[Jeff Chandler]

Out of 54 soldiers surveyed on the M-4, 27 stated that their M-4 carbine has malfunctioned, although Dean noted that the question was not specific to Afghanistan.

Man, oh man! Isn't it time that the military gave up on the M16 and its cousins? I've been hearing this stuff about it for decades. It seems as if it's just too tempermental for actual combat situations.

Any other views on this?

[LibKill]

The M-16 has been through three or four upgrades, it still isn't very good.

My own suggestion would be to go to an AK type weapon. With one M-14 per fire team, for long-distance work.

If that is too complicated, then just bring back the M-14.

[Little Bill]

Isn't it time that the military gave up on the M16 and its cousins

I carried the 14 for half of my first tour, 65/67, never had a prblem with it, a little dusting fire every time. We were issued the 16, the damned thing would jam if you looked at it.

For the remainder of my first tour and all of my second, after they solved the jamming problem, LOL, five minute break clean bolt and chamber, at night dig in, clean ammo and rifle.

[Shooter 2.5]

You're the first person that I ever heard of that liked the M-60. I'm happy to hear that they changed all of the mistakes they made with it. Those mistakes were the bipod attached to the barrel so if you changed the barrel the bipod had to be changed also. There was one part that could be installed backwards. The belt was loose without any bag or drum to keep the rounds out of the mud. There was no asbestos glove that was issued to replace the barrel. This is what I had read and I don't have any experience with one.

[earplug]

The failure to feed are caused by bent/worn out magazines. Aluminum feeding lips do not hold up well over time. Drop a full magazine and 90% of the time it land on its feed lips. Our lack of training and lack of funds do not stress replacing the magazines.
EX Master Gunner. School trained Gunsmith.

[archy]

Man, oh man! Isn't it time that the military gave up on the M16 and its cousins? I've been hearing this stuff about it for decades. It seems as if it's just too tempermental for actual combat situations.

Any other views on this?

It'll likely do so lonng as we continue to use brass or other metallic-cased cartridge ammunition. When things finally go to a caseless or plastic caed, internally-primed ammunition, maybe better suited to coaxial/helical feed systems like the 50 and 100-round Calico magazines, we can neatly evade the remaining problems from the M16 design like a bad hangover best forgotten....

We're not near there yet, though the near-adoption of the unproven H&K caseless G11 system by the combined East-West German forces was a once-bright possibility. But it's coming, and until then, the M16 and Kalishnikov leftovers of the XX Century will do.