The M240 was adopted by the U.S. Military following a worldwide competition in search of a reliable 7.62x51mm NATO machine gun. With pistol grip, carry handle and fixed buttstock, the M240 is today’s ‘go-to’ medium machine gun for all branches of the armed services. No veteran machine gunner ever complained about reducing the weight of the weapon he must carry into battle.

The original design of the FN M240 dates back to 1958 and the MAG 58. These machine guns made their U.S. debut in 1977 with the M240 C, a coaxial design intended for use on the M1 Abrams main battle tank. With demonstrated reliability far exceeding other mid-caliber designs then in service, the M240 quickly became the primary medium machine gun throughout the U.S. Military. The spade-grip, pintle-mounted M240 D was developed for use on armored vehicles and in military helicopters. Its smooth swing, neutral balance and shorter length make it ideal for vehicle and naval craft mounts. The M240 H is a U.S. Army variant further optimized for helicopter deployment. An optional egress kit enables the use of a pintle-mounted M240 as a ground role machine gun for self-defense by dismounted vehicle crew members. It consists of the buttstock, trigger mechanism and bipod. All M240 models include one spare barrel.