The M249 is a Belgian weapon that became American. FN Herstal in Liège designed the Minimi in the 1970s to fill the gap between the rifleman's M16 and belt-fed heavy weapons at platoon level — something the fire team gunner could carry and feed with the same 5.56mm ammunition the rest of the squad used. The U.S. Army adopted it in 1984 as the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon. By 1993 every Ranger fire team had one. The commonality with the M16 was the point: a Ranger whose rifle magazines ran empty could feed his squad's SAW from the same pouches, and vice versa in an emergency.

The single figure stands at low ready with the M249 SAW carried at chest height, right hand on the pistol grip, left supporting the handguard beneath the belt-feed tray, 200-round ammunition assault pack attached to the receiver. He wears three-color desert combat uniform, tactical vest with pouches carrying spare SAW ammo, Kevlar helmet with cover and ballistic goggles pushed up. Pair the figure with the Rangers M249 SAW Team in prone position for the second gun in the squad, with the Ranger Fire Team as his rifle-armed maneuver element, or with the Ranger NCO Shouting Orders designating his target.

King & Country model BHD006. 1/30 scale (approximately 60mm), matte-painted metal. Single foot figure of U.S. Army Ranger standing with M249 SAW light machine gun, on sculpted groundwork base. Boxed.