leadcounsel
member
I didn't vote, but here's my experience from my tour in Iraq:
I was never in a firefight, but I did go to the range a couple times. My weapon was fairly clean and functioned without much issue. However, my friends M4 was also clean and his went down a few times at the RANGE!
I did personally see two M2 .50 caliber vehicle mounted weapons on one of my patrols entirely fail to function. Completely inoperable!
The sand and grit there requires a religious regiment of cleaning. There is a layer of dust on everything, all of the time! It was nearly impossible to keep anything 'clean.' Therefore it would be imperitive to have a weapon that works in the harshest of circumstances.
I have enough experience with the standard AR15 to know that it would probably not be my go-to weapon of choice in harsh environments, but it depends on a lot of factors. I would probably chose something more reliable.
But there are pluses and minuses. After carrying all of that gear, you definately appreciate how relatively light the weapon and ammo are. Every pound of weight counts and larger calibers require bigger magazines, heavier bullets, and typically heavier guns. Even adding 10 pounds to your gear could be a dealbreaker for those already carrying 50-60-70 lbs for any duration.
I do like the platform of the M4 series, but would like to see more reliability based on the accounts of others. If the pistol uppers work, then I suggest implementing those.
I was never in a firefight, but I did go to the range a couple times. My weapon was fairly clean and functioned without much issue. However, my friends M4 was also clean and his went down a few times at the RANGE!
I did personally see two M2 .50 caliber vehicle mounted weapons on one of my patrols entirely fail to function. Completely inoperable! The sand and grit there requires a religious regiment of cleaning. There is a layer of dust on everything, all of the time! It was nearly impossible to keep anything 'clean.' Therefore it would be imperitive to have a weapon that works in the harshest of circumstances.
I have enough experience with the standard AR15 to know that it would probably not be my go-to weapon of choice in harsh environments, but it depends on a lot of factors. I would probably chose something more reliable.
But there are pluses and minuses. After carrying all of that gear, you definately appreciate how relatively light the weapon and ammo are. Every pound of weight counts and larger calibers require bigger magazines, heavier bullets, and typically heavier guns. Even adding 10 pounds to your gear could be a dealbreaker for those already carrying 50-60-70 lbs for any duration.
I do like the platform of the M4 series, but would like to see more reliability based on the accounts of others. If the pistol uppers work, then I suggest implementing those.
