A saw is short for a military gun, squad automatic weapon. A saw is short for squad automatic weapon. It is a military gun.

The SAW that I am familiar with is the Squad Automatic Weapon.

The current SAW of the Russian Army is the RPK.

The M249 Squad Automatic Weapon fires the same 5.56x45mm cartridge used by the M16 and M4.

The U.S. Army is in the process of adopting the Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) to replace the M4 carbine and M249 Squad Automatic Weapon. The NGSW program is focused on developing a new 6.8mm caliber rifle and an automatic rifle to enhance soldier lethality and improve overall squad effectiveness. Multiple companies are currently competing to provide the Army with these new weapons.