The Saw

An automatic weapon used by the survivors in the tower.

Appears in:

• Chapter 1 - Retrieved by Saul from the Army Reserve Center
  
• 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.
  

Additional Story Details:

• The M240 wouldn't fit in all the way into the larger ruck sack that Saul has. The barrel stuck out. He could have disassembled part of it, taking off the barrel or stock. But, Saul never disassembled it. He stuck most of it in and left the rest to hang out the top of the ruck.
  

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General Info:

• SAW is short for Squad Automatic Weapon.
  

The SAW provides:

• Long-range, close defensive, and final protective fires as part of the squad?s defensive lines
  

• Close and continuous fire in support of front-line rifle squads
  

Weight: The following table lists the approximate weights (in pounds) of the M249 SAW and box of 5.56 ammo.

Weapon (with bipod and tools)	17
200-round box (filled)	6.92

Length The length of the M249 SAW is 40.75 inches.

Range: The following table lists the range (in meters) for the M249 SAW.

Maximum	600
Area target:	1,000
Point target:	800
Grazing fire:	600

Rate of Fire: The following table lists the rate of fire (in rounds per minute) for the M249 SAW.

Cyclic	850
Sustained	50
Rapid	100

Sights: The following table lists the types of sights for the M249 SAW.

Sight	Type
Front	Semi-fixed hooded post
Rear	Fully adjustable peep type

Descriptive Characteristics The M249 SAW is

• 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.
  

• 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.
  

• 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.