Army Seeking a Rifle to Replace Controversial M4

The Army is poised to select a new rifle after years of debate about the effectiveness of its M4, which has been in use since the 1990s.

"Is there something better than the M4 out there? Let's go find out," Army Brig. Gen. Peter Fuller said about a draft solicitation to replace the weapon, according to Stars and Stripes.

The M4, as well as the M16, which was introduced in the Vietnam War, are both derived from the AR-15 and built by Colt Defense of West Hartford, Conn. But the M4 in recent years has been part of a heated debate over rifles, particularly over its use in Afghanistan, with critics questioning its ease of maintenance and, more critically perhaps, its lethality.

A paratrooper fires his M4 rifle during an exercise

Chris Hondros, Getty Images

A paratrooper from the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division fires his M4 rifle during an exercise in Afghanistan on Sept. 15, 2002.

Several government-sponsored studies have raised questions about the M4, and media reports have repeated soldiers' complaints. A contentious Fox News story last year -- titled "M4 Vs. AK-47: Is U.S. Army Outgunned in Afghanistan?" -- suggested that the M4's 5.56 mm caliber bullet was not as lethal as that of the weapon favored by the Taliban, the AK-47, which uses a 7.62 mm round.

The Army says some of the issues with the M4 can be addressed through improvements to the rifle, but its decision to seek a replacement indicates it is finally heeding to calls for a new weapon. It will still be several years before a new rifle is fielded, however.

In the meantime, the Army continues to field improvements to current rifles and is experimenting with new weapons, such as the XM25 air-burst grenade weapon, which will not replace the M4 but could provide additional firepower. The Army has also been field testing the XM25 in Afghanistan.

Two Army units have been provided with prototypes of the weapon, which calculated the distance to the target, allowing it to penetrate barriers. Though only five prototypes exist today, the Army is considering building another 36.

Soldiers who have tried the weapon have reportedly nicknamed it "the Destroyer" for its ability to penetrate barriers and destroy anything behind them.