Hi
While watching CNN, I noticed that many US troops, and especially the Special forces troops, are not armed with M16A2s. They appear to have something that resembles a Colt Commando without a carrying handle but have flashlights and scopes mounted on them.
Any light on these weapons?
Thanks
GR Sun
Those rifles are actually M4 carbines with flat-top upper receivers and collapsible telescopic stocks. Flat Top upper receivers have picatinny rails so that you can mount scopes, (magnifying, night vision, aimpoint/Eotech) and back up flip up rear sight. Shares the same anatomy of regular M16s, but has shorter barrels. Also, many of them seem to have 4 sided picatinny rail hand guards on them as well (which is also available for M16A2/A4 too), which they can mount flash lights, laser pointers, hand grips, sling mounts, bi-pods…
I swear that read “ipods” instead of “bipods”! I was thinking, “So - our boys are going to war with personal soundtracks on their rifles?”
[:D]
That’s a great idea! I’ll sell IPOD attachment unit to picatinny rail system for the rifle!
Yeah, why not! There’s also a RIS mounted PSP! [(-D]
Regarding the topic I can only add that the M-4 is withspread in “normal” units, too, and all that M1 referred to is know as Special Operations Peculiar Modification (SOPMod).
M1 Garand and Avus are quite correct.
The US Speckled Horses are presently carrying SOPMod systems in the field, and are also carrying standard M4 carbines. Many SOPMod-like components, like rails and rail-mountable tactical light systems, can be purchased privately (some are sold in Iraq/Afghanistan in PX’s). Also, standard, conventional units widely carry the M4 carbine. In fact, I was in Iraq for year (as a civilian) and saw primarily M4 systems being carried even by support troops in logistical support areas (like an Army forklift driver, stacking ammo for the Strykers - and carrying a special-operations modified shorty with laser sights, a 3-position collapsible stock, and a 4x Colt short-range scope.
Amazing how the supply guys and other pogues always seem to have the toys the grunts need. While I was overseas, my unit (a LRSU) had M-16A4’s because there were no M-4’s available and the unit we releived would not swap theirs out. Our mission involved quite a bit of indoors work yet we were stuck with longarms rather than something that would have been more appropriate. Go figure.[:(!]
Of course, even a regular 20" barreled M16A2 seems very handy and short compared to my Lee-Enfield No. 4.
Of course, there’s no easy way to mount a flashlight on a stock A2 (or an Enfield, for that matter).
Regards,
You can actually get a strip of Picatinny rail that can fit directly on your A2’s handgard that can be used to mount flash light.
My issued M4, I asked not to add any quad rail handguards and just had the flat top upper to have my Aimpoint. I’m not too crazy about having too many gadget on my weapon system.