NavyDoc: The M249 came after my time. I loved the M-60A3 (with the shortened barrel and foregrip), which was sort of the forerunner to the SAW.

I fired way too many 125gr JHPs and JSPs out of my Smith and eventually wrecked the forcing cone (which was why experts recommended NOT firing a lot of 125gr). I suppose those hot loaded 158s didn’t help, either.

I don’t know if you ever had the opportunity, but we also had “liberated” a 20mm AA gun that we used for perimeter defense (in concert with the .50cal). That thing was waaaaaay fun to shoot.