What is an impact of barrel overheating in the M240?

When the M240's barrel overheats, the heat affects the metal structure and can lead to several adverse effects. Overheating generally leads to malfunctions due to issues such as cook-offs, where a round may fire unintentionally after being heated excessively. Additionally, the heat can cause the barrel to warp or change the way bullets travel through the barrel, resulting in decreased accuracy. The ideal operating condition for the weapon is to maintain optimal temperatures to ensure reliable performance and precision during firing. Thus, barrel overheating indeed leads to malfunctions and a decrease in accuracy.