Although it’s not exactly new, the Barrett M240LW is a lightweight variant of the fantastic M240 medium machine gun. Sure, the Army has the M240L which cut some significant weight off of the American version of the FN MAG but it uses a Titanium receiver which translates into mucho dinero.
Barrett took a different approach. They trimmed the fat out of the weapon. You’ve got to remember, the MAG 58 is over 60 years old. By analyzing the gun’s construction and applying modern design and manufacturing techniques, they were able to trim about five-and-a-half pounds from its weight down to 21.15 pounds The design is also interesting in that the receiver is manufactured in two pieces from solid billet and then welded together. This results in 2 receiver components rather than the 64 found on a standard M240. You’ll also notice a new, Barrett-designed telescoping Buttstock with adjustable length of pull and hydraulic buffer. While there is no top barrel shroud the lower handguard features KeyMod slots.
