The U.S. Marines Want To Buy A Rifle That Cost $3,000 Per Unit

Fiscal Times: The $3,000 Rifle That Could Make the US Marines Even More Lethal

The Marines are considering arming more of its infantry with a lightweight, highly reliable automatic rifle, but there’s one catch: It costs about three times more than the rifle that is currently standard issue.

The standard-issue M4 carbine could be replaced by the M27 infantry automatic rifle. Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller said the M27s that have already been deployed are “the most reliable, durable, and accurate weapons in our rifle squads,” according to Marine Corps Times.

The M27, a variation of the HK416 built by the German gunmaker Heckler & Koch, sells for about $3,000. The M4, which is used by most Army and Marines combat units, is manufactured by Colt Defense and FN America and costs less than $1,000.

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Update #1: The Marines Are in the Market For Brand New Rifles (Popular Mechanics)
Update #2: The Corps' quest for the best rifle for infantrymen (Marine Times)

WNU Editor: From Popular Mechanics ....

.... Each M27 costs $3,000, plus another $2,000 for the ACOG optic and other accessories, such as bipods and lasers, for a total of $5,000 per weapon. Eleven thousand rifles would cost $55 million dollars. That's not a lot of money considering a single F-35B Joint Strike Fighter, of which the Marines plan to purchase 353, cost approximately $122 million each.