The U.S. Military Is Checking Its M4s And M16s For A Dangerous Flaw

The U.S. Army has changed the functions checks and immediate action drills for its M4 carbines and M16 rifles after discovering a flaw in many of the weapons. COURTESY OF THE U.S. ARMY

Stars and Stripes: Army updates automatic rifle procedures after soldier films misfiring M4A1

The Army is updating procedures for use of the M4A1 automatic rifle after a soldier recorded cellphone video of his weapon firing when it shouldn’t have.

The video, recorded in late March, shows the soldier operating a rifle that has been converted from a standard M4, which can fire a maximum three-round burst, to the fully automatic M4A1, according a safety message sent to troops on Tuesday.

The soldier places his carbine’s selector switch between “semi” and “auto” and squeezes the trigger but it doesn’t fire, until the switch is moved to “auto” and immediately discharges a round, the message says.

The Army’s Tank-automotive and Armaments Command, or TACOM, first warned soldiers about the problem in March and April.

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Update #1: The Army’s M4 Carbine Can Fire Even If You Don't Pull the Trigger (Popular Mechanics)
Update #2: This malfunction has the Army inspecting its M4s and M16s (Army Times)
Update #3: The Army And Marine Corps Are Checking Their M4s And M16s For A Dangerous Glitch (Task & Purpose)

WNU Editor: This is more than just a small flaw .... testing by the Army has detected nearly a thousand weapons affected by the problem.