Army Taps Industry for M4 Replacement

Military.com ^ | 17 Sept 08 | Christian Lowe

[LSUfan]

In a move that could reverse years of Army small arms policy, the service is asking industry to send in ideas for a new combat rifle that could replace the M4 carbine.

In late August, the Army issued a solicitation to the arms industry asking companies to submit proposals that would demonstrate "improvements in individual weapon performance in the areas of accuracy and dispersion ... reliability and durability in all environments, modularity and terminal performance."

And in a dramatic gesture that could throw the door wide open to a totally new carbine, the service did not constrain ideas to the current 5.56mm round used in the M4.

[Perdogg]

rechamber the weapon to fire 6.5mm grendal.

[null and void]

"the service did not constrain ideas to the current 5.56mm round used in the M4."

I wonder if they will go for carrying more ammo, or for carrying more effective ammo?

[WayneS]

How about going back to the M-14? or M1A?

[Abathar]

IBTCA

(In Before The Caliber Arguments)

[Yo-Yo]

YES! Let’s start with the HK416 as a baseline. Controls and magazines compatible with existing weapons to minimize retraining, short stroke piston operated for improved reliability over direct gas impingement, and able to accept all current M4 accessories.

Do it!

[Domandred]

An effective replacement is probably already available either in prototype or planning stages from some manufacturer, but knowing the US Government huge amounts of money will have to be spent developing from scratch something that ends up not being as capable as something already available.

[absolootezer0]

that or the sig556. basically the same thing. accepts m16/ar15 mags, some accessores.

[Bailee]

I'll take a dozen or so of the obsolete M4. You can throw in a truck load of ammo for my troubles.

Some of them M995 rounds would be nice. Don't really nead them tracer rounds.

[section9]

Here, I have a simple idea:

Stop's 'em cold every time. Can't beat the Garand for range, either. And I hear that it can take a licking and keep on ticking!

Best,

Chris

[ajwharton]

Again? We have been doing this dance for years.

Easiest fix is replace the direct gas impingement system with a gas-piston system (a la the AK). POF has a nice implementation of this, and make sure that the standard M855 ammo is replaced with the Mk262 mod1 77gr 5.56 ammo. This would increase both the reliability and the lethality of the system while maintaining almost 100% of training and some 80% of parts.

Other than that, we could go for something exotic, like the SCAR system or just wait for the Phased Plasma Rifle in the 40-watt range.

[ajwharton]

Another H&K fanboy! (let the flame commence!)

[jim_trent]

Ummm.....thats not the Garand. You know that, right?

[starlifter]

Once we complete prototype testing of the miniaturized flux capacitor, we'll be able to field a should fired plasma weapon at 75 watts or higher.

[Snickersnee]

John Garand = M1 rifle. “Carbine” Williams = M1 carbine.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

bkmk

[section9]

Yah, that’s the Carbine, I know.

But everything goes back to John Garand’s original template.

Best,

Chris

[Rinnwald]

“Ummm.....thats not the Garand. You know that, right?”

It’s not the Abrams tank either. The Army used “M-1” a few times too many.

Nice carbines, though.

[LSUfan]

Would like to see them go for this or the HK 416/417

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

bkmk