Enemies all around, getting closer and closer, and your trusted weapon
malfunctions leaving you defenseless. This is the reason the US Army hates the M4.
This was the case for US troops on July 13, 2008 when they faced weapon malfunctions
during an attack on the relatively new US outpost near the village of Wanat,
located in Afghanistan’s province of Kunar that borders the Pakistani border.
Nearly 200 Afghan insurgents attacked the outpost and an unknown number of militants
got inside. In one reported case Staff Sgt. Erich Phillips recounted that his M4 carbine
jammed after which he quickly grabbed a machine gun, but that didn’t work either.
This resulted in the deadliest attack on US forces in three years. But why did this happen?
While the M16 was the preferred firearm for U.S. troops since the Vietnam war, the M4/M4A1 5.56mm
Carbine is now the standard issue firearm for most units in the U.S. military. The latest
member of the M16 family, the M4 Carbine is a lightweight, gas operated, air cooled, magazine
fed, selective rate, shoulder fired weapon. So how does the M4 differ from the M16? First,
the M16 has a standard barrel length of 16 inches, while the M4 comes in with a barrel length of 14.5
inches standard. This made the rifle lighter (among other things) and led to the adoption of
the M4 over the M16 in the mid 90’s. Secondly, while both rifles accept any standard STANAG
magazine, (like G.I. Mags, P-Mags, Lancer, DD) the M16 usually has a solid stationary stock,
while on the M4, the stock is usually collapsible. A third difference is in the gun’s design.
The standard M16 came with a handle on the top, used for carrying purposes
and even mounting specialized shooting glass. Now, the M4’s usually come flat-topped with some sort
of rail system (M1913 Picatinny, Key-mod, M-Lock), making it more apt for tactical applications.
For decades, the army has known that the M16 rifle and M4 carbine are both plagued by the same flawed
operating system that makes the weapons jam easily. On top of that, a major issue with the
M4 is a defect that allows it to discharge a round without actually pulling the trigger. Despite the
higher-ups knowing about these flaws, the US army still chose to purchase an additional 66,450 M4s.
But what about the troops on the ground? Are they happy with the weapon?
In a survey conducted by the Center of Naval Analysis,
917 Soldiers who used the M4 carbine in combat reported an 89-percent
overall satisfaction in the weapon although only 80 percent reported confidence that the M4 will
fire without malfunction in combat. The report adds that “Those who attached accessories to their
weapon were more likely to experience stoppages, regardless of how the accessories were attached”
While those numbers may not be the worst, would you be confident going into combat with a 19%
chance your weapon would malfunction at some point?
In the news and articles, we often hear a weapon "jammed" or some such non-descript statement
that tells us nothing more besides the fact that your rifle didn’t fire.
So, before we get into specific firing flaws of the M4 Carbine, let’s talk about some types
of ways a weapon can malfunction. To be able to correct malfunctions and, more importantly,
prevent them, the operator must be able to identify why these occur. To do so,
soldiers are trained to look for specific factors that contribute to malfunctions.
Failure to properly load your firearm is the most common cause of malfunctions. In most cases this
comes about due to an improperly loaded magazine, with the most common mistake being putting 31
rounds in a 30 round magazine, preventing it from seating well. If you do hammer the extra round in,
it will do damage to the feed lips which can cause the rifle to malfunction on the first shot
due to the extreme pressure on the bottom of the bolt carrier by that 31st round.
Faulty magazines will also lead to the same problem as a weak spring will mean that the
round cycling process will malfunction. This can cause “double feeds” where a live round
is trying to occupy the same space as a spent cartridge that was not extracted
or a “true double feed” where two live bullets are pushed into the chamber at the same time.
WE don’t have to mention how unsafe this is.
These malfunctions can also happen due to a bad extractor/ejector,
not enough lube, or even a defect in some gas operating weapons not cycling all the way.
This is why a firearm should be treated like a machine or a car-
proper maintenance should be performed at every opportunity to function optimally in different
circumstances. Environmental factors, like cold temperature, outside influences like sand or salt,
and high humidity can wreak havoc on any machine. In these situations,
weapons maintenance schedules must be modified, and Preventative Maintenance
performed more frequently. As each environment poses different challenges,
to ensure a gun runs well you have to adapt how you take care of each piece of the weapon system
Another important but less common factor that leads to malfunctions is the quality of ammo.
Using improperly manufactured or environmentally damaged ammunition
is inevitable but we don’t see it happen as modern ammo storage and manufactury usually prevent this.
Despite malfunctions, the M4/M16 family is both praised and criticized for its current
performance in the field. Recognizing issues with the weapon, the Army is pursuing a two-phase PIP
or Product Improvement Proposal plan to keep the M4 carbine inventory strong. Phase I upgrades the
Army’s M4s to the Special Forces’ M4A1, while Phase II explores future improvements for the
M4A1 Carbine to deliver enhanced reliability, durability, ergonomics and zero retention.
The military is conducting extensive testing of the M4 carbine to identify major issues with the
weapon, so improvement can be made accordingly. In recent years, the M4 finished dead last or
close to dead last in multiple competitions testing its reliability on the field.
Even in competitions where special ammo and magazines were used to make the weapon
shine. The Army abruptly stopped the process once again, stating that they would only switch
to another weapon platform if they could prove the new gun would be twice as good as the M4.
The M4 has a reputation as an excellent weapon- if you can maintain it. Failure
to maintain the weapon meticulously can lead to jams, especially in sandy or dusty environments.
The original military order for the Colt manufactured M4 Carbine in the mid 1900s
was a small-scale order, to equip units who would otherwise have relied on less accurate
9mm submachine guns. The direct development and sole-source contract status raised little fuss,
and subsequent contracts also raised little scrutiny.
So, why do many feel the M4 has failed the American troops?
Extended combat in dusty, sandy environments that highlighted the weapon’s weak points
as well as its comparative strengths, leading to escalating volumes of complaints.
This has been made more obvious by the emergence of alternatives that preserve those strengths,
while addressing those weak points and what many perceive as a waste of money on the M4 program.
With both praise and complaints for the rifle, the Army Times magazine tackled
the controversial Carbine using results from the 2003 Project Manager Soldier’s Weapons
Assessment Team’s report and concluded that: “The executive summary said that M16s and M4s
“functioned reliably” in the combat zone as long as “soldiers conducted daily operator maintenance
and applied a light coat of lubricant.” However, to soldiers with their lives on the line,
reliability standards are of utmost importance. A faulty weapon in combat can mean the difference
between returning home safely or in a body bag. A 3rd Infantry Division soldier said “I know it
fires very well and accurate [when] clean. But sometimes it needs to fire dirty well too.”
Another soldier from the 25th Infantry Division said “The M4 Weapon in the deserts of Iraq and
Afghanistan was quick to malfunction when a little sand got in the weapon.
Trying to keep it clean, sand free was impossible while on patrols or firefights.”
While a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment had this to say ”Even with the dust cover
closed and magazine in the well, sand gets all inside; on and around the bolt. It still fires,
but after a while the sand works its way all through the gun and jams start.”
Getting so much heat from issues with the Carbine, the Army had to act and do something about it.
Since the weapon’s introduction, the Army has already made over 90 performance “Engineering
Change Proposals” to the M4 carbine, with improvements being made to the trigger assembly,
extractor spring, recoil buffer, barrel chamber, magazine and bolt. Ergonomic
changes were also made to allow soldiers to tailor the rifle according to their needs.
For example, the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has been using the M4A1 AR15 style
firearm variant since 2005. Features of this variant include the RIS II picatinny quad rail,
a handrail with one of the more heavy-duty mounts that is said to not decrease performance.
As The US Special Operations Command frequently uses the M4 Carbine’s SOPMOD version,
their Delta Force turned to German defense company, Heckler & Koch, for a fix that would
preserve the M4 but remove problems that lead to heat build-up and gas from its operating mechanism
that dries out some lubricants and opens the way for sand damage. H&K replaced Colt’s “gas-tube”
system with a short-stroke piston system that eliminates carbon blow-back into the
chamber and reduces the heat problem created by the super-hot gasses used to cycle the M4.
Other changes were made to the magazine, barrel, etc. The final product was an M4 with a new upper
receiver and magazine, plus H&K’s 4-rail system of standard “Picatinny Rails” on the top, bottom,
and both sides for easy addition of anything a Special Operator might require.
With much room for improvement, it is clear why so many soldiers actually hate the M4 Carbine.
Despite having gained a reputation for malfunctioning, it isn’t likely
the US military will be phasing out this rifle anytime soon- hopefully,
appropriate changes will be made to the M4 Carbine, making it a more reliable rifle that
will back soldiers and work when needed the most. Dying for one’s country is a noble thing but dying
on a technicality and error shouldn’t happen. After the flawed M4, let’s up the ante and go
for some more firepower- check out the Most Lethal Modern Military Weapons