ChrisF Wrote:Seriously Guys , please dont try to justify how good the Minimi C9/M249 is by siting the fact that MOST countries use IT , therefore IT must be very good , thats flawed logic due to one over looked single fact , there was in short NOTHING else available .
At the time of looking for a lite weight LMG , it appeared virtually NO major arms company except FN , was interested on designing & making something , so in short there WAS NO competion at all , so the FN Minimi , won really because it was a ONE horse race from the start.
The other gun was a scaled down MG42 style gun from Spain , that was worse than the Minimi .

Good or Bad or Average , it didnt matter at all , you had a choice of ONE , thats the main reason IT is in use by so many , that and some countries think that IF a Big country uses IT , it must be GOOD , Opps NO its not .

I see a LMG of the likes of a slightly strenghtend Stoner63A with ejection port side changed to opposite side so as to use in the upside down LMG role ONLY ( ie not made to be used as a rifle ) , in either belt or mag ( top load , Bren style ) .
Or a RPD , in use for SF , in close country , Jungles .

In open country , just go straight to either GPMG ( FN MAG58 ) , MG3/42 slow , or PKM .

AS to what Armies use , in virtually all cases , they use want they are given , NOT what they want .

Me I would use either GPMG , G8 or PKM , 1st two in 7.62 Nato , last one in 54R , all good guns , and offering a range of weights to suit end use , 2 are belt & 1 mag feed .