![SEAL Colt Commando v2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/SEAL_Colt_Commando_v2.jpg)
The Colt Automatic Rifle-15 or CAR-15 is a family of
M16 rifle
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 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-roun ...
–based firearms marketed by
Colt
Colt(s) or COLT may refer to:
*Colt (horse), an intact (uncastrated) male horse under four years of age
People
* Colt (given name)
*Colt (surname)
Places
*Colt, Arkansas, United States
*Colt, Louisiana, an unincorporated community, United States ...
in the 1960s and early 1970s. However, the term "CAR-15" is most commonly associated with the Colt Commando (AKA: XM177); these
select-fire
Selective fire is the capability of a weapon to be adjusted to fire in semi-automatic, fully automatic, and/or burst mode. The modes are chosen by means of a selector switch, which varies depending on the weapon's design. Some selective-fire we ...
carbines have ultrashort and barrels with over-sized flash suppressors.
The CAR-15 name was an attempt to re-associate the AR-15 name with Colt, since the AR initially stood for
ArmaLite
ArmaLite, or Armalite, is an American small arms engineering company, formed in the early 1950s, in Hollywood, California. Many of its products, as conceived by chief designer Eugene Stoner, relied on unique foam-filled fiberglass butt/stock fur ...
, the original manufacturer of the
ArmaLite AR-15
The ArmaLite AR-15 is a select-fire, gas-operated, air-cooled, magazine-fed rifle manufactured in the United States between 1959 and 1964. Designed by American gun manufacturer ArmaLite in 1956, it was based on its AR-10 rifle. The ArmaLite ...
. Colt later abandoned the CAR-15 concept, but continued to make carbine variations, using the "
M16
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 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-roun ...
" brand for
select-fire
Selective fire is the capability of a weapon to be adjusted to fire in semi-automatic, fully automatic, and/or burst mode. The modes are chosen by means of a selector switch, which varies depending on the weapon's design. Some selective-fire we ...
models and the "
Colt AR-15
The Colt AR-15 is a lightweight, magazine-fed, gas-operated semi-automatic rifle. It is a semi-automatic version of the M16 rifle sold for the civilian and law enforcement markets in the United States. Colt's Manufacturing Company currently ...
" brand for
semi-automatic models. However, in present usage, "CAR-15" is the generic name for all
carbine-length variants made before the
M4 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 ...
.
History
![US Army Rangers field excercise](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/US_Army_Rangers_field_excercise.jpg)
Starting in 1965, Colt attempted to market the
M16 rifle
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 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-roun ...
as a
Modular Weapon System
A modular weapon system (MWS) is any weapon equipment which has removable core components (or "modules") that can be reconfigured/interchanged to give the weapon different capabilities to adapt to various applications. Modularity can provide sev ...
. By using various upper assemblies,
buttstock
A gunstock or often simply stock, the back portion of which is also known as a shoulder stock, a buttstock or simply a butt, is a part of a long gun that provides structural support, to which the barrel, action, and firing mechanism are attached ...
s, and
pistol grip
On a firearm or other tools, a pistol grip is a distinctly protruded handle underneath the main mechanism, to be held by the user's hand at a more vertical (and thus more ergonomic) angle, similar to the how one would hold a conventional pist ...
s, the weapon could be configured as
assault rifles,
carbine
A carbine ( or ) is a long gun that has a barrel shortened from its original length. Most modern carbines are rifles that are compact versions of a longer rifle or are rifles chambered for less powerful cartridges.
The smaller size and lighter ...
s,
submachine gun
A submachine gun (SMG) is a magazine-fed, automatic carbine designed to fire handgun cartridges. The term "submachine gun" was coined by John T. Thompson, the inventor of the Thompson submachine gun, to describe its design concept as an autom ...
s,
open-bolt
A firearm is said to fire from an open bolt if, when ready to fire, the bolt and working parts are held to the rear of the receiver, with no round in the chamber. When the trigger is actuated, the bolt travels forward, feeds a cartridge from t ...
squad automatic weapon
A squad automatic weapon (SAW), also known as a section automatic weapon or light support weapon (LSW), is a man-portable automatic firearm attached to infantry squads or sections as a source of rapid direct firepower. Weapons fulfilling this ...
s and a survival rifle version. Belt-fed
light machine gun
A light machine gun (LMG) is a light-weight machine gun designed to be operated by a single infantryman, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. LMGs firing cartridges of the same caliber as the other riflemen of the sam ...
s were also developed under the CAR-15 banner, although they have little in common with the M16 rifle. However, the U.S. military only made significant purchases of the Rifle and Commando versions, so Colt abandoned the CAR-15 family concept. The "CAR-15 Rifle" was already identified by most users as the M16 rifle, and "CAR-15" was similarly associated with the short-barreled Colt Submachine Gun and Commando models. Because of that, the term "CAR-15" has been used to describe any M16-based carbine, even if the particular weapon is not officially named this.
Colt Automatic Rifle-15 family
CAR-15 Rifle (AKA: M16 rifle)
![M16A1 brimob](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/M16A1_brimob.jpg)
The ''Model 603'' CAR-15 Rifle, adopted initially by the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
as the XM16E1 and then later as the M16A1, and the ''Model 604'' CAR-15 Rifle, adopted by the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
as the M16, formed the core of the CAR-15 family. However, the United States military had already committed to purchases before Colt created the concept of the CAR-15 weapons system. The principal difference between the ''Model 603'' and ''Model 604'' is that the former has a
forward assist
Forward assisting is the practice of moving the bolt or bolt carrier of a firearm fully forward when the return spring has not done so (or there is a chance that it will not have done so). Some firearms have a dedicated device to allow forward a ...
, allowing a user to manually close a stuck
bolt.
CAR-15 Heavy Assault Rifle M1
The CAR-15 Heavy Assault Rifle M1 was a heavy-barreled version of the standard AR-15 with a bipod attachment, intended for use as a Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW). It was designed to feed from 30-round box magazines.
CAR-15 Heavy Assault Rifle M2
The CAR-15 Heavy Assault Rifle M2 was a belt-fed conversion of the standard CAR-15, with a heavy barrel and bipod attachment. It was made in prototype form only and saw no sales.
CAR-15 Carbine
![Dissipator Barrel](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Dissipator_Barrel.JPG)
The ''Model 605A'' CAR-15
Carbine
A carbine ( or ) is a long gun that has a barrel shortened from its original length. Most modern carbines are rifles that are compact versions of a longer rifle or are rifles chambered for less powerful cartridges.
The smaller size and lighter ...
was a shortened version for situations where longer weapons could be unwieldy, such as aboard vehicles or
helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
s. It was an improved version of the AR-15 SBR, which was a shorter barrel version of the Colt Armalite AR-15. The only significant change from the M16 rifle was that the barrel was shortened to in length, so that it ended just forward of the front sight base. Because of the shorter barrel, no
bayonet
A bayonet (from French ) is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit on the end of the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar firearm, allowing it to be used as a spear-like weapon.Brayley, Martin, ''Bayonets: An Illustr ...
mounting lugs were provided. One prototype used a shorter handguard and a long barrel.
The ''Model 605B'' had no forward assist, but had a four-position selector switch (developed by Foster Sturtevant in December 1966) so that a user could select safe, semi-automatic, three-round burst, or full automatic modes of fire. Unlike the standard three-position group, the four-position group went from (going clockwise from the 9 o'clock position) safe, fully automatic, semi-automatic and finally burst. The selector itself had 360 degrees of motion, and could be moved either clockwise or counterclockwise, unlike with standard groups. Instead of three-round burst, the burst cam could be modified to two-round or six-round burst. Both versions used the rifle-length buttstock.
As early as 1964,
United States Navy SEALs
The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting sma ...
were using the CAR-15 Carbine.
CAR-15 Submachine Gun (AKA: CAR-15 Model 607)
![USAF GAU-5A](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/USAF_GAU-5A.jpg)
In late 1959, Colt introduced a Tanker Model of the AR-15. It was the first AR-15 made with a retractable buttstock, with its overall length being only with the buttstock retracted. The retractable buttstock resembled a shortened version of the fixed buttstock, but a two-position latch recessed in the back allowed it to be extended and locked into position, increasing the length of pull by . The barrel is too short to mount a bayonet, so the SMG had no bayonet lug.
In 1965, Colt introduces the new ''Model 607'' CAR-15 Submachine Gun (SMG), which is an improved version of the Colt Armalite AR-15 Tanker Model with some modifications from the M16. It was a compact weapon for use by
special forces
Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...
and vehicle crewmen. The
dictionary definition of
submachine gun
A submachine gun (SMG) is a magazine-fed, automatic carbine designed to fire handgun cartridges. The term "submachine gun" was coined by John T. Thompson, the inventor of the Thompson submachine gun, to describe its design concept as an autom ...
is an automatic firearm that fires pistol-caliber cartridges. However, manufacturers such as
Colt
Colt(s) or COLT may refer to:
*Colt (horse), an intact (uncastrated) male horse under four years of age
People
* Colt (given name)
*Colt (surname)
Places
*Colt, Arkansas, United States
*Colt, Louisiana, an unincorporated community, United States ...
,
Heckler & Koch
Heckler & Koch GmbH (HK; ) is a German defense manufacturing company that manufactures handguns, rifles, submachine guns, and grenade launchers. The company is located in Oberndorf am Neckar in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, and also ...
, and
Zastava Arms
Zastava Arms ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Застава oружје, Zastava oružje) is a Serbian manufacturer of firearms and artillery, based in Kragujevac, Serbia. It was founded in 1853 when it cast its first cannon. It is the leading producer of firear ...
have referred to compact carbines as submachine guns, to emphasize their short length and to differentiate them from longer carbines.
About 50 CAR-15 SMGs were made. Most were issued to Navy SEALs and Army Special Forces, though some were also given to Army K-9 units. Since it never went into full production, CAR-15 SMGs were assembled from available spare parts. The first models were made with M16 receivers without forward assists and with shortened pistol grips from the Survival Rifle (see below). The later ''Model 607A'' was made with XM16E1 receiver with forward assist and standard pistol grip. The handguard was made from full-length rifle handguard by cutting it in half and using either the fore or aft pair, after machining the ends to fit the slip ring and handguard cap.
Because of the short barrel, the CAR-15 SMGs suffered from a loud and bright muzzle blast, and a number of muzzle devices were developed to reduce this. The SMGs were initially fitted with the standard M16 rifle's "duckbill" or three-prong flash hiders, which did not alleviate the problem. In September 1966, Colt developed a long moderator that lessened the noise and muzzle flash, which also increased the weapon's reliability by increasing the amount of back pressure. However, the moderator created its own problems, such as heavy bore fouling and causing tracer bullets to wildly yaw. A long moderator with six slots and an expansion chamber, which further reduced noise and flash, replaced the previous muzzle device and became standard for the SMG and the Commando series, but fouling and tracer problems persisted.
Colt Commando (AKA: CAR-15, XM177 & GAU-5)
![USAF MP with Colt Commando](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/USAF_MP_with_Colt_Commando.JPEG)
The Colt Commando was not initially part of the CAR-15 Military Weapons System, but was added in 1966 in response to the US military's desire for a shorter M16 and without the ''Model 607'' SMG's inadequacies. Colt engineer Rob Roy designed a simpler two-position telescoping tubular aluminum buttstock to replace the complicated extending triangular version. The fragile and ad hoc triangular handguards were replaced by reinforced round handguards. Each half of the round handguard is identical, simplifying logistics by not requiring a top/bottom or left/right pair. The ''Model 609'' Commando has a forward assist, while the ''Model 610'' Commando does not. A ''Model 610B'' with a four-position selector was available, but not used by the U.S. military. All versions are equipped with the long moderator.
The XM177 uses a unique flash suppressor sometimes called a flash or sound moderator for its barrel. This device is long and was designed primarily as a counterbalance measure as the shorter barrel makes the weapon unwieldy. This device reduces flash signature greatly and sound signature slightly, making the normally louder short barreled carbine sound like a longer barreled M16A1.
Although it has no internal baffles and does not completely reduce the sound signature to subsonic levels, because it alters the sound level of the weapon, the US Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives has declared this muzzle device to be a sound suppressor and regulates its civilian purchase in the United States.
The ''Model 610'' was classified as the ''XM177''
[Ezell, 1988. p. 401] but adopted by the Air Force as the ''GAU-5/A'' Submachine Gun (GA denoting an automatic gun and U a complete unit rather than a parts kit: the popular "gun aircraft unit" and "gun automatic unit" explanations are
backronym
A backronym is an acronym formed from an already existing word by expanding its letters into the words of a phrase. Backronyms may be invented with either serious or humorous intent, or they may be a type of false etymology or folk etymology. The ...
s). The Army purchased 2,815 ''Model 609'' CAR-15 Commandos on June 28, 1966, which were officially designated Submachine Gun, 5.56 mm, ''XM177E1''.
As part of the contract, Colt was supposed to supply each XM177E1s with seven 30-round magazines, but Colt was unable to build a reliable 30-round curved magazine that would fit in the M16 magazine well, so most XM177E1s were shipped with 20-round magazines. The exception was
5th Special Forces Group, who received a total of four early 30-round magazines. Colt completed delivery of the purchased XM177E1s in March 1967.
In 1967, in response to field testing, Colt lengthened the Commando's barrel from . The increased length reduced noise and muzzle flash, and allowed fitting of the Colt
XM148 grenade launcher
The XM148 was an experimental 40 mm grenade launcher developed by Colt Firearms as the CGL-4 (Colt Grenade Launcher). Colt manufactured the launcher for field testing during the Vietnam era. After problems with the experimental design were discov ...
. A metal boss was added to the moderator for mounting of the XM148 and
rifle grenade
A rifle grenade is a grenade that uses a rifle-based launcher to permit a longer effective range than would be possible if the grenade were thrown by hand.
The practice of projecting grenades with rifle-mounted launchers was first widely used du ...
s. The chambers were chrome-plated. The Commandos with the longer barrels were called the ''Model 629'' and ''Model 649''. The ''Model 629'' Commando has a forward assist; the ''Model 649'' Commando does not.
In April 1967, the Army purchased 510 ''Model 629'' Commandos for use by troops assigned to the
(MACV-SOG), and designated them ''XM177E2''.
Delivery was completed by the end of September 1967. The Air Force adopted a similar model without the forward assist feature as the ''GAU-5A/A''. Sources debate whether or not this was a Colt ''Model 630'' or ''Model 649''.
According to
John Plaster
John L. Plaster (born 1949) is a former United States Army Special Forces officer regarded as one of the leading sniper experts in the world. A decorated Vietnam War veteran who served in the covert Studies and Observations Group (SOG), Plaster ...
and other sources, the lack of 30-round magazines continued to be problematic and SOG operators resorted to pooling their personal resources and purchasing the larger capacity magazines on the civilian U.S. market. Problems with range, accuracy, barrel fouling, and usage of tracer bullets continued to plague the XM177 series, but Colt estimated that it would take a six-month $400,000 program to do a complete ballistic and kinematic study. There were also recommendations for a 29-month $635,000 research and development program. Both recommendations were declined by the U.S. military as American ground force involvement in the Vietnam War was gradually winding down. Production of the CAR-15 Commando ended in 1970.
CAR-15 Survival Rifle
The ''Model 608'' CAR-15 Survival Rifle was meant for use by downed aircrew. Because of the CAR-15's modular design, the Survival Rifle could be broken down into two subassemblies and stowed with four 20-round magazines in a pilot's seat pack. Resembling a Colt Commando, it also has a barrel and is in overall length when assembled. The Survival Rifle used a fixed tubular plastic-coated aluminum buttstock and a round handguard that were not used on the other CAR-15 versions, and did not have either a forward assist or a bayonet lug. The pistol grip was chopped down, and the muzzle was equipped with either a conical
flash hider
A flash suppressor, also known as a flash guard, flash eliminator, flash hider, or flash cone, is a muzzle device attached to the muzzle of a rifle that reduces its visible signature while firing by cooling or dispersing the burning gases that ...
or the long moderator.
Post-Vietnam
![Colt Commando and SEAL](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Colt_Commando_and_SEAL.JPEG)
After the Vietnam War, Colt abandoned the CAR-15 Modular Weapon System concept, but continued to develop short barrel carbines. These were marketed as "
M16
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 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-roun ...
s", while the civilian and law-enforcement
semi-automatic counterparts were marketed as "
Colt AR-15
The Colt AR-15 is a lightweight, magazine-fed, gas-operated semi-automatic rifle. It is a semi-automatic version of the M16 rifle sold for the civilian and law enforcement markets in the United States. Colt's Manufacturing Company currently ...
s". Although, they were all commonly called CAR-15s.
M16 Carbine (AKA: CAR-15)
In the early 1970s, Colt began development of an M16 carbine with a long pencil barrel. The barrel length was compatible with the existing carbine-length gas system and allowed for the mounting of a standard M16 bayonet. Despite having a longer barrel, it's no longer than the Colt Commando, as the longer barrel did not require the long 4.5 inch moderator of the XM177 series, only the much shorter M16 birdcage-type flash hider. Colt labeled the M16 carbines the ''Model 651'', ''652'', ''653'', or ''654'', depending on whether or not it had a fixed or retractable buttstock, or a forward assist. Only the ''Model 653'' M16A1 carbine, with retractable buttstock and forward assist would be purchased in significant numbers by the U.S. military. The
Malaysian Armed Forces
The Malaysian Armed Forces (: MAF; ms, Angkatan Tentera Malaysia; Jawi: ), are the armed forces of Malaysia, consists of three branches; the Malaysian Army, Royal Malaysian Navy and the Royal Malaysian Air Force. The number of MAF active pers ...
and the
Armed Forces of the Philippines
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) ( fil, Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas) are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy (including the Marine Corps). The P ...
, purchased Model 653s in small numbers for special operations forces or security forces.
GUU-5/P
![GUU-5P Carbine (7414627680)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/GUU-5P_Carbine_%287414627680%29.jpg)
The GUU-5/P was a result of United States Air Force making ad-hoc upgrades to its GAU-5 series. The barrels and flash suppressor were replaced with the longer barrel with a 1-in-12 twist, but the weapons retained their original designations. With the change to M855 cartridges, they either received 1-in-7 twist barrel or complete upper receiver assembly replacements. The GAU-5s markings were also removed and the weapons were re-stamped ''GUU-5/P''. These were used by the British
Special Air Service
The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling and in 1950, it was reconstituted as a corps. The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter-terro ...
during the
Falklands War
The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial de ...
.
M4 carbine
![M4A1 ACOG](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/M4A1_ACOG.png)
In the early 1980s, at the request of the United States Marine Corps, Colt upgraded the M16A1 rifle, resulting in the M16A2 rifle. Among the major changes were a reinforced lower receiver, a case deflector, a birdcage flash suppressor redesigned to be a muzzle brake, and a barrel with a faster 1-in-7 twist. The faster barrel was necessitated by the switch from the 55-grain M193 bullet to the 62-grain M855 bullet. The M16A2 rifle's barrel was also thicker for the portion in front of the handguard. Colt incorporated these changes into its carbines, which it called M16A2 carbines. The ''Model 723'' M16A2 carbine used the iron sights of the M16A1, but had a case deflector. The barrel had a 1-in-7 twist, but the thinner profile of the older M16A1 carbine's barrel. As with the Model 653, the United States military made small purchases of the Model 723 for its special operation forces. It was notably used by
Delta Force
The 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment–Delta (1st SFOD-D), referred to variously as Delta Force, Combat Applications Group (CAG), Army Compartmented Elements (ACE), "The Unit", or within Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), Task Fo ...
operators from the late 1980s to the early 1990s.
In 1983,
Diemaco
Diemaco was a Canadian defence company based in Kitchener, Ontario
)
, image_flag = Flag of Kitchener, Ontario.svg
, image_seal = Seal of Kitchener, Canada.svg
, image_shield=Coat of arms of Kitchener, Canada.svg
, image_blank_em ...
developed a carbine similar to the Model 723, the ''
C8 carbine
The Colt Canada C7 is a Canadian family of military rifles, manufactured by Colt Canada (formerly Diemaco prior to 2005), having similar design and function to the Colt M16A3.
The C7 and its variants have been adopted as the standard issue ri ...
'' for use by the
Canadian Forces
}
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force.
...
. The original C8s were built by Colt as the ''Model 725''. In 1984, the U.S. government asked Colt to develop a carbine with maximum commonality with the issue M16A2. Colt named the carbine as the ''XM4''. The project would eventually culminate in the development and official adoption of the
M4 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 ...
in 1994.
M4 Commando
![SAJ M4 rifle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/SAJ_M4_rifle.JPG)
Though Colt has focused its attention on carbines with barrels and rifles with barrels, Colt continues to make carbines with barrels, which it calls Commandos. Originally, Commandos were assembled from whatever spare parts were available, so ''Model 733'' Commandos could have A1-style upper receivers with case deflectors or A2-style upper receivers, and M16A1-profile 1:7 or M16A2-profile 1:7 barrels. Depending on the specific models, Commandos may have had three-position fire control groups (safe/semi-automatic/three-round burst), or four-position having both full-automatic and burst. The modern
Model 933 has a "flattop" receiver, with a removable carrying handle and a
MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail, with semi-automatic and automatic fire. The ''Model 935'' Commando has the features of the Model 933, but has three-round burst fire instead of automatic. Though originally called the M16A2 Commando, Colt now markets them as the ''M4 Commando''.
The M4 Commando with its short barrel suffers the same failings as its predecessors: a substantially lower
muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity is the speed of a projectile (bullet, pellet, slug, ball/shots or shell) with respect to the muzzle at the moment it leaves the end of a gun's barrel (i.e. the muzzle). Firearm muzzle velocities range from approximately to i ...
and greater muzzle flash, in comparison to longer M16 rifles and carbines. The lower muzzle velocity can reduce carbines' wounding effects. However,
United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance
Force Reconnaissance (FORECON) is one of the United States Marine Corps' special operations capable forces (SOC) which supplies military intelligence to the command element of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF). Force Reconnaissance comp ...
personnel sometimes used M4 Commandos in place of their
M9 pistol
The Beretta M9, officially the Pistol, Semiautomatic, 9mm, M9, is the designation for the Beretta 92FS semi-automatic pistol used by the United States Armed Forces. The M9 was adopted by the United States military as their service pistol in 1985 ...
s.
United States Army Special Operations Command Groups also use M4 Commandos as self-defense weapons.
United States Navy SEALs
The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting sma ...
use the ultra-compact
Mk 18 Mod 0 with its barrel in a similar role.
GAU-5A Aircrew Self Defense Weapon
In 2019, a solution to give a personal firepower upgrade over the traditional sidearm for US aircrews in ACES
ejection seat
In aircraft, an ejection seat or ejector seat is a system designed to rescue the aircraft pilot, pilot or other aircrew, crew of an aircraft (usually military) in an emergency. In most designs, the seat is propelled out of the aircraft by an ex ...
–equipped aircraft was to use commercially available AR-15 rifle parts including a special short quick-release barrel, collapsible stock, folding pistol-grip, and four magazines to fit inside the survival kit pan of the ejection seat. Major Gibson, an Air Force spokesperson, said, “This has driven the dimension of 16 x 14 x 3.5 inches.” The Aircrew Self Defense Weapon is to be included in survival kits for A-10, B-1, B-2, B-52, F-15C, F-15E, F-16, and F-22 aircraft. The rifle is being built at U.S. Air Force Gunsmith Shop at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. 2,137 GAU-5A ASDWs are planned.
Gallery
File:Two 1st Cav LRP teams.jpg, Two 1st Cavalry Division Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol teams, Quang Tri, Vietnam, armed in part with CAR-15s, in July 1968.
File:USAFSecurity.jpg, USAF Staff Sergeant with a GAU-5/A converted to a GUU-5/P and fitted with a Blank Firing Adaptor (BFA) for firing blanks.
File:Navy SEAL.JPEG, The U.S. Navy SEAL in the foreground is carrying a field radio and is armed with a Colt Model 653 carbine equipped with an M203 grenade launcher.
File:Malaysian soldiers.jpg, A Malaysian Army operative (left) holding the M16A1 carbine.
File:Flickr - Israel Defense Forces - Soldier Participates in the IDF Combat Fitness Competition, Nov 2010.jpg, IDF
IDF or idf may refer to:
Defence forces
* Irish Defence Forces
* Israel Defense Forces
*Iceland Defense Force, of the US Armed Forces, 1951-2006
* Indian Defence Force, a part-time force, 1917
Organizations
* Israeli Diving Federation
* Interac ...
soldier firing a Colt Model 653 with MEPRO 21 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 sigh ...
.
File:Flickr - Israel Defense Forces - Home Front Command's Shavit Company Drill (2).jpg, Model 653 Carbines in the IDF.
File:US Navy 050312-N-5781F-010 Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class Brian Fitzgerald, right, assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Five (EODMU-5), checks his weapon before heading out to a target area during jungle warfare.jpg, US Navy EOD ordnanceman with a Colt Model 727 carbine.
File:SAJ ACUPAT camo.jpg, Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
n SAJ police, the one in the center holding a Colt Model 933 while the one on the left holds a SIG SG 552.
File:US Navy 080910-N-0373Q-051 Members of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EOD MU) 12 man the firing line (CAR-15 crop).jpg, Example of a M16A1-type carbine modified with a rail interface system handguard to support Picatinny rail
The Picatinny rail ( or ), or Pic rail for short, also known as a MIL-STD-1913 rail, 1913 rail or STANAG 2324 rail (cancelled), is a military standard rail interface system that provides a mounting platform for firearm accessories. It was o ...
-compatible sights and accessories.
File:US Navy 081107-N-0411D-017 Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Andrew McKaskle guides Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Herbert Banks in a tactical shooting portion of firing range training.jpg, Example of a M16A2-type carbine modified with a rail interface system handguard to support Picatinny rail-compatible sights and accessories.
See also
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Colt Automatic Rifle
The Colt Automatic Rifle or Colt Light Machine Gun is a 5.56 mm NATO, open-bolt, full-automatic-only firearm developed by Colt Defense. It is based on the M16A2/A4, and has a distinctive squared-off handguard, vertical grip, carrying handl ...
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AKS-74U
The AK-74 (Russian: , tr. ''Avtomat Kalashnikova obraztsa 1974 goda'', lit. 'Kalashnikov assault rifle model 1974) is an assault rifle designed by small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1974. While primarily associated with the Soviet U ...
- Soviet/Russian counterpart
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QBZ-95B - Chinese counterpart
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Comparison of the AK-47 and M16
The two most common rifles in the world are the Soviet Union, Soviet AK-47 and the United States, American M16 rifle, M16. These Cold War-era rifles have been used in conflicts both large and small since the 1960s. They are used by military, po ...
References
Further reading
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* Ezell, Edward. ''Small Arms Today, 2nd Edition.'' Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1988. .
* Gervasi, Tom. ''Arsenal of Democracy III: America's War Machine, the Pursuit of Global Dominance''. New York, NY: Grove Press, Inc, 1984. .
* Plaster, John. ''Secret Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines with the Elite Warriors of SOG'' Penguin Books, 2004.
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External links
"Colt XM177 5.56mm Submachine Gun" – Warboats.orgU.S. SUBMACHINE GUN XM177 – Springfield Armory CollectionRetro Black Rifle.com – Guide to AR10/AR15/M16 Rifles up to the mid-1980s
{{DEFAULTSORT:Car-15
Colt rifles
Submachine guns of the United States
Cold War firearms of the United States
Rifles of the United States
Carbines
5.56 mm firearms
Military equipment introduced in the 1960s
ArmaLite AR-10 derivatives