FN America unveils M240 upgrade kit for modern optics

FN America introduced a new upgrade kit for the M240 machine gun on Monday at the annual meeting of the Association of the United States Army, giving soldiers a way to mount modern optics on the legacy platform.

In a press release, Daryl Atkins, FN’s director for industrialized weapons, said the M240 Tactical Long Rail Upgrade Kit will allow military organizations to continue “taking advantage of the weapon’s proven performance while making it relevant for today’s combat requirements.”

According to the company, the kit preserves the weapon’s original operating system and can be installed on new guns or used to upgrade existing weapons. The kit includes:

• An 11-inch monolithic Picatinny top rail to accommodate night-vision and thermal optics, along with other components;
• An FN Side-Click feed cover designed to make one-handed operation easier;
• An FN Auto-Lock feed cover retention system that holds the cover open during loading, unloading and cleaning;
• A long, articulated carrying handle designed to accommodate full-size optics;
• An adjustable buttstock that allows soldiers to change the length of pull and cheek height or fold the stock for storage.

“With this upgrade kit, modern warfighters can achieve faster target acquisition, more consistent shooter fit and better management of optics, while military organizations can extend the value and relevance of currently fielded platforms,” Atkins said.

FN, the Belgian firearms manufacturer with operations in Virginia and South Carolina, has produced more than 100,000 M240 machine guns for the U.S. military since the 7.62mm weapon entered service in 1977.

However, last year the Army revealed through budget documents that it was investing $3.6 billion in a project, dubbed the Future Medium Machine Gun, or FMMG, to replace the legacy system.

The Army and Marine Corps are also pursuing separate efforts to modernize their squad-level weapons. The Army has begun fielding its M7 and M8 rifles along with the M250 automatic rifle, while the Marine Corps has adopted the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle as its standard infantry automatic weapon.