This is interesting...

[Motherland]

M4 does poorly in dust test
By testing in a dust chamber, firing 6,000 rounds, the M4A1 jammed 882 times, with 863 'minor stoppages', and 19 'major stoppages' 'that would require an armorer to fix'.  Thats once every 68 rounds... two magazines +8. The cancelled XM8 jammed 127 times, the FN SCAR/Mk16 jammed 226 times, and the Hk 416 jammed 233 times.

Would have been more interesting if they had thrown an AK in there for comparison.

[Gunslinger]

Do you think the test is realistic?  By comparison the AK may have been able to put out 6K error free rounds......however


In real life a person would never fire 6000 rounds in a fire fights or in between real cleanings.

That's 200 fully loaded magazines and I don't know a single grunt that would carry that many.  

In addition I dispise comparing the M4/16 class to the "AK" because there is so many different variants with so many different intended uses that a blanket comparison is kinda pointless.

Another carbine involved in the tests that had been rejected by the Army two years ago, the H&K XM8, came out the winner, with a total of 116 minor stoppages and 11 major ones. The Mk16 experienced a total of 226 stoppages, the 416 had 233.

Of course the XM8 has experienced numerouse delays and has yet to see mass production.

[AquaShrimp]

In the battle of Baghdad, soldiers had to fight their way into Baghdad, hold checkpoints, and repulse infantry attacks, all within 24 hours.  They came close to running out of ammunition several times.

[Slash27]

Are any of those piston rifles?

[AquaShrimp]

The H&K 416 is a piston rifle.

[Gunslinger]

Originally posted by AquaShrimp
In the battle of Baghdad, soldiers had to fight their way into Baghdad, hold checkpoints, and repulse infantry attacks, all within 24 hours.  They came close to running out of ammunition several times.

Not being a jerk here but relevence?  care to expand?

[AquaShrimp]

That was just an example of a situation where soldiers had to fire hundreds and perhaps thousands of rounds in a short period of time.

[Motherland]

Originally posted by Gunslinger
Do you think the test is realistic?  By comparison the AK may have been able to put out 6K error free rounds......however


In real life a person would never fire 6000 rounds in a fire fights or in between real cleanings.

That's 200 fully loaded magazines and I don't know a single grunt that would carry that many.  
I wouldnt expect, necessaraly, and M4 to jam every 68 rounds. I must believe, however, that this is a good test of overall reliability, which would put the M4 far behind the US's new assault rifles.

Of course the XM8 has experienced numerouse delays and has yet to see mass production.
I'm pretty sure it was cancelled... and it wont be seeing production.

[Gunslinger]

Originally posted by AquaShrimp
That was just an example of a situation where soldiers had to fire hundreds and perhaps thousands of rounds in a short period of time.

But my training tells me the first five minutes they get from battle is given to clean their rifles.  Again you don't put 1k rounds through any M4/16 without cleaning it.  Anyone who carries one regularly knows this.

In the infantry it's ingrained apon you that as soon as you have time you clean rifles.  You do it while you eat.  you do it before you sleep.  You are allways cleaning rifles.

I just don't thing it's realistic to put 6K rounds through a rifle in a test without cleaning it.

[2bighorn]

Originally posted by Gunslinger
I just don't thing it's realistic to put 6K rounds through a rifle in a test without cleaning it.

Dyslectic?