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News|Industry News Recently, FN America has announced that it has been awarded $50 million Army contract to produce M240L and titanium receivers. This award is in conjunction with the June […]
Recently, FN America has announced that it has been awarded $50 million Army contract to produce M240L and titanium receivers. This award is in conjunction with the June contract from June 2021 worth an estimated $92 million to build M240 machine guns. The titanium receivers made by FN helps to greatly reduce the weight of the M240. The workhorse 240B weighs in at 27.6 lbs. While the 240L weighs in at about 22 lbs. Shave that 5 lbs makes a substantial deal within a combat environment.
Below, is the press release from FN America discussing winning the 240 titanium receiver contract.
McLean, VA – February 8, 2022) FN America, LLC is pleased to announce that the company has been awarded a firm-fixed-price contract, valued up to $49,973,579, to supply the U.S. Army with M240L medium machines [guns] and titanium receivers. The M240L, roughly 18-percent lighter than the M240B, was officially adopted in 2010 after a joint effort by FN and the U.S. Army to reduce the overall weight while maintaining performance and durability of the machine gun.
“The M240L is the product of a collaborative effort between FN, the Army and the individual soldier to further enhance the M240B to be more effective for the warfighter,” said Mark Cherpes, President and CEO for FN America, LLC. “The development saw the introduction of new materials along with new manufacturing techniques that have paved the way for the future generation of military equipment. I am extremely proud of the innovation and ingenuity that went into the development of the M240L and look forward to working with the U.S. Army to deliver against this contract.”
The joint efforts between FN, the Army to reduce the overall weight burden to the soldier resulted in a major leap forward in the materials and manufacturing methods for today’s machine guns. The M240L has been the cutting-edge for lightweight medium machine guns with an overall weight reduction of 5 pounds from the M240B without any impact to performance or longevity. The 18-percent weight reduction was achieved by incorporating titanium into the design, including the receiver, and introducing new manufacturing methods to adjust for the material properties. The M240 general purpose machine gun, derived from the FN MAG 58, was adopted by the U.S. military in the late 1970s, and has been in continual service since being introduced.
Throughout its history, FN has been one of the largest suppliers of small arms to the U.S. military and continues to develop innovative, future technology. In addition to the M240 and its variants, the company currently holds contracts for the FN M249 lightweight machine gun; the FN MK 46, MK 48, MK 17, and MK 20 SSR for USSOCOM, and various other contracts.
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Hello, everyone and welcome to The Loadout Blog. The purpose of this website is to share educate, inform, and build a lasting culture around firearms. I want to create a hub of reliable, cohesive, and relevant material for today's shooter. I am seeking to appeal to all demographics so from the novice, to experienced, along with LE and military communities. I am here to be transparent and honest on all matters discussed or chronicled on this site. I will post content once a week at minimum or more often if time allows.
Now, a little bit about me. I served six years in the Marines Corps as an 0311. I was in 2nd BN 4th Marines, 5th Marine Reg, 1st Mar Div. I was in Golf Company while in 2/4. I was deployed twice during my time in. I did one deployment to Afghanistan and my second was on apart of 31st MEU. I departed the military in September of 2015. I currently work as an RSO at a local range in Vegas.
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