R 101000Z APR 01
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC
TO MARADMIN
BT
UNCLAS //N05600//
MARADMIN 173/01
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASH DC//
SUBJ/WEAPON CONDITIONS FOR THE M249 SQUAD AUTOMATIC WEAPON (SAW)
AND M240 FAMILY OF MACHINE GUNS//
REF/A/MSG/GENERAL USE GROUND HAZARD ALERT (COMMARFORPAC)/
R210005Z FEB 01//
REF/B/DOC/MCWP 3-15.1/1SEP96//
REF/C/DOC/MCRP 3-11.1A/30JUL98//
REF/D/DOC/MCI MARINE BATTLE SKILLS TRAINING HANDBOOK,
BOOK #2 PVT-LCPL/SEP99//
REF/E/DOC/SAWIC 3000 SERIES, DETAILED INSTRUCTOR GUIDE, M249
SQUAD AUTOMATIC WEAPON/9JAN97//
REF/F/DOC/TM 08670A-10/1A/JUL96//
REF/G/DOC/TM 08671A-10/1A/JUL91//
REF/H/DOC/LETTER FROM MR. JEFF RANKIN, FABRIQUE NATIONALE, TO
CAPT WORTH, USMC/5MAR99//
REF/I/DOC/NAVAL SAFETY CENTER GROUND WARRIOR MAGAZINE, WINTER
2000 ISSUE, ARTICLE TITLED "THINK YOU KNOW YOUR M249 AND M240G\
MACHINE GUNS? THINK AGAIN!" BY CAPT JOE CLEARY//
REF/J/DOC/MARINE CORPS ASSOCIATION GUIDEBOOK FOR MARINES
SEVENTEENTH EDITION/MAR97//
NARR/REF (A) RECOMMENDS THAT CG MCCDC ENSURE THERE IS ONLY ONE
SET OF M249 CONDITION CODES THROUGHOUT THE MARINE CORPS. REF (B)
IS THE MARINE CORPS DOCTRINAL SOURCE FOR MACHINE GUNS AND MACHINE
GUNNERY. REF (B) IS CURRENTLY UNDER REVISION AND IS PROJECTED
TO BE RELEASED AS A COORDINATING DRAFT BY 1 AUGUST 01 AND A FINAL
DRAFT BY JUN 02. REF (C) IS A DOCTRINAL PUBLICATION FOR SMALL
UNIT LEADERS THAT CONTAINS SMALL ARMS WEAPON CONDITION CODES IN
APPENDIX B. REF (D) IS BOOK TWO OF THE MARINE BATTLE SKILLS
TRAINING PROGRAM (MBST). REF (D) IS PROJECTED TO BE REVISED AUG
01 UNDER THE NEW TITLE MARINE CORPS COMMON SKILLS VOL I. REF
(E) IS A SAWIC DETAILED INSTRUCTOR GUIDE FROM 1997 THAT DESCRIBES
THE OPERATION AND EMPLOYMENT OF THE M249 SAW. REF (E) IS
PROJECTED TO BE REVISED IN APRIL 01. REF (F) AND (G) ARE OPERATOR
MANUALS FOR THE M240 FAMILY OF MACHINE GUNS AND THE M249 SAW. REF
(H) IS A MANUFACTURER'S BUSINESS LETTER THAT CITES POTENTIAL SAFETY
AND MAINTENANCE PROBLEMS CAUSED BY MANIPULATING THE MECHANICAL
SAFETIES OF THE M240G MACHINE GUN AND M249 SAW. REF (I) IS AN
ARTICLE CITED IN REF (A) THAT DESCRIBES MACHINE GUN WEAPONS
CONDITIONS AND THE HAZARDS OF "HALF-COCKING." THIS ARTICLE CAN
BE FOUND AT HTTP: SAFETYCENTER.NAVY.MIL/PUBLICATIONS/GROUND
/WARRIOR/GWWINTER00/M249.HTM REF (J) IS THE SEVENTEENTH REVISED
EDITION OF THE GUIDEBOOK FOR MARINES PUBLISHED BY THE MARINE
CORPS ASSOCIATION (MCA). THE MCA PROJECTS STARTING REVISION OF
THE GUIDEBOOK IN THE SUMMER OF 2001.
RMKS/1. THE PURPOSE OF THIS MARADMIN IS TO PROVIDE STANDARDIZED
WEAPONS CONDITIONS FOR THE M249 SAW AND M240 FAMILY OF MACHINE
GUNS.
2. REF (A) DESCRIBES A NUMBER OF MISHAPS ATTRIBUTED TO MARINES
EMPLOYING THE UNAUTHORIZED PRACTICE OF "HALF-COCKING." ALTHOUGH THE
DESIGN OF THE TRIGGER GROUPS OF THESE MACHINE GUNS WILL NOT NORMALLY
ALLOW THE SAFETY TO BE ENGAGED WITH THE BOLT FORWARD, SOME MARINES
HAVE BYPASSED THE WEAPONS DESIGN BY THE PRACTICE OF "HALF-COCKING."
"HALF COCKING" IS ACCOMPLISHED BY PULLING THE BOLT TO THE REAR JUST
FAR ENOUGH TO ENGAGE THE SAFETY, THEN RETURNING THE BOLT PARTIALLY
FORWARD. HALF-COCKING IS AN INHERENTLY DANGEROUS PRACTICE BECAUSE
HALF-COCKING PLACES THE WEAPON INTO A MECHANICALLY UNSTABLE SAFE
POSITION. THE WEAPON REALLY ISN'T "SAFE." REFS (B), (H), AND (I)
STATE THAT WHEN THE M249 SAW OR M240G MACHINE GUN IS "HALF-COCKED,"
A JAMMED CONDITION MAY OCCUR WHERE THE OPERATING ROD IS WEDGED
AGAINST THE SEAR CAUSING THE OPERATING ROD TO REMAIN FORWARD. IF
THE BOLT IS PULLED TO THE REAR WHILE THE SAFETY IS ENGAGED, THE
SAFETY WILL PREVENT THE BOLT FROM BEING LOCKED TO THE REAR. IF THE
MACHINE GUNNER INADVERTANTLY LETS THE COCKING HANDLE SLIP FORWARD
AGAIN, THE OPERATING ROD CAN BE JARRED LOOSE FROM ITS JAMMED
POSITION. THE DRIVE SPRING HAS ENOUGH TENSION TO SEND THE
OPERATING GROUP FORWARD TO FEED, CHAMBER, AND FIRE THE NEXT ROUND
RESULTING IN A NEGLIGENT DISCHARGE. AS THE SEAR REMAINS BLOCKED
IN THE "UP" POSITION, A RUNAWAY GUN IS LIKELY. A RUNAWAY GUN IS
WHEN THE GUN CONTINUES TO FIRE AFTER THE TRIGGER IS RELEASED;
FIRING IS UNCONTROLLED. ADDITIONALLY, THE PRACTICE OF "HALF-
COCKING" CAN POTENTIALLY CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE OPERATING ROD, SEAR,
SAFETY, TRIGGER FRAME MOUNTING PIN, AND TRIGGER FRAME. SEE
REFS (F) AND (G) FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE CYCLE OF FUNCTION
OF THESE WEAPONS.
3. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, THE WEAPON CONDITIONS FOR THE M249 SAW
AND M240 FAMILY OF MACHINE GUNS ARE:
A. CONDITION 1: THE BOLT IS LOCKED TO THE REAR. THE SAFETY IS ON.
THE SOURCE OF AMMUNITION IS IN POSITION ON THE FEED TRAY OR IN THE
MAGAZINE WELL. THE COVER IS CLOSED.
B. CONDITION 2: NOT APPLICABLE
C. CONDITION 3: THE BOLT IS FORWARD. THE CHAMBER IS EMPTY. THE
SAFETY IS OFF. THE SOURCE OF AMMUNITION IS IN POSITION ON THE FEED
TRAY OR IN THE MAGAZINE WELL. THE COVER IS CLOSED.
D. CONDITION 4: THE BOLT IS FORWARD. THE CHAMBER IS EMPTY. THE
SAFETY IS OFF. THE FEED TRAY IS CLEAR OF AMMUNITION AND/OR NO
MAGAZINE IS INSERTED. THE COVER IS CLOSED.
THE SCHOOLS OF INFANTRY (SOI), THE BASIC SCHOOL (TBS), AND THE SMALL
ARMS WEAPONS INSTRUCTOR SCHOOL (SAWIS), WEAPONS TRAINING BATTALION,
QUANTICO, VA ARE ALREADY TEACHING THEIR STUDENTS TO FOLLOW THE WEAPON
CONDITION CODES LISTED ABOVE.
4. DO NOT FOLLOW WEAPON CONDITION CODE #3 LISTED IN REF (B) ON
PAGE 2-40. WEAPON CONDITION #3 IN REF (B) STATES "THE BOLT IS LOCKED
TO THE REAR. THE SAFETY IS ENGAGED. THE FEED TRAY IS CLEAR OF
AMMUNITION AND/OR NO MAGAZINE IS INSERTED. THE COVER IS CLOSED."
ALTHOUGH IT IS SAFE TO PRACTICE, IT IS OVERLY RESTRICTIVE AND DOES
NOT SUPPORT REALISTIC OPERATIONAL EMPLOYMENT OF THE M249 SAW AND
M240 FAMILY OF MACHINE GUNS IN TRAINING OR COMBAT ENVIRONMENTS.
THE CORRECT WEAPON CONDITION #3 IS "THE BOLT IS FORWARD. THE
CHAMBER IS EMPTY. THE SAFETY IS OFF. THE SOURCE OF AMMUNITION
IS ON THE FEED TRAY OR IN THE MAGAZINE WELL. THE COVER IS CLOSED."
THIS CORRECT WEAPON CONDITION #3 IS MORE TECHNICALLY SOUND AND
ALLOWS THE GUNNER TO TRANSITION MORE EFFICIENTLY FROM WEAPON
CONDITION #3 TO CONDITION #1.
5. DO NOT FOLLOW THE CONDITION CODES IN REF (D) ON PAGE 11, REF
(E), AND REF (J) ON PAGE 246. THESE REFS INCORRECTLY STATE THAT
CONDITION #3 IS "AMMUNITION IN POSITION ON FEED TRAY (OR MAGAZINE
INSERTED), CHAMBER EMPTY, BOLT FORWARD AND SAFETY ON." REF (D)
AND (J) ALSO INCORRECTLY STATE THAT WEAPON CONDITION #4 IS "THE
FEED TRAY CLEAR OF AMMUNITION (MAGAZINE REMOVED), CHAMBER EMPTY,
BOLT FORWARD, SAFETY ON." THE CONDITIONS CODES LISTED IN THESE
REFERENCES GO AGAINST THE DESIGN AND FUNCTION OF THE M249 SAW AND
M240 FAMILY OF MACHINE GUNS. THE REASON IS THAT THE SAFETY CANNOT
BE ON WITH THE BOLT FORWARD UNLESS THE WEAPON HAS BEEN
"HALF-COCKED." (SEE THE CORRECT WEAPON CONDITIONS IN PARAGRAPH 3 OF
THIS MESSAGE.) OTHER LOCALLY PRODUCED REFERENCES BASED ON REFS (D),
(E), AND (J) MAY ALSO EXIST. COMMANDERS OF UNITS POSSESSING THE
M240 FAMILY OF MACHINE GUNS AND THE M249 SAW SHOULD INSPECT THE
REFERENCES USED BY THEIR MARINES AND ENSURE THAT THE STANDARDIZED
WEAPON CONDITIONS ARE DISSEMINATED TO ALCON AND INCORPORATED INTO
TRAINING.
6. CHANGE (1) TO REFERENCE (B) IS FORTHCOMING UPON RELEASE OF THIS
MARADMIN. HARD COPIES WILL BE MAILED TO ORGANIZATIONS ON THE
DISTRIBUTION LIST. AN ELECTRONIC VERSION OF CHANGE (1) TO REF (B)
IS AVAILABLE AT THE DOCTRINE DIVISION WEBSITE WWW.DOCTRINE.USMC.MIL
REF (C) CORRECTLY LISTS CORRECT WEAPON CONDITION CODES FOR THE M249
SAW ON PAGE B-3. REFERENCE THIS MESSAGE TO REFLECT THE NEW WEAPON
CONDITIONS IN THE INTERIM.
7. THIS IS A COORDINATED CMC (SD) AND CG MCCDC MESSAGE.//
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