If that's correct, the decision to take away this weapon is even more bizarre. It does need much less attention than the M4'
Also what is the timetable for the introduction of the new 6.8 MM Remington round, designed to improve the M16's longrange lethality. Does anyone know? If I interpret correctly, present rifles can be re-chambered for it without much problem. Anyone know?
The big difference is instead of the hot gases and dirt being vented directly into the receiver to push the action back, there is a gas piston inside the front handguard. That way the hot gases and dirt don't get blown back inside the receiver into all the working parts, they just exit into the air through the handguard. The receiver parts stay clean and cool and oiled. It's a simple, subtle change borrowed from the Kalashnikov, which is proven to work better when dirty or without maintenance. So you get the best of both worlds; you get the elegant, accurate M4 with AK reliability.
But hey, let's not upgrade the rest of them, let's go back to the devil we know.
Someone may have already touched on this, but you are correct. The 416 uses the same exact lower receiver, stock assembly, and magazine as the M-16/M-4.
The only thing that gets changed out is the upper reciever assembly which will be the same thing that happens IF and when the Army goes with the 6.8mm round. That is a big if since we would have to get NATO on board to do that because the current 5.56mm is the NATO standard for rifles.