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| Science & Technology |
| M4 to become USMC standard issue rifle |
| 2015-10-29 |
| MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. — It's official — the M4 carbine has replaced the M16A4 as the universal rifle of Marine Corps infantry. Commandant Gen. Robert Neller has signed off on the switch making the M4 the primary weapon for all infantry battalions, security forces and supporting schools no later than the end of September 2016, according to an internal memo released by Lt. Gen. Ronald Bailey, deputy commandant for Plans, Policies and Operations via the Automated Message Handling System. The recommendation was first made over the summer to then-commandant Gen. Joseph Dunford, and its final approval was one of Neller's first orders of business after succeeding Dunford Sep. 24, according to Marine Corps officials. |
| Posted by:badanov |
| #8 Most troops hold M-4 for their private firearm. It's much easier to maneuver with. |
| Posted by: newc 2015-10-29 17:39 |
| #7 Barrel length mostly. The M-4 has a shorter barrel than the M-16 and is much easier to get out of vehicles with and move around in buildings with. The downside is that the round has a lower fps and thus energy transfer to a target and shorter range than an M-16. The M-4 is also lighter. There are more technical details with gear and things you can hang off it, but that is the basic difference. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2015-10-29 14:03 |
| #6 Shorter (840 mm vs. 1003 mm) and lighter (3.4 kg vs. 3.99 kg loaded). Based on first-person review by a USMC family member, better for 'close quarters' (house to house; room to room) combat, but not as accurate at longer ranges due to the shorter barrel. |
| Posted by: Mullah Richard OTR 2015-10-29 14:03 |
| #5 What's the difference (M4 carbine v M16A4)? |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2015-10-29 12:20 |
| #4 M4 in .308 and we got ourselves a deal! |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2015-10-29 10:12 |
| #3 As for why not [various alternatives], well: A. At the end of the day, the USMC tail seldom wags the U.S. Army dog, unless it is truly unique to the USMC mission. B. Insufficient opportunities for graft on the procurement contracts. |
| Posted by: Nguard 2015-10-29 09:52 |
| #2 It's 2015 for goodness sake! Where are the caseless ammo firearms promised in 1960? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2015-10-29 03:09 |
| #1 Why not buy aks? |
| Posted by: chris 2015-10-29 00:11 |