The Special Operations Peculiar MODification (SOPMOD) kit is an accessory system for the

M4A1 carbine The M4 carbine (officially Carbine, Caliber 5.56 mm, M4) is a 5.56×45mm NATO, gas-operated, magazine-fed carbine developed in the United States during the 1980s. It is a shortened version of the M16A2 assault rifle. The M4 is extensively ...

, CQBR, FN SCAR Mk 16/17,

HK416 The Heckler & Koch HK416 is a gas-operated assault rifle chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge. It is designed and manufactured by the German company Heckler & Koch. Although the design is based on the AR-15 class of firearm (specific ...

and other weapons used by

United States Special Operations Command The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM or SOCOM) is the unified combatant command charged with overseeing the various special operations component commands of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force of the United States Ar ...

(USSOCOM), though it is not specific to SOCOM. The kit allows US Special Operations Forces (US SOF) personnel to configure their weapons to individual preferences and mission requirements. The program dates back to September 1989, when the Special Operations Special Technology (SOST) ''Modular Close Combat Carbine Project'' was founded. This was the first program to standardize components from the 1970s/1980s era of "duct tape and hose clamps". The ''Material Need Statement'' (MNS) was signed in May 1992 and, by September 1993, the ''Operational Requirements Document'' (ORD) for the program was validated. Responsibility for the program was then assigned to the

Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division (NSWC Crane Division) is the principal tenant command located at Naval Support Activity Crane (NSA Crane). NSA Crane is a United States Navy installation located approximately southwest of Bloomingt ...

. The SOPMOD kit is composed mostly of non-developmental items and commercial off-the-shelf (NDI/COTS) accessories packaged together to support four M4A1 carbines. It allows for the attachment of any Picatinny compatible accessory that fits the length of the weapon.

Block I

The original SOPMOD Block I kit included the following: *

Knight's Armament Company Knight's Armament Company (KAC) is an American firearms and firearms parts manufacturer, best known for producing the Rail Interface System (RIS) and the Rail Adapter System (RAS) grips for firearms use. They currently produce a variety of fire ...

(KAC) Rail Interface System/Rail Adapter System (RIS/RAS)

forearm The forearm is the region of the upper limb between the elbow and the wrist. The term forearm is used in anatomy to distinguish it from the arm, a word which is most often used to describe the entire appendage of the upper limb, but which in ...

with rail covers of various lengths. *KAC Vertical Foregrip (VFG) *KAC 300m backup iron sights (BUIS) *

Trijicon Trijicon, Inc. ( ) is an American manufacturing company based in Wixom, Michigan that designs and distributes sighting devices for firearms including pistols, rifles and shotguns. Trijicon specializes in self-luminous optics and night sights, ...

TA01M4A1 4x32mm

Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight The Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight (ACOG) is a series of prismatic telescopic sights manufactured by Trijicon. The ACOG was originally designed to be used on the M16 rifle and M4 carbine, but Trijicon has also developed ACOG accessories for o ...

(ACOG) *

Aimpoint Aimpoint AB is a Swedish optics company based in Malmö, Sweden that manufactures red dot sights. Aimpoint is a contractor for the United States military and supplies the Aimpoint CompM2. Aimpoint products are used by various armed forces ...

ECOS-N (Enhanced Combat Optical Sight-Navy), a variant of the CompM2 using the Wilcox Aimpoint CompM mount instead of the standard issue QRP mount *Tactical Ordnance and Equipment Improved Combat Sling, which allows for secure cross body/patrol carry. *Precision Reflex, Inc. (PRI) M69 Bracket Mount for the AN/PVS-14 night vision device. Only two of following were included per kit: *

Insight Insight is the understanding of a specific cause and effect within a particular context. The term insight can have several related meanings: *a piece of information *the act or result of understanding the inner nature of things or of seeing intui ...

AN/PEQ-2 Infrared Target Pointer/Illuminator/Aiming Laser (ITPIAL) *Insight Visible Light Illuminator (VLI) *

RX01M4A1 1x24 Dual Illuminated

Reflex Sight A reflector sight or reflex sight is an optical sight that allows the user to look through a partially reflecting glass element and see an illuminated projection of an aiming point or some other image superimposed on the field of view. These sig ...

*KAC NT-4 Quick-Detach

Sound Suppressor A silencer, also known as a sound suppressor, suppressor, or sound moderator, is a muzzle device that reduces the acoustic intensity of the muzzle report (sound of a gunshot) and muzzle rise when a gun (firearm or air gun) is discharged, b ...

(QDSS) kit Only one of the following was included per kit: * M203A1 Grenade Launcher with a 9-inch barrel * KAC M203 Grenade Launcher Quick Release Front Bracket *Quick-attach M203 Grenade Launcher Leaf Sight *

AN/PEQ-5 Carbine Visible Laser (CVL) *Insight AN/PAQ-4 Infrared Aiming Light * AN/PVS-17A Mini- Night Vision Sight *AN/PSQ-18A M203 Day/Night Sight *Carrying/storage case for kit accessories Part of the SOPMOD Block I (but not always issued with kits): *Gas-deflecting charging handles (presumably the PRI M84 Gas Buster Charging Handle with Military Big Latch) *Extraction Parts Set #2 *Redi-Mag *

Lewis Machine and Tool Company Lewis Machine and Tool Company (LMT) is an American armaments company founded by Karl Lewis, in 1980. LMT manufactures weapon systems including the M4 carbine, and the M203 grenade launcher. LMT products are used by the military forces of the Uni ...

(LMT) Sloping Cheekweld Stock *Ambidextrous Selector Switch *Visible Bright Light II (VBL II) (based on the older gen Surefire M962C model, replacement for the Insight VLI) *High Reliability Magazines (HRM) steel and aluminum If more of the accessories are needed, it is typical for units to " cannibalize" the kits of inactive teams. The documentation for the kit does not require a rewrite if improved replacements for any of the current items can be found. As a result, this content list has changed over time. Several potential additions include the KAC Masterkey Shotgun, the

M26 Modular Accessory Shotgun System The M26-MASS (Modular Accessory Shotgun System) is a shotgun configured as an underbarrel ancillary weapon attachment mounted onto the handguard of a service rifle, usually the M16/ M4 family of United States military, essentially making the host ...

, and the

M320 grenade launcher M320 Grenade Launcher Module (GLM) is the U.S. military's designation for a new single-shot 40 mm grenade launcher system to replace the M203 for the U.S. Army, while other services initially kept using the older M203. The M320 uses the same ...

. Also, various EOTech holographic sights, prominently EOTech 551s and 552s are used on many SOPMOD configured M4s.

Block I Phased Replacements

Daniel Defense Daniel Defense is an American arms manufacturer founded in 2002 by Marty Daniel in Savannah, Georgia. Following substantial growth from a 2002 U.S. Army Special Forces grant for M4 upper receivers, Daniel Defense expanded in 2009 and moved int ...

M4A1 RIS II (Rail Interface System), GL/SSC RIS II (Grenade Launcher/Sound Suppressor Capable), and MK18 RIS II (with FSP (front sight post) variations) free-float handguards *

M3X VBL III Gun Light (SU-233/PVS), replacement for the VBL II *Insight M6X VBL III Integrated Gun Light (SU-238/PVS), replacement for the VBL II * EOTech 553 Holographic Weapon Sight (SU-231/PEQ) *

ACOG TA31ECOS 4x Scope + Docter Miniature Red Dot (MRD) (SU-237/PVS) * AN/PVS-17 Product Improvement Kit *BUIS II

Block II

The MDNS (Miniature Day-Night Sight) program included the Block I Phased Replacement components and the Block II components *

M4A1 RIS II (Rail Interface System), GL/SSC RIS II (Grenade Launcher/Sound Suppressor Capable), and MK18 RIS II (with FSP (front sight post) variations) free-float handguards *

M3X VBL III Gun Light (SU-233/PVS), replacement for the VBL II *Insight M6X VBL III Integrated Gun Light (SU-238/PVS), replacement for the VBL II *Insight WMX 200 Tactical Weapon Light * EOTech 553 Holographic Weapon Sight (SU-231/PEQ) *EOTech EXPS3-0 Holographic Weapon Sight (SU-231A/PEQ) * AN/PVS-17 Product Improvement Kit *BUIS II *

LA-5/PEQ ATPIAL (Advanced Target Pointer Illuminator Aiming Laser), a high powered variant of the AN/PEQ-15 *Insight CNVD-T Thermal Sight (SU-232/PAS) *EOTech M40GL Grenade Launcher Sight (SU-253/PEQ ECOS-GL) * Elcan SpecterDR 1-4x Scope + Docter MRD (SU-230/PVS) *

ACOG TA31ECOS 4x Scope + Docter MRD (SU-237/PVS) *Insight AN/PVS-24 Clip-On

Night Vision Device A night-vision device (NVD), also known as a night optical/observation device (NOD), night-vision goggle (NVG), is an optoelectronic device that allows visualization of images in low levels of light, improving the user's night vision. The devi ...

-Image Intensified (CVND-I²) Kandahar province operation 130210-A-KM292-026

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sopmod Rifles of the United States