Colt M4

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
M4 carbine
M4 PEO Soldier.jpgM4 Carbine
with KAC hand protection and M68 CCO visor
general information
Civil name: Colt L6920
Military designation: Colt M4 Carbine 5.56mm
Country of operation: United States and others
Development year: 1991
Manufacturer country: United States
Production time: since 1994
Model variants: XM4, M4, M4A1,
M4A1 SOCOM
Weapon Category: Assault rifle
Furnishing
Overall length: 756 mm
Weight: (unloaded) 2.9 kg
Sight length : 112 mm
Barrel length : 370 mm
Technical specifications
Caliber : 5.56 × 45 mm NATO
Possible magazine fillings : 20, 30, 100 cartridges
Ammunition supply : STANAG magazine
Cadence : 850-900 rounds / min
Fire types: depending on model
Number of trains : 6th
Twist : 1: 7
Visor : changeable
Mounting system: MIL-STD-1930 rail
Closure : Turret lock
Charging principle: Gas pressure charger
Lists on the subject

The Colt M4 Carbine ( carbine ) is a short and light assault rifle with high adaptability for different combat situations. It was developed by the US company Colt from the end of the 1990s . Like the longer M16 rifles , it belongs to the group of weapons with the AR-15 system, but differs from them in a few important ways. Originally, the model was intended for use by special police forces and rear troops of the US Army , where it was to replace the M9 pistols of the NCOs and obsolete submachine guns . However, from the early 2000s onwards, it also became increasingly popular with soldiers on the front lines and special military units. In the meantime it has ousted most M16A2 and M16A4 models from frontline service with the US Army and US Marines . The model is repeatedly criticized for allegedly insufficient functional reliability.

history

After Colt had transferred the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite in 1964, the company tried to set its own accents with a model series based on the system of the AR-15 and to expand the range of products to include the M16 rifle. Colt's own series was named Colt Automatic Rifle 15 for short, CAR15 . CAR15 is often used as a collective name for all short AR-15-like weapons, as these were successful in contrast to Colt's IMG . The core of the first short CAR15 was an M16 with a barrel shortened from 20 to 15 inches, the mouth of which was directly behind the gas sampling block. Since the muzzle and gas outlet were too close to one another, the weapon system did not work reliably. This weapon was called the Model 605 in-house and, as Model 605B, was one of the first AR-15 models to have a 3-shot burst mode that could be selected in addition to safe, single and continuous fire .

In the following models, the gas extraction hole has been moved further back. In this way the barrels could be shortened even more. The regular model 607 with a 10-inch barrel, marketed by Colt as a submachine gun under the name CAR15 SMG , found little acceptance. In contrast to a real submachine gun, the Model 607 still fired the central cartridge 5.56 × 45 mm, which, in combination with the short barrel, caused an enormous muzzle bang . The Model 607 had an extendable piston , the shape of which was similar to the M16A1. Only the model 608, offered as the CAR15 survival rifle , was bought in small numbers by the US military and given to pilots who were supposed to use it to defend themselves in the event of a crash.

Navy SEAL with XM177E1-SMG

The breakthrough came in 1966 with the model 609, which was issued by the US Army as the XM177E1 to vehicle crews and special forces. This model had a sturdier round ribbed handguard and an extendable butt. The most important feature, however, is the moderator at the end of the also ten-inch barrel, which helped keep the muzzle bang and the enormous muzzle flash under control. It also distorted the gunshot noise so that the XM177E1 sounded more like an AK-47 than an M16. This weapon, which is still marketed as a submachine gun, was particularly popular with the MACV-SoG and other special units of the US armed forces in the Vietnam War . However, it was considered unreliable and it was criticized that neither grenade devices nor side guns could be attached. The US Air Force ordered an almost identical model with the Model 610 and introduced it as the GAU-5 / A. The only difference was that this version did not have the locking aid introduced with the M16A1. The XM177E1 and GAU5-A both had an extendable but non-adjustable piston made of aluminum with a belt mount on top.

In order to accommodate the required grenade device, Colt extended the barrel of the XM177E1 and created the model 629, a weapon with an 11.5-inch barrel to which a type XM148 grenade device could be attached. The US Army introduced this model as the XM177E2 and the US Air Force introduced the almost identical model 630 as the GAU-5A / A, again without a locking aid. From this point on, Colt used the term “Commando” instead of “SMG” for marketing the weapons. The XM177E2 was particularly popular with the soldiers of the MAC-V-SoG and other special forces, who appreciated the compactness in combination with the great firepower. However, it turned out to be a disadvantage that after a while the moderators became clogged with powder residue, lost their function and were difficult to clean. Also, a side gun could still not be attached to the XM177E2.

GAU-5A / A "Commando"
with A2 muzzle damper

After the end of the Vietnam War, most of the XM177E1 and E2 went to the US Air Force, which used them alongside their GAU-5A and GAU-5A / A. The worn moderators were exchanged for the flash hider of the M16A1, which again resulted in weapons with an enormous flash of muzzle. The US Air Force solution was to swap the original 10 and 11.5-inch barrels for new 14.5-inch barrels. At the same time, these were given the 1: 7 twist pitch for the new M855 / SS-109 NATO projectiles . The weapons created in this way were given the designation GUU-5 / P. It is debatable why 14.5 inches was chosen as the new length. Among other things, it is likely that the M-9 side rifle of the M16A1 could be used on weapons with a shortened gas system. When convertible "SMG" and "Commando" models ran out, Colt also supplied finished weapons in this barrel length, the models 650, 651, 652, 653, and called them "Carbine". However, the new longer barrels with a straight profile made it impossible to attach grenade devices. Later, however, many GUU-5 / P with M4 profile barrels were retrofitted with "Step Cut".

Since Colt had virtually taken the development of the M16A2 out of their hands by the US Marines in 1984, the company was looking for new products and sales markets. It concentrated primarily on the anti-terrorist police units that came into focus after the collapse of the Soviet Union . These required weapons that were as short as possible and suitable for use in confined spaces. Since the enormous muzzle bang was no longer due to the extension of the barrel to 14.5 inches, the Model 653 was taken as the basis and brought to the level of the M16A2. The weapon received the new sight with a horizontal range wheel, the A2 flash hider closed at the bottom and, depending on the version, a three-shot burst. The new weapons were marketed by Colt as "M16A2 Carbine", but never introduced as such to the US Army. Internally these weapons are called Model 723, 725, 726, 727 and 728. They enjoyed great popularity with special forces, and special forces of the US Army also used some of these weapons during Operation Gothic Serpent in Somalia , which is why these models are unofficially called Mogadishu Carbines " to be named. These weapons had pistons shaped like the XM177E1, but plastic was used instead of aluminum.

When the US Army was looking for a new weapon for rear troops after the experience of the invasion of Panama in 1990 and the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993, Colt offered an improved version of the Model 727, the Colt M4 Carbine. With the counting M4, the tradition of the M1 carbine from the Second World War should be linked. Since the M4 Carbine was also based on the AR-15 system, the same magazines could be used as on the M16A2, and some parts were interchangeable. However, the US Army insisted on further increasing the compatibility between M16A2 and M4. Since the development of Colt weapons had gone in different directions since the introduction of the M16A2, the request could only be fulfilled to a limited extent. The M4 Carbine differs from the M16A2 in that it has a different locking device, special cartridge feed ramps and a double heat shield in the hand protection.

M4 Carbine (Model 777) with 40mm grenade launcher

In 1994, the US Army tested the Colt Model 720 as the XM4 Carbine. This still had the fixed handle of the M16A2 and a three-shot burst mode, as required by the US Army. Later, the almost identical Model 777 was officially introduced as the US M4 Carbine 5.56mm . Colt supplied the US M4 Carbine to the US Army, but at the same time produced and sold the Colt M4 Carbine for the police and foreign sectors, where the model was offered in other versions with continuous fire instead of the three-shot burst. This fact causes a lot of confusion and disagreement to this day.

In order to further differentiate their M4 carbines from the M16A2 rifle, Colt worked with adapter rails and developed the Model 920, a weapon that carried a MIL-STD 1930 rail on the back of the case instead of the handle. Colt thus created one of the first modular handguns suitable for the masses. This was made possible because compared to other weapons design the AR-15 system run at the top slide ( English Upper Receiver ) is attached. This allows optics to be attached to this assembly without shifting the target point when shooting or dismantling the weapon. If an optic was not used, a removable variant of the M16A2 carrying handle provided could be mounted on the back of the housing. Since this was higher than the handle of the M16A2 due to the new rail connection, the front sight had to be increased, the higher front sight of the M4 Carbine was marked with an F. The Model 920, like the Model 777, was introduced to the US Army under the designation US M4 Carbine 5.56m m. In addition, US SOCOM introduced the Model 921 as US M4A1 5.56mm , which had continuous fire instead of the three-shot burst mode. Both new models also got an improved adjustable shoulder rest with a belt holder attached below, nevertheless many M4 carbines are still delivered with the old version to this day.

M4A1 with ACOG TA01, KAC handguard and assault handle

To further increase the modularity of the M4 Carbine, US SOCOM introduced the so-called SOP-MOD Block I and later the SOP-MOD Block II, this accessory package added a Knight's handguard to the MIL-STD-1930 rail on the weapon housing Armament Company , which carried additional accessory rails on four sides. In addition to optics for day and night combat, laser light modules, an assault handle, grenade device and protective plates (rail cover) were also supplied to protect the rails when not in use. With the MWS (Modular Weapon System), the army is introducing a similar system with a different scope of accessories. Today, however, gun accessories are mostly purchased individually and no longer grouped together in this form.

During the war on terror from 2001, the combat distance decreased drastically. For this reason, many US soldiers attacked in use for easier and more manageable M4 Carbine, the in -house fighting was much führiger than the M16A2. In addition, the M4A1 began to prevail in the US Army against the M4 Carbine with a three-shot burst. However, a new set of problems arose with this shift, as the M4A1 was not designed for permanent frontline use. This, along with a period of technical problems in Colt's production, created a heated controversy in the military and media. The problems reached their climax when an M4A1 was detonated during a US SOCOM mission that had been used for long periods of continuous fire. This meant that the US SOCOM introduced a M4A1 with a heavy barrel with the Model 921HB that in the art (mostly M4A1 SOCOM or M4A1HB English Heavy Barrel ) is called.

The climax of the controversy was the “Extreme Dust Test III” in 2007, in which the M4 Carbine performed much better than the other rifles of the NATO countries. The HK 416, the FN Scar-L, Colt M4 and the Famas F1 performed best. The M4 was best in terms of range, reliability, weight, and quality. The expansion joint installed by Colt Devense also reduces noise and recoil by 50%. Although the M4 was shorter than the other rifles, it scored well in terms of range and precision.

In 2009, the US Army bought the rights to the M4 Carbine from Colt and started an award process for the production of the weapon, which was won in 2013 by FN USA, which has been producing the M4A1 since then. The only difference to the US M4 Carbine and US M4A1 from Colt is a different logo, which shows the overlapping letters FN in an oval.

M16A1 Model 607 XM177E1 / GAU-5A XM177E2 / GAU-5A / A GUU-5 / P Model 727
"Mogadishu Carbine"
M4
model 777
M4
model 920
M4A1
Barrel length 20 inch 10 inches 10 inches 11.5 in 14.5 in 14.5 in 14.5 M4 profile 14.5 M4 profile 14.5 M4 profile
muzzle A1 muzzle damper little moderator Moderator Moderator A1 muzzle damper A2 muzzle damper A2 muzzle damper A2 muzzle damper A2 muzzle damper
casing A1 A0 A1 / A0 A1 / A0 A0 A2 A2 Flat top Flat top
Triangular Triangular short Round and ribbed Round and ribbed Round and ribbed Round and ribbed Round and ribbed Double heat shield Double heat shield Double heat shield
Shoulder rest M16A1

Belt holder below

Extendable, polymer

Belt holder below

Extendable, aluminum

Belt holder above

Extendable, aluminum

Belt holder above

Extendable, aluminum

Belt holder above

Extendable, polymer

Belt holder above

4-position, polymer

Belt holder above

6 position, M4

Belt holder below

6 position, M4

Belt holder below

Deduction group SFA SFA

SFA-3 (Model 607b)

SFA SFA SFA SFA SF-3 SF-3 SFA

(The abbreviations for the trigger groups mean S for safe, F for single fire , A for continuous fire ( automatic ) and 3 for 3-shot burst .)

function

M16A1,
M16A2,
M4A1,
M16A4

Basically, like the M16, the M4 Carbine works according to the principle of a direct gas pressure charger with a rotary head lock when the lock shoots open. However, like all other AR-15 models with a shortened gas system, the M4 has an increased charging process speed. This is due to the fact that the shorter gas pipe introduces a higher and more steeply rising gas pressure into the closure. Thereby, the burden of most moving parts increases, and the cadence increases from 700 (M16A1) at 850 rounds per minute. Because more gas is fed into the cap due to corrosion at the gas extraction hole, the rate can increase to 950 on old M4 carbine models. To continue to function reliably at the higher cadence, the M4 Carbine has additional Zuführrampen in the upper weapon housing, a reliable feeding of the cartridges from the magazine into the cartridge chamber allow. In addition, the closing spring has been expanded to include a buffer with additional weights. These three freely movable steel and tungsten carbide weights hit the breech from behind during the locking phase and thus prevent the breech from being temporarily unlocked by ricocheting off the cartridge chamber. In addition, M4 carbine models with three-shot burst mode have deeper recesses on the interrupter control gear, which give the interrupter more time to sufficiently engage.

equipment

The M4 Carbine is one of the first handguns to use a modular accessory system. Although other weapons had already received similar features, the Diemaco C7 was the first model with the AR-15 system to have an accessory rail on the upper bolt housing, but the M4 Carbine was the first weapon with an extensive accessory system to be issued to soldiers and is therefore considered to be Pioneer of an infantry weapon with modular accessories. Already for the M16 there was a small number of optics for day and night combat, but these had to be screwed into a hole in the handle and thus blocked the open sights . Since these optics often fogged up in the high humidity of the Vietnamese jungle, they were not particularly popular. The Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight (ACOG) from Trijicon , which appeared in the late 1980s, enjoyed great popularity as an optic for the M16A2 . Thanks to its four times magnification, it allowed the shooter to more easily attack targets farther away. On the carbine side, on the other hand, the emerging reflex sights from the Swedish company Aimpoint enjoyed great popularity at the end of the 1990s . The Aimpoint 2000 was often used on the Colt model 727 “Mogadishu Carbine”. Since these also blocked the mechanical sights and the newly emerging technology was not quite trusted, special assemblies were often screwed into the handle, which shifted the visor to the handguard, where it stood between the rear sight and the front sight in so-called co-witness. When attached in this way, the reflex sight only made it easier to find the open sight that was used for aiming from then on.

US ARMY MWS

When the M4 Carbine was converted from Model 777 to Model 920, it was given a new handle that could be removed so that optics could be attached directly to the back of the case. One of the first optics with the US troops was the Aimpoint Comp M2, which was officially introduced as the M68 CCO (Close Combat Optic). Special police units also appreciated the new option, but in addition to the products from Aimpoint, they also rely on the C-More Sight from C-More Systems. An adapter rail was also released later, which made it possible to attach the ACOG visors developed for the handle of the M16A2 to the MIL-STD-1930 rail of the M4 Carbine. However, since the front sight of the M4 Carbine was out of focus, this combination was not particularly popular. Since there was still fear of failure of the battery-powered M68 CCQ, so-called jumping sights were introduced that could be folded up if necessary.

US SOCOM SOP-MOD Block I

Another big step towards modularity was taken with the SOP-MOD Block I. This accessory package was developed by US SOCOM and contained specified weapon accessories. To accommodate this, Block I contained a new handguard for the M4A1 from Knight's Armament Company . This offered an additional MIL-STD-1930 rail at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock. The package included:

  • M68 CCQ, reflex sight with closed housing.
  • Trijicon RX01M4A1, reflex sight with free-standing lens.
  • Trijicon ACOG T01NSN, optics developed for the M16A2 with four times magnification.
  • AN / PVS-17A, small night combat sight
  • AN / PSQ-18A, day and night combat sights
  • foldable hole rear sight
  • AN / PEQ-4, small laser light module
  • AN / PEQ-15, multifunction laser light module
  • lamp
  • Knight's Armament Company muffler with quick-change system
  • vertical long assault grip made by Knight's Armament Company
  • US M203, underflow grenade device

In addition, special covers were issued for unused MIL-STD-1930 rails to protect them from damage if they are not fitted and to ensure more comfortable handling for the shooter. These plates imitate the design of the old round ribbed handguard of the M4 Carbine. With a slightly reduced and changed scope, the system was also introduced by the US Army as MWS (Modular Weapon System).

From 2006 and the following years, however, more and more accessories were procured privately by the US soldiers and mounted on the M4 Carbine. The new holographic visors from EOTech were particularly outstanding . Compared to reflex sights, these had the advantage that the reticle, which appeared clearer due to the holographic technology, offered additional holding points for fighting distant targets. In addition, full precision was guaranteed even when the reticle was on the edge of the optics. In addition, the accessories of the US company Magpul Industries enjoyed increasing popularity, whose angled or shortened storm handles gradually replaced the elongated design of Knight's Armament Company. The polymer magazines from Magpul also increasingly replaced the original Colt magazine made of sheet aluminum.

After SOP-MOD Mod Block I, US SOCOM introduced Block II. This consisted of a new hand guard from Daniel Defense. Unlike the handguard from the Knights Armament Company, this is not clamped between the front sight and the spring-loaded delta ring, but the front end of the M4A1 has been removed and replaced with a flat gas sampling block. The delta ring was also removed and the new handguard screwed to the front weapon housing. This new type of fastening offers several advantages. The MIL-STD-1930 rail sits more securely and holds the zero point of optics and laser modules better; the hand guard lets the barrel swing more freely, which increases the precision of the weapon; the new design offers an uninterrupted MIL-STD-1930 rail from the back of the case to the front end and is no longer interrupted by the delta ring. This enables visor combinations to be attached, in which a visor magnifier or night vision device can be placed in front of the actual optics. Since there is no front sight, either the foldable two-part open sight or a privately procured angled sight is used. Since these sights are not permanently in the line of sight, there is less irritation for the shooter when using magnifying optics. In addition, the Colt shoulder rest was exchanged for a marine version with a wider cheek rest, in which batteries for electronic weapon accessories can be stowed. The official scope of the SOP-MOD Block II includes:

  • BUIS II, two-part folding mechanical sights
  • EoTech 553, a holographic visor
  • Elcan SpecterDR 1–4 ×, a target sight with magnification-free close-range setting
  • Trijicon ACOG TA01 ECOS, a 4 × target sight with attached reflex sight (transitional)
  • AN / PVS-24, night combat sight
  • SU-232PAS, thermal imaging device
  • LA-5 / PEQ, laser light module
  • SU223 / PVS, lamp
M4A1 with attached CQBR

A particularly astonishing accessory of the SOP-MOD for the M4A1 was the Close Quarters Battle Receiver , or CQBR for short, something like “Confined spaces combat weapon housing”. It was a complete upper weapon case with an AR-15 system and a 10.3-inch barrel. This should be exchanged for the original upper housing of the M4A1 in order to have an even more manageable weapon for close range combat. So again a weapon was created based on the pattern of the earlier Colt "Commandos". However, in addition to the upper housing, the buffer of the locking device also had to be replaced, as the even shorter barrel increased the rate of fire to up to 950 s / m. As a result, a quick change was not as possible as originally planned. There were also problems with the muzzle bang in closed rooms. However, the concept of such a short weapon met with great interest from special forces and led to the development of the Mk.18 Mod 0. The correct name for an M4 carbine equipped with the CQBR is "M4 / w CQBR" (M4 with CQBR).

Cultural influence

From the late 1990s onwards, the M4 became more and more popular, as public interest in special police forces increased. From the 2000s, the weapon was seen in some influential action films and the then newly emerging video games in the tactical shooter category ( e.g. Counterstrike ). This helped the M4 Carbine to become widely known. This notoriety often meant that all short weapons with the AR-15 system were incorrectly referred to as M4.

criticism

At the beginning of the 2000s, the M4 Carbine was exposed to particularly harsh criticism, since from this point onwards the model was used more and more for frontline use in Iraq and Afghanistan , for which it was never actually designed. In addition, the events occurred within a timeframe in which Colt was experiencing some technical problems. In addition, the M4A1 was used by US SOCOM on some special missions, one of which resulted in an M4A1 detonating. The reason for this is suspected to be overheating. The Colt Model 921HB was developed and introduced as a temporary solution. The heavier barrel should delay overheating and provide better precision. This version of the M4A1, which did not have its own official name, is usually referred to in the specialist literature as M4A1 SOCOM or M4A1 HB. Since the heavy barrel is thicker only below the handguard, an M4A1 SOCOM can hardly be distinguished from a regular M4A1 from the outside. Shortly afterwards, US SOCOM started the SCAR program to determine a successor to SOCOM M4A1. This tender was won by the FN SCAR -L, which was introduced as the Mk.16. However, US SOCOM later decided to retire the Mk.16 models because the weapon did not offer enough advantages over the M4A1 with its heavy barrel.

The US Army, however, was satisfied with the original M4A1. However, there was massive criticism from outside, which is why several "Extreme Dust Tests" (German "Extreme Flugsandtests") were carried out. In the third test, the M4 Carbine came off as the worst weapon. Among other things, this led to the speculation in the trade press for months as to which model could become the successor to the M4 Carbine. In addition, some companies jumped up and offered new developments as the successor to the M4 Carbine, but the results of the third air-jet test differed greatly from the first two, and an investigation by Colt showed that the models from the other companies were all new weapons and the M4 Carbine was represented by a used weapon from the US Army. The other three weapons tested were the XM-8 lightweight assault rifle , the MK-16 combat assault rifle, and the HK-416 carabine .

Civil variants

With the LE6920 (Law Enforcement) Colt offers a semi-automatic version with a 16-inch barrel for authorities and private individuals in the USA, as owning a gun with a barrel under 16-inch long in the USA requires additional permits. In addition to the LE6920 with a 16-inch barrel, there is also a version with an authentic M4 carbine 14.5-inch barrel, at the end of which a flash hider is permanently welded in order to legally reach 16 inches. With the "Military Collector M4", FNH USA offers a semi-automatic version of the M4 Carbine with a welded flash hider for collectors.

Imitations

Israeli soldier with Model 653, but
often referred to as M4

Because of the enormous popularity of the M4 Carbine, in addition to the official manufacturers Colt and FNH USA, other companies are also trying to throw similar products onto the military, governmental and civilian markets. Most companies assume a license for the Colt AR-15 or M16A2 rifle and imitate weapons with crude M4 carbine features. However, features such as the enlarged feed ramps or the increased “F” grain carrier are often missing. Before Colt lost the legal dispute with Heckler & Koch over the naming rights to the "M4", these models were often sold under slightly different names such as "N4" (Noveskee). After the term "M4" was declared by a US court to be not protected by trademark law, a large number of models called M4 came onto the market. However, these have nothing to do with the US M4 Carbine or the Colt M4. Often, countries with low military budgets resort to these weapons. The armed forces of Georgia officially introduced the XM-15 from the Bushmaster company as the M4 Carbine. Some Colt models are also incorrectly referred to as M4 carbines, such as the Colt Model 653 used in Israel .

Web links

Commons : M4  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

literature

  • Günter Wollert, Reiner Lidschun, Wilfried Copenhagen : small arms . (1945-1985). In: Illustrated encyclopedia of rifles from around the world . 5th edition. tape 1 + 2 . Brandenburgisches Verlagshaus, Berlin 1988, ISBN 3-89488-057-0 , weapons, p. 464-469 .
  • R. Blake Stevens & Edward C. Ezell: The Black Rifle, M16 Retrospective . 2nd Edition. Collector Grade Publications, Ontario 1992, ISBN 978-0-88935-115-8 (English).
  • Christopher R. Bartocci: Black Rifle II: The M16 into the 21st century . 1st edition. Collector Grade Publications, Ontario 2004, ISBN 0-88935-348-4 (English).
  • Gary Paul Johnston & Thomas B. Nelson: The World's Assault Rifles . 1st edition. Ironside International Publishers, Alexandria 2010, ISBN 978-0-935554-00-7 (English).
  • J. Kenneth Edward: Elite Volume 208 US Marine Corps Recon and Special Operations Uniforms & Equipment 2000-15 . Osprey Publishing, Oxford 2016, ISBN 978-1-4728-0678-9 (English).

Individual evidence

  1. LE6929. Retrieved November 7, 2018 .
  2. a b c d e f g Christopher R. Bartocci: Black Rifle II: The M16 into the 21st century . 1st edition. Collector Grade Publications, Ontario 2004, ISBN 0-88935-348-4 (English).
  3. a b c d e f J. Kenneth Edward: Elite Volume 208. US Marine Corps Recon and Special Operations Uniforms & Equipment 2000-15 . 1st edition. Osprey Publishing, Oxford 2016, ISBN 978-1-4728-0678-9 (English).
  4. a b c d e f g R. Blake Stevens, Edward C. Ezell: The Black Rifle, M16 Retrospective . 2nd Edition. Collector Grade Publications, Ontario 1992, ISBN 978-0-88935-115-8 (English).
  5. Günter Wollert, Reiner Lidschun, Wilfried Copenhagen: small arms . 5th edition. tape 2 . Brandenburgisches Verlagshaus, Berlin 1998, ISBN 3-89488-057-0 , weapons, p. 466, 468 .
  6. FWA Hobart: The submachine gun. The story of a fully automatic weapon . 1st edition. Motorbuch, Stuttgart 1974, ISBN 3-87943-324-0 .
  7. ^ A b c Gordon L. Rottman: US MACV-SOG Reconnaissance Team in Vietnam . In: Warrior . 3. Edition. tape 159 . Osprey Publishing, Oxford 2011, ISBN 978-1-84908-513-7 (English).
  8. Sopmod II description. Retrieved November 7, 2018 .
  9. Army tests carbines for the third time in extreme dust US Army article by Paul Boyce (FORSCOM) dated December 17, 2007. Retrieved on August 4, 2020. (English)
  10. M-4 Carbine Has High Soldier Confidence Despite Test Article of the US Army by JD Leipold from December 18, 2007. Accessed August 4, 2020. (English)
  11. ATF Rul. 2011-4. Retrieved November 8, 2018 .
  12. ^ Georgian Army . Georgian Army. Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved June 25, 2007.