I fire 5.56x45mm NATO ammunition and am gas-operated, air-cooled, magazine-fed, selective fire firearm with a 4-position telescoping stock. Originally I had a flat-ended telescoping stock, but I'm now equipped with a redesigned telescoping stock that is slightly larger and the end has a curvature.I feel better to carry than a full-length rifle. While this makes me a candidate for non-infantry troops (vehicle crews, clerks and staff officers), I also makes it ideal for close quarters combat (CQC), and airborne and special operations. I have been adopted by United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and am the preferred weapon of the U.S. Army Special Forces. I have also been fielded by the Australian Special Air Service Regiment. Malaysia purchased me to replace the Steyr AUG service rifles in its armed forces in 2006.I was developed and produced for the United States government by Colt Firearms, which has an exclusive contract to produce my family of weapons through 2009; however, a number of other manufacturers offer M4-like firearms. Me, along with the M16A4, has mostly replaced M16 and M16A2 firearms; the U.S. Air Force, for example, plans to transition completely to the me soon. I have also replaced the M3A1 submachine gun that remained in service (mostly with tank crews). I am similar to much earlier compact M16 versions, such as the 1960s-era XM177 family.The United States Marine Corps has ordered its officers (up to the rank of lieutenant colonel) and SNCOs to carry my M4A1 carbine variant instead of the M9 Beretta pistol. This is in recognition that pistols are largely useless in current conflicts, and is in line with the Marine Corps phrase, "Every Marine a rifleman." United States Navy corpsmen will also be issued M4A1s instead of the M9, according to the Marine Corps Times.Except for the very first delivery order, me and my bro, the M4A1, possess a flat-top NATO M1913-specification (Picatinny) rail on top of the receiver for attachment of optical sights and other aiming devices — Trijicon TA01 and TA31 Advanced Combat Optical Gunsights (ACOG) and Aimpoint M68 Close Combat Optic (M68 CCO) being the favorite choices — and a detachable rail-mounted carrying handle. The current government standards are the Colt Model 920 (M4) and 921 (M4A1). The major difference between these models is that I have a "S-1-3" (safe/semi-automatic/3-round burst) trigger group while the M4A1 has a "S-1-F" (safe/semi-automatic/fully automatic) trigger group.An April 2002 presentation by the Natick Soldier Center presented by LTC Charlie Dean and SFC Sam Newland reported on lessons learned from my use in Afghanistan (such as use during Operation Anaconda):34% of soldiers reported that my handguards rattle and become excessively hot when firing. 15% reported that they had trouble zeroing the M68 reflex sight. 35% added barber brushes and 24% added dental picks to their cleaning kits. Soldiers reported the following malfunctions: 20% reported double-feeding. 15% reported feeding jams. 13% reported that feeding problems were due to magazines. 89% of soldiers reported confidence in the weapon. 20% were dissatisfied with its ease of maintenance. Soldiers requested the following changes:55% requested the firearm be made lighter 20% requested a larger magazineIn the fall of 2007, four carbines were tested in "sandstorm conditions" at Aberdeen Proving Ground. I was pitted against the Heckler & Koch XM8 rifle, FNH USA’s SOF Combat Assault Rifle (SCAR) and the Heckler & Koch HK416. Ten of each type of rifle were used to fire 6,000 rounds each, for a total of 60,000 rounds per rifle type. I suffered significantly more stoppages than my competitors: 882 stoppages, 19 requiring an armorer to fix. In comparison, the most reliable weapon, the XM8, had 116 minor stoppages and 11 major ones. It was followed by the FN SCAR with 226 stoppages, and the HK416 with 233.The army now has plans to improve upon the me. A new cold hammer forge barrel and new more reliable magazines have been their primary focus. The heavier barrel has a longer life and the magazines will reduce the stoppages. The army has stated that if all goes well during testing of the new magazines, they could be ready for combat by spring. The Army realized the need for new magazines when they found that 239 of the 882 failures were the result of problems in the magazine.In addition to the United States of America, users of me and my variants include;Afghanistan Argentina Australia Brazil Colombia Chile France Greece Georgia Indonesia Israel Italy Egypt (Special forces) Japan Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Malaysia Mexico Pakistan Panama (National Police during the night) Peru Philippines Poland Republic of China Serbia Used by SAJ (Special Anti-terrorist Unit) and PTJ (Anti-Terrorist Unit)‎‎ Singapore South Korea (Limited use by coast guards) Thailand Turkey United Kingdom ..
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