Military Brand weapon of choice for rifles

[nickatnite]

So the question is this. Aside from Special Ops, Rangers, SEALS, the whole "Secret Squirrel People", what brand rifle is being deployed to our troops?

Is it Colt, BCM, what? If not a single manufacturer, what would you say the ratio is?

 

[MikeR]

No clue about ratios, but Colt and FN do supply weapons for ground forces. I'm sure others are used as subcontractors to help meet demand (BCM, DD, etc).

 

[RagManBR]

FN has the bulk of the small arms contracts. At one time it was around 80-85%. The obvious exception is the M9 (Beratta 92).

 

[Vanilla Gorilla]

All the M4s are Colt.

All the M16s are FN.

Everything Belt Fed is FN.

 

[Leadfoot]

Current M16 rifles have been made primarily by FN USA since 1988. However, Colt remains the sole source for M4 carbines for the US military.

per wikipedia's entry for Colt Defense.

 

[SpeedRacer]

Not for long. There's leaked reports of both the Marines and the Army pulling ALL of the Colt's out of service, and replacing them with Wyndham Weaponry rifles equipped with UTG piston conversions.

 

[Leadfoot]

Not for long. There's leaked reports of both the Marines and the Army pulling ALL of the Colt's out of service, and replacing them with Wyndham Weaponry rifles equipped with UTG piston conversions.

 

[Hattrick 22]

So they want the "more reliable" ones? I only ask because I am oblivious as to what would be more suitable for them. I always thought that the armed forces were equipped with the lowest bid weaponry/contracts. I would like more insight personally I think they deserve the best although price doesn't always indicate that.

 

[sgt z]

The first M-16 I was issued was a GM Hydramatic and it had no park left on the barrel and quite a bit of polished places on the receiver.

 

[Trey@IG]

All the M4s are Colt.

All the M16s are FN.

Everything Belt Fed is FN.

this man speaks the truth. at least from everything i've seen and fondled.

 

[Vanilla Gorilla]

So they want the "more reliable" ones? I only ask because I am oblivious as to what would be more suitable for them. I always thought that the armed forces were equipped with the lowest bid weaponry/contracts. I would like more insight personally I think they deserve the best although price doesn't always indicate that.

Nothing about this statement is true. Cost is never the deciding factor in small arms procurement. The selected weapon must meet all the requirements before cost is even considered. Even then it isn't a decider.

 

[Trey@IG]

^^ the day they issue me a hi pernt is the day i will go AWOL

 

[Hattrick 22]

So they do their own form of torture testing to decide which manufacture to go with?

 

[Jack]

Not for long. There's leaked reports of both the Marines and the Army pulling ALL of the Colt's out of service, and replacing them with Wyndham Weaponry rifles equipped with UTG piston conversions.

You forgot the key component... the slidefire stock. I also heard they have a contract with sightmark to start producing night vision compatible holosights.

 

[DAVE_M]

As for which companies have what percentages, I am unsure. However, I have seen multiple SCAR's both 16's and 17's in deployment as well as a few ACR's. I doubt they are service rifles, more along the lines of for testing.

I do know that ( as posted above ) the M16's and belt fed guns are all FN. I don't see that changing either.

 

[Mr_Willson]

I dont see where people are getting the idea that "all" the m16's are FN.

i've come across several m16's that came out of random machine companies that I've never even heard of.

 

[Vanilla Gorilla]

So they do their own form of torture testing to decide which manufacture to go with?

No they write a requirement. Then request submissions from company's who have a weapon that meets the stated requirement. Those that are submitted and meet the requirement are then tested through several phases. Finally they may or may not be purchased and fielded.

Ant m16s you have seen from multiple small subcontra@tors are very old and probably relugated to TRADOC Commaands and bases. Since 1998 all of the m16 production has been sole sourced to FN.

The SCAR, an FN Product, was evaluated and fielded in a limited way by some SOCOM elements. No Military Unit of any type tested an ACR Overseas. The pics of the ACR isn AFG that were kicked around on the net showed guns belonging to a Non-DoD entitiy who briefly tested them.

 

[Bayoupiper]

The first M-16 I was issued was a GM Hydramatic and it had no park left on the barrel and quite a bit of polished places on the receiver.

Did all the forward gears work?





.

 

[Leadfoot]

Did all the forward gears work?

I heard they had trouble with the torque converters

 

[sgt z]

The FTG fell out one day because the holes were out of spec for the pins