I just got back from a conference in Las Vegas. At the airport, the Army Reserve troops are carrying M4's at tactical ready. Nothing special about them--other than the fact that they all had the look of new, unscratched finishes. No RIS, no BUIS, no lights. Just the M4 handguards, a detachable carry handle and a 30 rd mag.

I talked guns with one of them and he claimed his unit carried only semi-auto carbines. I didn't think it was the time or place to press him on this and I wasn't about to ask him to let me see his weapon. He commented that only the border patrol carried full auto carbines, so that led me to believe he considered burst fire as 'semi-auto'.

Flew back to San Jose, CA to  find the reservists carrying well used M16's with triangular foregrips and no foreward assist.

You didn't ask him if they were loaded?

I was just there last week too & noticed the
same thing.

Every other airport I've been in recently, the most common model I see is an old A1 rifle  with A2 rifles being a distant second.

Those little M4's looked nice!

Quoted: You didn't ask him if they were loaded?

I was busy trying to repack my laptop and put my belt back on, cell phone, keys and sunglasses.

Besides, after a guardsman experienced an accidental discharge at the SF airport, I just assume they carry loaded weapons.

Quoted: Every other airport I've been in recently, the most common model I see is an old A1 rifle  with A2 rifles being a distant second.

At Orange County I saw a cute, petite blonde (and definitely female) reserve sergent carrying an M16 that was way older than her 20 something years. An M16 with open prong flashider, original porfile barrel, no forward assist, triangular handguards and a buttstock without the trap door.

Quoted: Quoted: You didn't ask him if they were loaded? I was busy trying to repack my laptop and put my belt back on, cell phone, keys and sunglasses. Besides, after a guardsman experienced an accidental discharge at the SF airport, I just assume they carry loaded weapons.

Its more likely that they don't let them load their weapons now.

Well, they're still better than those butt ugly French rifles that those stupid French soldiers were carrying around in the Charles De Gaulle airport. They were carrying them in such a way where if you were sitting in one of the chairs at the airport and they patrol by, their muzzle was aimed right at your head as they pass you.

God, I hate that airport.

I believe they get that from the way the Germans carry their MP5s' in Airport patrols. The HK three point sling is designed for the weapon ( at least the A2s')to be carried in this fashion to free both hands and discourage those who like to grab guns. With just a tug forward it pulls free of the clip and is on target. They seem to put muzzle disipline very low on their priority list unlike here in the States....or most of us here in the States. This carry position is still listed today in the G36 manual but not widely used from what I understand.
If one of my guys were standing around the staging area with their weapon in this fasion  they would go through LD safety class and have a testical removed with a fork.
Well....i guess it would depend on who they were standing beside.

Someone correct me if I am wrong but I thought the modern M4 was designed for the SF community which needed a full auto option and did not want the three round burst that replaced full-auto on the M16.I have not ever seen an M4 with a three round burst setting.

Tabalos,
Were you saying that the M4 you saw in the airport had a three round burst setting?

I know that most of the time the reservist get the oldest equipment. Could this have been a mut from their armory?

Many  units in the National Guard and Reserves have a temporary block on the safety/selector that limits the M16 to semi auto fire.

M4- three round burst
M4A1- Full Auto
Special Forces usually use the M4A1
Non S/F units are issued the M4
The First M4's were made with A2 uppers then later switched to the flattop upper both styles are still in inventory
All M4A1's are flattop

These are National Guard troops, not reservists.

Thanks for the info underdog_m4. Do the A1s further differ by having flat top receivers and M4s the normal (A2) style receiver?

Typo, I meant to write National Guard not reservist. Many of the NG in my area were issued m16A1s' and twenty round mags..........they were not allowed to load.