M4 Carbine proprietary issues: Colt vs US Govt.

[Slater]

http://stinet.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/fulc...e=/fulcrum/data/TR_fulltext/doc/ADA369360.pdf

This is kind of a long but interesting document on some issues that Colt had with the Army and Navy on the unauthorized release of the M4 Technical Data Package.

The Audit team recommended that some disclipinary action be taken against the engineer responsible and (I think) some other individuals. The Navy disagreed entirely, and the Army issued only a verbal reprimand. Not sure what Colt's take on the whole affair was.

 

[Trebor]

Colt was very upset by the whole thing. There's some good info on this at www.thegunzone.com Go to the "History of the 5.56 Round" article.

 

[BigG]

I assume this is the article Trebor is alluding to:

About the Mousegun Round

This is a good augmentation to "The Black Rifle," a book that should be in every gun aficionado's library.

 

[Jim K]

If anyone wants to see a perfect example of bureaucratic screw-ups, false assumptions, finger-pointing, cover-up, and excuses, that audit report is it. The report itself is pretty straightforward, but it is the DOA and DON comments that are really neat. I liked the one that said Colt's release restrictions did not apply because the wording did not conform to the FAR. That would really go nowhere if things ever got to Federal Court, since the Army bought off on the TDP.

BTW, should anyone ever think that document is a Dan Rather forgery, I will sure guarantee it is not. Another area of contracting, but "been there, done that." No forger could ever come up with something like that.

Jim