How accurate is an M4 carbine?

Ive heard from various people that its very reliable and is pretty much the standard weapon for an infantryman but i want to get an opinion from someone who knows their firearms. I read online that the U.S. Air Force was going to transition completely to the M4 Carbine so it must be pretty good.

what are your opinions?

Never used it, but I hear its reliable and accurate... had a heating issue when used on auto for 1 mag+ but its supposed to be fixed now... Other then that, its supposed to be a squared away weapon with now the round to go with it.. Carbon scoring like on the SA80 was an issue for jamming, which is now fixed.... Id be happy with one, if I was rethreading back into the mix...

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"Barrel High, Powder Dry!"

"Illic est haud effrego ex Veneratio"

As far as assault rifles go I think the M4 is one of the best. If it is zeroed properly it is extremely accurate. The rails on it are plus as it gives you a steady platform for accessories like red dot scope, sure fire etc.. The weight of the weapon is not too unbearable and it is compact for close quarter combat. Mine saved my life more than once in Iraq. The only thing is, I wish it fired a heavier round. The 5.56 round is lethal but my experiance has been that you usually need more than one round to drop someone. If we had a heavier round it would be perfect. Take care of it, keep it clean and oiled properly and it will do the trick!

I never fired one but my son loves the weapon. He likes it so much that he bought a civilian version for his own use. He's a Ranger & that's the weapon they use almost exclusively. He's never had a problem with either one & has put many rounds down range.

If the Air Force has approved it that says a lot. My brother-in-law was in the Air Force during the transition to the M-16 & he said the AF is very selective with their firearms & did exhaustive tests & when the found a defeciency they had the manufacturer make changes before it was accepted.

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Proud Dad of a US Army Ranger SSG-Former 3/75 Rangers, 2/334-95 USAR at present
US Navy 1960-1966 Submarine Service, Navy Diver-UDT 21
US Army 1980-2001 Airborne Infantry,G3, Army Instructor, Commo Instructor Company 1SG
Retired 1SG/MSG
I was a Soldier. I am a Soldier. I will always be a Soldier.

The M4 Carbine, like my AR-15, has a maximum effective range of 600 yards. You can push that with the right optics and certain barrels, but the US military's piece is going to sit pretty at that 600 yard mark.

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SI VIS PACEM PARA BELLUM

Apparently 89% of soldiers who used the M4 reported confidence in it. but 55% requested it to be lighter. It also overheats faster than the M16A2 but i guess thats to be expected due to the fully automatic setting. it does have a compact size with a 14.5in shortened barrel and a telescoping buttstock. overall i think it looks pretty good.

Generally speaking anything above 300yards is sniping... Sounds good though, if you have preset zeroing from 300 to 600 yards.... If not, then you have to approximate trajectory variant below sight line as a result of 300 to 600, fire and adjust.... old school field craft... nothing like it....

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"Barrel High, Powder Dry!"

"Illic est haud effrego ex Veneratio"

H&K 416 addesses the overheating by the recoil rod instead of the gas tube in the barrel stock. I think the M4 is a great weapon in the right hands... its not meant to be a light machine gun, its meant to be an AR, which in all but a few circumstances should be used on single shot..

That said, a variant of the M4 was on future weapons, which has open bolt cooling when on auto, this solves the overheating issue, and allows a well stocked soldier to provide section support fire when the SAW goes down or runs out of ammo. Would be good for No2 section FSG soldier as a personal No1 weapon.

Check out the M4 plus accessories....

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________
"Barrel High, Powder Dry!"

"Illic est haud effrego ex Veneratio"

the SOPMOD for the M4 looks like it has some great accessories.
if i ever had an M4 carbine thats probably what i would want.

I carry the M4 as issued to the TXARNG - the most current version, with the RIS Rail system, folding back-up iron sight, and the M68 Close combat Optic as it's primay sight.

It's worth noting that the M4 is capable of firing semi or burst modes - and the M4A1 that fires semi or full auto. Also, full auto or burst fire is VERY seldom used - and only in particular circumstances like room clearing or Final Protective Fires. Overheating is NOT an issue with this weapon - bit the direct gas impingement system means that it fouls fafter than other systems, and requires more maintenance.

Accuracy is excellent - the use of optical sights has seen qualification scores skyrocket in terms of Soldiers successfully qualifying periteration. In addition to the M68 CCO, the military uses a variety of other sights - notably including the EOTECH Holosight, the Trijicon ACOG (4x), the Elcan variable power sights (1-4x and 1.5-6x), and night and thermal sights, as well. Even with plain iron sights, hits can be achieved consistently at 800m with the M16A2 and 600m with the M4 (that's as far as each adjusts - and the M4 is less simply because of the shorter sight radius and the fact that the bullet leaves the muzzle at 250 fps slower from a 14.5" barrel than from an 18" barrel)

And bullet weight is a concern - one reason we went from a 55gr bullet to a 62 grain one for our standard loading. But the fact is that, light or heavy bullet, shot placement is what counts. And the fact that combat isn't like TV - people don't just drop when they're shot. Even with catastrophic injuries like open head wounds, it can take quite a bit of time for the body to run down.