The M4 has served the Army well overseas in the battlefield. It is a simple and accurate weapon and is one of the best weapons for all ground forces. The M4 dates back to the Vietnam war where they needed a small, light rifle instead of the M14. The M4 had a shorter than the M16A2 and have a collapsible stock and a 14.5 inch barrel.
Another favorite weapon of all ground forces is the M16 however though it was successful in earlier battles and had less recoil, it started getting lots of complaints when distributed in larger numbers to soldiers.
In the 1980’s the M16A1 was replaced with the M16A2 which had a thicker barrel and count fire at 3 round bursts. It also had a longer twenty-inch barrel.
In 2006 CNA Corporation report surveyed U.S. Army combat veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan and asked their opinions of the m4 carbine and 89% felt that it was most reliable in Combat.
Though the M4 and M16 are both great weapons, the Army is currently upgrading and working on any deficiencies of these weapons to continue to make them more reliable.
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