LMO Demonstrates Unique Twin-M240 Machine Gun System/Mount at Blackwater

by David Crane
defrev at gmail.com

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Long Mountain Outfitters, LLC (LMO) demonstrated a unique and very cool dual-M240 machine gun mount (coaxial machine gun system) a.k.a. twin-M240 machine gun mount a.k.a. double machine gun mount at the 2007 NDIA Small Arms Symposium, Exhibition and Firing Demo. The aspect that makes it cool and unique is its novel firing mechanism, which is comprised of a, well, basically, a motorcycle handle w/hand brake. You fire the coaxially-mounted guns (FN M240s, or any other machine guns you want to mount) by squeezing the hand brake. So, in this case, I guess, stop means go, or in this case, fire! When you want to fire on the enemy, just hit the brakes, and your sending approx. 1500 rounds down range per minute (approx. 750 RPM per coax gun).

The system utilizes the "C" ("C" stands for Coax or Coaxial) version of the venerable FN M240 GPMG (General Purpose Machine Gun). The FN M240C features a heavier coax barrel for extended firing and mounts on the system sans buttstock.
The LMO M240 Twin Mount coax system would appear to be an excellent weapons system for the…

Mobile Ballistic Fighting Position (M.B.F.P.) that’s being manufactured and marketed by STS Security Products, LLC, which is the tactical products division of Special Tactical Services, LLC (STS). When I spoke with Steve Renz at STS, he told me that they (STS) were very interested in the LMO dual machine gun mount for the MBFP–and I can’t say that I blame them.

DefenseReview got to run the LMO Dual Machine Gun Mount (outfitted with M240 machine guns) at a Blackwater USA firing range during the firing demo portion of the NDIA show, and we weren’t disappointed. The system ran like a house afire with no malfunctions during our session, or anyoneone else’s session that we observed during the shoot. The system was very controllable, even while firing long/extended bursts. This high level of controllability is partially due to the system’s design, which includes an integral shoulder bar that rests on the operator’s left shoulder. Of course, respective weapon and mount weights don’t hurt full-auto controllability, either. Both guns feed from side-mounted 200-round or 500-round ammo cans, giving the operator a potential total of 1,000 rounds of immediate 7.62mm firepower at his disposal.

We also enjoyed the Aimpoint MPS II red dot sight that’s specifically designed for medium and heavy machine guns (MMGs and HMGs) and grenade machine guns (GMGs). You can see this sight in the accompanying photos. Aimpoint now appears to have an updated verstion of the MPS II called, appropriately enough, the MPS3.  The Aimpoint MPS3 red dot sight incorporates Mil-Std-1913 "Picatinny" rails for mounting other accessories.


Side Note: The FN M240 machine gun is an excellent 7.62x51mm NATO/.308 Win. (7.62mm NATO) medium machine gun, and is reliable under combat conditions. One drawback, however, is its weight. The M240 is approx. 27-30 lbs empty, which makes it way too heavy for mobile infantry, specifically for an infantryman to shoot effectively on the move and carry in ready-to-shoot fashion over long distances. However, it’s well-suited to a mounted system like the LMO dual mount.

By the way, the boys at STS weren’t the only ones interested in the system. A lot of people at the show were talking about it, and everyone who got to test it out came away with big grin on their face, including us. In our defense, this thing really is a blast–literally.

Anyway, the LMO Twin-M240 machine gun mount/system looks ideallly suited for vehicle security and perimeter security missions/operations, and will most likely prove successful in that arena. Let’s put it this way, it definitely deserves a look.

Note: As you can see from the accompanying photos, the guns are stockless (no buttstocks).

Company Contact Info:

Long Mountain Outfitters (LMO)
631 N. Stephanie St., #560
Henderson, NV 98014
702-564-0948 Office
702-558-1728 Fax
info@longmountain.com
www.longmountain.com/

Additional Photos: