Posted on 07/29/2015 6:40:26 AM PDT by w1n1
Marine leaders have made the momentous recommendation to ditch the iconic M16 in favor of the M4 carbine as the new universal weapon for infantrymen.
The recommendation to swap the venerated rifle that has served as the grunt’s primary implement of war since Vietnam now sits on the commandant’s desk, pending his final review and a decision. But, the swap appears imminent and if approved will relegate the M16 to a support role. It follows a similar shift already underway in the Army.
With the endorsement of several major commands already supporting the switch — including Marine Corps Combat Development Command; Combat Development and Integration; Plans, Policies and Operations; Marine Corps Systems Command; and Installations and Logistics — final word is possible in weeks or months.
“The proposal to replace the M16A4 with the M4 within infantry battalions is currently under consideration at Headquarters Marine Corps,” according to a jointly written response from the commands provided by Maj. Anton Semelroth, a Marine spokesman in Quantico, Va. Read the rest of the story here.
We trained and qualified with the M14 at Quantico. By then, 1968, the M16 was already in the fleet.
I’ve got a lot of bayonets and knives, but nothing like that...I only go back to WWI....
When they stopped having master gunsmiths making their Pythons is when they screwed the pooch.
Now THAT was an ARMY.
Based on everything I’ve read (a lot of it on FR), the military should adopt ADCOR A-556 Elite. I was proven the far superior weapon in military trials before the trials were suspended and the weapon itself makes so much sense it’s hard to argue against it.
Yeah....they did like their boy companions, didn’t they?
Along with my 1911 .45 I carried an Ithaca 12gauge with shortened barrel in Vietnam. This violated Marine Corps doctrine of officers to carry weapons only for personal protection. As far as I was concerned it WAS for my personal protection! I never had to use it, thankfully.
Sounds like you're just old. Me too! LOL!
Great! That should free them up to be sold into the civilian market. ;-)
I think the point is to dump the 556 round for the more potent 30 cal round.
While waiting for my MOS school to start, in Little Creek, VA., I was on sh!t detail for almost two months.
One of the best details I had, however, was training ship crews on the M14! They still had the M14’s on ship and had to have a refresher course (I’m assuming annually). So, they sent me and three other Marines to show them how to shoot the weapons with accuracy.
I LOVED that weapon! I would have traded my M16 for an M14, ANY DAY!
The Ithaca was a wonderful shotgun. have a Deerslayer from that era.
Bottom ejection.
No, those were the Greeks.
I’ve seen some stuff on TV that speaks differently.....
is there a side by side comparison?
How do you come to that conclusion when the article is about replacing the M-16 with the M-4 — both 5.56 caliber — and never says anything about a .30 cal in any context whatsoever?
Bingo! Will go anywhere with my M1 and Saiga 12.
There has been much talk about replacing the 556 round with the 308 round, in the military, since the 556 stopping power drops off significantly at distances.
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