How Does the Dot-Mil Issue the M4?

[TexasAggie2005]

Earlier this year, I was on an outdoor range shooting a couple AR's, when a young Marine who was right out of boot camp, home on leave actually, walked over, introduced himself, and asked, "Sir, could you teach me how to use iron sights"? I was floored. He had only used an I THINK an EOTECH, or some type of optic, during boot camp. Had NEVER seen a peep sight. So, with his dad, I talked and spoke to him for a long while, got his rifle squared away, and gave him 100 rounds of ammo "for the cause". I still cant believe the Corps isnt teaching irons. Can anyone confirm this?

Asked my younger brother, USMC 03xx Major, about this question the last time it came up. Long conversation ensued, but basically he said;

Why teach something that will never ever be used? We don't even get enough range time & ammo as it is, much less have enough time to waste on irons. Hell, on my last combat deployment, we were only issued enough range ammo to confirm zero of the RCO & PEQs before starting patrols. Irons only stayed on the rifle for inventory purposes. Three combat deployments plus a ton of training and range time, and I've never seen or heard of irons ever being used.

[Badger52]

Asked my younger brother, USMC 03xx Major, about this question the last time it came up. Long conversation ensued, but basically he said;

Why teach something that will never ever be used? We don't even get enough range time & ammo as it is, much less have enough time to waste on irons. Hell, on my last combat deployment, we were only issued enough range ammo to confirm zero of the RCO & PEQs before starting patrols. Irons only stayed on the rifle for inventory purposes. Three combat deployments plus a ton of training and range time, and I've never seen or heard of irons ever being used.

Yup. USMC manuals have, for some time, considered the entire thing that is called "the Service Rifle" to be running an ACOG (or other optic). Back-up sights (BUIS) are just that: back-up.

[HMsailor]

No slings?!?

And how are they supposed to CHOW SLING those boomsticks?!?

(we had FN M16s with three point slings in OSUT in 2008)

the USMC uses coyote vickers blueforce sling.

[cd228]

So, I did the SI I mentioned above with my outgoing armorer. The Armorer was the same one who received the M4A1s I mentioned we received in 2016. Both the armorer and the contents of the arms room verified that there was no carry handles. So I am confident in say that FN M4A1s delivered to our unit didn't come with carry handles. I didn't find some EPMs still in their wrappings and an M9 that another armorer had deadline due to "washers" (WTF)?

I should point out that we went from M16A2s to M4A1s and never received M4s. In the units I had been in that had M4s most had them before I got to the unit in 2007 or 2010 and they did have carry handles in the arms room. Usually in a tuff box gathering dust.