Army M4 Carbine Can Fire Even If You Don't Pull the Trigger

[platoonDaddy]

Didn't see another thread on this issue. Why would one place the selector switch between settings?

The U.S. Army’s standard service weapon, the M4A1 carbine, has a defect that allows it to discharge a round without actually pulling the trigger. The flaw was caught on video earlier this year by a soldier at a shooting range, and testing by the Army has detected nearly a thousand weapons affected by the problem.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/mil...firing-defect/


Another article: https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-...-m4s-and-m16s/

[Coal Dragger]

Because one is a moron?

[vicious_cb]

Is it drop safe too?

[markm]

Why would one place the selector switch between settings?

Commitment issues.

[MegademiC]

Im confused. They talk about the bcg slamming home. Is this a slam fire? Can anyone explain exactly what they are talking about?

Are they putting it between semi and auto, pulling the trigger, then moving it to auto?

[Wake27]

Commitment issues.

Nice.

Im confused. They talk about the bcg slamming home. Is this a slam fire? Can anyone explain exactly what they are talking about?

Are they putting it between semi and auto, pulling the trigger, then moving it to auto?

There’s a video on it somewhere. My understanding is that the switch can be placed halfway between semi and auto and the trigger pulled, nothing will happen but when the switch is moved to either semi or auto after that pull, the gun will fire.



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[platoonDaddy]

Nice.



There’s a video on it somewhere. My understanding is that the switch can be placed halfway between semi and auto and the trigger pulled, nothing will happen but when the switch is moved to either semi or auto after that pull, the gun will fire.



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I have searched for the video referenced in the article, but no luck. One would think if the M16A2 and A3 were part of the problem we would have known it before now.

EDIT: Army times article on same subject, answers my questions about the M16
https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-...-m4s-and-m16s/

[gaijin]

Commitment issues.

Winner.

[LMT Shooter]

I read the article. If I understand what it says, this involves the selector being moved from safe to a position it should not be in (between semi & auto), the trigger is pulled while the selector is in between semi & auto- not on safe- and the weapon fires, not at the pull of the trigger, but when the selector is moved to either semi or auto. Regardless of the precise moment the weapon fires, how is the weapon firing under these circumstances a "malfunction" or "unintended discharge"? It's NOT on safe and the trigger is pulled, it's supposed to fire. Not putting the selector in either of the two appropriate positions for firing isn't a malfunction, it's operator error, unless the selector is not moving as it should. I didn't see anything saying the selectors are not moving as they are supposed to when pushed.

[Wake27]

I read the article. If I understand what it says, this involves the selector being moved from safe to a position it should not be in (between semi & auto), the trigger is pulled while the selector is in between semi & auto- not on safe- and the weapon fires, not at the pull of the trigger, but when the selector is moved to either semi or auto. Regardless of the precise moment the weapon fires, how is the weapon firing under these circumstances a "malfunction" or "unintended discharge"? It's NOT on safe and the trigger is pulled, it's supposed to fire. Not putting the selector in either of the two appropriate positions for firing isn't a malfunction, it's operator error, unless the selector is not moving as it should. I didn't see anything saying the selectors are not moving as they are supposed to when pushed.

It doesn’t fire when the trigger is pulled. You pull the trigger and then once the selector is moved from the middle to either semi or auto, then the gun fires. That’s absolutely an unintended discharge.


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