M249 vs M4A4

Damage

The M249 deals more damage (24) than the M4A4 (22).

The M249 fires faster (750 RPM) than the M4A4 (666 RPM).

The M249 deals more damage per second (300) than the M4A4 (244).

The M249 loses the same damage due to distance (2.9 %) as the M4A4 (2.9 %).

The M249 has higher armour penetration (80 %) than the M4A4 (70 %).

Accuracy and mobility

The M249 is less accurate (9.7) than the M4A4 (5.5).

The M249 has more movement penalty (22 %) than the M4A4 (10 %).

Economy

The M249 is more expensive ($ 5200) than the M4A4 ($ 2900).

The M249 earns the same kill reward ($ 300) as the M4A4 ($ 300).

Other attributes

The M249 has a larger clip (100) than the M4A4 (30).

The M249 has more ammunition in reserve (200) than the M4A4 (90).

The M249 reloads slower (5.7 s) than the M4A4 (3.1 s).

The M249 deploys at the same speed (1.1 s / 1 s - No Reserve) as the M4A4 (1.1 s).

Closing thoughts

The M249 behaves like a rifle, but gives up accuracy and movement speed in exchange for higher armour penetration and rate of fire, which results in extremely high damage per second. Coupled with a huge magazine capacity, the main drawback is its high $5200 price tag.

The M4A4 is the standard rifle choice for Counter-Terrorists; it is notable for its fast rate of fire. However, players often assume that this equates to a faster time to kill than other rifles, but this is rarely the case when you run the numbers. Moreover, it is also currently $200 more expensive than the alternate option of the M4A1-S. Therefore its main advantage is the 30 rounds it can carry, which can be helpful when dealing with multiple opponents, but whether or not this is worth it is debatable.