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Posted: 5/2/2001 10:01:33 PM EDT
hey guys;

does anyone really know the true story behind the evolution of the m4?.  all the early literature i have found relate to it as the model M727 abudabi m16a2 carbine.  i have also seen a shot of the first abudabai's being delivered to the kuwaiti or saudi armed forced equipped with thermold magazines, long before our seals had them.  most articles in magazine seem to gloss over the arab connection to our now becoming standard m4/m4a1/m4a1-pip etc.

what this means to me is that our beloved and sought after m4's were an arab nation military requested or specified concoction (not that there is anything wrong with that).  so should we not really be calling our m4geries "abudabi's"??

just a thought

steve (sas is out at the 7-11 for a wookie slurpy)
Link Posted: 5/2/2001 11:18:30 PM EDT
[#1]
I knew that before but can't remember where I heard about!? Where did you read this?

"Abudabis" - nice idea, but the M4 is also used by many other units in the world. I wouldn't call it Abudabis just because they wanted this M16 design first...just my opinion!
Link Posted: 5/3/2001 9:05:54 AM EDT
[#2]
u-radio

one source is the japanese pictobook "m16 an stoner's rifle" (a must have for any ar fanatic) page 50.  the other source is a book in storage (i'm moving) called 'weapons and gear of america's desert warriors' (?) and they show the 1st of the abudabi's being tested out with the arab coalition forces just after desert storm (?)


steve
Link Posted: 5/3/2001 3:18:21 PM EDT
[#3]
Short history on the XM177/M4


With some exceptions the program started with the XM177 series in 1966 then progressed to the following course:

XM177E2/USAF GAU/5  1967/68-1975/76. Colt stopped making them because of problems with the short barrel and moderator combo. They were used up untill Desert Storm(USAF and State Dept. personnel)

Colt 653  1975/76-1985  Navy(USMC), Army, USAF, and Federal Govt. purchased several thousand during that time period. Most still in use have been updated to A2 specs or rebarreled(USAF).


Colt 723/XM4  1985-1988  Navy and Army. Basically the 653 with a 1/7 14.5" barrel.Has A1 sights, some have case deflector.  Have all been updated to A2 specs. Large number were purchased for SF use during Panama(89)

Colt 727/M4  1988-1994  Navy, Army and Some USAF. This was the first A2 carbine that the US DOD purchased. Has been replaced by the M4

Bushmaster M4 1990-1991  Bushmaster made a short run of M4's for the DOD. Hard to spot. None are stock Bushmaster. All furniture was replaced with Colt parts before fielding. First 150 or so had Colt Alum. Stocks.

Colt 927/M4/M4A1 1994-Present. Current issue/Spec. Most older Carbines have been up-graded to this spec.

This is just a synopsis.
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