M-4 Woes
Gee I wonder which Remington Raider/REMF still thinks that the M-4 is an excellent system.
For civilian LE use it meets all requirements, as long as it is kept clean! The military is a different matter. They are out in the dirt, dust and mud all the time. The brass hats just need to show some LEADERSHIP, realize that they are making the same historic mistakes they made in Vietnam and get our Soldiers and Marines some good sturdy, reliable rifles, and get rid of that POS that Curtis LeMay and Robert MacNamara stuck us with.
Follow the lead of the Special Operations community. Yeah they've got long hair, and they operate on the fringe, but they are always in a fight and know what works and what doesn't, that experience is often paid with in blood.
I've got three AR-15's and I love them, but they are a pain in the butt to clean after extensive use. I was issued an M-16 in the Marines and again, great to shoot, a pain to clean. Not to mention because of the gas impingement system, you get the gas projected through the top of the upper to the rear gap between the upper and lower receiver and you get some residual gas going into the shooters eye. Not a big deal, just a minor annoyance. Besides I kind of like the smell of burning gun powder!
I've gotten spoiled with my Robinson XCR (gas operated, piston driven operating system). In my experience the fouling from 1500 rounds in the Robinson is equivalent to 100 in the M-16.
When it comes to cleaning, the XCR is a breeze. Clean off the piston system and bolt assembly with some Shooter's Choice solvent, scrub out the barrel, re-lube everything that needs lube and reassemble. 15-20 minutes tops!
The M-16, though easy to break down, requires the use of a "carbon scraper" (Not an issued item, I just purchased one last year for my own use.), gas tube "pipe cleaners" (I was never issued any long pipe cleaners), and a lot of Q-tips. We were only issued CLP and it takes a lot of that stuff to clean all that carbon that is embedded in the operating system (no knocks on CLP, it's pretty good stuff for what it is designed for but you really need solvent to quickly break down the carbon).
Why do we need to continue with the gas impingement system? Let's just send the stuff that is already in the system to LWRC, POF-USA, or HK and convert what we've got into what the Guys and Girls need! If the Brits have the good sense to do it why can't we?
Oh, and put some 50's and Mini-guns on that damn Osprey before you damn "Zeros'" get someone killed with that thing too! Please mark my words, that system has already cost a lot of blood and treasure, and it will cost even more before they finally get the kinks worked out.
All you guys in uniform LE, Fire, EMS, Army, Navy, Coasties, Air Force and especially Marines, you're all in my prayers, thanks for the work that you do. Merry Christmas, may the Lord Bless you and all those with you.
Semper Fi, apicasso31 (Former SGT USMC, 2/7 and 4th Recon)