The Army is finally going to give soldiers the green light to paint their black weapons so they blend in with the terrain on the battlefield.

Soldiers have been using commercially available, spray-on camouflage paint since the beginning of the war — despite an unenforced Army policy prohibiting the practice.

Allowing troops to color their rifles may also help prevent the enemy identifying higher value targets such as the tan-colored M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System. I have long since wondered why the M110 was not finished in black, which would allow it to blend in with the black M4s and M16s.

M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System

[ Many thanks to Fred for emailing me the link. ]

The "New, Improved Magazine" (left), "Old Timer" (Middle, Right)

[ Many thanks to Concerned_Soldier for emailing me the cartoon. ]

I love this photo. M26 Pistol (top), Standalone version (middle), M4 underslung version (bottom)

The pistol and underslung version would have NFA requirements (destructive devices AOW or Short Barreled Shotgun) but the standalone "carbine" would be civilian legal without any paperwork if the barrel was extended to 18".

The M26 is a breaching tool and not designed as an anti-personnel weapon. It was chosen by the US military over the KAC Masterkey and Remington MCS Accessory Weapon, both of which use the Remington Model 870 shotgun as a base. The M26 distributes its weight further back compared with the 870 and so it feels lighter.

Remington Model 870 MCS Accessory Weapon

Available in Black, Flat Dark Earth and Foliage Green

Specifications
Caliber	5.56mm / .223 Rem.
Overall Length	35.5"
Barrel Length	16"
Rifling	1:9"
Weight w/o magazine	6.22 lbs.
Weight of empty magazine	0.25 lbs.
Weight of loaded magazine	1.00 lbs.
MSRP (Price)	$1295

It looks like it is on the wrong side of the border

M4 Barrel bursts after 535 rounds.

M4A1 still going after 911 rounds (although gas tube melts preventing semi or full auto fire)

The NYTimes reports ...

That video shows the same test with an M-4 equipped with a thicker, heavier barrel, which is used on a specialized carbine, known as the M-4A1. This variant is carried by some Special Operations users.

...

Colt Defense and the Army have been discussing making the change to a heavier barrel for several months and appear likely to begin requiring standard-issue rifles to have the barrel previously manufactured for the M-4A1.

Sounds like Colt is going on the PR offensive.

[ Many thanks to all the readers who emailed in these videos. ]

This photo was taken by a French photographer.

[ Many thanks to jdun1911 for emailing me the link. ]

Remington GPC

The GPC will be Remington's entry into the DoD M4 upgrade competition, while the Remington ACR is the entry into the next-gen carbine competition. The company has got all bases covered!

I was unfortunately not allowed to disassemble the gas system.

Piston can be seen through handguard.

The good news is that Remington plan on selling a semi-automatic version of this rifle to civilians. Either complete rifles or uppers will be offered. Don't expect them before the 2nd quarter of next year.

Note the angler shaped receiver. This us just for looks. The bolt is monolithic but dimensions are not different.

For bulk purchasers, a new M-4 costs about $800 per rifle, though the price is often higher when after-market rail systems, used for mounting optics and lights, are included. For rifles used by the American military, the United States Army requires Colt to install a rail system manufactured by Knight’s Armament Company of Vero Beach, Fla.; this pushes the price per piece to about $1,100.

[ Many thanks to Keith for emailing me the link. ]

New machines were still being installed at the 26,687-square metre plant as The Malay Mail was shown around by Colt Defence executive vicepresident James R. Battaglini.

It takes 3 1/2 hours to complete a single M4 and the plant can churn out 900 a day with options for more when required.

The finished product then go below the plant for the test-firing process to ensure it performed to specifications.

Colt boasts a record of every gun made so that if it does not perform well, the company can determine if it is made to specs.

You may be thinking what a Malaysian newspaper is doing in West Hartford, Connecticut? Back in 2007 Malaysia announced plans** to switch away from the Steyr AUG and adopt the M4.

The Malay Mail also has a photo of some rare Colt pistols. Daniel Watters told me ...

there is one interesting picture showing a couple of rare Colt prototype pistols. These include the SSP and their submission for SOCOM's OHWS competition. I don't have a definitive name for the pistol above the OHWS, but I believe it was going to used as the platform for their "Smart Pistol". It certainly doesn't match any AA2000 variant that I remember.

[ Many thanks to Daniel E. Watters for sending me the link. ]

The full letter can be view after the jump.

[ Many thanks to False for emailing me the letter. ]

Imperial Defense MG4A5 (M4 Carbine clone)

Imperial Defense MG4A6 (M4 Commando clone)

According to this post at the MP.net forum, the guns are manufactured in Vietnam! This makes Vietnam the second communist country to manufacture M16s.

I would guess that the guns are copied off China's Norinco CQ 5.56 (M4A1 clone).

This is not the first time a Vietnam company has manufactured clones of Western weaponry. They notably manufacture a Lee Enfield clone, the AIA M-10, much to the frustration of American Lee Enfield enthusiats who cannot import the rifle due to BATFE rules which ban firearm imports from Vietnam.

SARASOTA, Fla., Dec. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- The 40-year-old problems of the M16 / AR15 / M4 rifle are now a thing of the past. In testing Osprey Defense, LLC has been able to install their OPS-416 system in under 4 minutes followed by firing more than 10,000 rounds without cleaning through an ordinary M16 rifle without failure. This is unprecedented from any firearm and even more amazing considering it requires no modification of the original gun.

Osprey Defense, LLC, www.GasPiston.com, a Florida based Limited Liability Company, has spent the last 3 years dedicated to developing a robust yet deceptively simple solution to the problem plaguing US Military's standard rifle platform. The M16 has historically been a less than reliable platform due to the deposits of hot gasses, carbon and debris in the critical operating areas of the rifle which cause malfunctions.

The Osprey Defense OPS-416 family of user installable gas-piston conversion systems is the solution to this problem. The company demonstrates it extensively on their website where you can watch demonstrations of the system being blasted with high-pressure sand which is enough to cut concrete, yet the rifle still runs. In another demonstration they buried a rifle using a 17-ton excavator, ground it into the earth, then dug it out caked with dirt, and the rifle still ran.

After millions of rounds of testing and an aggressive law enforcement agency and military Test and Evaluation program, the system is being made available today via their website and dealer/distributor network. New dealer opportunities are still available according to the company.

The OPS-416 piston.

[ Many thanks to Morten for sending me the press release ]

New and old, and older

The Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier agency has just blogged about it ...

“With the improved magazines, we’re taking weapons reliability up another notch,” said LTC Chris Lehner, Product Manager Individual Weapons. “By incorporating a heavier, more corrosion resistant spring, along with a new follower design that does not tilt inside the casing, our engineers were able to develop a magazine that presents a round to the weapon with even greater stability. Increased magazine reliability results in overall improved weapon system performance.”

...

“Soldiers can remember it like this: ‘Tan – is the plan. Green – start to lean. Black – take it back,’” said LTC Lehner. “While the improved magazines increase reliability to an even greater degree, the new magazines by no means reduce the importance of Soldiers keeping their weapons clean and lubricated appropriately for the environment. Also, Soldiers must be proficient on conducting immediate action (SPORTS) if their weapon has a stoppage.”

The Army has also developed a nifty tool to check if the feed lips are worn out. It is kind of a no-go gauge for magazines. If this does not already exist for civilians or law enforcement, I imagine it would be a popular accessory.

Feed lip wear tool.

[ Thanks to Solomon and Daniel for the link ]

I asked Aurelien, an authority on the French military, what he thought of these rumors. I was surprised when he told me that the FAMAS has caused many problems.

The F1 model only works with the older M193 (55 grain) 5.56x45mm ammunition and it uses propriety magazines. The FAMAS G2 corrected these problems by modifying the rifle to work with STANAG (AR-15) magazines and the modern SS109 (62 grain) round. So far only the Navy has adopted the newer G2 model. The Army has to source M193 for the FAMAS and SS109 for the FN Minimi machine gun and to make matter worse, stocks of the old M193 are running low.

The French special forces, because of the lack of modularity of the FAMAS, have been using M4-style and Sig 5xx rifles for decades.

FAMAS G2. Photo from Wikipedia.

Aurelien says that while their have been talks of a replacement to the FAMAS, the FELIN program (the French equivalent of the Land Warrior program) still involves fielding an upgraded FAMAS G2.

I am sure I had always heard good things about the FAMAS. Admittedly from non-French sources. Talking to a locals always gets better quality information. Since running the blog I now have contacts all over the world.

Many thanks to Aurelien for taking the time to answer my questions.

Hat Tip: Eric @ LightFighter

The Army is committed to continuous improvement in all of our weapon systems. For example, the reliability requirement for the M4 is 600 Mean Rounds Between Stoppage (MRBS). The demonstrated current reliability is over 3600 MRBS as a result of our continuous improvement program. To date there have been 62 improvements to the M4, which include improvements to the trigger assembly, extractor spring, recoil buffer, barrel chamber, magazine and bolt. The M249 SAW, the Army’s Squad Automatic Weapon, has a reliability requirement of 1200 MRBS and yet today demonstrates a reliability of over 23,400 MRBS.

M4 Evolution Timeline. Click to here to expand.

Yesterday I wrote about the next set of changes to the M4 that the Army proposes to make, which include adding ambi control, a piston and heavy profile barrel. Clearly the Army does not believe the M4 has reached the end of its useful lifespan.

It appears that the M4 replacement testing is over before it began and that any testing that does take place will be to pacify the congressmen and women who are calling for the M4 to be replaced.

The complaint also alleges that Dani Nemr Tarraf conspired to acquire anti-aircraft missiles and conspired to possess machine guns. According to the complaint, in or about mid-June 2009, Tarraf asked whether the UC could supply guided missiles and told the UC that he (Tarraf) wanted the UC to export approximately 10,000 "commando" machine guns [Colt M4 Carbines with short barrels] from the United States. On or about July 28, 2009, in Philadelphia, Tarraf paid the UC a deposit of approximately $20,000 toward the cost of purchasing FIM-92 Stinger missiles and approximately 10,000 Colt M4 Carbines and shipping these items outside the United States.

I wonder where these men thought they would be able to source spare parts, magazines and ammunition once they had purchased the weapons.

• Heavy barrel. This will increase the rate of fire and decrease heat problems but at the expense of weight.
• Add gas-piston system so that the carbine will run cleaner.
• Improve trigger pull.
• Adding monolithic full length rail system for added strength. Makes sense, but is expensive.
• Add electronic round counter to pistol grip to track rounds fired. Is this really needed?
• Ambidextrous controls.

A special “integrated product team” will evaluate the pros and cons of each of the proposed improvements and decide which options, if any, will give the service the “biggest bang for the buck,” Tamilio said.

The team will be made up of multiple agencies such as the Infantry Center, Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center and Program Executive Office Soldier. It will also include soldiers with combat experience and members of the small-arms community.

Representatives from the Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force will also get a chance to weigh in on the decision for future improvements to the M4.

What do you think of the proposed changes? Sound off in the comments.

Many thanks to Morten for emailing me the link.

Senators diverted $2.6 billion in funds in a defense spending bill to pet projects largely at the expense of accounts that pay for fuel, ammunition and training for U.S. troops, including those fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to an analysis.

Lance, I think correctly, pointed out to me that this attitude of cutting defense spending to the max, probably guarantees that the M4 and M16 are not going anywhere anytime soon.

Many thanks to Daniel Watters for the link.

The M4 Carbine

The AP infers that the barrels of many of the weapons were getting white hot. From the AP article:

The platoon-sized unit of U.S. soldiers and about two dozen Afghan troops was shooting back with such intensity the barrels on their weapons turned white hot.

There is only one reference to a gun getting white hot in the draft report, and it is a SAW not a M4 Carbine:

Specialist Bogar fired approximately six hundred rounds at a cyclic rate of fire from his SAW when that weapon became overheated, and eventually jammed the bolt forward. Specialist Stafford noted, “Bogar was still in our hole firing quite a bit. Then Bogar’s SAW jammed. Basically it just got way overheated, because he opened the feed tray cover and I remember him trying to get it open and it just looked like the bolt had welded itself inside the chamber. His barrel was just white hot.”

In fact, it is not even possible that an M4 barrel can heat up to the point of being white hot. M4 barrels are made from Alloy Steel 4150. The melting point of this steel is 1426 degrees Celsius. For steel to go white, it needs to be over 1400 degrees Celsius.

The Ground Precautionary Message ACALA #97-03¹, from November 1996, clearly states that if an M4 barrel reaches just 737 degrees Celcius, the barrel will be weaked to the point where burst.

(3) BURST BARRELS RESULT WHEN THE WEAPONS ARE FIRED UNDER VERY EXTREME FIRING SCHEDULES AND THE BARREL TEMPERATURE EXCEEDS 1360 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. WHEN THE BARREL REACHES THESE EXTREME TEMPERATURES, THE BARREL STEEL WEAKENS TO THE POINT THAT THE HIGH PRESSURE GASES BURST THROUGH THE SIDE OF THE BARREL APPROXIMATELY 4 INCHES IN FRONT OF THE CHAMBER. THIS CONDITION CAN RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY.

You are not going to see an M4 barrel white hot because by that point it would have exploded!

The AP also infers that the M4 Carbine is designed to handle a high rate of fire

The high rate of fire appears to have put a number of weapons out of commission, even though the guns are tested and built to operate in extreme conditions.

This is also not true. From the Ground Precautionary Message[^1]:

(B) FIRING 140 ROUNDS, RAPIDLY AND CONTINUOUSLY, WILL RAISE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE BARREL TO THE COOK-OFF POINT. AT THIS TEMPERATURE, ANY LIVE ROUND REMAINING IN THE CHAMBER FOR ANY REASON MAY COOK-OFF (DETONATE) IN AS SHORT A PERIOD AS 10 SECONDS.

...

(D) SUSTAINED RATE OF FIRE FOR THE M16 SERIES RIFLES AND M4 SERIES CARBINES IS 12-15 ROUNDS PER MINUTE. THIS IS THE ACTUAL RATE OF FIRE THAT A WEAPON CAN CONTINUE TO BE FIRED FOR AN Indefinite LENGTH OF TIME WITHOUT SERIOUS OVERHEATING.

No operator should empty more than 4 magazines rapidly. The AP quotes the draft report:

My weapon was overheating. I had shot about 12 magazines by this point already and it had only been about a half hour or so into the fight. I couldn’t charge my weapon and put another round in because it was too hot, so I got mad and threw my weapon down.”

I sympathize with the solider and would not dare to presume to question his actions in combat. He did what he had to do in the heat of the moment, but I cannot think of any current weapon in the M4 class that can sustain continuous fire. To make such a weapon it would need to have a heavy quick change barrel and maybe also include a heat sink. I doubt any soldiers will want to trade in their M4 for a heavy automatic rifle.

Many thanks to Jay, aka. jdun1911, for his research into this controversy. He should get all the credit for this blog post.

UPDATE: I just want to clarify a point mentioned by commenters below. If the solider fired his 12 magazines evenly over a 30 minute period he should have had no overheating problems (assuming the Army GPM info is correct). What we do not know is the period of continuous fire. As Bram, who has seen combat, said "Time moves very differently while under fire. It’s impossible to judge how fast those soldiers were actually firing.".

The platoon-sized unit of U.S. soldiers and about two dozen Afghan troops was shooting back with such intensity the barrels on their weapons turned white hot. The high rate of fire appears to have put a number of weapons out of commission, even though the guns are tested and built to operate in extreme conditions.

...

"My weapon was overheating,” McKaig said, according to Cubbison’s report. "I had shot about 12 magazines by this point already and it had only been about a half hour or so into the fight. I couldn’t charge my weapon and put another round in because it was too hot, so I got mad and threw my weapon down."

Snowflakes In Hell, via Michael Bane's blog, correctly points out that assault rifles are not machine guns:

No assault rifle is going to stand up to sustained automatic fire. They aren’t machine guns, and even a machine gun needs to have its barrel changed out if it’s been firing a lot.

The M4 has a very short 14.5" barrel and a relatively lightweight barrel profile. This allows the barrel to heat up much faster than a longer and heavier rifle or machine gun barrel. When the barrel of a closed-bolt gun gets very hot, cook-offs,when a round is ignited from the heat in the chamber, become a significant problem ... not to mention the fact that a soldier cannot fire a gun that is to hot to hold!

The Marines have been criticized by many for their plans to introduce an Infantry Automatic Rifle (IAR) into the mix of weapons issued to their troops. The IAR is not intended to replace the SAW but would be deployed alongside it, giving some riflemen a light weight weapon that can sustain automatic fire.

FN IAR. Switches from closed-bolt to open-bolt when automatically when barrel temperature increases.

The Army would do well to look into the concept.

At the end of last year the Marines announced they were awarding contracts for the development of IAR prototypes to Colt, H&K and FN. Since then I have heard nothing about the IAR.

There are discussions about the M4 failure at Wanat over at Snowflakes In Hell, via Michael Bane's blog and SaysUncle.

Many thanks to Jerry, Caedis, Lee and Lance for emailing me links about this story.

Surefire snuck out two new 5.56mm suppressors at Modern Day Marine Expo. The Mini and the Micro are stubby little suckers that add barely 3.6 and 2.6 inches to a weapon’s muzzle but cut down weapon signature and improve unit communication.

There is nothing magical about suppressors and they are bound to the same laws of physics as everything else. While suppressor manufactures are continuously tweaking their cans in order to maximize the sound reduction vs. weight / size ratio, ultimately if you shrink a suppressor you will reduce its effectiveness.

I doubt these will be sold to civilians. I cannot think of a single good reason why a civilian would want to purchase one of these particular suppressors, when a suppressor a few inches longer will give much better performance.

UPDATE: I may have come across as anti-suppressor. I am not. I own two and hope to buy a third within a year. They are incredibly useful and there is no reason why civilian sales should be restricted. But these particular suppressors are tiny - smaller than my .22 Rimfire suppressor - the sound reduction would be minimal. I would call it a "sound reducer" rather than a "sound suppressor". What I meant to say is that I cannot think why a civilian would pay for these particular suppressors.

Many thanks to Jesse for the link.

.22's: HK has licensed Umarex to produce .22-cal versions of the 416, MP5, and MP7. At least some of these should be on display by SHOT Show in January 2010. It has not yet been determined which models will be released first.

At this years SHOT Show Umarex unveiled a licensed rifle patterned after and branded the Colt M4.

Benelli M4 with Extended Charging handle.

On Point are selling them for $30.

Two years ago when I was in Iraq, I noticed there were essentially two different primary infantry weapons (the M16 automatic rifle and the also-automatic M4 carbine) carried by America’s two primary ground forces — the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Army.

Marines for the most part were carrying the M16. The Army on the other hand was primarily carrying the M4: a shorter, lighter version of the M16 with a collapsible-stock.

Hat Tip: Say Uncle

Two readers emailed me saying that many of the weapons I mentioned in my 5 Weapons that should’ve been in Transformers 2 post were used in new hit sci-fi movie District 9. I was considering seeing the movie, but after hearing this I decided I had to go. It was fantastic! Despite being a low budget production, they must have hired a very competent weapons consultant. The weapons used were appropriate for the task at hand and were used correctly, something few action, or even historical, movies do right.

Where can I buy this target?

There are three main human factions in the movie. The Multi-National United is organization styled after the UN. The Mercenaries (I can’t remember what they are called in the movie) are private military contractors styled after the likes of Blackwater (Xe). The Gangsters live among the aliens and are involved in the arms trade.

The movie is set in South Africa so it is no surprise that many of the weapons used in the movie are weapons produced by the South African defense industry.

Multi-National United (MNU)

Vektor CR-21 – This is the “white” gun used by the MNU. The 5.56 mm CR-21 is a bullpup version of the Vektor R4. The R4 is the South African licensed-built version of the Israeli Galil (an AK-47 derivative).

CR-21

R1 (FN FAL) – The R1 was the South African licensed-built FN FAL. In the movie it is used by airborne snipers.

R1 / FN FAL

Unknown Pump Action Shotgun – A pump action shotgun is used by a minor character. I could not identify it.

Mercenaries

Vektor R5 – This is the carbine version of the Vektor R4 rifle. The R5 has a 13.1″ barrel.

Vektor R5.

Colt M4 with M203 – Some troops appear to be using the M4 Carbine and M203 grenade launcher.

Colt M4/M203

FN Minimi – Better known as the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW).

FN Minimi

PMP Neopup PAW – I am pretty sure this awesome semi-automatic grenade launcher was used briefly.

Denel NTW-20 – This South African made 20mm rifle was used too good effect.

Unknown Machine Pistol – A machine pistol or submachine gun was used in one scene, but I could not identify it. UPDATE: Commenters point out that it was the BXP.

Unknown Pistol – I could not identify the pistols carried by the mercs. UPDATE: IMFDB says it was a Beretta 92FS.

Gangsters

AK-47 – Not introduction needed.

RPG-7 – Again, no introduction need. Used realistically in the film.

RPG-7

Milkor MGL – I was surprised to see the gangsters packing this. I only saw it in one scene.

M1911 pistol – I am pretty sure a 1911 clone is used by one of the gangsters.

Aliens

Unknown weaponry

Alien Assault Rifle

While watching the movie I tried to keep track of what guns they were using. I probably missed many and I had trouble identifying some. Please post a comment below if noticed any mistakes or omissions I have made or identify any of the unknown weapons listed.

Thanks to Cory and Raymond for their emails regarding the movie weapons.

UPDATE: More info at IMFDB (Spoiler alert).

Benelli MR1 Carbine

The MR1 Carbine is the civilian version of the Beretta Rx4 Storm (which never took off). Benelli, a subsidiary of Beretta, designed the ARGO gas system used by the MR1/Rx4 and manufactured both the MR1 and the Rx4 Storm.

Beretta RX4 Storm with accessories. The collapsible stock is not available currently on the RX4.

What differentiates the MR1 from other 5.56mm rifles is the gas system it uses. Originally the Auto-Regulating Gas System (ARGO) was designed for the Benelli M4 Super 90, better known by its US Military designation, the M1014 Joint Service Combat Shotgun. Benelli then adapted the system for their ARGO line of hunting rifles (branded the R1 in the United States). In 2005 the Beretta Rx4 Storm, a tactical version of the ARGO rifle, was introduced and marketed to law enforcement. As far as I know the Rx4 has never been available in a select fire variant but they decided to market it to civilians as the Benelli MR1.

Benelli M4 Super 90 / M1014

Benelli ARGO EL

The ARGO gas system has an interesting short stroke piston design. Gas is trapped very close to the chamber. The high pressure gas ensures reliable cycling regardless of ammunition. This means that it can cycle any shotgun shells, regardless of the load. For a rifle it means the barrel can be very short and a suppressor could be fitted without any cycling issues. This gun is just asking to be converted into a Short Barreled Rifle!

The gas is then fed into an expansion chamber. The pressure in the chamber drives the piston assembly, which has dual rods. The high pressure is regulated by a release value. These diagrams should illustrate how the system works.

The receiver is made of aluminum, it is fully compatible with AR-15 magazines (including the 100 round drums) and, like all Benelli shotguns and rifles, the main spring is placed inside the butt stock - meaning a folding stock is not an option, although hopefully an M1014 folding stock will be made available.

MR1 Specifications:

Caliber: 5.56mm NATO / .223 Rem. Barrel: 16". Hard chrome lined. 1:9 twist. Rear Sights: Military-style Aperture Weight: 7.9 lbs.

The MSRP is $1299. I think they have priced it right. Although not cheap, and they can do better than the one five round magazine they ship with it, I doubt they could sell it much cheaper.

MR1 with 5 round magazine.

He says that the gun market is cooling but S&W’s M&P rifles and tactical rifles are selling well. I do not dispute that S&W is doing well, but I find it hard to believe S&W, or Ruger, will be able to maintain their current stock prices. Both stocks have more than doubled since February courtesy of the gun buying frenzy.

Golden mentions the M4 competition. I expect they will have sometime more interesting up their sleeve than the M&P4, a pretty standard direct gas impingement M4 clone, which the Military Times reported a while back that S&W would be entering.

As of July 1, the Army has taken control of the design rights to the M4 carbine from its sole maker, Colt Defense LLC. Translation: With an uncertain budget looming, the service is free to give other gun companies a crack at a carbine contract.

The transition of ownership of the M4 technical data package marks the end of an era and Colt’s exclusive status as the only manufacturer of the M4 for the U.S. military for the past 15 years.

What does this mean for Colt as a company? Not a lot. They will continue to be a supplier and will probably be able to manufacture the M4 cheaper than competitors when / if any more M4 carbines are purchased.

Over at Snowflakes in Hell Daniel E. Watters, an expert, said that the Army will still have to pay in royalties to Colt for every non-Colt M4 purchased. The technical specs are owned by Colt. Anyone wanting to supply M4s to overseas customers will need to get a license from Colt.

Colt has a few different next-gen carbines ready for the carbine competition later this year which could result in a selection of an M4 replacement.

There is also a discussion about this at Gun Pundit

“FREEFALLE7″, a Ranger Instructor, posted the above photo at AR15.com. A student, on arrival at the Swamp phase of Ranger School, showed him his M4 and said “my barrel fell off”. His punishment for not telling an instructor at the Mountain phase (the previous phase) about the broken M4 was to be given a M240, which weights 27 lbs, as a replacement.

Keith J came up with a plausible theory of how this happened

Salt water in the threads. Steel rusts. Steel in contact with aluminum. Aluminum then oxidizes, reducing the rust to iron dust. Joint remains tight until it is abused, then it just falls apart.

This all started when the barrel was installed and it was tightened a bit too much, causing the anodizing to crack

Of course this would have happened over a long period of time and use.

Thanks to Jay for the link.

A Soldier from Al Anbar’s 9th Battalion, Iraqi Special Operations Forces, storms an entryway during close-quarter combat training on April 4 in Al Asad, Iraq. The ISOF Soldiers are being trained and advised by U.S. Special Operations Forces. “The training will make them better and we are happy to be included,” said the 9th BN commander. “We are capable to make the area safe.”

(Photo by Sgt. Brandon Pomrenke : Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Arabian Peninsula)

The Iraqi Army are slowing migrating from AK-47s to M16s and it looks like their Special Forces are getting M4 carbines for good measure. I am pleased to see they are getting the equipment they need.

Click to expand the photos (photo from LeverArms.com)

The rifle seems to be well received by Canadian shooters, although the finish is said be be poor. Of the Norinco manufactured firearms I have seen, they tend to be poorly finished. The badly scratched finish can be seen in this photo:

This video shows the firearm being used (iron sights and Magpul stock has been installed):

LeverArms.com are selling it for C$899.00, which seems like a good price for a M4 clone, although I am not sure what M4 AR-15s normally sell for in Canada. Canada is likely the only country where it is being sold to civilians.

Thanks to Dennis for information about the rifle.

Daniel Defense M4 Carbine

The carbine features:

* their own in-house manufactured lower receiver
* 1:7 16″ barrel
* Daniel Defense Omega X 12.0 FSP rail that extends forward of the front sight / gas block
* Daniel Defense A1.5 rear sight.
* Magpul stock.
* Daniel Defense forward grip

I like the look of the A1.5 rear sight.

Promotional video:

No word on pricing.

More info at DDM4.com

UPDATE: MSRP seems to be $1600. See randomhero58’s comment below.

Hat Tip: Tactical Life

I am not 100% sure they are in fact AR-15s. UMAREX USA uses well known brand-names such as Beretta, Ruger and Walther to sell their airguns. This could easily be a AR-15 patterned rifle much like the .22 GSG MP5 or GSG AK.

There will be four different models.

Colt M4 Carbine

* 16″ Barrel
* M4 collapsible style stock
* A4 flat top upper recoever
* detachable carry handle
* A2 flash hider
* A2 pistol grip
* 30 round magazine
* Weight: 5.95 lbs

Colt M4 OPS (includes the following extras):
* Rear BUIS (Backup iron sight)
* Free floated aluminum picatinny rail handguard

Colt M16 (includes the following extras):

* 20″ barrel

Colt M16 SPR (includes the following extras):

* 20″ barrel
* Free floated aluminum picatinny rail handguard
* Flip up read and front sights

Fake suppressors will also be available as seen in the above photo.

It will be officially announced at SHOT Show 2009.

Hat Tip: OnPointFirearms

The Government of Iraq has requested a possible sale of (80,000) M16A4 5.56MM Rifles, (25,000) M4 5.56MM Carbines, (2,550) M203 40MM Grenade Launchers, spare and repair parts, support equipment, publications and technical data, personnel training and training equipment, contractor engineering and technical support services, and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $148 million.

The M203 will start being replaced next year. It looks like they will end up in Iraqi service.

The above pictured M4gery is the DTI-4 and features:

a 16″ barrel with M4 profile, 1×9 twist, 6 positon M4 stock, CAR handguards with single heat shields, and A2 Flash Hider. The rifle also comes with a hard case, sling, 2 30rd mags and a buttstock cleaning kit.

The price is $750.00.

The entire Del-Ton DTI range can be seen here.

Hat Tip: Outdoor Wire.

AR-15 Platform (Direct Gas Impingement):

* Colt ACC Monolithic
* Troy Industries M7A1 (can use either DI or piston system)
* Sabre Defense Industries M5
* S&W MP-4
* Precision Reflex PRI (Upper receiver only. Attaches to M4 lower).

AR-15 Platform (Piston):

* LWRC International M6A4 IAR
* H&K 416
* Knight’s Armament SR-15
* Superior Arms S-15
* Barrett REC7 PDW
* Patriot Ordnance P416

Not based on the AR platform:

* Bushmaster/Magpul ACR
* Sig Sauer 556 Classic
* Robinson Armament XCR
* FN SCAR

Sig 556 Classic

I am not sure if this list is complete. The Beretta ARX-160 Carbine is conspicuously missing.

It is a pointless comparison. Obviously Stoner did not design the AR-15 platform to be fired waterlogged. If he had it would be piston driven. Still, it is interesting to see what happens.

H/T: MP.net

M16 magazine, folding iron sights

Folding stock

UPDATE:

Originally I called this rifle the NRX after misreading the logo. It is in the ARX-160. Below is a photo (from MP.net) of the ARX-160 carbine (left) and the rifle version (right). Both have the new Beretta grenade launcher attached.

A big thanks to Ed who was kind enough to let me know about my mistake after he spoke to Beretta. He and has more info on the rifle/carbine.

Apparently the Italian Special Forces will be adopting it in 2009.

The caption of the above photo, translated from Spanish:

Soldiers of the Joint Detachment of Empleo Inmediato (DECEI) marching past with carbines Norinco CQ-M4 of 5.56 mm Are copies of Colt M-4A1 made in China and equipped with viewfinders of not known model. The DECEI depends on the Commando of Special Troops of the Army.

According to Wikipedia:

This variant introduced in the year 2006 in several Defense expos worldwide, including the MILIPOL, is a copy of the American M4A1 assault carbine. It features a telescoping stock, a removable carrying handle mounted on a Picatinny rail, and a 368,3 millimetres (14,5 inches) barrel. The CQ Type A carbine variant is claimed to be able to stabilize both M193 “Ball” and SS-109/M-885 variants of the 5.56 mm cartridge, as would be expected from a rifle with a 1:9 barrel rifling twist. It will quickly accept the installation of grenade launchers due to the quick attachment/detachment handguard design and to the step-cut barrel.

H/T: china police @ MP.net

To clear up “125″ issues and confusion the A3 varient is to be upgraded to allow the firing of GLA and underslung shot gun attachment with the trigger finger. There is much speculation on INF 2012 weapon systems and the steyr will look marketly different. What is concrete is that what changes happen to the weapons system the it must have the same range or better and must not be any heavier than current weight with modifications. There is a photo around of an ugly australian modified A3, this is not the new rifle and was a test bed system and was a demo only. The ADF rumour mill is leaning more to the AUG A4 design as now Australia owns the rights of all world wide styer production and also pattened designs from Austria.

I had not idea that the A4 existed. I did some Googling and found some photos in a brochure from ADI, the Australian arms and ammunition manufacturer. They may be the “test” A4 that Matt mentioned in Matt’s comment.

I think it’s a pretty ugly design. It looks like someone attacked an AUG with a hacksaw, screwdriver and a few picatinny rails. Especially in contrast to the AUG A3 (from steyr-arms.at):

Where is the grenade launcher trigger?

I would be surprised if the Australians upgrade their A1/A2 AUGs to use the M203 when the M320 will go into production later this year (according to Wikipedia).

M4 with M320

Blackwater BW-15

The public seemed poised to receive Blackwater’s new BW15 rifle after handling two samples that featured the Blackwater logo. “We’ve had a lot of people ask how they can get one, said Alan Alligood, Blackwater armorer.” Blackwater’s highly trained and ex-perienced armorers take the basic M4 to the next level by offering custom rifles that are built exactly to the customer’s wishes.

“We have a hard time helping people understand that we are not offering a line or series of guns. We build want they want. Each one may be different,” says Armory Chief Bill Kirkland. In a business where the firearms industry is saturated with variations and types of ARs, the BW15 represents a truly unique approach. The rifles can only be ordered through the Blackwater Armory, making them very exclusive and highly desirable.

I have emailed Blackwater for more information … lets see if they respond.

“I don’t think we need an unhealthy, discordant debate over the current carbine because I don’t think the current carbine is a long-lived solution anyway. However, the M4 carbine has been continuously improved. It has 68 substantial engineering design changes and about 380 total engineering design changes, so it’s become a modular system. It’s very accurate, it’s the most accurate of the carbines, it’s the lightest of the carbines, and it’s the shortest of the carbines. We’re very pleased with it, and we expect it to be the Army’s carbine of record, for a little while.”

Some interesting suppressed AKs, they look like AK-103’s but could be something else, and what is probably a Norinco CQ (M16A1 clone) or CQ-M4 (you guessed it, an M4 clone).

Although, I wouldn’t be surprised if these were airsofters (btw, I have nothing against airsoft).

One of the upgrades that may be coming in the future is a more reliable magazine. The test revealed that 239 of the 882 stoppages M4 suffered were magazine-related.

The hope is that upgrades, such as stronger springs, will increase the magazine’s ability to feed rounds more effectively, Radcliffe said. If all goes well in testing, the improved magazines could be ready by next spring.

Another upgrade under consideration is a “hammer-forged” barrel, Brown said.

I didn’t think that they were actually planning on replacing the M4 when they announced the testing. Even without magazine stoppages the M4 performed very badly.

DID has a very comprehensive article

“Even with extreme dust test III’s 98.6 percent success rate there was a total of 863 class 1 and 2 weapon/magazine stoppages with 19 class 3 stoppages. During extreme dust test II conducted during the summer, there were 296 total class 1 and 2 stoppages and 11 class 3 stoppages.

A class 1 stoppage is one a Soldier can clear within 10 seconds; a class 2 stoppage is one a Soldier can clear, but requires more than 10 seconds; and, class 3 is a stoppage that requires an armorer to clear.”

DID will simply point out that 10 seconds can be a rather fatally long time when people are shooting at you, and at your friends. So, what happens when the Extreme Dust Test III stoppages are broken out by weapon?

The M4 Carbine is the Army’s existing weapon.

* 882 jams, 1 jam every 68 rounds, again using heavy lubrication. In addition all 10 of the M4 barrels needed to be replaced, and a number of their parts were replaced during the test. None of the cold hammer forged HK416 and XM-8 barrels needed replacement.

The HK416 is a modified M4 carbine, which can be and has been converted from existing rifles. Used by US Special Forces.

* 233 jams, 1 jam every 257 rounds, 3.77x more reliable than the M4.

FN SCAR is US special Forces’ new weapon, designed by SOSOCM. It just went into production in late 2007.

* 226 jams, 1 jam every 265 rounds, 3.85x more reliable than the M4

XM-8 is a developmental rifle. It’s an advanced version of HK’s G36, a rifle in wide use by many NATO armies. The US Army cancelled the XM-8 weapons family 2 years ago.

* 127 jams, I jam every 472 rounds, 6.95x more reliable than the M4.

Hat Tip: Murdoc Online