Addendum 2017

FN M249S® Safety Addendum
7
FIGURE 27
7. Firmly close the feed tray cover assembly; ensure it
is locked closed.
8. If shooting is imminent, a cartridge can now be
moved from the feed tray to the chamber by slowly
pulling back on the charging handle and releasing it.
The charging handle should only be pulled back until
it stops against the slide hammer and resistance is
felt. At this point, the top of the charging handle
should be aligned with the #1 slot on optical rail. See
Figure 27.A
WARNING! PULLING THE CHARGING HANDLE TOO FAR TO THE REAR MAY CAUSE THE SLIDE HAMMER
TO LODGE AGAINST THE SEAR AND LOCK THE SAFETY BUTTON.
This can occur if the charging handle is pulled to the rear so its top is just past the rear sight housing as shown in
Figure 27.B. If this occurs and the safety button locks up, refer to Section 15.5 for correcting this malfunction.
FIGURE 27.A FIGURE 27.B
Allow the bolt to move forward into battery under its full spring pressure, do not “ride” the charging handle and
bolt forward. If the bolt is not allowed to close in this manner, there is a possibility that it will not close completely,
preventing the rifle from firing. Ensure the charging handle is in the forward, locked position.