165-656: Lewis Machine & Tool Company ( LMT ) is an American armaments company founded by Karl Lewis, in 1980. It manufactures weapon systems, including a variant of the M4 carbine and the M203 grenade launcher . Its products are used by the military forces of the United Kingdom , New Zealand , Estonia and the United States . It formerly produced forged FN FAL receivers for Illinois-based DS Arms. A patented AR-15-pattern
330-551: A night vision sight, among many other accessories. This kit was designed to be configurable (modular) for various missions, and the kit is currently in service with special operations units. In 2002, the Block II modification kit was adopted featuring two new upper receivers: the Special Purpose Receiver (SPR) with a 16 or 18 in (406 or 457 mm) barrel and Close Quarter Battle Receiver (CQBR) with
495-461: A short-stroke gas piston system. The standard barrel length of the R-20 is 14.3 in (363 mm), but a 12 in (305 mm) variant designated the R-20 S is also produced. A modified trigger design allows the trigger safety to be engaged without the hammer being cocked, which is not possible on a standard AR-15 pattern rifle. The rifles were ordered with a Shot Counter Grip Module housed within
660-756: A 10.3 in (262 mm) barrel. M4A1s fitted with the SPR were designated by the Navy as the Mk 12 Special Purpose Rifle , a type of designated marksman rifle . M4A1s with the CQBR were designated the Mk 18 Mod 0. The Block II program then focused on component improvements to the M4A1, with the adoption of the heavier "SOCOM profile" barrel in 2004 and free-float Rail Interface System II (RIS-II) handguard from Daniel Defense in 2008. Owing to
825-596: A Lebanese contract became apparent as a production overrun of these weapons was offered on the internet in late 2023. M4 carbine The M4 carbine (officially Carbine, Caliber 5.56 mm, M4 ) is a 5.56×45mm NATO assault rifle developed in the United States during the 1980s. It is a shortened version of the M16A2 assault rifle. The M4 is extensively used by the US military , with decisions to largely replace
990-457: A Leupold Mark 5HD 3.6-18×44 M5C3 Desert IR telescopic sight with TREMOR3 reticle, a HuxWrx suppressor , an Envision Technology ballistic calculator , and a Pixels-on-Target thermal sight was adopted in 2023. The change from 7.62×51mm NATO ammunition to 6.5 Creedmoor was due to the 6.5 Creedmoor's better ability to successfully engage targets at distances around and over 800 m (875 yd). The main disadvantages of this change are introducing
1155-484: A Royal Marine earned a Victoria Cross . Through much of the 18th and 19th centuries Marine officers had a lower standing status than their counterparts in the Royal Navy. A short-lived effort was made in 1907, through the common entry or " Selborne scheme ", to reduce the professional differences between RN and RM officers through a system of common entry that provided for an initial period of shared training. By
1320-540: A back-up iron sight, forward pistol grip, empty magazine, and sling. Each carbine upgrade costs $ 240 per rifle, for a total cost of $ 120 million for half a million conversions. Three hundred conversions can be done per day to equip a brigade combat team per week, with all M4A1 conversions to be completed by 2019. In addition to upgrade kits, in April 2012, the U.S. Army announced it would begin purchasing over 120,000 M4A1 carbines to start reequipping front line units from
1485-535: A cased-telescoped (CT) ammunition-firing rifle for the program; FN Herstal submitted their HAMR IAR re-chambered in 6.8mm caliber; PCP Tactical submitted a modified Desert Tech MDRx ; SIG Sauer submitted a redesigned MCX variant known as the MCX-SPEAR. In early 2022, the program concluded, with SIG Sauer being declared the winner. Their rifle entry was designated the XM5 (later changed to XM7 to avoid confusion with
1650-592: A detachable rail-mounted carrying handle, or anything else compatible with a MIL-STD-1913 picatinny rail . Other common accessories include the AN/PEQ-2 , AN/PEQ-15 multi-mode laser, AN/PEQ-16 Mini Integrated Pointing Illumination Module (MIPIM) , Trijicon TA01 and TA31 Advanced Combat Optical Gunsights (ACOG), EOTech 550 series holographic sights, and Aimpoint M68 Close Combat Optic . Visible and infrared lights of various manufacturers are commonly attached using various mounting methods. As with all versions of
1815-555: A dual function aboard ships of the Royal Navy in this period; routinely, they ensured the security of the ship's officers and supported their maintenance of discipline in the ship's crew, and in battle, they engaged the enemy's crews, whether firing from positions on their own ship, or fighting in boarding actions. In the Caribbean theatre volunteers from freed French slaves on Marie-Galante were used to form Sir Alexander Cochrane 's first Corps of Colonial Marines . These men bolstered
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#17327726059001980-556: A flattop upper receiver. Variants of the carbine built by different manufacturers are also in service with many other foreign special forces units, such as the Australian Special Air Service Regiment (SASR). While the SASR uses weapons of essentially the same pattern built by Colt for export (Colt uses different models to separate weapons for the U.S. military and those for commercial/export purposes),
2145-776: A generic term for a shortened AR-15. Royal Marines The Royal Marines , also known as the Royal Marines Commandos , and officially as the Corps of Royal Marines , are the United Kingdom's amphibious special operations capable commando force, one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy , and provide a company strength unit to the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG) . The Royal Marines trace their origins back to
2310-489: A jam when his M16 was covered in mud after climbing out of a canal . The weapon was cleared and resumed firing with the next chambered round. Furthermore, a Marine chief warrant officer reported that there were no issues with his battalion 's 700 M4s and 350 M16s. The reliability of the M4 has increased as the design was upgraded. In 1990, the M4 was required to fire 600 mean rounds between stoppages using M855 ammunition. In 2013,
2475-737: A large flash suppressor had to be fitted. In 1982, the U.S. Government requested Colt to make a carbine version of the M16A2. At the time, the Colt M16A2 was the Colt 645, also known as the M16A1E1. Later that year, the U.S. Army Armament Munitions Chemical Command helped Colt develop a new variant of the XM177E2, and the U.S. Army redesignated the XM177E2 to the XM4 Carbine, giving the name as
2640-542: A large difference from the last test with the M4 having 148 class 1 stoppages caused by rifle malfunctions and 148 class 1 stoppages caused by magazine stoppages. The full-size M16 rifle had 61 stoppages during the same extreme dust test. In early 2010, two journalists from the New York Times spent three months with soldiers and Marines in Afghanistan. While there, they questioned around 100 infantrymen about
2805-529: A longer "mid length" gas system with its newer Upper Receiver Group-Improved (URG-I) modifications. As the modifications only affect the upper receiver assembly, rifles with the URG-I still retain the M4A1 designation. The M4's maneuverability makes it beneficial for non-infantry troops (vehicle crews, clerks and staff officers), as well as for close quarters battle . The M4, along with the M16A4, has mostly replaced
2970-593: A mid-length gas system. Although initially an Army program, the URG-I has seen use by other components of SOCOM as well. The GAU-5/A Aircrew Self Defense Weapon (ASDW) is an Air Force modified M4 with a detachable barrel and handguard assembly, folding pistol grip, and fold-down iron sights to enable compact packaging. This weapon is stowed in ejection seats of tactical aircraft and is intended to allow aircrew who egress in hostile environments to better defend themselves until rescue than existing handguns. The weapons entered service in 2018. Confusingly, this weapon shares
3135-472: A military M4, but with a 16-inch (41 cm) barrel. The Bushmaster M4 Type Carbine is a popular example. Civilian models are sometimes colloquially referred to as "M4gery" ( / ɛ m ˈ f ɔːr dʒ ər i / em- FOR -jə-ree , a portmanteau of "M4" and "forgery.") Colt had maintained that it retained sole rights to the M4 name and design, while other manufacturers had long maintained that Colt had been overstating its rights, and that "M4" had now become
3300-424: A multi-position telescoping stock or a fixed A2 or LE tactical stock. The M4 is a shorter and lighter variant of the M16A2 rifle, sharing much of the same operation mechanisms and has 80% parts commonality; the chief differences are a shorter barrel of 14.5 inches rather than 20 inches as well as a shortened receiver extension and buffer. Two fire control groups exist for the M4 family, the three-round burst for
3465-645: A new Leupold scope, a HuxWrx suppressor , an Envision Technology ballistic calculator , and a Pixels-on-Target thermal sight was adopted in 2023. For civilian customers LMT offers the a semi-automatic only L129A1 Reference Rifle in its model range. A straight-pull version was also produced for the UK market. The Modular Weapons System (MWS) was developed into the Modular Ambidextrous Rifle System (MARS), available in light and heavy variants. The light assault rifle variants are chambered for
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#17327726059003630-548: A new chambering in the logistics chain, and due to a higher O ratio is shortened barrel life. The upper receiver still uses a gas-operated, rotating bolt (internal piston) system like the L129A1, but the handguard attachment points on its sides were changed to be M-LOK compatible. An undisclosed amount of Short Barreled Rifles (SBR) chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO intermediate cartridge with an 10.5 in (267 mm) barrel have been ordered by Lebanon . The existence of
3795-524: A receiver extension that is inline with the barrel. The gas system, bolt carrier, and bolt-locking design is ammunition specific, since it does not have an adjustable gas port or valve to adjust the weapon to various propellant and projectile or barrel length specific pressure behavior. The receiver is made of forged 7075-T6 aluminum, while the 14.5 in (368 mm) barrel, bolt, bolt carrier, and fire control group are made of steel; these components can be easily serviced and replaced by unit armories, enabling
3960-480: A separate upper receiver for their M4A1 to enable greater mission flexibility. The SOPMOD program also introduced the Special Purpose Receiver (SPR), a 16-or-18 in (406-or-457 mm) barreled upper receiver that would be mated to an M4A1 lower receiver to allow the weapon to serve as a designated marksman rifle (DMR). Although originally intended as an upper receiver kit for the M4A1 like
4125-520: A series of changes to the M4 to Congress. Requested changes included an electronic round counter that records the number of shots fired, a heavier "SOCOM barrel", and possibly replacing the Stoner expanding gas system with a gas piston system. The heavier "SOCOM barrel" was first issued to special forces operators in the early 2000s to enable greater sustained automatic fire in certain immediate-action drills, although SOCOM itself would eventually return to
4290-597: A wide field of view. Two locking bolts accessible from the right side of the receiver with a basic tool lock a barrel extension and make the barrel unit user removable within minutes with a return to zero of the same barrel. It features an 11.25 in (285.8 mm) twist rate to fire standard 144-grain 7.62 mm ball up to 168-grain BTHP ammunition used by NATO, but the official issue rounds are 155-grain L42A1-A3 sniper and L59A1 "High Performance" ball ammunition. The ACOG
4455-408: A with the help of basic tools. The MARS receiver can host and switch between barrels of varying length, and diameter. material, and caliber. Two locking bolts accessible from the right side of the receiver with a basic tool lock a barrel extension and make the barrel unit user removable with a return to zero of the same barrel. MARS series weapons were sold to several military users. On 12 August 2015,
4620-506: Is a U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) program to further improve the durability and reliability of the SOPMOD Block II by introducing additional component improvements. First fielded in 2018, the main improvements are the lighter Geissele Mark 16 free-float rail that incorporates M-LOK as the mounting method and a Daniel Defense cold hammer-forged barrel that returns to the lighter "government" profile contour as well as
4785-409: Is better for clearing rooms than burst fire. A subvariant of the M4A1 uses a heavier barrel than the standard M4, as the regular M4 barrel, which can fire 6,000 rounds before requiring inspection for possible replacement, was not sufficient for the higher consumption of ammunition by SOCOM operators. The redesigned barrel, colloquially referred to as the "SOCOM barrel", has an increased diameter in
4950-801: Is by the L16A2 81mm mortar . Sniper rifles used include the L115A3 , produced by Accuracy International . More recently the L129A1 has come into service as the designated marksman rifle . Other weapons include the Javelin anti tank guided missile , the NLAW disposable anti tank missile, MATADOR anti-structure recoilless rifle, the L131A1 pistol and the Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife . The Royal Marines are in
5115-404: Is mounted to a Picatinny rail to which is fitted a Trijicon RM01 1 x Ruggedized Miniature Reflex (RMR) for Close Quarters Battle use. A Sniper Support Weapon (SSW) version, also designated L129A1 , was adopted for use by the second man in each sniper team and is fitted with a Schmidt & Bender 3-12×50 telescopic sight and a Surefire suppressor. The New Zealand Army adopted the rifle under
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5280-458: Is produced with a bolt design featuring a redesigned extractor intended to improve the extraction of cartridges under adverse conditions. The company also produces a redesigned bolt carrier intended to improve the reliable performance of the rifle's “internal piston” system by obtaining a similar timing sequence with 14.5-inch carbine-length barrels compared to 20-inch rifle-length barrels for AR-15-pattern arms. The Monolithic Rail Platform (MRP)
5445-603: Is still on display at Pegasus Bridge . Only one marine ( Corporal Thomas Peck Hunter of 43 Commando) was awarded the Victoria Cross in the Second World War for action at Lake Comacchio in Italy . Hunter was the most recent RM Commando to be awarded the medal. The Royal Marines Boom Patrol Detachment under Blondie Haslar carried out Operation Frankton and provided the basis for the post-war continuation of
5610-448: Is that many of the gas piston modifications for the M4 isolate the piston so that piston jams or related malfunction require the entire weapon be disassembled, such disassembly cannot be performed by the end-user and requires a qualified armorer to perform out of field, whereas almost any malfunction with the direct-impingement system can be fixed by the end-user in field. The second is that gas piston alternatives use an off-axis operation of
5775-681: Is the same as that of the British Army . Uniquely, in the Royal Marines, officers and all other ranks undergo initial, commando and specialist training together at the Commando Training Centre, Royal Marines (CTCRM). On average, 26,000 men apply to join the Royal Marines Commandos every year, but only 400 make it. At its height in 1944 during the Second World War, more than 70,000 men served in
5940-420: The 5.56×45mm NATO intermediate cartridge and the heavy battle rifle/designated marksman rifle variants for the 7.62×51mm NATO , 6.5 mm Creedmoor or similar fully powered cartridges . MARS weapons feature lower receivers updated to fully ambidextrous mirrored controls and can be set up to use gas-operated , rotating bolt (internal piston, not direct impingement ) or short-stroke piston operating systems
6105-642: The Battle of Bunker Hill led by Major John Pitcairn . In 1788 a detachment of four companies of marines, under Major Robert Ross , accompanied the First Fleet to protect a new colony at Botany Bay ( New South Wales ). Due to an error the Fleet left Portsmouth without its main supply of ammunition, and were not resupplied until the Fleet docked in Rio de Janeiro midway through the voyage. Some scholars contend that
6270-542: The British Transport Police began to use AR-pattern short-barreled rifles produced by LMT. In 2009, a contract was signed to supply the British Ministry of Defence (MOD) with 440 LM308MWS 7.62×51mm rifles under the official service designation as the L129A1 . Its NATO Stock Number (NSN) is 1005-99-226-6708. As of December 2014, over 3,000 units have been supplied to UK forces. During
6435-532: The Colt Advanced Piston Carbine (APC). The weapon has a suppression-ready fluted barrel, which is lighter and cools better than previous M4 barrels. It is claimed to have "markedly better" accuracy. To improve reliability, Colt used an articulating link piston (ALP), which "reduces the inherent stress in the piston stroke by allowing for deflection and thermal expansion". In traditional short-stroke gas piston operating systems designed for
6600-613: The Estonian Defence Forces selected the MARS-L after two years of testing to replace their IMI Galil and Automatkarbin 4 rifles. The Estonian Defence League Started using the R-20 in early 2023. 19,000 short-stroke piston MARS-L rifles were ordered under the designation R-20 Rahe ("Hail" in Estonian). The upper receiver has a Picatinny rail on the top and M-LOK compatible attachment points on its sides and uses
6765-628: The FN Herstal SCAR-H , Heckler & Koch HK417 and Sabre Defence XR-10. LMT's rifle was chosen, earning it the L129A1 designation, and entering service in April 2010 in Afghanistan. One member (termed the "sharpshooter") of the British rifle sections, was issued an L129A1 instead of an assault rifle. The standard optic for the L129A1 is the TA648-308 6×48 Trijicon ACOG providing a 8 mm exit pupil for ample light gathering and
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6930-665: The FN SCAR , but later withdrew their purchase, as it was not a significant enough improvement over the M4A1. The U.S. Army briefly had a tender in 2011 called the Individual Carbine , which solicited proposals for a potential M4 carbine replacement, but this was canceled in 2013 after determining that none of the entrants offered an adequate improvement over the M4. For the Individual Carbine competition, Colt submitted their Enhanced M4 design, also known as
7095-767: The Honourable Artillery Company . The 'first official' unit of English naval infantry, originally called the Duke of York and Albany's Maritime Regiment of Foot and soon becoming known as the Admiral's Regiment , was formed on 28 October 1664, with an initial strength of 1,200 infantrymen recruited from the Trained Bands of London as part of the mobilisation for the Second Anglo-Dutch War . James (later King James VII & II ),
7260-627: The LMT 308 MWS designation in October 2011. It differs from its UK counterpart in being select fire instead of semi-automatic only, a 20 in (508 mm) barrel the use of a Leupold adjustable 4.5-14× telescopic sight, canted iron sights, and a foldable foregrip. Within the Royal Marines at least, an improved Modular Ambidextrous Rifle System (MARS-H) based L129A2 version chambered in 6.5 mm Creedmoor with an 18 in (457 mm) barrel,
7425-914: The Land Rover Wolf , and the Jackal 2 (MWMIK) protected patrol vehicle. Field artillery support is provided by 29th Commando Regiment Royal Artillery of the British Army using the L118 Light Gun , a 105 mm towed howitzer . The regiment is Commando-trained . The Commando Helicopter Force of the Fleet Air Arm provides transport helicopters in support of the Royal Marines. It currently uses both Merlin HC4/4A medium-lift transport and Wildcat AH1 light transport/reconnaissance helicopters to provide direct aviation support for
7590-584: The Magpul Industries M-LOK rail interface system. The URG-I also replaces the Block II's heavier barrel with a standard "government profile" cold hammer forged barrel with a longer gas system. The initial order of M4 carbines had a fixed carrying handle and rear sight similar to the M16A2. The flattop upper receiver with the Picatinny rail was introduced with the M4A1 variant in 1994, and all subsequent orders for all M4 variants would have
7755-735: The Mk5b Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel , and the BAE Fast Interceptor Craft and MK 11 Shallow Water Combat Submersible used by the Special Boat Service . Other smaller amphibious craft such as the Offshore Raiding Craft , Rigid Raider and Inflatable Raiding Craft are in service in much greater numbers. The overall head of the Royal Marines is King Charles III , in his role as Commander-in-Chief of
7920-642: The New Zealand Ministry of Defence announced that it would be replacing the current Steyr AUG rifle for the three branches of the New Zealand Defence Force with a rifle from LMT, one of eight companies that had submitted rifles for trials between March and June 2015. Like the Steyr AUG, the submitted LMT design was also chambered in 5.56×45mm NATO . A contract of NZD 59 million was awarded to LMT for 9,040 rifles, designated
8085-603: The Royal Naval Division which landed in Belgium in 1914 to help defend Antwerp and later took part in the amphibious landing at Gallipoli in 1915. It also served on the Western Front . The Division's first two commanders were Royal Marine Artillery Generals. Other Royal Marines acted as landing parties in the Naval campaign against the Turkish fortifications in the Dardanelles before the Gallipoli landing. They were sent ashore to assess damage to Turkish fortifications after bombardment by British and French ships and, if necessary, to complete their destruction. The Royal Marines were
8250-425: The SBS . The Corps underwent a notable change after 1945 however, when the Royal Marines took on the main responsibility for the role and training of the British Commandos . As of 2009 , since their creation in 1942 Royal Marines Commandos had engaged on active operations across the globe, every year except 1968. Notably they provided the first military unit to perform an air assault insertion by helicopter, during
8415-618: The Suez Crisis in 1956. They were also part of the land element during the 1982 Falklands War . 43 Commando was active as amphibious infantry from 1961 to 1968, and 41 Commando was disbanded in 1981. In 1946 the Army Commandos were disbanded, leaving the Royal Marines to continue the commando role (with supporting army elements). During the Cold War the Royal Marines were earmarked to reinforce NATO 's northernmost command Allied Forces North Norway . Therefore, 3 Commando Brigade began to train annually in Northern Norway and had large stores of vehicles and supplies pre-positioned there. At
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#17327726059008580-559: The Tanzanian Army mutinied. Within 24 hours elements of 41 Commando had left Bickleigh Camp, Plymouth, Devon, and were travelling by air to Nairobi, Kenya, continuing by road into Tanzania. At the same time, Commandos aboard HMS Bulwark sailed to East Africa and anchored off-shore from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The revolt was put down and the next six months were spent in touring Tanzanian military out-posts disarming military personnel. From 1969 onwards, Royal Marine units regularly deployed to Northern Ireland during The Troubles , during
8745-444: The War of the Spanish Succession ; their most notable contribution being the capture of Gibraltar in 1704. On 5 April 1755, His Majesty's Marine Forces , fifty Companies in three Divisions, headquartered at Chatham , Portsmouth , and Plymouth , were formed by Order of Council under Admiralty control. Initially Marine field officer ranks were honorary sinecure positions awarded to senior Royal Navy officers. This meant that
8910-486: The defence of Crete . Royal Marines also served in Malaya and in Singapore , where due to losses they were joined with remnants of the 2nd Battalion of Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders at Tyersall Park to form the "Plymouth Argylls". The Royal Marines formed one Commando (A Commando) which served at Dieppe . One month after Dieppe, most of the 11th Royal Marine Battalion was killed or captured in an ill staged amphibious landing at Tobruk in Operation Agreement . Again,
9075-424: The free-floated Daniel Defense Rail Interface System II (RIS II), first issued in 2008. The RIS II is available in 9.5 inches for the Mk 18 Mod 1 or 12.5 inches for the M4A1. Other components of the Block II include the L3 Advanced Target Pointer Illuminator Aiming Laser (ATPIAL), or the AN/PEQ-15 as well as the LA5 high-power variants, and the ELCAN SpecterDR 1-4 optic. The Upper Receiver Group-Improved (URG-I)
9240-406: The war in Afghanistan British light infantry units sometimes found themselves outranged by small arms beyond the effective range of their assault rifles and light machine guns chambered for the intermediate 5.56 mm NATO cartridge. At ranges between 400 and 800 m (437 and 875 yd), the then available small arms capable of returning effective fire, were the general-purpose machine gun and
9405-439: The war on terror , including in Operation Enduring Freedom and the Iraq War . In the Army, the M4 had largely replaced M16A2s as the primary weapon of forward deployed personnel by 2005. The M4 carbine also replaced most submachine guns and selected handguns in U.S. military service, as it fires more effective rifle ammunition that offers superior stopping power and is better able to penetrate modern body armor . In 2007,
9570-417: The "SS" abbreviation was unpopular) were raised during the war, and Royal Marines were represented in all of them. A total of nine RM Commandos were raised during the war, numbered from 40 to 48. These were distributed as follows: 1 Commando Brigade took part in first in the Tunisia Campaign and then assaults on Sicily and Normandy , campaigns in the Rhineland and crossing the Rhine . 2 Commando Brigade
9735-418: The 1990s, the Objective Individual Combat Weapon competition was put forth to find a replacement for the M4. Two designs were produced, both by Heckler & Koch : the XM29 OICW , which incorporated a smart grenade launcher, but was canceled in 2004 as it was too heavy, and the XM8 , which was canceled in 2005 as it did not offer significant enough improvements over the M4. The Heckler & Koch HK416
9900-431: The 60,000 total rounds firing without a problem. The Army said it planned to improve the M4 with a new cold-hammer-forged barrel to give longer life and more reliable magazines to reduce the stoppages. Magazine failures caused 239 of the M4's failures. Army officials said the new magazines could be combat-ready by spring if testing went well. The Army began issuing an improved STANAG magazine in March 2009. According to
10065-420: The 6th Battalion RMLI mutinied and was disbanded at Murmansk. The Royal Marine Artillery (RMA) and Royal Marine Light Infantry (RMLI) were amalgamated on 22 June 1923. Post-war demobilisation had seen the Royal Marines reduced from 55,000 (1918) to 15,000 in 1922 and there was Treasury pressure for a further reduction to 6,000 or even the entire disbandment of the Corps. As a compromise an establishment of 9,500
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#173277260590010230-415: The AR platform, the force of the piston striking the bolt carrier can push the bolt carrier downwards and into the wall of the buffer tube, leading to accelerated wear and even chipped metal. This is known as carrier tilt . The ALP allows the operating rod to wiggle to correct for the downward pressure on the bolt and transfers the force straight backwards in line with the bore and buffer assembly, eliminating
10395-410: The Army had done. This is because of the carbine's lighter weight, compact length, and ability to address modern combat situations that happen mostly within close quarters; if a squad needs to engage at longer ranges, the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle can be used as a designated marksman rifle . Approval of the change would move the M16 to support personnel, while armories already had the 17,000 M4s in
10560-400: The Army, the M4 only suffered 296 stoppages and said that the high number reported could be attributed to discrepancies in the scoring process. The Army testing command stated that, if the number of stoppages caused by a broken part met some threshold, they would be eliminated from the final report pending redesign of the part. The methodology of the test has been debated, as many of the M4s in
10725-433: The British Special Air Service uses a variant on the basic theme, the Colt Canada C8SFW . Colt Model 925 carbines were tested and fitted with the KAC M4 RAS under the designation M4E2 , but this designation appears to have been scrapped in favor of mounting this system to existing carbines without changing the designation. The U.S. Army Field Manual specifies for the Army that adding the Rail Adapter System (RAS) turns
10890-526: The British. The EOKA were a small, but powerful organisation of Greek Cypriots, who had great local support from the Greek community. The unit, based in Malta at the time travelled to the Kyrenia mountain area of the island and in December 1955 launched Operation Foxhunter, an operation to destroy EOKA's main base. Further action in the Far East was seen during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation . Nos 40 and 42 Commando went to Borneo at various times to help keep Indonesian forces from worsening situations in
11055-399: The CQBR, the SPR would eventually be issued as a standalone complete rifle designated the Mk. 12 Special Purpose Rifle , with some assembled from M4A1 lower receivers. The SOPMOD Block II is a more radical modification kit for the baseline M4A1 that can be fitted at first-echelon unit maintenance level. Components of the Block II were phased in gradually, but the most distinctive feature is
11220-449: The Colt M5), and the XM250 Squad Automatic Weapon. Operational testing and fielding are scheduled for 2024. The M4, and its variants, is a lightweight 5.56×45mm NATO (and .223 Remington ) caliber, gas-operated, magazine-fed, air-cooled selective fire AR-15-pattern firearm . Its gas operation consists of an internal piston (often incorrectly referred to as direct impingement ), a rotating bolt, and bolt carrier that reciprocates into
11385-413: The Commando role. 116th Brigade saw some action in the Netherlands , but 117th Brigade was hardly used operationally. In addition one Landing Craft Assault (LCA) unit was stationed in Australia late in the war as a training unit. In 1946 the Army Commandos were disbanded, leaving the Royal Marines to continue the Commando role (with supporting Army elements). A number of Royal Marines served as pilots during
11550-428: The Corps. In addition, the Royal Air Force provides Chinook heavy-lift and Puma HC2 medium-lift transport helicopters, and the British Army provides Apache AH-64E attack helicopter gunship support. The Royal Marines operate a varied fleet of military watercraft designed to transport troops and materiel from ship to shore or conduct river or estuary patrols. These include the Mk10 Landing Craft Utility and
11715-510: The Crimea and one in the Baltic . In 1862 the name was slightly altered to Royal Marine Light Infantry . The Royal Navy did not fight any other ships after 1850 and became interested in landings by Naval Brigades. In these Naval Brigades, the function of the Royal Marines was to land first and act as skirmishers ahead of the sailor infantry and artillery. This skirmishing was the traditional function of light infantry . For most of their history, British Marines had been organised as fusiliers . In
11880-912: The Duke of York and Albany, Lord High Admiral and brother of King Charles II , was Captain-General of the Artillery Company, now the Honourable Artillery Company , the unit that trained the Trained Bands. It was the fifth European Marine unit formed, being preceded by the Spain 's Infantería de Marina (1537), the Fanti da Mar of the Republic of Venice (1550), the Portuguese Marine Corps (1610) and France 's Troupes de marine (1622). It consisted of six 200-man companies and
12045-664: The Gulf. The main element of 3 Commando Brigade was deployed to northern Iraq in the aftermath to provide aid to the Iraqi Kurds as part of Operation Safe Haven . In 1992 recruiting into the RM Band Service was opened to females. From 2000 onwards, the Royal Marines began converting from their traditional light infantry role with the introduction of the Commando 21 concept, an emphasis on force protection leading to
12210-761: The Heckler & Koch HK416. Ten of each type of rifle were used to fire 6,000 rounds each, for a total of 60,000 rounds per rifle type. The M4 suffered far more stoppages than its competitors: 882 stoppages, 19 requiring an armorer to fix. The XM8 had the fewest stoppages, 116 minor stoppages and 11 major ones, followed by the FN SCAR with 226 stoppages and the HK416 with 233. Despite 863 minor stoppages—termed "class one" stoppages, which require 10 seconds or less to clear, or "class two" stoppages, which require more than ten seconds to clear—the M4 functioned well, with over 98% of
12375-544: The M16 rifle in US Army (starting 2010) and US Marine Corps (starting 2016) combat units as the primary infantry weapon and service rifle . The M4 has been adopted by over 60 countries worldwide, and has been described as "one of the defining firearms of the 21st century". Since its adoption in 1994, the M4 has undergone over 90 modifications to improve the weapon's adaptability , ergonomics and modularity , including:
12540-521: The M16, the M4 accepts a blank-firing attachment (BFA) for training purposes. The M4 and the M4A1 feed from 30-round STANAG magazines . Other types of STANAG compatible magazines with different capacities may also be used. In January 2017, a USMC unit deployed with suppressors mounted to every infantry M4 service weapon. Exercises showed that having all weapons suppressed improved squad communication and surprise during engagements; disadvantages included additional heat and weight, increased maintenance, and
12705-748: The M16/M4. Following the military adoption of the Armalite AR-15 as the M16 rifle , carbine variants were also adopted for CQC operations, the first of which was the CAR-15 family of weapons, which was used in the Vietnam War . However, these rifles had design issues, as the barrel length was halved to 10 inches (25 cm), which upset the ballistics , reducing its range and accuracy and leading to considerable muzzle flash and blast, meaning that
12870-513: The M16A2 in the Army and Marines. The U.S. Air Force , for example, has transitioned completely to the M4 for Security Forces squadrons, while other armed personnel retain the M16A2. The U.S. Navy uses M4A1s for Special Operations and vehicle crews. However, the M4's shorter barrel reduces its range, with its rear iron sights integrated in the (removable) carry handle only adjustable from 300 m (328 yd) up to 600 m (656 yd), compared to
13035-423: The M16A2 rear iron sights integrated in the fixed carry handle, which can reach up to 800 m (875 yd). Like all the variants of the M16, the M4 and the M4A1 can be fitted with many accessories, such as slings , night-vision devices , flash suppressors , suppressors , laser sights , telescopic sights , bipods , M9 bayonet , either M203 or M320 grenade launcher, M26-MASS shotgun, forward hand grips ,
13200-516: The M27, while the M4 would be retained for leadership billets at the platoon level and above. MARSOC also retains the M4, as its shorter barrel is more suited to how they operate in confined spaces. In 2009, the U.S. Army took complete ownership of the M4 design. This allowed companies other than Colt to compete with their own M4 designs. The Army planned on fielding the last of its M4 requirement in 2010. In October 2009, Army weapons officials proposed
13365-541: The M4 carbine was accelerated after the Battle of Mogadishu (1993) , in which Rangers complained that their M16 rifles were "unwieldy", whereas members of Delta Force in the same battle, equipped with the CAR-15, had no such complaints. The M4 carbine first saw action in the hands of U.S. troops deployed to Kosovo in 1999 in support of the NATO -led Kosovo Force . It would subsequently be used heavily by U.S. forces during
13530-467: The M4 has a "S-1-3" (safe/semi-automatic/3-round burst) trigger group. The M4A1 is used by almost all U.S. special operation units; and is the standard service rifle across the U.S. Army (including conventional forces). It has a maximum effective range of 500 to 600 meters (550–660 yd). The fully automatic trigger gives a more consistent trigger pull, which leads to better accuracy. According to Mark Westrom, owner of ArmaLite, Inc. , automatic fire
13695-479: The M4 have mostly focused on two factors: improving its reliability, and its penetration. The first attempt to find a replacement for the M4 came in 1986, with the Advanced Combat Rifle program, in which the caseless Heckler & Koch G11 and various flechette rifles were tested, but this was quickly dropped as these designs were mostly prototypes, which demonstrated a lack of reliability. In
13860-467: The M4, he illustrates the deficiencies found in the rifle in its current configuration. In the video, he demonstrates his "ArmWest, LLC modified M4", with enhancements he believes necessary to rectify the issues with the weapon. Proprietary issues aside, the weapon is said to borrow features in his prior development, the Ultimax . Sullivan has stated (without exact details as to how) the weapon can fire from
14025-680: The M4. Some issues from this report have been addressed with the issuing of the improved STANAG magazine in March 2009, and the M855A1 Enhanced Performance Round in June 2010. In summer and fall 2007, the Army tested the M4 against three other carbines in " sandstorm conditions" at Aberdeen Proving Ground , Maryland : the Heckler & Koch XM8 , Fabrique Nationale de Herstal SOF Combat Assault Rifle (SCAR) and
14190-430: The M4. The claimed benefits include less needed lubrication for the bolt carrier group to run reliably and reduced fouling. The argument against it is increased weight and reduced accuracy. The Enhanced M4 uses an articulating link piston operating system. Complicating the Army search for higher reliability in the M4 is a number of observations of M4 gas piston alternatives that suffer unintended design problems. The first
14355-698: The M4A1, which strengthened the barrel and replaced the burst-fire option with a fully automatic option; the SOPMOD , an accessory kit containing optical attachments; and the underbarrel weapons such as M203 and M320 grenade launchers to the Masterkey and M26-MASS shotguns . In April 2022, the U.S. Army selected the XM7 rifle , a variant of SIG MCX Spear , as the winner of the Next Generation Squad Weapon Program to replace
14520-543: The M9. While ordinary riflemen in the Marine Corps were armed with M16A4s, M4s were fielded by troops in positions where a full-length rifle would be too bulky, including vehicle operators, fireteam and squad leaders. As of 2013, the U.S. Marine Corps had 80,000 M4 carbines in their inventory. By July 2015, major Marine Corps commands were endorsing switching to the M4 over the M16A4 as the standard infantry rifle, just as
14685-605: The MARS-H marksman rifle is the R-20 L . For civilian customers LMT offers the a semi-automatic only Estonia R20 RAHE Reference Rifle in its model range. A 7.62mm Zf Stgw 20 designated MARS-H based designated marksman rifle chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO was introduced in 2023 by the Swiss Army Reconnaissance Detachment 10 and MP Spez Det . These Swiss (professional) special forces units selected
14850-502: The MARS-L (Modular Ambidextrous Rifle System-Light). The gas-operated, rotating bolt (internal piston) rifles were delivered in May 2017, and soldiers began training with them at Waiouru Military Camp on 15 June 2017. In September 2018, it was reported that some of the rifles had experienced breakages, including 130 with cracks around the bolt, and that all 9,040 rifles had had their firing pins replaced under warranty. LMT later claimed that
15015-505: The Marine Corps would largely abstain from the effort. Conversion of M4s to the M4A1 in the Army began in 2011, as part of the Product Improvement Program, which included the conversion of 300,000 M4 carbines to the M4A1. The 101st Airborne Division began fielding newly built M4A1s in 2012, and the U.S. 1st Infantry Division became the first unit to convert their M4s to M4A1-standard in May 2014. Upgrades included
15180-558: The Marines deliberately spread smallpox among Australia's Indigenous population in order to protect the settlement, but this incident does not appear in contemporaneous Marine or government records and most researchers associate the disease outbreak with other causes. In 1802, largely at the instigation of Admiral the Earl St Vincent , they were titled the Royal Marines by King George III . The Royal Marines Artillery (RMA)
15345-826: The Marines were involved with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, this time the 1st Battalion. In 1942 the Infantry Battalions of the Royal Marine Division were re-organised as Commandos , joining the British Army Commandos . The Division command structure became a Special Service Brigade command. The support troops became landing craft crew and saw extensive action on D-Day in June 1944. A total of four Special Service Brigades (redesignated Commando brigades in December 1944 as
15510-590: The Marines were withdrawn from the conflict in 1951. It received the Presidential Citation after the USMC got the regulations modified to allow foreign units to receive the award. After playing a part in the long-running Malayan Emergency , the next action came in 1956, during the Suez Crisis . Headquarters 3 Commando Brigade , and Nos 40, 42 and 45 Commandos took part in the operation. It marked
15675-567: The Marines' service and successes in multiple engagements in every quarter of the world. The Corps has close ties with allied marine forces, particularly the United States Marine Corps and the Netherlands Marine Corps (Dutch: Korps Mariniers ). The Royal Marines trace their origins back to 28 October 1664 when the Duke of York and Albany's Maritime Regiment of Foot was formed at the grounds of
15840-547: The Navy by Order of Council of 11 July 1665. John Churchill , later the 1st Duke of Marlborough, was a famous member of this regiment. A Company of Foot Guards served as Marines to augment the Marines of the Admiral's Regiment during the key sea battle the Battle of Solebay in 1672. The regiment was disbanded in 1689 shortly after James II was deposed in the Glorious Revolution . Two marine regiments of
16005-671: The Royal Marine Artillery now became the full dress of the entire Corps. Royal Marine officers and SNCO's however continue to wear the historic scarlet in mess dress to the present day. The ranks of private , used by the RMLI, and gunner , used by the RMA, were abolished and replaced by the rank of Marine. During the Second World War , a small party of Royal Marines were first ashore at Namsos in April 1940 , seizing
16170-547: The Royal Marines were heavily involved. 3 Commando Brigade was brought to full combat strength, with not only 40, 42 and 45 Commandos, but also the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the Parachute Regiment attached. The troops were landed at San Carlos Water at the western end of East Falkland , and proceeded to " yomp " across the entire island to the capital, Stanley , which fell on 14 June 1982 to 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment. A Royal Marines divisional headquarters
16335-478: The Royal Marines. Following the Allied victory the Royal Marines were quickly reduced to a post-war strength of 13,000. When National Service was ended in 1960, the Marines were again reduced, but this time to an all Commando-trained force of 9,000 personnel. As of 1 January 2021, the Royal Marines had a strength of 5,968 Regulars, and a combined strength of 6,500 when including reserves. The Royal Marines are also
16500-512: The Schmidt & Bender 3-20×50 PM II Ultra Short telescopic sight with the TREMOR3 reticle that enables quick targeting up to 800 m (875 yd) as their standard aiming optic. Within the Royal Marines at least, a MARS-H based L129A2 designated marksman rifle chambered in 6.5 mm Creedmoor with an 18 in (457 mm) barrel, a fully adjustable DMR stock and lengthened hand guard,
16665-572: The Second World War. It was a Royal Marines officer who led the attack by a formation of Blackburn Skuas that sank the Königsberg . Eighteen Royal Marines commanded Fleet Air Arm squadrons during the course of the war, and with the formation of the British Pacific Fleet were well represented in the final drive on Japan. Captains and Majors generally commanded squadrons, whilst in one case Lt Colonel R.C. Hay on HMS Indefatigable
16830-635: The Special Operations Peculiar Modification ( SOPMOD ) Block I kit for the carbines used by US Special Operations Forces units operating under its command. The kit features an M4A1, a Rail Interface System (RIS) handguard developed by Knight's Armament Company (KAC), a shortened quick-detachable M203 grenade launcher and leaf sight , a KAC sound suppressor , a KAC back-up rear sight, an Insight Technologies AN/PEQ-2 A visible laser/ infrared designator , along with Trijicon's ACOG TA-01NSN model and Reflex sights , and
16995-620: The US's 1st Marine Division at Koto-Ri. As Task Force Drysdale with Lt. Col. D.B. Drysdale RM in command, 41 Commando, a USMC company, a US Army company and part of the divisional train fought their way from Koto-Ri to Hagaru after the Chinese had blocked the road to the North. It then took part in the famous withdrawal from Chosin Reservoir . After that, a small amount of raiding followed, before
17160-468: The USMC ordered its officers (up to the rank of lieutenant colonel ) and staff non-commissioned officers to carry the M4 carbine instead of the M9 handgun. This is in keeping with the Marine Corps doctrine, "Every Marine a rifleman ." The Marine Corps, however, chose the full-sized M16A4 over the M4 as its standard infantry rifle. United States Navy corpsmen E5 and below are also issued M4s instead of
17325-435: The addition of enhanced components and thus making the platform readily upgradable. The flattop upper receiver's Picatinny rail enables the replacement of the removable carrying handle with various optics. The furniture, including the buttstock, grip, and handguard are made of reinforced plastic, although the modular nature of the weapon means that these can be swapped by the end user. The receiver extension can accommodate either
17490-750: The approaches to the Norwegian town preparatory to a landing by the British Army two days later. The Royal Marines formed the Royal Marine Division as an amphibiously trained division, parts of which served at Dakar and in the capture of Madagascar . After the assault on the French naval base at Antsirane in Madagascar was held up, fifty Sea Service Royal Marines from HMS Ramillies commanded by Captain Martin Price were landed on
17655-448: The area between the receiver and front sight. Despite the different barrel profile, this subvariant did not receive a new designation, and was still referred to as the M4A1. Ironically, SOCOM itself would dispense with its namesake heavier barrel and return to the original "government profile" with its Upper Receiver Group-Improved (URG-I) program's mid-length gassed, cold hammer forged barrels. The Close Quarters Battle Receiver (CQBR)
17820-577: The army were raised in 1690. They were the Earl of Pembroke's and Torrington's, later Lord Berkeley's. These two regiments participated in an opposed landing during the Williamite War in Ireland at Cork, Ireland on 21 September 1690 under the command of John Churchill, later Duke of Marlborough. In 1699 the marine regiments were disbanded, but they were raised again from 1702 to 1713 to fight in
17985-453: The average male torso is 18–19 in (460–480 mm) wide, author Chris McNab concluded that this meant the M4 can be consistently accurate up to 300 yards, and noted that the frequent usage of optical attachments meant it could be accurate to higher ranges. In 2014, American firearms designer Jim Sullivan provided a video interview regarding his contributions to the M16 and M4 family of rifles while working for Armalite. A noted critic of
18150-452: The baseline model and the fully automatic for the M4A1. Some M4A1 may also have a heavier profile barrel initially developed for SOCOM for prolonged automatic fire; models with this heavier "SOCOM profile" barrel use the same M4A1 designation, and existing weapons can swap to the heavier profile barrel at the unit armory level. Despite being its namesake, SOCOM itself has reverted to the original lighter "government profile" barrel while adopting
18315-423: The best available operating system in the U.S. Army's improved M4A1. In September 2010, the Army announced it would buy 12,000 M4A1s from Colt Firearms by the end of 2010, and would order 25,000 more M4A1s by early 2011. Additionally, the service branch planned to buy 12,000 M4A1 conversion kits in early 2011 and bought 65,000 more later that year. Eventually, the Army would upgrade all of its M4s to M4A1s, although
18480-511: The bolt-action sniper rifle. These weapons chambered for the fully-powered 7.62 mm NATO cartridge were not well suited to increase the effective engagement range of the British eight-man rifle sections. The LM308MWS was submitted for the British Ministry of Defence's Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) for immediate deployment of a semi-automatic 7.62 NATO caliber sharpshooter rifle in Afghanistan. Other rifles submitted included
18645-678: The carrier tilt. This relieves stress on parts and helps to increase accuracy. The Individual Carbine competition was canceled before a winning weapon was chosen. After the failure of the Individual Carbine program, the Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) was started in 2017. The program aimed to replace the M4 Carbine and the M249 SAW with weapons that would compensate for their perceived deficiencies when fighting at longer ranges, as well as addressing concerns about
18810-505: The closed bolt in semi-automatic and switch to open bolt when firing in fully automatic, improving accuracy. The weight of the cyclic components of the gun has been doubled (while retaining the weapon's weight at less than 8 pounds). Compared to the standard M4, which in automatic fires 700–950 rounds a minute, the rate of fire of the ArmWest, LLC M4 is heavily reduced both to save ammunition and reduce barrel wear. The reduced rate also renders
18975-831: The course of which 13 were killed in action. A further eleven died in the Deal barracks bombing of the Royal Marines School of Music in 1989. Between 1974 and 1984, the Royal Marines undertook three United Nations tours of duty in Cyprus. The first was in November 1974, when 41 Commando took over the Limassol District from the 2nd Battalion of the Guards Brigade, following the Turkish invasion , and became
19140-472: The current M4A1 version can fire 1,691 mean rounds between stoppages using M855A1 ammunition. During the 2009 Marine Corps Infantry Automatic Rifle testing, the Colt IAR displayed a MRBS of CLASS I/II Stoppages of 952 rounds, with a MRBEFF (Mean Rounds Between Essential Function Failure) of Class III Stoppages of 60,000 rounds. An array of firearms accessory makers have offered gas piston conversion kits for
19305-547: The early twentieth century the Royal Marines had achieved a high professional status, although there was a serious shortage of junior officers. Numbering about 15,000 during the Edwardian era, enlistment for other ranks was for at least 12 years, with entitlement to a pension after 21 years of service. After basic training new recruits were assigned to one of three land-based divisions and from there to warships as vacancies arose. From 1908 onwards one gun turret on each battleship
19470-738: The east coast of America including up the Penobscot River and in the Chesapeake Bay . They fought in the Battle of New Orleans and later helped capture Fort Bowyer in Mobile Bay in what was the last action of the war. In 1855 the infantry forces were renamed the Royal Marines Light Infantry (RMLI) . During the Crimean War in 1854 and 1855, three Royal Marines earned the Victoria Cross , two in
19635-410: The effectiveness of traditional 5.56x45mm ammunition against troops wearing body armor in a future peer or near-peer conflict. In order to achieve these goals, all weapon submissions were to be chambered in a new 6.8x51 mm caliber. SIG Sauer, Textron Systems, FN Herstal, True Velocity (previously Lonestar Future Weapons and General Dynamics), and PCP Tactical took part in the program. Textron submitted
19800-597: The end of the Cold War in 1989 the structure of the Royal Marines was as follows: Royal Marines were involved in the Korean War . 41 (Independent) Commando was reformed in 1950, and was originally envisaged as a raiding force for use against North Korea . It performed this role in partnership with the United States Navy until after the landing of United States Army X Corps at Wonsan . It then joined
19965-489: The firearm to become proprietary to the manufacturer, making modifications and changes with parts from other manufacturers difficult. In a study conducted by the Army Marksmanship Unit , they found that at a distance of 300 yd (270 m), the M16 achieved a 24 in (610 mm) grouping , and the M4 achieved a 32 in (810 mm) grouping, which dropped to 12 in (300 mm) and 18 in (460 mm) respectively when using match grade ammunition. As
20130-403: The first commando to wear the light blue berets of the UN when they began the Corps' first six-month tour with the UN forces in Cyprus (UNIFCYP). The Falklands War provided the backdrop to the next action of the Royal Marines. Argentina invaded the islands in April 1982. A British task force was immediately despatched to recapture them, and given that an amphibious assault would be necessary,
20295-407: The first time that a helicopter assault was used operationally to land troops in an amphibious attack. British and French forces defeated the Egyptians, but after pressure from the United States, and French domestic pressure, they backed down. In September 1955 45 Commando was deployed to Cyprus to undertake anti-terrorist operations against the EOKA guerrillas during the independence war against
20460-439: The formation of the "Duke of York and Albany's maritime regiment of Foot" on 28 October 1664, and the first Royal Marines Commando unit was formed at Deal in Kent on 14 February 1942 and designated "The Royal Marine Commando". The Royal Marines have seen action across many conflicts but do not have battle honours as such, but rather the "Great Globe itself" was chosen in 1827 by King George IV in their place to recognise
20625-424: The furthest a Marine officer could advance was to lieutenant colonel. It was not until 1771 that the first Marine was promoted to colonel. This attitude persisted well into the 1800s. During the rest of the 18th century, they served in numerous landings all over the world, the most famous being the landing at Belle Île on the Brittany coast in 1761. They also served in the American War of Independence , notably in
20790-404: The greater cost of equipping so many troops with the attachment. In July 2020, the Marine Corps announced it would be ordering suppressors for use by all M4 carbines used by close combat units. The Marines began to roll out suppressors for all M4/M4A1 carbines in infantry, reconnaissance and special operations units in December 2020. In 1992, U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) developed
20955-398: The gun was updated with improved furniture, and a barrel with rifling of 1 turn in 7 inches (180 mm). The ARDC recommended additional commonality with the M16A2 rifle, as well as lengthening the barrel to 14.5 inches (370 mm). In January 1984, the U.S. Army revised the QRP, and a month later, it formally approved development of the new carbine. In June 1985, the Picatinny Arsenal
21120-410: The heavier SOCOM barrel to better dissipate heat from sustained automatic firing, the full-auto trigger group with a more consistent trigger pull than the burst group's to enable better semi-automatic accuracy, and the ambidextrous selector lever for easier use with left-handed shooters. The M4-M4A1 conversion increases weapon weight from 7.46 lb (3.38 kg) to 7.74 lb (3.51 kg), counting
21285-412: The introduction of the Viking , the first armoured vehicle to be operated by the Royal Marines for half a century. Note: "(V)" denoted British Army reserve units. The Royal Marines are part of His Majesty's Naval Service , alongside the Royal Navy and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary , and they are under the full command of the Fleet Commander . Despite that, the rank structure of the Royal Marines
21450-407: The inventory needed to outfit all infantrymen who needed one. In October 2015, Commandant Robert Neller formally approved of making the M4 carbine the primary weapon for all infantry battalions, security forces, and supporting schools in the USMC. The switch was to be completed by September 2016. In December 2017, the Marine Corps revealed a decision to equip every Marine in an infantry squad with
21615-442: The last to leave Gallipoli, replacing both British and French troops in a neatly planned and executed withdrawal from the beaches. The Royal Marines also took part in the Zeebrugge Raid in 1918. Five Royal Marines earned the Victoria Cross in the First World War, two at Zeebrugge, one at Gallipoli, one at Jutland and one on the Western Front. After the war Royal Marines took part in the allied intervention in Russia . In 1919,
21780-448: The modularity of the AR-15/M4 platform, some operators have replaced issued optics, handguards, and buttstocks with aftermarket ones. In 2018, the Upper Receiver Group-Improved (URG-I) modification kit (unofficially the Block III) was approved for the conversion of Block I and Block II carbine's upper receiver "to an improved barrel and rail assembly.." which includes a lighter free-float handguard from Geissele Automatics that incorporates
21945-478: The neighbouring region, in what was an already heated part of the world, with conflicts in Cambodia , Laos and Vietnam . During the campaign there was a company-strength amphibious assault by Lima Company of 42 Commando at the town of Limbang to rescue hostages. The Limbang raid saw three of the 150 marines involved decorated, L company 42 commando are still referred to today as Limbang Company in memory of this archetypal commando raid. In January 1964, part of
22110-448: The number of worn or broken firing pins was much smaller, in the range of "less than one-tenth of one percent". The issue reportedly stemmed from improper tempering . While replacing the firing pins, a similar quantity of selector switches and bolt carriers had also been found to display premature wear and were replaced. For civilian customers, LMT offers a semi-automatic only New Zealand Reference Rifle in its model range. In May 2019,
22275-424: The only British naval unit capable of conducting amphibious operations at brigade level. The basic personal weapon of the Royal Marines Commandos is the 5.56mm C8 carbine rifle, sometimes fitted with the L123A3 underslung grenade launcher. Support fire is provided by the L7A2 General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) and the L111A1 heavy machine gun (which is often mounted on an armoured vehicle); indirect fire
22440-408: The original M4 to the new M4A1 version. The first 24,000 were to be made by Remington Arms Company . Remington was to produce the M4A1s from mid-2013 to mid-2014. After completion of that contract, it was to be between Colt and Remington to produce over 100,000 more M4A1s for the U.S. Army. Because of efforts from Colt to sue the Army to force them not to use Remington to produce M4s, the Army reworked
22605-418: The original solicitation for new M4A1s to avoid legal issues from Colt. On 16 November 2012, Colt's protest of Remington receiving the M4A1 production contract was dismissed. Instead of the contract being re-awarded to Remington, the Army awarded the contract for 120,000 M4A1 carbines worth $ 77 million to FN Herstal on 22 February 2013. The order was expected to be completed by 2018. Replacements for
22770-495: The pistol grip to track parts wear and ammunition consumption with objective digital data. The accompanying reader unit can provide armorers with diagnostic maintenance warnings. In June 2020, the first batch of 1,500 R-20 Rahe rifles was delivered. The R-20 is planned to fully replace the Galil and Ak 4 by 2022. Estonia also selected the MARS-H with a 16 in (406 mm) barrel as their designated marksman rifle chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO. The official Estonian designation for
22935-430: The piston that can introduce carrier tilt, whereby the bolt carrier fails to enter the buffer tube at a straight angle, resulting in part wearing. This can also tilt the bolt during extraction, leading to increased bolt lug failures. The third is that the use of a sound suppressor results in hot gases entering the chamber, regardless of a direct-gas impingement or gas piston design choice. The gas piston system may also cause
23100-433: The process of replacing all of their L85 rifles with the L119 and the KS-1 (L403) . The Royal Marines maintain no heavy armoured units, instead, they operate a fleet of lightly armoured and highly mobile vehicles intended for amphibious landings or rapid deployment. The primary armoured fighting vehicle operated by the Viking Squadron is the BvS 10 Viking All Terrain Armoured Vehicle. Other, lighter vehicles include
23265-406: The quay of the base by the destroyer HMS Anthony after it ran the gauntlet of French shore batteries defending Diego Suarez Bay. They then captured two of the batteries, which led to a quick surrender by the French. In addition the Royal Marines formed Mobile Naval Base Defence Organisations (MNBDOs) similar to the United States Marine Corps Defense Battalions . One of these took part in
23430-432: The ranks, helping the British to hold the island until reinforcements arrived. This practice was repeated during the War of 1812 , where escaped American slaves were formed into Cochrane 's second Corps of Colonial Marines . These men were commanded by Royal Marines officers and fought alongside their regular Royal Marines counterparts at the Battle of Bladensburg . Throughout the war Royal Marines units raided up and down
23595-420: The red uniforms of the British infantry, became known as the "Red Marines", often given the semi-derogatory nickname "Lobsters" by sailors. A fourth division of the Royal Marines, headquartered at Woolwich , was formed in 1805. During the Napoleonic Wars the Royal Marines participated in every notable naval battle on board the Royal Navy's ships and also took part in multiple amphibious actions. Marines had
23760-488: The reliability of their M4 carbines, as well as the M16 rifle. Troops did not report reliability problems with their rifles. While only 100 troops were asked, they fought at least a dozen intense engagements in Helmand Province , where the ground is covered in fine powdered sand (called "moon dust" by troops) that can stick to firearms. Weapons were often dusty, wet, and covered in mud. Intense firefights lasted hours with several magazines being expended. Only one soldier reported
23925-428: The rest of the 19th Century the Royal Marines served in many landings especially in the First and Second Opium Wars (1839–1842 and 1856–1860) against the Chinese. These were all successful except for the landing at the Mouth of the Peiho in 1859, where Admiral Sir James Hope ordered a landing across extensive mud flats. The Royal Marines also played a prominent role in the Boxer Rebellion in China (1900), where
24090-401: The same designation as the Air Force CAR-15 variant in service since 1966. The M4 carbine has been used for close quarters operations where the M16 would be too long and bulky to use effectively. It has been a compact, light, customizable, and accurate weapon. Like other firearms, failure to properly maintain the M4 can result in malfunctions. This became apparent as it saw continued use in
24255-514: The sandy environments of Iraq and Afghanistan . Despite this, in post-combat surveys, 94% of soldiers rated the M4 as an effective weapons system. In December 2006, the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA) released a report on U.S. small arms in combat. The CNA conducted surveys on 2,608 troops returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan over the previous 12 months. Only troops who fired their weapons at enemy targets were allowed to participate. 917 troops were armed with M4 Carbines, making up 35% of
24420-474: The standard "government profile" barrel in its subsequent M4 improvement programs. The benefits of these changes, however, have come under scrutiny from both the military and civilian firearms community. According to a PDF detailing the M4 Carbine improvement plans released by PEO Soldier, the direct impingement system would be replaced only after reviews were done comparing the direct impingement system to commercial gas piston operating system to find out and use
24585-851: The stoppage and re-engage their target. The lowest rated weapon was the M9, and the M249 had the highest rate of stoppages. 53% of the M4 users never experienced failures of their magazines to feed. 81% did not need their rifles repaired while in theater. 80% were confident in the M4's reliability, defined as confidence their weapon will fire without malfunction, and 83% were confident in its durability, defined as confidence their weapon will not break or need repair. Both factors were attributed to high levels of soldiers performing their own maintenance. 54% of M4 users offered recommendations for improvements. 20% of requests were for greater bullet lethality, and 10% were for better quality magazines, as well as other minor recommendations. Only 75% of M16 users were satisfied with it, and some expressed their desire to be issued
24750-436: The successor to the M3 carbine . The carbine used the same upper and lower receiver as the M16A1, and fires the M855 cartridge along with the older M193 cartridges. In 1983, the 9th Infantry Division requested a Quick Reaction Program (QRP) for a 5.56mm carbine to replace the M1 carbine and M3 submachine gun in service. The XM4 was tested by the Army's Armament Research and Development Center (ARDC) in June 1983. Later,
24915-438: The survey. 89% of M4 users reported they were satisfied with the weapon. 90% were satisfied with handling qualities such as handguards, size, and weight. M4 users had the highest levels of satisfaction with weapon performance, including 94% with accuracy, 92% with range, and 93% with rate of fire. Only 19% of M4 users reported a stoppage, and 82% of those that experienced a stoppage said it had little impact on their ability to clear
25080-499: The test had already seen use, whereas the other rifles were brand new, and that the wide variance in results between summer and fall showed that the test was not accurate, as it was not repeatable with consistent results. Furthermore, the trial M4s had burst-mode fire groups, which are more complicated and prone to failure than the fully automatic fire groups the other manufacturers presented for testing. There were three extreme dust tests performed in 2007. The second test results showed
25245-436: The weapon into the M4 MWS or modular weapon system . The M4A1 carbine is a fully automatic variant of the basic M4 carbine. The M4A1 was developed in May 1991 and entered service in 1994; starting in 2014 the U.S. Army began upgrading all of its existing M4s to the M4A1 standard. The M4A1 was the first M4 model with the removable carry handle. The M4A1 has a "S-1-F" (safe/semi-automatic/fully automatic) trigger group, while
25410-438: The weapon more controllable and accurate in automatic firing. The M4 was developed and produced for the United States government by Colt Firearms, which had an exclusive contract to produce the M4 family of weapons through 2011. However, a number of other manufacturers offer M4-like firearms. Colt previously held a U.S. trademark on the term "M4". Many manufacturers offer production firearms that are essentially identical to
25575-422: Was Air Group Co-ordinator from HMS Victorious of the entire British Pacific Fleet . Throughout the war Royal Marines continued in their traditional role of providing ships detachments and manning a proportion of the guns on Cruisers and Capital Ships. They also provided the crew for the UK's Minor Landing craft , and the Royal Marines Armoured Support Group manned Centaur IV tanks on D Day ; one of these
25740-405: Was created by the company, a one-piece, Picatinny -topped AR-15-pattern upper receiver made from a forged aluminum block. The MRP upper receiver has a quick-change barrel system. Its top rail position matches M4 and E3 -type weapons for optical and sight compatibility. In late 2009, LMT introduced the .308 Modular Weapon System LM308MWS, which uses the 7.62×51mm NATO round. In February 2012,
25905-527: Was deployed, under Major-General Jeremy Moore , who was commander of British land forces during the war. The main element of 3 Commando Brigade was not deployed in the 1991 Gulf War . However, 24 men from K Company, 42 Commando Royal Marines were deployed as six-man teams aboard two Royal Navy destroyers and frigates. They were used as ship boarding parties and took part in numerous boardings of suspect shipping. There were also further elements deployed to provide protection of shipping whilst in ports throughout
26070-408: Was formed as a separate unit in 1804 to man the artillery in bomb ketches . These had been manned by the Army's Royal Regiment of Artillery , but a lawsuit by a Royal Artillery officer resulted in a court decision that Army officers were not subject to Naval orders. As RMA uniforms were the blue of the Royal Regiment of Artillery they were nicknamed the "Blue Marines" and the infantry element, who wore
26235-532: Was given a contract to produce 40 prototypes of the XM4. Initially a joint program between the Army and Marines, in 1986 the Army withdrew their funding. The XM4 was finished in 1987, and the Marines adopted 892 for that fiscal year , with the designation "carbine, 5.56mm, M4". Owing to experience from the 1991 Gulf War , the Army gave Colt its first production contracts for M4 carbines in May and July 1993, and M4A1 carbines for United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) operators in February 1994. Interest in
26400-403: Was initially commanded by Colonel Sir William Killigrew with Sir Charles Lyttleton as lieutenant-colonel. Killigrew had commanded an English regiment in Dutch service, and many of the regiment's initial complement of officers had served there as well. The Holland Regiment (later The Buffs) was also raised to serve at sea and both of these "Naval" regiments were paid for by the Treasurer of
26565-406: Was introduced in 2005, incorporating the same lower receiver as the M4A1, but replacing its direct impingement system with a gas-operated rotating bolt, more comparable to that of the G36 . The HK416 was adopted by the Navy SEALs , Delta Force , and other special forces. In 2010, it was adopted by the Marines as the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle. The same year, the Rangers and Navy SEALs adopted
26730-437: Was involved in the Salerno landings , Anzio , Comacchio , and operations in the Argenta Gap . 3 Commando Brigade served in Sicily and Burma . 4 Commando Brigade served in the Battle of Normandy and in the Battle of the Scheldt on the island of Walcheren during the clearing of Antwerp . In January 1945, two further RM Brigades were formed, 116th Brigade and 117th Brigade. Both were conventional Infantry, rather than in
26895-460: Was manned by RMA gunners. The RMLI continued their traditional role of providing landing parties and shore-based detachments. Specialist positions on board ship, such as postmen, barbers, lamp trimmers and butchers, were reserved for Royal Marines. After 1903 the Royal Marines provided bands for service on board battleships and other large vessels. During the First World War , in addition to their usual stations aboard ship, Royal Marines were part of
27060-409: Was originally a Special Operations Peculiar Modification (SOPMOD) program item that would increase the close quarters maneuverability of the M4A1 by mating the lower receiver with a 10.3-inch (262 mm) barreled upper receiver; with the CQBR installed, the weapon would then be classified as the Mk. 18 CQBR . The Mk. 18 CQBR may be issued as a standalone complete weapon system to SOCOM personnel, or as
27225-419: Was settled upon but this meant that two separate branches could no longer be maintained. The abandonment of the Marine's artillery role meant that the Corps would subsequently have to rely on Royal Artillery support when ashore, that the title of Royal Marines would apply to the entire Corps and that only a few specialists would now receive gunnery training. As a form of consolation the dark blue and red uniform of
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