Tag: tests

Recently, a news story broke about US weapon malfunctions during firefights in Afghanistan. For many, this was a chance to renew their attack on the supposedly faulty Colt M4s in use by our troops overseas. For others - mostly, the troops who had been overseas with the weapons - this was something to scratch their heads about. My experiences with issued Colt M4s, M16A2s and FN M16A4s were nothing short of stellar. Despite claims - mostly by the uninformed - of constant maintenance requirements, I only cleaned mine when the… Read More

We've all heard that the M1 Garand is the "greatest battle implement ever devised", and many folks speak of it as if the weapon never malfunctioned. It's pointed to as an example of how a semiautomatic rifle with a piston and an op-rod is immune to external influences such as mud or dirt. Unfortunately, this article from 1941 tells us that that simply wasn't the case. One sentence accurately describes the testing: "Sum & substance of the findings was that the Garand was a fair-weather rifle." Roy Dunlap's book Ordnance… Read More