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FN Minimi

From Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games
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The FN Minimi is 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 can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:


Specifications

(1975 - Present)

Type: Machine Gun

Caliber: 5.56x45mm NATO

Capacity: 100, 200 round linked belts, or STANAG Magazines

Fire Modes: Full Auto Only (650-900 RPM) (No Selector Switch, safety is a push button)


FN Minimi

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FN Minimi with 200-round drum - 5.56x45mm. Note 90-degree carry handle and flash hider design.
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FN Minimi Para with 100-round cloth bag - 5.56x45mm. Note handguard design distinguishing this from the M249 Paratrooper below.

Film

Title Actor Character Notation Date
PASKAL The Movie PASKAL drill 2018
Colt 45 Masked assassin Paratrooper version 2014
Cockneys vs. Zombies Georgia King Emma 2012
Battleground 2012
Osombie Paul D. Hunt Joker Paratrooper version 2012
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
The Mark of Cain Gerard Kearns Pte Mark "Treacle" Tate Paratrooper version 2007
The Mark of Cain British soldiers Paratrooper version 2007
Home of the Brave Brian Presley Specialist Tommy Yates Paratrooper version mounted on Humvee with 200-round woodland camo cloth ammo bag 2006
Samurai Commando: Mission 1549 JGSDF member 2005
36th Precinct Patrick Médioni Robert Boulanger Para, w/ammo box, w/Beta-C mag 2004
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
The One That Got Away Steve John Shepherd Small Bob prototype 1996
Courage Under Fire Lou Diamond Phillips Staff Sergeant John Monfriez Fitted with heat shield to pass for M249 SAW 1996
Operation Condor Hotel manager 1991
Eva Cobo de Garcia Elsa
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
Iris - Season 1 North Korean terrorists 2009

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
Project Reality Paratrooper version with optional SCROME J4 scope, EOTech red dot sight, and 100-round DPM camo cloth ammo bag 2005
Project Reality As the "L110A1" and "L110A2" L110 variants with optional SUSAT scope and 100-round DPM camo cloth ammo bag 2005
Little Busters! 2007
World in Conflict Cutscenes only 2007
7.62 High Calibre Standard and Para versions 2008
Wheelman w/ full stock and M249-style pistol grip and trigger guard 2009
Jagged Alliance: Back in Action Minimi Minimi Para with heat-shield 2012
Medal of Honor: Warfighter Ksp 90 Bofors Ksp 90 2012
Survarium 2015

Anime

Film/Television Title Character Notation Date
Seven Cities Story: Arctic Front Aquironia soldier 1994
Gunsmith Cats 1995
Kochikame, The Movie Volvo Saigo 1999
Asobi ni Ikuyo! 2010


M249

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M249 with 200-round drum - 5.56x45mm. This is the first pattern U.S. adopted variant of the original FN Minimi. The only noticeable change from the Belgian Minimi is the rear sight design and cut outs in the buttstock.
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M249 with folding carry handle and 200-round drum - 5.56x45mm. This is a real blank adapted movie gun.
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M249 with folding carry handle, heat shield, improved handguard, plastic stock, and 200-round drum - 5.56x45mm. This is the M249 issued following the Product Improvement Program.
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M249 Paratrooper with Picatinny rail and 200-round drum - 5.56x45mm
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M249 Paratrooper with Picatinny rail - 5.56x45mm. This is a real blank adapted movie gun.
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M249 with Rapid Fielding Initiative telescoping stock, short barrel, heat shield, RIS handguard, Picatinny rail, ACOG scope, and 100-round cloth ammo bag - 5.56x45mm

The M249 is the variant of the FN Minimi adopted by the US Military.

The M249 Product Improvement Program (PIP) was a program began in the mid-1980s soon after adoption to address some of the problems that M249 had. The "PIP kit" retrofitted the issued M249s. The PIP kit replaced the original steel tubular stock with a solid plastic stock, replaced the adjustable gas port settings with a single one (preventing the gun from firing at the higher cyclic rate), adds a heat shield/handguard above the barrel, and replaces the fixed barrel changing handle/carry handle with a folding one. Parts of the gun parts were modified to prevent injuries. The bipod, pistol grip, flash hider, and sights were also modified.

The Rapid Fielding Initiative (RFI) in the 2000s introduced additional modifications, including an improved bipod, 100– and 200–round fabric ammo bags to replace the plastic drums, M4-like collapsible stocks, and adding Picatinny rails for the feed tray cover and forearm. The initiative also modified their M249s with short Paratrooper barrels. Parts from the RFI are commonly confused with those from the PIP, even though some of the parts (especially Picatinny rails) literally did not exist when PIP was introduced.

The M249 was originally designated the Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW), but the designation was later dropped in 1994, according to the preface of FM (United States Army Field Manuals) 23-14 "M249 Light Machine Gun In The Automatic Rifle Role". The SAW name is still commonly (though inconsistently) used despite of that.

Film

Title Actor Character Notation Date
Mission: Impossible - Fallout Henry Cavill August 2018
Mile 22 soldiers 2018
The Fate of the Furious Dwayne Johnson Luke Hobbs with Trijicon MRO sight 2017
Logan Boyd Holbrook Donald Pierce 2017
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Various U.S. Marines 2016
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back operatives 2016
Captain America: Civil War Sebastian Stan Bucky Barnes / The Winter Soldier With SureFire 100-round casket magazine and Leupold HAMR sight 2016
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Henchmen RIS handguard 2016
Sicario Mexican Federal Police 2015
American Sniper US Marine 2014
Escape Plan Arnold Schwarzenegger Swan Rottmayer 2013
Escape Plan A gunner on helicopter 2013
A Good Day to Die Hard Bruce Willis John McClane Paratrooper model fitted with EOTech sight and RIS handguard 2013
G.I. Joe: Retaliation Dwayne Johnson Roadblock Standard M249 fitted with red dot sight and RIS handguard 2013
Act of Valor U.S. Navy SEALs Fitted with red dot sights and RIS foregrips 2012
Safe House mercenary 2012
New Kids Nitro Wesley van Galen Rikkert 2011
Memorial Day Thomas Sellwood PFC Nick Sullivan With custom picatinny rail 2011
Memorial Day 34th Infantry Division soldiers 2011
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
Detour (Snarveien) M249 Para, seen on the screen 2009
Iron Man Seen on table during weapons demonstration 2008
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
Harsh Times 2005
Bad Boys II A member of the rescue team Paratrooper version 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 2002

Television

Show Title Actor Character Note / Episode Air Date
The X-Files - Season 9 US Army Soldiers Gulf War flashback sequence / "Providence" (S9E10) 2002
Red Cap Army Air Corps Gunner Paratrooper model 2003 - 2004
Over There Kirk "Sticky Fingaz" Jones Pvt. Maurice 'Smoke' Williams Starts out with the standard version, then changes to paratrooper version 2005
CSI: NY - Season 2 U.S. Marine "Heroes" 2006
Generation Kill Billy Lush Lance Corporal Trombley 2008
U.S. Marines
Battlestar Galactica (2004) - Season 4 Colonial Marine Paratrooper model with heat shield 2009
Ultimate Weapons U.S. Marines 2010
Revolution Extra Militia Monroe 2013
Banshee - Season 2 Hoon Lee Job Episode 10 2014
Banshee - Season 3 Hoon Lee Job Episode 1 2015

Video Games

Title Appear As Mods Notation Release Date
Half-Life Only appears in the expansion pack Opposing Force, holds 50 rounds 1998
Parasite Eve II M249 Paratrooper version 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
Fallout Tactics FN M249 SAW w/ 30-round STANAG magazines 2001
Delta Force: Task Force Dagger 2002
America's Army 2002
Conflict: Desert Storm 2002
Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield w/scope 2003
Counter-Strike: Condition Zero M249 Paratrooper version 2003
Ghost Squad "SAW24" "SAW25" Paratrooper version with Aimpoint Comp M2 and Knight's Armament vertical foregrip "SAW24" has infinite rounds with overheat function, "SAW25" has 50 rounds with grenade launcher, no overheating 2004
Söldner: Secret Wars 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
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories SAW 2006
Operation 7 2006
Alliance of Valiant Arms With custom tiger-stripe paint scheme 2007
Insurgency: Modern Infantry Combat 2007
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare M249 SAW 2007
ArmA: Armed Assault 2007
Soldier of Fortune: Payback 2007
Mercenaries 2: World In Flames as the "Light MG" M249 (First Variant) 2008
Battlefield: Bad Company Paratrooper version 2008
Far Cry 2 Metal belt box 2008
Saints Row 2 AR200 SAW 2008
Counter-Strike Online M249 Red (Christmas Special) and Skull-7 Anti-Zombie Variant (w/ 1.5x M145 MGO scope) Paratrooper version 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 Mounted on a log in the level "Whiskey Hotel"; also a console-spawned-only weapon in certain missions 2009
Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising M249 SAW 2009
Marines: Modern Urban Combat 2010
Just Cause 2 Machine Gun 2010
Fallout: New Vegas w/lower wooden handguard 2010
Delta Force: Xtreme 2 2010
Medal of Honor M249 SAW w/ MK 46 Mod 0 heat shield; other optional attachments 2010
Army of Two: The 40th Day M249 SAW Can be fitted with a variety of stocks, barrels, magazines, scopes, suppressors/muzzle brakes 2010
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 MK46 w/ Mk 46 Mod 0 heat shield M249 Para SAW 2011
Homefront M249 2011
Battlefield Play4Free With optional EOTech red dot sight 2011
Battlefield 3 M249 SAW w/ Mk 46 Mod 0 heat shield; other optional attachments 2011
SOCOM 4: US Navy SEALs| SR-N56 2011
War Inc. Battlezone w/ various attachments 2011
Karma Online 2011
Spec Ops: The Line 2012
Medal of Honor: Warfighter "M249" various variants w/o STANAG magazine well 2012
Arctic Combat 2012
Ravaged 2012
ArmA Tactics M249 M249 Para 2013
America's Army: Proving Grounds 2013
Battlefield 4 w/ Mk 46 Mod 0 heat shield 2011
Insurgency M249 w/ various attachments 2014
Squad M249 CompM4 red dot sight Paratrooper version with M4-style telescoping stock, RIS handguard, and 200-round drum magazine 2015
Rainbow Six Siege M249 w/various attachments Added in Operation Skull Rain 2015
Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades 2016
Playerunknown's Battlegrounds "M249" w/ various scopes 100-round ammo drum 2017
Ironsight MK46 w/ Mk 46 Mod 0 heat shield 2018

Anime

Film/Television Title Character Notation Date
Violence Jack: Hell's Wind Hen Hell's Wind biker 1990
Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex Batou M249 SAW 2002
Blood+ Red Shield personnel 2005
Flag mounted on UNF tank 2006
The Strange Case Files of Ryoko Yakushiji Lucienne 2008
Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino Italian Army 2008
Puella Magi Madoka Magica Homura Akemi M249 SAW Paratrooper 2011
Sword Art Online II Player 2014


FN Minimi SPW

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FN Minimi SPW with 100-round cloth ammo bag and RIS foregrip - 5.56x45mm

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.

Film

Title Actor Character Notation Date
Elysium Adrian Holmes Manuel Mocked up to resemble a KAC ChainSAW 2013

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
7.62 High Calibre 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

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Mk 48 Mod 0 machine gun - 7.62x51mm NATO

The Mk 48 Mod 0 is the 7.62x51mm general-purpose machine gun variant of the Mk 46 Mod 0, and like that variant was developed for the requirements of USSOCOM. SOCOM had used the M240B as a stopgap replacement for the Mk 43 (their name for the M60E4), but found the 28-pound M240 insufficiently portable compared to the 22.5-pound M60E4. As a result they requested an LWMG ("Light Weight Machine Gun"), and FN Herstal responded in 2001 with a scaled-up Mk 46 which was both more reliable than the M60 and lighter (~18.5 pounds), and this entered production in 2003. This version is no longer manufactured, and all existing stocks were upgraded to the Mk 48 Mod 1 standard.

Film

Title Actor Character Notation Date
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen NEST soldiers With Harris bipods, Aimpoint and Elcan M145 MGO sights 2009
SEAL Team Six: The Raid On Osama Bin Laden Xzibit Mule 2012
Zero Dark Thirty Navy SEAL With suppressor 2012
Lone Survivor Navy SEAL 2013
American Sniper Jake McDorman "Biggles" With ACOG scope, AN/PEQ-15 IR designator, and cloth ammo bag 2014
Bright SWAT 2017

Television

Show Title Actor Character Notation / Episode Air Date
Future Weapons Richard Machowicz Richard Machowicz Predators February 26, 2007
Mail Call R. Lee Ermey

Video Games

Title Appear As Mods Notation Release Date
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
7.62 High Calibre 2008
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 w/ various attachments w/ M249 Para-type collapsing stock 2012
Arctic Combat 2012
Counter-Strike Online 2012


Mk 48 Mod 1

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FN Mk 48 Mod 1 - 7.62x51mm NATO

Improved version of the Mod 0 which began as a refurbishment program in 2006 and replaced the Mod 0 entirely as of 2010.

Video Games

Title Appear As Mods Notation Release Date
Ghost Recon Online Mk 48 Mod 1 w/ various attachments 2012
Call of Duty: Black Ops II Mk48 w/ various attachments 2012
Grand Theft Auto V "Combat MG" extended magazine, scope and angled foregrip w/ the STANAG adaptor of an M249 SAW and the buttstock of an M60 2013


Mk 46 Mod 0

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Mk 46 Mod 0 light machine gun - 5.56x45mm

The Mk 46 Mod 0 is a short-barreled Mk 48 in 5.56x45mm NATO. This version is no longer manufactured, it was dropped in favor of the Mk 46 Mod 1.

Film

Title Actor Character Notation Date
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
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Mk. 46 Mod 1 Actually a Mod 0 2008
Operation 7 2006
7.62 High Calibre 2008
The 3rd Birthday 2010
Medal of Honor: Warfighter M249 Mk46 Mod1 w/ various attachments 2012
Binary Domain Schwarzlose M-489 SAW Para stock, SAW-style handguard, enormous bayonet-like device 2012
Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex First Assault M249-G4 w/ various attachments Actually a Mod 0, as seen on its markings on its side 2015
Black Squad "MK46" EOTech 556 and AN/PEQ-15 Buttstock from M249 paratrooper 2017


Mk 46 Mod 1

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FN Mk 46 Mod 1 - 5.56x45mm NATO

Video Games

Title Appear As Mods Notation Release Date
SOCOM: US Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3 Mk 46 Mod 1 w/ various attachments 2010
Medal of Honor: Warfighter M249 Mk46 Mod1 w/ various attachments 2012


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.

C9 light machine gun - 5.56x45mm
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C9A1 light machine gun with bipod removed, ELCAN scope, and 200-round ammo drum - 5.56x45mm
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C9A2 light machine gun with ELCAN scope - 5.56x45mm

Film

Title Actor Character Notation Date
Hyena Road Canadian soldiers C9A2 2015
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