File:PEO_M4_Carbine_RAS_M68_CCO.png · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Also known as M4 Carbine, M4A1, Colt M4
carbine
Key facts
- Type
- Assault rifle Carbine
- Place of origin
- United States
- In service
- 1994–present
- Used by
- See Users
- Wars
- See Conflicts
- Designed
- 1982–1993
- Manufacturer
- Colt's Manufacturing Company FN Herstal Remington Arms
- Unit cost
- $700 (avg. cost) in 2012 , $647 per unit in 2015
- Produced
- 1987–present
- Number span no built
- 500,000 (as of 2021)
- Variants
- See Variants
- Mass
- 6.43 lb (2.92 kg) empty 7.75 lb (3.52 kg) with 30 rounds loaded magazine and sling
- Length
- 33 in (838 mm) ( stock extended) 29.75 in (756 mm) (stock retracted)
- Barrel length
- 14.5 in (368 mm)
- Cartridge
- 5.56×45mm NATO
- Action
- Gas-operated , closed rotating bolt , Stoner bolt and carrier piston
- Rate of fire
- 700–970 rounds/min cyclic
- Muzzle velocity
- 2,970 ft/s (910 m/s) ( M855A1 round) 2,887 ft/s (880 m/s) (M855 round) 2,986 ft/s (910 m/s) (M193 round)
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- PEO M4 Carbine RAS M68 CCO.png
Show 3 more facts
- Commons category
- M4 carbine
- service entry
- 1994-01-01
- Commons gallery
- M4 carbine
Sources (2)
via Wikidata · CC0
~40 min read
Article
The M4 carbine (officially Carbine, Caliber 5.56 mm, M4) is an assault rifle developed in the United States during the 1980s. It is a shortened version of the M16A2 assault rifle. The M4 is extensively used by the US military, which decided to largely replace the M16 rifle in US Army (starting 2010) and US Marine Corps (starting 2016) combat units as the primary infantry service rifle. The M4 has been adopted by over 60 countries worldwide, and has been described as "one of the defining firearms of the 21st century".
Since its adoption in 1994, the M4 has undergone over 90 modifications to improve the weapon's adaptability, ergonomics and modularity, including: the M4A1 variant, which possesses a thicker barrel and a replacement of the burst-fire control group with a fully automatic one; the SOPMOD, an accessory kit containing optical attachments; and the underbarrel weapons such as M203 and M320 grenade launchers to the Masterkey and M26-MASS shotguns.