M249 Squad Automatic Weapon

The M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, also known as the SAW, is a weapon featured in Half-Life: Opposing Force. It is a powerful automatic weapon used by the HECU.

Overview

 * The M249 is a machine gun that offers squad-level support. However, it also has a lot of recoil added to it as well so that the SMG is not made completely obsolete. In addition to decreasing accuracy, the longer the player fires the gun, the M249's recoil knocks the player back a bit as long as the fire key is held down.


 * The M249 can first be obtained by taking it from a dead ally in the chapter Friendly Fire. If not picked up there, it can be obtained at the beginning of the chapter Pit Worm's Nest.

Tactics

 * The M249 is very effective against strong foes, such as Shock Troopers and Voltigores. It should not be wasted on enemies that can be easily killed with the SMG, such as Zombies or Pit Drones.


 * Headshots will make quick work of even the strongest enemies, so one should try to aim for the head if possible.


 * Crouching will make the weapon more accurate, so one should be sure to crouch as often as possible when using it.


 * Ammo for this weapon is extremely rare until the end of the chapter Vicarious Reality.


 * The M249 has a fairly long reload time, so one should make sure to be safe before reloading.


 * Tapping the primary fire button instead of holding it will greatly reduce the recoil. Moving forward removes the recoil but decreases accuracy.

Trivia
The M249 Machine Gun also appears in the Counter-Strike series but without the tripod and head.

List of appearances

 * Half-Life: Opposing Force