Melting a machine gun barrel by firing 700 rounds through it - GIF

**Jon** · Jan 13, 2021, 09:53 AM

Putting 700 rounds through a M249 SAW machine gun.

Previously:

Machine gun synchronizer - video
.50 caliber machine gun cutaway - GIF
Miniature Browning machine gun - GIF
Soviet machine gun belt loading tool - GIF
Belarusian machine gunner with 580-round ammo backpack - photo
Machine gun synchronizer in slow motion - GIF
Miniature Thompson submachine gun with violin case - video

**IntheGroove** · Jan 13, 2021, 12:09 PM

The full nine yards...

**Unkle Fuzzy** · Jan 13, 2021, 01:18 PM

Warranty Void

**hemmjo** · Jan 13, 2021, 04:44 PM

I have to ask WHY would anyone do that? It's not like the result is any surprise at all...I guess it is ok as long as it was their money that wasted.

**jdurand** · Jan 13, 2021, 05:23 PM

Bet his shoulder reminded him of this for some time.

**sossol** · Jan 13, 2021, 05:49 PM

That's just a suppressor - not the barrel. Suppressors are often made of very thin steel and/or aluminum. They work by slowing the gas as it exits the barrel. The side effect is that it traps the heat, too. You can see that it melted between two of the baffles near the mount where the hottest gas gets trapped.

Neil

**Crusty** · Jan 13, 2021, 06:34 PM

All military automatic weapons are put through similar tests before adoption to learn what the approximate failure point is. It's irresponsible to give a grunt an MG that will melt down shortly when he's in a situation that requires him to spray and pray to stay alive. The infamous German MG weapons of WWII had easily and quickly changeable barrels and the gunner always carried at least two so that a hot barrel could be swapped out to cool while continuing to lay down fire.

**trigger** · Jan 13, 2021, 06:36 PM

Waste of good expensive bullets and a working Zombie gun.That said during the test what is interesting is the gass leakage at the barrel tap port,and the possibility at the end of the video of cook offs.If you ever needed to do the full nine yards ie 700 rounds in one go you need backup pronto or consider a tactical retreat to the rear.

**TheElderBrother** · Jan 13, 2021, 07:25 PM

That is an excellent question. I'd be afraid of the gun blowing up in my face at that rate of abuse. Bad enough they wrecked the temper of that barrel and melted the comp/suppressor right off the muzzle. Waste of a good SAW.