Which is more accurate? M4 vs. M16

  An argument between the American armed forces for more than a decade. The M16 the work horse for the US military since the Vietnam war it has proven itself reliable, effective, and deadly in the battlefield. The M4 has seen action since 1994 and has been used in both the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Soldiers find both firearms extremely par to par with one another. Most soldiers have a different preference but slowly the M4 is replacing the M16 as the standard weapon for the American army. Both guns use the 5.56mm round, and are based on the original AR-15 model. The M4 is a gas operated carbine while the M16 is a gas operate rifle. Both have selective fire and are magazine fed. Now that we have explained a bit about each weapon let’s get to the point. Barrel length gives increased accuracy in which case the M16 has the upper-hand for the M4 being a carbine. As for the iron sights there would always be an x-factor if telescopic sights are used. To eliminate this factor I shall used the standard iron sights provided. As for iron sight accuracy the M4 use a flatten on-rails iron-sight much like the HK416. As for the M16 it features a combo of a carrying handle on the receiver and a battle sight on the barrel. In terms of sight clarity the M16 is much better. Both of these weapons have a selective fire feature. Options may include single shot (semi-auto) full automatic and 3-round burst. Off the bat the M4's slicker design improves the accuracy in all these modes as it is easier to handle. The M16's more stocked up design makes the gun more difficult to hold down recoil and will spread the bullet hits. This brings me to my next observation/comparison which is bullet grouping. Even though the M16 can shoot at farther distances with great accuracy it isn't ideal for close quarters but soldiers have found themselves in these situation. The M4 is ideal for close quarter combat tests have shown that grouping shots has save lives. I of coarse side with M4 on this round unfortunately there is no such thing as a tie breaker. These firearms are just too similar to each other. Yet the M4 continues to replace the legendary M16 in most armed forces. Surprisingly the US is already looking to find the future replacement of the M4 soon both of these lethal beauties shall be discontinued in the military. So remember to appraise the M16 and M4 two weapon that might be gone sooner than you think.

This post was written by Fran. PSN: Fran108. To be updated with new posts follow us on twitter @BattlefieldLOG.

Posted in: m4 m16 ar-15 hk416 guns weapons military rifle 5.56mm afghanistan iraq war battlefield accurate accuracy army