In response to complaints, the Army has called for weapons manufacturers to begin producing another round of upgrades to the military-grade carbine. The basic weight for the M4 is between 6 and 7 pounds (2.9 to 3.10 kg), and the accessories weigh less as well. In 1964, the M16 entered US military service and the following year was deployed for jungle warfare operations during the Vietnam War. There was also greater need for suppressive power, basically the capacity to shoot faster with more accuracy, which the M4's design has tried to meet. The most recent adaptation, the M16A4, was finalized in 1997, giving our soldiers the ability to mount optics and accessories to the top rail and handguard, giving them a rifle more adaptable to their environment and fight. The early jamming issues were resolved in manufacturing, and in 2009, the Pentagon permitted other makers to begin manufacturing M4 weapons and accessories. The rifle length gas system is easier on the internals which is where increased reliability comes fromEven though the m16 has better accuracy i still think that the m4 is better because of all the problems that the m16 has like jaming or grime that getts into the chamberEdit or create new comparisons in your area of expertise. It is manufactured from stamped (or mold-pressed) aluminum and is weaker structurally than most other weapons' magazines, leading to more frequent failure. Development of the M16 required several iterations because of bullet design, firing modes, and structural reliability.The M4 came … M16s hold 20 or 30 bullets each and can be replaced quickly, though anyone who will use the rifle will need training for some time to master the replacement process. The effective range of an M4 carbine is about 550 yards (500 m). There’s a lot of misinformation out there, or just information that has been repeated so often that it’s taken as fact. The smaller barrel length allows for greater control in close quarters, not only for mobility, but also for firing. In 2012, the government price of every new U.S. Army M16 was $673. The gas-operated direct impingement system uses a rotating bolt to strike a smaller caliber bullet (5.56x45mm) than what was used in the M14, allowing for higher magazine loads (more bullets) and faster rounds. In 2004, Colt filed a lawsuit alleging trademark infringement on the term "M4" against Heckler & Koch and Bushmaster. Over time, most reliability issues were reduced to low-percentage events; however, the AK-47 has long been regarded as more reliable in field conditions (wet, sandy, dirty, etc.). The easiest way to look at it is this: Every M16 is an AR15, but not all AR15s are an M16. The M4 magazine is sturdier to reduce in-field failure rates when dealing with sub-optimal conditions and possibly frequent impacts with the ground or structures as soldiers advance or take cover. However the 20 inch m16 has greater range and about double the fragmentation range firing the m855 round. The M4A1+ standard seeks to improve performance and accuracy with an extended forward rail and a low-profile gas block, among other upgrades. M16 vs M4. Besides the civilian and military designations what’s the real difference between the M16 and the AR15? The M4 has greater ergonomic efficiency in terms of selector/safety switch and maintenance. One improvement the M16 provided was a much higher manufacturing standard that now gives the weapon a service life of 20,000 to 50,000 rounds or more, compared to other assault rifles that max out at between 8,000 and 25,000 rounds. The recoil was designed to be straight-line, for easier "stay on target" action. When the Pentagon began a search for an M16 replacement, several designs were presented by manufacturers such as Colt, FN Herstel, Heckler & Koch, and Remington. To understand the different types of AR platform rifles, you first need to start with a little history. Heckler & Koch settled out of court and changed their use of the term on a similar weapon, but in 2005, Bushmaster won the case as the court stated that "M4" had become a generic term. I perfer the M16A4 since I was able to engage a POINT Target at 843 yards using a T31 ACOG. The M16 rifle, officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16, is a family of military rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military.The original M16 rifle was a 5.56mm automatic rifle with a 20-round magazine.. Left-handed users of the M16 complain that the design makes it difficult for them to field-strip it for maintenance. Cut-down M16 barrels lose accuracy and create more flash, so a shorter carbine variant was needed to address current battlefield realities. The gas-piston system failed in several early variants, though the problem was traced to differences in manufacturing rather than intrinsic design flaws.