[Doohickey]

I don’t recall an M14 carbine. Please educate me.

[BushMeister]

There are two main issues here: 1- terminal ballistics (what happens when the bullet hits the enemy, or an obstruction in front of the enemy) and 2- reliable function of the rifle/carbine.

As currently configured, an M855 bullet coming out of a 14.5" - 16" barrel from a weapon 4-7 X more prone to jam than other models is simply unacceptable.

Short term: issue heavier/longer rounds more likely to fragment from M4 carbines, with 69-77 grain bullets (as some SF are already using). Medium/long term: a new caliber (115 grain or less bullet, to use the 6.8 SPC as a benchmark) fired from a more reliable operating system.

We owe it to our soldiers and Marines to get this right.