Posted on 02/21/2014 3:26:13 AM PST by Timber Rattler
Army Senior Warrant Officer Russton B. Kramer, a 20-year Green Beret, has learned that if you want to improve your chances to survive, it’s best to personally make modifications to the Army’s primary rifle — the M4 carbine.
(snip)
Warrant Officer Kramer has been dropped into some of the most ferocious battles in the war on terrorism, from hunting Islamists in the mountains of northern Iraq to disrupting Taliban opium dealers in dusty southern Afghanistan. He was awarded the Silver Star for his bravery in Operation Viking Hammer to crush the terrorist group Ansar al-Islam in Iraq.
The warrant officer said he and fellow Special Forces soldiers have a trick to maintain the M4A1 — the commando version: They break the rules and buy off-the-shelf triggers and other components and overhaul the weapon themselves.
“The reliability is not there,” Warrant Officer Kramer said of the standard-issue model. “I would prefer to use something else. If I could grab something else, I would.”
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
The M4 looks cool but is unnecessarily short.
Almost no difference at all. Most M1As have cast receivers and aftermarket barrels but they are dependable, accurate, and solid like the originals.
Enjoy!
Better you than me, Laz!
I can agree with that.
As a friend once said to me, “you can always build a better mouse trap”. I’m a fan of the M4 and 5.56. I think so much of this debate and I think the gist of the article is, there’s better stuff out there. Even if we’re talking about modifying the existing platform, with better triggers, operating systems(mid length - pistons), and better ammo.
At the end of the day, the best thing about an AK is the operating system, which was copied from the Germans and used in the M14 and other .308 battle rifles back in the day.
Limited utility is fine, so long as you're using it within the bounds for which it works. (The F35's do everything
mentality for airframe is a contra-wise example of how having equipment too generalized makes for a poor tool for any specific task.) The PS-90 was originally developed for tank-crews (limited space) and support personnel (geared toward admin and simple/easy field-stripping and cleaning).
Thanks Chainmail!
I love the thing. Love the Garand too.
I learned to shoot on a Garand when I was a kid - an uncle of mine was a Pacific Marine, a gunnery sergeant.
My old man was Army Airborne in Europe.
My first three firearms that I ever touched a trigger on were a 1911, a Winchester 1897, and a Garand.
Love ‘em all. Like the modern stuff too, but there’s something wood and metal together that just MAKES the rifle...
“It’s time to put veterans with combat experience into weapon development programs over the civilian developers at Picatinny.”
Same goes for Natick Labs.
The Army is developing it’s what third combat uniform in ten years?
For years on end when I was on active duty we would rag on anyone wearing faded “cook whites” BDU’s, then the Army introduces the ACU that seems lighter in color than a bleached set of woodland BDU’s. Then there is the velcro with the loud “RIIIIPPP” when trying to get something out of your pocket.
Only an upstanding member would even notice this.
Or had BELIEVED the reports the scouts brought to Custer!
Mark.
But we need drones and GPS guided Ipads...
Will they have any problems when the citizens SHOOT BACK???
It’s a never-ending debate. One day we’re likely to see an argument between particle beam and plasma weapons on this forum.
Never found an AR10/15 or variant that could hold its water against a Springfield. Tried alot of them (cannot say I tried them all) and they were just not reliable in my book.
They all had their little quirks. Be it magazine, picky on what kinda ammo, could not handle dirt, barrel sensitive to being touched against something, soft touched primers, etc.
The Springfields all shot and operated with the same amount of reliability as long as the person did not try to “customize” and go all Rambutt with it.
Sorry, the Alphabet Brigade just chose wrong and liked the color black.
And what is wrong with “Baby Cakes”? That is a pretty name.
The transition to the short barreled M4 configuration, combined with wartime demand for sustained full auto, revealed some developmental issues that required attention. The Army ARDEC and Naval Surface Warfare Ctr applied some engineering corrections to slow the rate of fire, decrease heat buildup and increase magazine reliability, and addressed the issues with the M4A1. That variant was not fielded widely outside SOCOM until 2012, which is probably the larger story lost in the “M4 carbine sucks” propaganda.
556mm lethality is another constant point of contention, mostly brought up by those who have never shot anything with it other than paper. In moving to the 14.5” barreled M4 from the 20” M16A2, the issue M855 ammo no longer performed as well - you can’ t give up 5.5” of barrel and expect nothing will change, especially at extended ranges. But, troops love the carbine and greatly prefer the size and weight of the M4 to the M16 it replaced - and there is no free lunch.
Thus the development of heavier 68, 75 and 77gr projectiles with higher ballistic coefficients that perform better at range when fired from the M4 barrel, at least compared to 62gr M855, while retaining the light weight, accuracy and high probability of hit endemic to the M4.
After fielding the 762mm FN SCAR-H, SOCOM declined to adopt the 556mm version, maintaining it does not represent any significant improvement over the current generation M4 carbine. Keep in mind the SCAR was a clean sheet design, developed using the best engineering talent in the industry and incorporating hundreds of hours of dialogue with veteran combat riflemen.
The “craps where it eats” blather and most other criticisms of the M16 series are meaningless in view of the impossible to ignore reality that no weapons system offers the accuracy, light weight, lethality, speed of engagement and high probability of hit equal to Stoner’s design, which is why it’s been in continuous service around the world since 1962 and is the most popular semiauto rifle configuration in the history of the US commercial firearms industry.
If you insist on avoiding the gas impingement characteristic of the original design, there are excellent gas piston variants like the HK 416 that add weight and complexity while theoretically increasing reliability under certain conditions.
Is 762 more lethal? Sure. Is the M14/M1A more effective at longer ranges or through hard cover? Certainly. Is a Kalashnikov variant more reliable under the worst conditions? Arguably.
What none of that helps with is the fact than in a short to medium range rifle fight, the guy that hits first usually wins -and if the guy shooting at you has a 556mm rifle based on Eugene Stoner’s AR15, you are at a disadvantage armed with anything else.
I qualified expert with the M-14 rifle during basic. I marveled at the ease with which I could knock down a man size pop up target at 400 yards. The semi auto recoil is not bad at all. It is a great semi-auto battle rifle. But when you switch that piece to full auto, then it becomes an anti-aircraft gun after 2 rounds. The cartridge has too much power for the rifle’s weight on full auto.
The M1A is not shipped with a bayonet lug, but that is easily corrected by installing a pre assault weapon ban flash supressor. Early M1A receivers were made from surplus M14 receiver blanks, current M1A receivers are made from precision investment cast AISI 8620 alloy steel. The military M14 receivers were manufactured using the drop forge process, which is more complicated and more expensive. M1A’s lack a provision to mount the disconnector and selector lever, and the stock inletting for same. Oher than that I know of no substantive differences between the M-14 and the M-1A.
You got an excellent rifle there. Its a keeper.
The AK can be said to have the STG44 as an inspiration, but the M14 has the M1 Garand for inspiration. Operating system is nothing like an AK.
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