Posted on 04/27/2015 1:14:39 PM PDT by DJ Taylor
The Army is asking the gun industry to build new components for its soldiers' primary weapon — the M4 carbine — a move that experts say is a tacit admission that the service has been supplying a flawed rifle that lacks the precision of commercially available guns.
At a recent Capitol Hill hearing, an Army general acknowledged that the M4's magazine has been responsible for the gun jamming during firefights.
On the federal government's FedBizOpps.gov website, the Army announced a "market survey" for gunmakers to produce a set of enhancements to essentially create a new model — the "M4A1+." It would include a modular trigger, a new type of rail fitted around a "free floating" barrel and other parts. The upgrade is supposed to improve the rifle's accuracy and reliability.
The Army last year took the significant step of beginning to convert the basic M4 into the special operations version, the M4A1, with a heavier barrel designed to better withstand the heat of rapid fire.
The Washington Times reported in 2014 on confidential prewar tests that showed the barrel was prone to overheating. The Times also quoted active-duty soldiers who said the M4 is inferior based on their experience in battle. A Green Beret said he takes the extraordinary step of rebuilding his M4A1 on the battlefield by using components from other gunmakers — technically a violation of Army regulations.
Retired Army Maj. Gen. Robert Scales, an artillery officer and decorated Vietnam combatant, is one of the M4's most vocal critics. He also believes the 5.56 mm M855A1 ammunition — an environmentally sensitive, or "green," round — is wrong for the gun.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Amazingly simple = approaching what people using FALs, AKs and other piston guns have had for decades. :P
The AK74 is not my favorite rifle ... well, except for my target .22 magnum bolt gun from Marlin.
Perhaps, but it is stupidly easy to clean and ridiculously reliable - two things the AR just isn’t.
It’s also gas piston drive, just like the FAL, Garand and pretty much every other great battle rifle since the first World War.
I used to have a Swedish Ljungman semi-auto in 6.5X55.
It was a real oddball and I am not sure I ever really figured out how it worked. It used a direct impingement gas system well before the AR-15.
It’s magazine was intended to stay with the rifle and was very heavy duty, but looking at it you could see how easy it would have been to change to 20 or 30 round magazines. The magazines were already easy to remove tho I have no idea why.
It frankly looked a little clunky but you forgot that when you shot it. It was as sweet shooting as any rifle I have ever fired and also unusually accurate. At 50 yards with the open sights, I could put them all in one large hole.
The gas system could be regulated and not just two or three notches. It had a lot of adjustment. When I got mine it was throwing Norma brass around 20 feet so I closed it one notice and that made it throw them only around 10 feet. Probably could have closed it another notch and still been reliable.
To repeat the most important thing. “It was a sweet shooter”.
You had an Egyptian copy then, right? The dialable gas system was an Egyptian addition according to the youtube history of the rifle. But it is a cool design!
I had an Egyptian one too but it was in 8mm Mauser. I still remember adjusting the 6.5X55 model made in Sweden. It even came with a tool similar to the tool I had used in College to remove spikes from my track shoes.
Both models were sweet shooting.
The more I think about it, I am beginning to doubt my memory. Maybe it was the Egyptian one and in my memory I changed them.
I do remember the tool quite well and it seems it does go with the Egyptian one.
But what an innovative design it was! No doubt Stoner took the lessons.
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