M4 Life Cycle

[coltuser]

Hi guys, random question here: any idea of what the life cycle of an M4 in the army is? In other words, after a troop gets deployed with his new rifle, does he turn it in at the end of his term? Then, if so, does the weapon get cleaned and re-issued to a new incoming soldier? In other words, how many soldiers on average do you think use the same gun?

Thx

[Failure2Stop]

Can't speak for the Army, but in the Corps a weapon will change hands quite frequently.
Remember that there are other weapons platforms we use, and not many of them are given to new-joins.
Generally, the weapon will be a plt or company asset, so if the individual changed platoons, companies, or billets, it is likely that he will de-issue his weapon and optics suite and be issued another.
In the mean-time he will clean the weapon far more than necessary.
Another note- whenever the weapon finally breaks (happens to everything eventually) he will be temporarily issued a different weapon in the mean-time.

Hope that helped.

[GermanSynergy]

OP,
What Failure2Stop just outlined for the USMC is pretty much how it goes in the Army. There are exceptions (such as individual augmentees drawing a weapon from CRC and joining a unit) but they are fairly rare in the grand scheme of things.

[DMR]

Weapons in gerneral like the M-4 are on hand in units for years if not decades. For example the rifle issued to me during basic training in 1984 was a Harrington and Richardson M-16A1 built some time in the early 70's or late 60's as a M-16. It was depot rebuilt most likely into a A1 and still had a three prong flash suppressor. When I arrived at Ft. Drum in 1988 we were issued brand new production M-16A2's as a new build Lt. Inf BN. Those same rifles were still in my battalion as late as 1998 when I went to West Point. When I returned in 2000 we had just been issued M-4s the year prior. Most of those same M-4's (and some M-16A2's) are still in service in that battalion. They have had multiple rotations to OEF and OIF, figure on average 5 years +/- in a combat zone and 5 train up periods prior. If the rifles have been issued for 10 years now individual weapons will have wildly varing numbers of uses. A 1SG's weapon might only be on it's 7th user while a riflemans weapon might be on it's 50th user.

[skyugo]

what kinda condition are the m4's that see use in some of the more turbulent areas generally in? i'd think they'd try to keep those guys equipped with newer stuff.

[DMR]

what kinda condition are the m4's that see use in some of the more turbulent areas generally in? i'd think they'd try to keep those guys equipped with newer stuff.

TACOM sends out a team after every rotation to Re-Set their weapons. So in general they are well worn but servicable. If they are worn out like the SAWs often are then they get replaced.

[Abraxas]

Can't speak for the Army, but in the Corps a weapon will change hands quite frequently.
Remember that there are other weapons platforms we use, and not many of them are given to new-joins.
Generally, the weapon will be a plt or company asset, so if the individual changed platoons, companies, or billets, it is likely that he will de-issue his weapon and optics suite and be issued another.
In the mean-time he will clean the weapon far more than necessary.
Another note- whenever the weapon finally breaks (happens to everything eventually) he will be temporarily issued a different weapon in the mean-time.

Hope that helped.

I wish that when one goes to boot they would get issued a new weapon keep it through the enlistment. Then when he gets out he takes it home and it is his own privately owned weapon. What a dream

[Dunderway]

I wish that when one goes to boot they would get issued a new weapon keep it through the enlistment. Then when he gets out he takes it home and it is his own privately owned weapon. What a dream

I didn't give that much thought until I came home after discharge and my Grandpa asked me to see my pistol. I was confused, but I guess people did that in his time.

[tampam4]

I wish that when one goes to boot they would get issued a new weapon keep it through the enlistment. Then when he gets out he takes it home and it is his own privately owned weapon. What a dream

Isn't that something that the Swiss do? I recall seeing a thread about that somewhere on here...

[Avenger29]

I didn't give that much thought until I came home after discharge and my Grandpa asked me to see my pistol. I was confused, but I guess people did that in his time.

From what I understand, back in our elder's time the brass didn't look at you too hard if you took some items with you. I have not heard of a WWII guy bringing his issue rifle home with him, but I've heard lots of stories about issue pistols and some captured weapons being brought home in seabags.

Nowadays, of course, you won't get away with it.