M249 SAW

The M249 SAW is a light machine gun featured in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
In single-player, the M249 SAW is used by the Special Air Service and the United States Marine Corps. The weapon is available in Charlie Don't Surf, The Bog, War Pig, Heat, Sins of the Father, and Ultimatum. The M249 SAW is the preferred weapon of SSgt. Griggs.

In multiplayer, the M249 SAW has a relatively high rate of fire compared to the RPD and M60E4 but is offset by low damage. A Red Dot Sight, Grip, or an ACOG Scope can be attached to the M249 SAW.

It excels in hardcore mode, where it delivers one-hit kills (but note that because the SAW does exactly 30 damage, the same amount of health as is in Hardcore, anyone using Juggernaut will take two hits to kill, and if the bullet even touches another surface before hitting the target it will not be a kill). Using the SAW with Double Tap brings the rate of fire to 1200rpm (only the P90 and Mini-Uzi are also capable of 1200rpm in this fashion). The Grip attachment for the SAW greatly increases its hipfire accuracy (in addition to decreasing its recoil), making it as accurate as a submachine gun when firing from the hip. This is actually a greater increase than Steady Aim would provide. If the Grip is used in conjunction with Steady Aim, the SAW remains fairly accurate from the hip even at long ranges.

Also, the SAW, like the other two light machine guns, is very effective against enemy helicopters. But due to its lower damage per bullet, it will take slightly over one belt of ammunition to shoot down a helicopter with full health without Stopping Power. However, the mounted version of the SAW only takes around 3-4 seconds to down an enemy helicopter, regardless of using Stopping Power or not.

A favored multiplayer tactic is to use a Grip or an ACOG Scope, Steady Aim, and Double Tap with the weapon. Its incredibly high rate of fire combined with superb accuracy is more than adequate in most situations.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, the SAW returns only as a mounted machine gun, in the level Whiskey Hotel. However, using a cheating or hacking program, it is also possible to get it on Just Like Old Times as well, though it is still mounted. Its appearance is identical to its Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare counterpart. The pickup icon is also used for other mounted machine guns, such as the M2 Browning Machine Gun. However, its 7.62mm counterpart, the M240, appears in the game as a man-portable machine gun.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized
The M249 SAW is the US squad machine gun. It is one of the most powerful weapons when compared to other weapons, but its greatest weakness is its mobility, as it reduces normal walking speed. However, when you sprint, your sprint speed is the same as with all other guns. It is the last weapon unlocked in multiplayer for the Marine and SAS faction.

Trivia

 * The Create-a-Class Picture lacks the Rear Iron Sight.
 * The M249 SAW seen in Whiskey Hotel is likely to be the Mk.48 mod.0 variant, since it's used as a pintle mounted gun, which isn't common among SAWs, LSWs and HBARs.
 * In Charlie Don't Surf, an OpFor soldier will use an invisible mounted SAW, But when you kill him, go to his body and go prone, you will be able to pick up a M249 that you carry.