An M16A2 cost $252 or $254 each, but the Marine Corps has entered into switching this, I remember the price because one of the guys in the maintence area, cut his A2 barrel off, threaded the barrel, replaced the compensator and then a few days latter tried to cut the butstock, forgeting about the buffer... my SSgt at the time, over saw the armory as a collateral duty. The kids NJP had a fine of the cost of a new A2, which was slightly lower than my comrats at the time.
How many M16's, LOL! I think Rifleman 173 said it best. I've heard the cost of a new M4 is around $640, we have recieved a few thousand of them since April, just in my little unit, we've also recieved Aimpoint Comp M3's and Aimpoint Comp M4's at a cost of around $360, which is about half the retail price, because Aimpoint is just generally a good company. I can tell you that the Army has a 210,000 contract for Aimpoint Comp M4's at a cost of less than $300 each, less than 50% the retail cost. There's a message out to TO all Staff NCO's and Officers with M4's vs the M9's.
As far as caliber changes... there's nothing wrong with 5.56mm, it's short comeings have been replaced by better training, and the adition of other weapons systems, like the SR-25 as a DM rifle inside the squad level. There's no word to switch from M885 green tip anytime soon, we love that little SS109 penetrator round.
There aren't enough men who can handle the old .308 M14, have you seen the gear we are forced to wear, it's like a bomb suit, and you want us to carry what? Remember, this is the "Kinder, Gentler Military" we also have to train Women and skiny little boys on these weapons. 5.56 is a light round, light on recoil, easy follow up shots, light on logistics, heavy on capacity in a mag that's just right.
Drastic changes to the Marksmanship Program have come from the OEF/OIF wars, and I've been watching it advance over the past 6 years, into a mindset to shoot to kill, till the enemy is down... vs. the corny idea of "one shot one kill". Problem is, even the finest marksmanship of the Marine Corps, annually qualifys on a target that you shoot once and it goes down, so there's still a stipulation, that you shoot once and your target goes down... till your target is hopped up on opium & cocaine and keeps comeing at you do you realize that it will take 3-5 shots to take him down.
In addition, there will be no switch from the M9 to a .45 anytime soon either. If you have followed the Joint Pistol Program, it's dead. The powers that be bought 14 million Berreta M9 mags, they're litterally bulgeing from every armory around. The problem with the M9, was the asian mags, they sucked... there's nothing wrong with the M9 for 98% of the people that carry one, 90% of those people are Rear Echelon and don't kneed the .45acp, of those 90% only 10% of them could handle a .45acp properly.
Come on Gents, we have the best military in the world, but face it; we have weapons that are dummy proof and half way indestructable from operator error, it's a volunteer force, I had the same idiot load thier M9 mag backwards 2 different fyscal years, we have to have an overly complicated weapon for safety.
OK I'll get off my soap box. Happiness is a belt feed weapon!
