Or wonder why the M4 performed so miraculously compared to the previous dust tests, where the M4 experienced 678 and 882 malfunctions. Now the manufacturer hires a private company to privately test their gun, and then they announce that it experienced an amazingly low 111 malfunctions and stoppages in this new test.
678, 882, 111: Which of these numbers doesn't look like the others?
The HK416s used for the comparative dust test came from Army inventory. The XM8 & SCAR-L came from the manufacturers.I'm willing to bet the other manuf, in dust test III gamed it with slighlty modified rifles built for the test while the M4's chosen were older. I am also willing to bet that Colt gamed the test done by Stork by submitting rifles built for a dust test.
Considering Colt was trying to correct a perceived black eye and face possible replacements, I doubt time or money of test was a big issue to them.
As I see that, those dust tests proven for sure only one thing - how bad "standard" magazine is. M4, HK416 and SCAR used this magazines (if not same type, then at least same design). XM8 was good design, but not miracle made from unobtanium. But it used proprietary magazine, designed for reliability. And it worked.
HK416 stoppages in test were mostly from one test sample, that HK apparently was not so proud to make. It would be interesting how stoppages were distributed in other rifles - more/less equal between samples or not.
BTW Recently I tested G36 with HK made STANAG adapter. Guys from HK said that they are not very happy with using STANAG mags in G36, as it compromises system reliability, but customers want them, so they finally gave up and made own magwell for STANAG magazine.
Last edited by montrala; 11-26-12 at 05:09.
Montrala
I'm sponsored competition shooter representing Heckler&Koch, Kahles, Hornady and Typhoon Defence brands in Poland, so I can be biased
http://montrala.blogspot.com
Like I mentioned Colt probably submitted modified overgassed/oversprung rifles for the Stork test. I Colt was to put in an 8.5lb action spring a H3 buffer and overgass their rifles to 950RPM or so I can see the 111 stoppages easily being true. Since they only have to fire 6,000 rounds per rifle the overgassing won't matter in the big picture if the rifles are done by then or not. I however do not think Stork gamed the test like you have alluded to.
I would also be curious to know just how they determined stoppages, generally a FTF is a magazine issue, and is usually the first thing recommended to check on this website when people have those issues, so when there around 400 FTF stoppages I wonder how many were bad magazines and not, and how they determined the difference without testing different magazines.
Last edited by sinlessorrow; 11-26-12 at 12:40.
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