Gas piston rifle testing.

[MCMXI]

Perhaps the US Army is in on the H&K conspiracy too ...

From Wikipedia ...

Recently, H&K developed an improved version of the United States issued M4, called the HK416.[9] H&K replaced the direct gas impingement system used by the Stoner design on the original M16 platform with a piston operating system. At this date, there is no indication that the rifle will be adopted by the United States Armed Forces. However, the elite Delta Force and other special operations units have fielded the HK416 in combat,[10] and Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn has called for a "free and open competition" to determine whether the army should buy the HK416 or continue to purchase more M4 carbines.[11] Incoming Secretary of the Army Pete Geren agreed in July 2007 to hold a "dust chamber" test, pitting the M4 against H&K's HK416 and XM8, as well as the rival Fabrique Nationale's SOF Combat Assault Rifle (SCAR) design. Coburn had threatened to stop Geren’s Senate confirmation if he did not agree to the test.[12] The XM8 and SCAR had the fewest failures in the test, closely followed by the HK416, while the M4 had by far the most.[13] The Norwegian Army has recently chosen the HK416 to be its new standard issue rifle.[14]

The results of the dust test ...

XM8: 127 Class I, II and III stoppages.
Mk16 (5.56 SCAR): 226 Class I, II and III stoppages.
HK 416: 233 Class I, II, and III stoppages.
M4: 882 Class I, II and III stoppages.

It's not as bad as it sounds for the trusty M4 with less than 1.5% of issues during the 60,000 rounds fired from 10 rifles.

 

[Grantman]

yeap the dust test is also linked through to army times in post #3 but good recap from a different website.

What I'm curious to know is how long have the US army have been recommending the light lubrication that saw the m4 produce 9,836 stoppages in an earlier lubrication test?
(http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/07/army_carbine_lubrication_070716/)

And people wonder why the DI system attracts controversy. Firearms like the Garand, ak47, fn fal, etc have attracted legendary reputations in reliability which wasn't plucked out of thin air. On the other hand soldiers like Nate Self and Patrick Miller's experiences (see for yourself) don't conjure up the same warm fuzzies. Reputations aren't forged from hot air when it comes to soldiers lives. But as Col. Robert Radcliffe says, “The M4 is performing for them in combat, and it does what they needed to do in combat,” i.e. It may not be the best but it will do for you, understand? And sure, second place will do well enough for whatever most will use it for.