The Army is updating procedures for use of the M4A1 automatic rifle after a soldier recorded cellphone video of his weapon firing when it shouldn’t have.
The video, recorded in late March, shows the soldier operating a rifle that has been converted from a standard M4, which can fire a maximum three-round burst, to the fully automatic M4A1, according a safety message sent to troops on Tuesday.
The soldier places his carbine’s selector switch between “semi” and “auto” and squeezes the trigger but it doesn’t fire, until the switch is moved to “auto” and immediately discharges a round, the message says.
The Army’s Tank-automotive and Armaments Command, or TACOM, first warned soldiers about the problem in March and April.
The M4A1, previously used exclusively by Special Operations troops, is now the Army’s primary individual weapon.
Inspectors were able to replicate the malfunction depicted in the soldier’s video in about 10 percent of the weapons they checked, defense industry journal Soldier Systems reported.
Testing also revealed that carbines from a different manufacturer malfunctioned when switched from “safe” to “semi-automatic,” the journal reported.
The latest safety messages concern M4s and M4A1s, as well as M16A2, A3 and A4 rifles. They order personnel to change the way they check functions on the weapons and perform immediate action drills to diagnose weapon stoppages.
Um … what?
What?
There is no reason a shooter should intentionally misplace the selector switch between modes, but then again in the stress of battle anything is possible and this failure mode is entirely plausible.
The genesis of the problem appears to be a feature of the gun not a part of the original specification, and it seems to me that this is a huge, huge problem.
They don’t need to send this problem to armorers. They need civilian gunsmiths to tackle this and work the problems out, and that should have done that before deploying the modification.
I’m also not clear as to exactly why they need fully automatic anyway. This gun can never be an effective area suppression weapon. Not for long anyway.
At Shooting Illustrated. You can go see for yourself, but I won’t comment except to say that the prices are totally unreasonable.
I simply won’t pay $4000+ for any handgun. Ever. Not even if I was wealthy. I’d give my money away before I paid that much for a pistol, even a very good one.
I’m not sure what manufacturers are thinking (perhaps they think there’s a market for this price point, and maybe there is), but when you can get a pseudo-custom Dan Wesson for < $2000, it just isn’t worth is to buy more expensive. And I think I’ve mentioned before that the gunsmiths at Hyatt Gun Shop would rather work on a Springfield Armory 1911 than a Kimber (so I’m told) because it’s a better pistol.
A Springfield runs for much, much less than the prices I see in this article. Smith & Wesson also makes a very good Performance Center 1911 for much less than these prices. I’m thinking that some of these must be custom-built guns, but even then, I’m just flabbergasted at the prices.
Now, Gunsite is trying to process this stuff through another company, so I hope they can recover most, if not all, of the money, but I also hope they take Intuit to court over these shenanigans. This isn’t right on any level. At all.
More than that, though, this is the kick of thing that needs to be punished. Intuit needs to be fought on this stuff each and every time it tries this if at all possible. It needs to be forced to figure this into its decision-making matrix before it pulls this with other companies.
The irony? If it wants people to be safer with guns, places like Gunsite are the kind of places it should support. It should want people to go there, train there, learn there, then bring it home to share that knowledge with their fellow gun owners. The reason is that Gunsite is known for being a very safe training academy, something everyone should want to support.
But no. They sell guns, so they must be punished, apparently.
Let that be a lesson to anyone else who has a gun-related business. Now you know who not to do business with.
Oh, it’s much more complicated than that, Tom. This is another installment, albeit small, in the multifront war on gun owners and gun manufacturers, this time with the flavor of the day being training.
BROKEN ARROW, Okla. – Business owners in Broken Arrow said downturns in the oil and gas industry has pushed them to manufacture guns instead.
The owners of RISE Armament in Broken Arrow said they started the company in 2013 to focus on manufacturing oil, gas and aerospace equipment. A downturn in the industry, however, changed their plans.
Now, the company manufacturers AR-15 rifles.
The owners told FOX23 that the business near Kenosha and the Broken Arrow Expressway received new machinery this week that will allow them to increase manufacturing numbers.
They said the engineers they employ were able to transfer their previous industry skills to making weapons. They believe that they have been able to make their designs unique.
The owners said they are glad they made the business shift in 2015. They said they can now produce more than 1,600 triggers each week and feel they will soon expand even further.
Good. I see that Rise Armament makes nice looking rifles, even if a wee bit on the pricey side.
Take this tip from us fellows. Don’t get yourself entangled with corporate America, and work your logistics train with as little reference to major banks as possible. Keep us posted on your progress.
A quick note – I do parts, component and gun reviews. Just sayin’.
POCATELLO, Idaho (AP) – Idaho State University officials are warning people to use caution after a second mountain lion was spotted on the Pocatello campus in less than a week.
On May 11, Idaho Department of Fish and Game officials tranquilized and relocated a cougar from a trail south of the university. On Wednesday, ISU officials issued a campus-wide alert after a resident reported spotting a mountain lion near the school’s Stephens Performing Arts Center.
ISU public safety officers, Pocatello police and state wildlife officials searched the area but didn’t find the big cat.
Mountain lion sightings in and around Pocatello, as well as elsewhere in the state, happen throughout the year, especially in areas that are on the edge of the urban-wildlife interface.
Since only the King’s men may hunt the royal forests (tip to reader Josh for the comment), Fred may have to test this hypothesis for us by going into the bush in Idaho without a gun to see if a stick is more effective against a big cat. I think I’ll let Fred go on this adventure by himself.
Enhanced (and more modern) BCG finishes / coatings
Optics
Trigger upgrades
This is a good list and I highly recommend that you read the entire article, and it reminds me of the still highly read and very important article, “Making Your M4 Run Like A Gazelle,” based on work by Mike Pannone and written by WeaponsMan.
Mike has very extensive comments on the M4 at Defense Review, which stem initially from a discussion of fouling. We’ll just quote his conclusions from this piece below, and also recommend his article on reliability issues, and his follow-up on diagnosing the root cause. Conclusions from what we suppose you could call the “fouling piece“:
Fouling in the M4 is not the problem. The problem is weak springs (buffer and extractor), as well as light buffer weights (H vs. H2 or H3). With the abovementioned drop-in parts, the M4 is as reliable as any weapon I have ever fired, and I have fired probably every military-issue assault rifle fielded worldwide in the last 60 years as a Special Forces Weapons Sergeant (18B). An additional benefit of the heavier spring/weight combo is that it transmits the energy impulse of the firing cycle to the shoulder over a longer duration, lowering the amount of foot pounds per second and dramatically reducing the perceived recoil. Follow-on shots are easier to make effectively, and much faster, especially at 50 meters and beyond.
I reliably fired 2400 rounds (80 magazines) on a bone dry gun, and I would bet that is a lot more than any soldier or other armed professional will ever come close to firing without any lubrication whatsoever. So, disregard the fouling myth and install a better buffer spring, H2 buffer, enhanced extractor spring and a Crane O-ring (all end user drop-in parts). With normal (read “not excessive”) lubrication and maintenance, properly-built AR-15/M4 type rifles with carbine gas systems will astound you with their reliability and shootability.
DTG writing at American Partisan also discusses AR builds, and we’ve seen some good ones come our way.
But I’ll also say that I’ve seen some very bad ones (when I say “seen,” I mean I’ve witnessed the failures first hand when a friend tried his build). I’ve seen builds that couldn’t get through a magazine without two or three FTF / FTE. I think this mainly had to do with mixing and matching of parts with the head space not being properly checked (although we suspected it could have been the choice of gas block location).
Colt, with its reliance of military contracts, had begun to have QA problems by the end of their contract, maybe before. This is so well known as to go without question. It doesn’t surprise me that guys were having to make modifications and work their M4s/ARs hard to keep them in working order.
But one thing I get with a completed “system” from a reputable manufacturer is tolerance QA and parts compatibility. Replacing a BCG is nice, but if you don’t check head space, it might not work right. Either way, relying on Rock River Arms and Daniel Defense (like I do) means that it works straight out of the box, continues to work, and is highly reliable.
I’ll also say a few words about two more things. First of all, there has been a proliferation of articles on the Army and Marine Corps jettisoning the 5.56mm round in favor of 6.5 Creedmoor, the 7.62mm round for the .300 Win Mag (for DM guns), and a host of other changes. Some of this will happen (e.g., the MC adoption of the 300 Win Mag), and some will not. For a whole host of reasons that would take too long to explain, I think it’s highly unlikely that the entire Army or MC adopts 6.5 Creedmoor and throws away the 5.56mm round. Some of that is just hype and propaganda for the purpose of attention and money.
On the other hand, I’ve never recommended that anyone make the 5.56mm round their only choice of caliber, and everyone should have a bigger bore gun. If the Army or MC does use 5.56mm less, that’s good for me because it means less competition for ammunition and [hopefully] cheaper prices. Regular readers know that I’ll never jettison my 5.56mm guns. They’re too good, too reliable, too pleasant to shoot, and too easy on regaining sight picture from low recoil for me to consider anything else for CQB up to several hundred yards. If your AR isn’t as reliable as mine are (I’ve never had a FTF / FTE in tens of thousands of rounds and wouldn’t know how to work a forward assist if I had to because I’ve never had to), you need new ARs or you need to work them as described above. Don’t go budget or “rack” AR. Spend a little more and get something with good QA and reliable.
Finally, I’ve noted before (comments section) that I don’t like piston guns or dicking around with Stoner’s design.
(1) Piston-device for AR pattern rifles: A stupid, unnecessary, additional failure mode for a gun that does nothing but add weight to the front end of the gun, virtually ensuring that after eight hours of room clearing ops and CQB, the shooter can no longer hold the weapon upright because of the stupidity of the design.
(2) AK pattern guns: A rifle design for conscripts who don’t give a shit about their equipment and refuse to clean it or care for it, that doesn’t shoot very accurately (minute of man rather than minute of angle).
(3) AR pattern guns: Guns made by engineers, for engineers, machinists, gunsmiths, mechanics and professional soldiers who care about precision, fine machines and accuracy (and don’t want to listen to the constant rattling of the poorly made AKs when they shoot them).
(4) Genesis chapter 2: Man is fallen, and it affects the entire universe.
(5) Second law of thermodynamics (based on number 4 above): Entropy always increases. Things get dirty and break. That means pistons in AKs too. People who refuse to acknowledge the 2nd Law also refuse to care for their guns, refuse to clean them, refuse to change parts, and throw their guns around like they are shovels.
Anyone who thinks that a machine can be made that doesn’t break or doesn’t corrode or doesn’t rust or doesn’t need to be maintained, coated, cleaned and replaced is an idiot who doesn’t believe in science. This includes conscripts who want a gun that they don’t need to work on.
Like my son tells me, if you work it, the AR is an exquisite weapon based on an exquisite design.
I’ve got many AR run-to-break and stress test videos linked, but I don’t need to see any of them. My guns have never failed me. I also don’t believe in throwing my guns around and abusing them. I’m a thinking man. I believe in entropy.
On one occasion a seller was putting a gun back in it’s case for me, and I asked him to use Rem Oil and spray it down. “It’s Aluminum – it doesn’t rust,” he said. I replied, “True enough, but Aluminum does corrode, which is a different failure mode, and my hands and your hands have salts on them. Now, spray the gun down before you box it back up.”
Because I believe in thermodynamics. Machines don’t run forever without breaking or needing maintenance, and if this fact causes you to conclude that the AR (or any other machine) isn’t any good, then you need to go back and read Genesis Chapter 2.
NORTH BEND, Wash. — One man was killed and another seriously injured when they encountered a cougar Saturday while mountain biking in Washington state, officials said.
Authorities said the two men were on a morning bike ride in the foothills near North Bend when the attack occurred. The town is about 30 miles (48 kilometers) east of Seattle.
The mountain lion ran into the woods and officers with the Washington Department of Fish and Game later tracked it down and shot and killed it, said Capt. Alan Myers of the state’s Fish & Wildlife Police.
The 31-year-old survivor was taken to a hospital in Seattle. He was initially listed in serious condition in the emergency room but was alert and talking; his condition was later upgraded to satisfactory, The Seattle Times reported.
A search and rescue team was dispatched to recover the body of the deceased man.
KIRO-TV reported that the injured man called 911 shortly before 11 a.m. and shouted, “Can you hear me? Help!” and then the call hung up.
Authorities found the cougar standing over the body of the dead biker, the station reported.
Over 6,000 cougars live in Oregon, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. It’s rare for people to see or encounter them, the agency said, but sightings have increased.
The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife says that adult male cougars average about 140 pounds but can hit 180 pounds and measure 7 to 8 feet long, counting the tail. Adult females are about 25 percent smaller. The agency says the cats can leap 30 feet from a standstill and 15 feet straight up. Their normal prey includes deer, elk, and wild sheep.
That’s terrible news for the bikers. Fred asks a question: “Is this the stone age?” Doubtless, he’s referring to the counsel given by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife if one comes upon a cougar. ” … If in the very unusual event that a cougar attacks you, fight back with rocks, sticks, tools or any items available.”
Don’t carry a big bore gun with you, leave that at home. Sticks are apparently more effective. For Fred, I’m surprised that you don’t understand! Cougars get a fighting chance too, don’t you know. So says Mother Earth, or All Mother. Or somebody. Or something.
U.S. weapons manufacturer Remington Outdoor Co Inc. said on Thursday it had emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy with less debt and more stable financing that may help it ride out a slowing market for firearms.
Remington, America’s oldest gunmaker, filed for bankruptcy protection in March, weeks after a shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida killed 17 people and triggered intensified campaigns for gun control by activists.
Under the reorganization plan, inked two days before the Feb. 14 Parkland shooting, creditors including JPMorgan Chase & Co and Franklin Advisors will take ownership stakes in the company in exchange for forgiving more than $775 million of debt.
Remington also received a $193 million new lending package funded by seven banks, including Bank of America Corp.
“It is morning in Remington country,” Chief Executive Anthony Acitelli said in a statement.
Investors in Cerberus Capital Management LP, the previous owner, had urged the private equity fund to sell Remington after its Bushmaster rifle was used in a school shooting in 2012 in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, in which 20 children died.
Remington has said its bankruptcy would not affect lawsuits against it, including one filed by the families of Sandy Hook victims. It is also appointing a new board of directors.
Bank of America has hinted that it may sell its participation in Remington’s exit financing package.
“These companies have a real opportunity to solidify a brand that is in sync with what customers want now and in the future,” said gun control advocate Igor Volsky. He called Parkland “a tipping point for Americans waking up and saying that guns are a real problem.”
I’m not sure if this is “morning” or sunset in Remington country. Someone else now owns the controlling interest in Remington, apparently, and BoA is apparently looking for a buyer, while going on record saying that “guns are a real problem.”
You may be watching Remington in its death spiral.
This note was sent to me from the Ruger CEO upon sharing recent articles here at TCJ on Ruger and its future.
Mr. Smith – There will be No Changes to What Ruger Makes and Sells to Law Abiding Citizens, Despite Shareholder Proposal.
Please understand that Ruger was obligated by applicable law to include a shareholder’s activist resolution with its proxy materials for a shareholder vote. With its passage, the proposal requires Ruger to prepare a report. That’s it. A report. What the proposal does not do . . . and cannot do . . . is force us to change our business, which is lawful and constitutionally protected. What it does not do . . . and cannot do . . . is force us to adopt misguided principles created by groups who do not own guns, know nothing about our business, and frankly would rather see us out of business. As our I explained, “we are Americans who work together to produce rugged, reliable, innovative and affordable firearms for responsible citizens. We are staunch supporters of the Second Amendment not because we make firearms, but because we cherish the rights conferred by it. We understand the importance of those rights and, as importantly, recognize that allowing our constitutionally protected freedoms to be eroded for the sake of political expediency is the wrong approach for our Company, for our industry, for our customers, and for our country. We are arms makers for responsible citizens and I want to assure our long-term shareholders and loyal customers that we have no intention of changing that.”
Please see www.Ruger.com/Brand for a video that shows who we are and who we will continue to be.
Thank you for your support.
Chris Killoy
Ruger CEO
Thank you kindly for your quick response, Mr. Killoy. I wish you and Ruger well in these perilous times.
However, this seems like “boilerplate language” to me, motherhood and apple pie, and it seems to me that the shareholders can do a great many things, including making hiring and firing decisions, changing business models and plans, and other disruptive sorts of mischief.
You seem determined and I like determination, but unless you or the Ruger family or employees own a controlling interest in Ruger, this sort of thing can indeed happen.
All I’m recommending is that y’all carefully consider my wording and act accordingly. Controlling interest.
I had found wording to the effect that Henry Repeating Arms had taken a position on Dick’s Sporting Goods, but was unable to find an authoritative source or URL for this position. I wrote them and got this reply.
Thank you for your inquiry regarding Dick’s Sporting Goods and for your enthusiastic support of the 2nd Amendment. Henry Repeating Arms has been and always will be an ardent and steadfast supporter of the Second Amendment. Our reputation speaks for itself. We share your concerns about how Dick’s is conducting itself. We are disappointed by their recent actions and puzzled by recent reports. Please note that we do not sell directly to Dick’s or to their Field & Stream stores and that we never have. We sell our firearms to federally licensed wholesale distributors who then, in turn, sell to retailers, a two-step distribution system. Manufacturers who have recently stated that they will stop selling their firearms directly to Dicks cannot control what the distributors sell to Dicks – and neither can we. We are attempting to gain some clarity from Dicks regarding these recent reports and their long-term position on firearm sales. As we continue to investigate and monitor their actions, and as we await more clarity from Dick’s, we are evaluating our options through the two-step distribution system. In the meantime, we have removed their stores from our list of recommended Henry dealers.
Best Regards,
Patrick Hall
Customer Service Manager
Henry Repeating Arms Company
59 E 1st Street
Bayonne, NJ 07002
Thank you for your response Mr. Hall. I think Dick’s position is clear and I would be very surprised if anything changes. I think sufficient clarity is available now to make a decision, and so we just watch to see what gun manufacturers do with this information.
7 years, 1 month ago
