military designations question

[papajack]

I'm aware of the old system used until about 1930 where adopted weapons were named after the year they were adopted (M1911, M1928, M1919) but the "new" system doesn't seem to follow any pattern. take the M16, were there M2 - M13s? what about a M15? the only ones that make sense are the M1, M2, M3 and M4 carbines. the M2 and M3 were just alterations to the M1 carbine. couldn't they have named it the M1A1 carbine or M1A2? does anybody know how this system works?

 

[Technosavant]

Very often the "skipped" numbers are prototypes that never make it into full production. Or so I've heard. But I can't explain the whole deal.

 

[ClickClickD'oh]

The M15 rifle was a heavy version of the M14. Never entered service.

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

It's not just weapons either. They re-use designations too.
Would you like an M3? Lets see, there's an:
M3 grease gun
M3 Stuart light tank
M3 Bradley
M3 37mm gun
M3 Half track
M3 howitzer
etc.
I'm not sure if there is any rhyme or reason to it except to keep designations from getting too long. M1A3 Mk. 142 mod. 75 might get confusing.

 

[SDC]

The way these numbers are currently assigned is, during testing, each specific version or variant will have an "XM" ("eXperimental Model") number assigned to it, and if that version ends up passing into service, they drop the "X". If the new item being tested is just an "improved" variant of something that's already being issued, they'll usually just be noted with an "A1", "A2", etc. For example, the M16 was originally tested as the "AR-15" was adopted as the "M16", and then changed slightly to become the "M16A1" and the "M16A2".

 

[RevolvingCylinder]

It really doesn't follow an exact procedure. It gets the number it gets for any number of reasons.

 

[strat81]

Much like laws, never, EVER try to make sense out of anything related to the government. You will only hurt your brain.

 

[KiltedClaymore]

always keep thi in mind when refering to the military and their logic: military inteligence is the ubertothemax-oxymoron.

 

[def4pos8]

I carried an M-15 as my duty sidearm. This was a Smith & Wesson Model 15 with "USAF" stamped on the left frame below the cylinder. Our duty ammunition was that hideous, PGU-12: the original "+P" .38 Special, round-nose "hardball".

 

[OEF_VET]

It's not just weapons either. They re-use designations too.
Would you like an M3? Lets see, there's an:
M3 grease gun
M3 Stuart light tank
M3 Bradley
M3 37mm gun
M3 Half track
M3 howitzer

Sub-machine gun, Model 3
Tank, light, Model 3
Cavalry Fighting Vehicle, Model 3
Vehicle, Tracked and wheeled, Model 3
Howitzer, towed, Model 3

Each of those was the third model of a different type of equipment piece. Just like we have / had an assortment of M-1's: the Garand, the "war-baby" carbine, the Thompson SMG, the Abrams main battle tank, etc.

Oh, and the select-fire weapon adopted in the '60's wasn't the first M-16. Anyone know what the other, not-quite-so-famous one was?

 

[def4pos8]

Then there's aircraft designations:

F4F - Grumman "Wildcat"
F4M - General Motors-built "Wildcat"
F4U - Chance-Vought "Corsair"
F4G - Goodyear-built "Corsair"
F2G - hot-rodded Chance-Vought "Corsair"
F-4B through F-4G - McDonnell-Douglas "Phantom II"
F-4J - Mitsubishi-built "Phantom II" ----but I thought they LOST the war to the F4F??!!!??

It can be confusing. . . .:banghead:

 

[ClickClickD'oh]

Oh, and the select-fire weapon adopted in the '60's wasn't the first M-16. Anyone know what the other, not-quite-so-famous one was?

A quad .50 anti-aircraft weapon I believe.

 

[OEF_VET]

Yep, mounted in the back of an M-3 half-track.

 

[sharkhunter2018]

I think the paratrooper version of the M1 Carbine was the M1A1

 

[Kalashnikov]

In the words of the great musician Dave Mustaine; "military intelligance, two words combined that can't make sense."