changes that were requested by the U.S. Military.
On a historical note: in the first months of the First Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm 1990), there were not enough M249s to supply the massive troop buildup in the Middle East, so the U.S. Army bought outright a number of unaltered FN Minimis directly from FN, to supplement the weapons. So it is not inaccurate to see first pattern FN Minimis in the hands of U.S. Soldiers who are supposedly issued M249 SAWs since the Army mixed the two versions together until the Late 1990s.
Please note that a number of movies, particularly those filmed in British Columbia, Canada, use the Daewoo K3 to stand in for the FN Minimi and M249. Visit the Daewoo K3 page to compare the two guns.
The FN Minimi and variants are used by the following actors in the following movies, television series, video games, and anime:
Specifications
(1984 - Present)
Type: Machine Gun
Caliber: 5.56x45mm NATO
Capacity: 100, 200 round linked belts, or 30 round M16 Magazines
Fire Modes: Full Auto Only (650-900 RPM) (No Selector Switch, safety is a push button)
FN Minimi
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Notation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Viral Factor | Gunther | Paratrooper version | 2012 | |
| The Other Guys | Rasta robbers | 2010 | ||
| Green Zone | U.S. Army soldiers | Substitutes the M249 SAW with an added heatshield | 2010 | |
| Quantum of Solace | Gunmen | Paratrooper version | 2008 | |
| Home of the Brave | Brian Presley | Specialist Tommy Yates | Paratrooper version mounted on Humvee with 200-round woodland camo cloth ammo bag | 2006 |
| Swordfish | John Travolta | Gabriel Shear | 2001 | |
| Black Hawk Down | Ian Virgo | PFC John Waddell | Substitutes the M249 SAW | 2001 |
| Black Hawk Down | Tom Hardy | Specialist Lance Twombly | Substitutes the M249 SAW | 2001 |
| Proof of Life | Downtown 3 | Substitutes the M249 SAW with an added heatshield | 2000 | |
| Bravo Two Zero | Richard Graham,Rick Warden,Steve Nicolson | Mark,Tony,Dinger | the open front sights of the Canadian C9 variant, and also used the FN Minimi prototype. | 1999 |
| Ronin | Robert De Niro | Sam | The Paratrooper version is used | 1998 |
| Half a Chance | . | Various | . | 1998 |
| Dobermann | Monica Bellucci | Nat the Gypsy | With M203 grenade launcher | 1997 |
| One That Got Away, The | One of the SAS soldiers | 1996 | ||
| Courage Under Fire | Lou Diamond Phillips | Staff Sergeant John Monfriez | Fitted with heat shield to pass for M249 SAW | 1996 |
| Operation Condor | Eva Cobo de Garcia | Elsa | 1991 | |
| Robocop | Detroit SWAT officer | 1987 |
Television
| Show Title | Actor | Character | Notation | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultimate Force | Ross Kemp | SSgt. Henry "Henno" Garvie | Handled but never fired | 2002 - 2006 |
| Danny Sapani | Cpl. Ricky Mann | Fed from 200 round cloth ammo drum | ||
| Alex Reid | Cpt. Caroline Walsh | |||
| Liam Garrigan | Cpl. Ed Dwyer | Fitted with FN FAL style folding stock and fed from 200 round cloth ammo bag | ||
| Louis Decosta Johnson | Cpl. Dave Woolston | Fed from 200 round cloth ammo bag and loose belts | ||
| Para model, fed from 30 round magazine | ||||
| William Meredith | Fender | Para model, fed 200 round cloth ammo bag |
Video Games
| Title | As | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident Evil Game | Can only be found in the PC version | 1996 | |
| Project IGI: I'm Going In | 2000 | ||
| Project IGI 2: Covert Strike | 2003 | ||
| Mercenaries 2: World In Flames | as the "Light MG" | M249 (First Variant) | 2008 |
| Project Reality | Paratrooper version with optional SUSAT scope and 100-round DPM camo cloth ammo bag | 2005 | |
| Little Busters! | 2007 | ||
| World in Conflict | Cutscenes only | 2007 | |
| Jagged Alliance: Back in Action | Minimi | Minimi Para with heat-shield | 2012 |
Anime
| Film/Television Title | Character | Notation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kochikame, The Movie | Volvo Saigo | 1999 | |
| Asobi ni Ikuyo! | 2010 | ||
| Gunsmith Cats | 1995 |
M249-E1 / M249-E2 / M249 Paratrooper SAW
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Notation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G.I. Joe: Retaliation | Dwayne Johnson | Roadblock | Standard M249 fitted with red dot sight and RIS handguard | 2012 |
| Act of Valor | U.S. Navy SEALs | Fitted with red dot sights and RIS foregrips | 2012 | |
| Special Forces | Alain Figlarz | Victor | Paratrooper model with foregrip and ACOG sight | 2011 |
| Transformers: Dark of the Moon | Lester Speight | Eddie | With barrel shroud and Aimpoint sight | 2011 |
| Colombiana | Guard | 2011 | ||
| Battle: Los Angeles | Gino Anthony Pesi | Cpl. Nick Stavrou | With ACOG scope | 2011 |
| Battle: Los Angeles | U.S Marines | With ACOG scope | 2011 | |
| Gamer | Keith Jardine | Mean Slayer | With barrel shroud | 2009 |
| G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra | Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje | Heavy Duty | With grenade launcher | 2009 |
| District 9 | MNU mercenaries | 2009 | ||
| Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem | Special Forces soldier | With Elcan M145 MGO and suppressor | 2009 | |
| In the Valley of Elah | Hans Steckley | Cpl. Steckley | Paratrooper version | 2007 |
| I Am Legend | Will Smith | Dr. Robert Neville | 2007 | |
| Stop-Loss | Joseph Gordon-Levitt | Pfc. Tommy Burgess | With Elcan M145 MGO | 2007 |
| 28 Weeks Later | U.S. Army soldiers | 2007 | ||
| Idiocracy | Terry Crews | President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho | Para, Red and blue highlights, presidential seal on ammo box | 2006 |
| The Island | Mercenaries | Paratrooper model; mounted on fictional 'Black Wasp' airbikes | 2005 | |
| War of The Worlds | ??? | U.S. Army soldiers | 2005 | |
| Jarhead | ??? | U.S. Marines | 2005 | |
| The Island | Mounted on the 'Black Wasp' craft | 2005 | ||
| Bad Boys II | ??? | A member of the rescue team | Paratrooper version is seen | 2003 |
| Hulk | ??? | Soldiers in the Secret Lab | fitted with Cobray CM203 Flare Launcher | 2003 |
| The Hunted | Carrick O'Quinn | Kohler | 2003 | |
| Tears of the Sun | Nick Chinlund | Michael "Slo" Slowenski | Paratrooper version with cloth ammo pouch and accessory rail mounted on feed tray cover | 2003 |
| Die Another Day | ??? | U.S. Army soldiers | Paratrooper version is seen | 2002 |
Television
| Show Title / Episode | Actor | Character | Notation | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Generation Kill | Billy Lush | Lance Corporal Trombley | 2008 | |
| Generation Kill | ??? | U.S. Marines | 2008 | |
| CSI: NY/Heroes | ??? | U.S. Marine | May 10, 2006 | |
| Invasion | ??? | Hybrid National Guardsmen | 2005-2006 | |
| Over There | Kirk "Sticky Fingaz" Jones | Pvt. Maurice 'Smoke' Williams | Starts out with the standard version, then changes to paratrooper version | 2005 |
| Red Cap | Army Air Corps Gunner | Paratrooper model | 2003-2004 | |
| Ultimate Weapons | U.S. Marines | M249-E2 | 2010 |
Video Games
| Title | Appear As | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insurgency | ||||
| Counter-Strike Online | M249 | Red(Christmas Special) and Skull-7 Anti-Zombie Variant | Paratrooper version | TBD |
| Operation 7 | ??? | |||
| Half-Life | Only appears in the expansion pack Opposing Force, magazine capacity is 50 rounds | 1998 | ||
| Armored Fist 3 | Seen in title sequence, non-playable | 1999 | ||
| Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear | M249 SAW | w/ 200-round ammo can | Urban Operations expansion | 2000 |
| Counter-Strike | M249 | Paratrooper version | 2000 | |
| Delta Force: Land Warrior | 2000 | |||
| Parasite Eve 2 | Light Machine Gun | 2000 | ||
| Fallout Tactics | FN M249 SAW | w/ 30-round STANAG magazines | 2001 | |
| Delta Force: Task Force Dagger | 2002 | |||
| America's Army | 2002 | |||
| XIII | Sub-machinegun | No stock | 2003 | |
| Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield | w/scope | 2003 | ||
| Counter-Strike: Condition Zero | M249 | Paratrooper version | 2003 | |
| Söldner: Secret Wars | 2004 | |||
| Kill.Switch | 2004 | |||
| Full Spectrum Warrior | 2004 | |||
| Counter-Strike: Source | M249 | Paratrooper version | 2004 | |
| Far Cry | Machine gun | No stock | 2004 | |
| Battlefield 2 | With Minimi-style carry handle and muzzle brake | Handheld or vehicle-mounted, or in fixed positions | 2005 | |
| Close Combat: First to Fight | M249 SAW | 2005 | ||
| Project Reality | With paratrooper-style telescoping stock | In fixed defensive positions | 2005 | |
| Project Reality | Paratrooper version with optional M145 MGO or ACOG scope, M4-style telescoping stock, RIS foregrip, and 100-round woodland camo cloth ammo bag | 2005 | ||
| Far Cry: Instincts | 2005 | |||
| Battlefield 2: Modern Combat | 2006 | |||
| Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories | SAW | 2006 | ||
| Alliance of Valiant Arms | With custom tiger-stripe paint scheme | 2007 | ||
| America's Army: True Soldiers | 2007 | |||
| Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare | M249 SAW | 2007 | ||
| ArmA: Armed Assault | 2007 | |||
| Soldier of Fortune: Payback | 2007 | |||
| Battlefield: Bad Company | Paratrooper version | 2008 | ||
| Far Cry 2 | Metal belt box | 2008 | ||
| Terminator Salvation | 2009 | |||
| America's Army 3 | With 200-round ammo drum or 100-round woodland camo ammo bag and M68 Aimpoint red dot scope | 2009 | ||
| ArmA II | M249 SAW | Also available in M249 Paratrooper and L110A1 models | 2009 | |
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 | M249 SAW | An M249 SAW is seen mounted on a log in the level "Whiskey Hotel" | 2009 | |
| Marines: Modern Urban Combat | 2010 | |||
| Just Cause 2 | Machine Gun | 2010 | ||
| Fallout: New Vegas | w/lower wooden handguards | 2010 | ||
| Delta Force: Xtreme 2 | 2010 | |||
| Medal of Honor | M249 SAW | w/ variety of accessories | w/ MK 46 Mod 0 heat-shield | 2010 |
| Army of Two: The 40th Day | M249 SAW | Can be fitted with a variety of stocks, barrels, magazines, scopes, suppressors/muzzle brakes | 2010 | |
| Homefront | M249 | 2011 | ||
| Battlefield 3 | M249 SAW | Can be use with a variety of options, Both Russian and United States options for scopes and attchments | 2011 | |
| SOCOM 4: US Navy SEALs | ISR-N56 | 2011 | ||
| Karma Online | 2011 |
Anime
| Film/Television Title | Character | Notation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blood+ | Red Shield personnel | 2005 | |
| Flag | mounted on UNF tank | M249-E1 | 2006 |
| Full Metal Panic! | Sousuke Sagara | M249-E2 SAW | 2002 |
| Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex | Batou | M249 SAW | 2002 |
FN Minimi SPW
The Minimi SPW or M249 SPW (Special Purpose Weapon) is a modified SAW with shorter barrel and collapsible buttstock. The carrying handle, STANAG magazine well, and vehicle mounting lug have been removed to reduce weight. Several times seen as a modified Daewoo K3.
Video Games
| Title | Appear As | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kane and Lynch: Dead Men | 2007 | |||
| Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter | "MK48" | w/ carry handle | 2005 | |
| Rainbow Six: Vegas | M249 SPW | With optional ACOG scope, red dot sight, and improved stock | 2006 | |
| Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 | M249 SPW | with a variety of accesories and wrong buttstock when used by the player | 2008 | |
| Code of Honor 3: Desperate Measures | "M249 MOD 2" | 2009 | ||
| Bodycount | "Minimi" | With 100-round solid drum | 2011 | |
| Armed Forces Corps | "M249 MOD 2" | 2009 |
Mk 48 Mod 0
The Mk 48 Mod 0 is the 7.62x51mm variant of the Mk 46 Mod 0. This version is no longer manufactured, it was dropped for the favor of the Mk 48 Mod 1.
Television
| Show Title / Episode | Actor | Character | Notation | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Future Weapons/Predators | Richard Machowicz | Richard Machowicz | February 26, 2007 | |
| Mail Call | R. Lee Ermey |
Video Games
| Title | Appear As | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOCOM: US Navy SEALs Combined Assault | 2006 | |||
| SOCOM 3: US Navy SEALs | 2005 | |||
| SOCOM: US Navy SEALs Confrontation | Mk. 48 | 2008 | ||
| Combat Arms | Mk.48 | 2004 | ||
| Soldier of Fortune: Payback | M48 SAW | custom stock and carry handle | w/ EOTEch, reflex scope or red dot scope | 2007 |
| ArmA II | M68 Aimpoint | 2009 | ||
| Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising | Mk48 Mod 0 | 2009 | ||
| Battlefield Play4Free | "Veteran's M249 SAW" | With optional EOTech red dot sight | Depicted as upgraded version of Mk 46 Mod 0 | 2011 |
| Operation Flashpoint: Red River | 2011 | |||
| Ghost Recon: Future Soldier | MK48 | 2012 |
Mk 48 Mod 1
Video Games
| Title | Appear As | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghost Recon Online | Mk 48 Mod 1 | w/ various attachments | 2012 |
Mk 46 Mod 0
The Mk 46 Mod 0 is a short-barreled Mk 48 in 5.56x45mm NATO. This version is no longer manufactured, it was dropped for the favor of the Mk 46 Mod 1.
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Notation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen | NEST soldiers | With Harris bipods, Aimpoint and Elcan M145 MGO sights | 2009 | |
| Iron Man | Seen on table during weapons demonstration | 2008 | ||
| XXX 2: State of the Union | Ice Cube | Darius Stone | 2005 | |
| XXX 2: State of the Union | Samuel L. Jackson | August Gibbons | 2005 |
Television
| Show Title / Episode | Actor | Character | Notation | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Future Weapons/Predators | Richard Machowicz | Richard Machowicz | February 26, 2007 |
Video Games
| Title | Appear As | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Six: Vegas | MK46 | w/variety of accessories | 2006 | |
| World in Conflict | Anachronistic | 2007 | ||
| Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 | MK46 | w/variety of accessories | 2008 | |
| Saints Row 2 | AR-200 | 2008 | ||
| Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots | Mk. 46 Mod 1 | Actually a Mod 0 | 2008 | |
| Operation 7 | 2006 | |||
| MAG | 2010 | |||
| Counter-Strike Online | Destiny gold key | w/ 1.5x M145 MGO scope | 2010 | |
| Battlefield Play4Free | As the "M249 SAW" | With optional EOTech red dot sight | 2011 |
FN C9 Light Machine Gun
The C9 is a variant of the Minimi used by the Canadian Armed Forces, identifiable by the open front sight and rounded trigger guard as opposed to the hooded front sights and squared trigger guard on other Minimi variants. The upgraded version, the C9A1, features an ELCAN scope mounted on the feed tray cover and an optional vertical grip that mounts to the stock for added stability during prone firing. The newest version, the C9A2, is a mid-life upgrade that incorporates a paratrooper-length barrel and an overall olive drab coloration and M4-style telescoping stock to match the Canadian-issue C7A2 rifle.
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Notation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battle for Haditha | U.S. Marines | Fitted with buttstock to pass for M249 SAW | 2007 |
Video Games
| Title | Appear As | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Reality | C9A2, with optional ELCAN scope and 100-round cloth ammo bag | Handheld or vehicle-mounted | 2005 |
See Also
- FN Herstal - A list of all firearms manufactured by FN Herstal.