Live fire compares M-4, XM8

Story and photo by Spc. David Foley/The Bayonet

FORT BENNING, Ga. (TRADOC News Service, Oct. 1, 2004) – More than 400 spectators filled the bleachers at Red Cloud Range Sept. 22 to watch a side-by-side demonstration of modern rifle technology.

The demonstration was designed to showcase the capabilities of the XM8 weapon system in a comparison with its counterpart, the M-4 carbine.

After a brief introduction to each weapon and the roles of the squad members, Soldiers loaded the Stryker armored vehicles and sped away.

As the sounds of classic rock poured out of the loudspeakers, the Strykers bounded into position and lowered their hatches.

Then a squad of Soldiers armed with traditional Army weapons sprang into action and laid down a steady stream of fire, kicking up a cloud of dust as they knocked over green targets on a hillside about 150 meters away.

After about one minute, they dropped their magazines and mounted the Strykers for a hasty exit.

Once the first squad moved out of position, the second moved in. This time, the Soldiers were armed with variations of the XM8 that fulfill the same purpose as the M-16 and its counterparts.

The Soldiers armed with the XM8s performed the same mission, laying down a steady line of fire, but appeared to be much more accurate.

When all was said and done, the spectators, most of whom were at Fort Benning attending the Infantry Conference, had a good idea of what the XM8 is and why the Army is looking at it so closely.

Brig. Gen. Benjamin Freakley, post commanding general, took the microphone as the Soldiers were clearing their weapons and voiced his opinion on why prototype weapon systems like the XM8 are so important.

He said America has the best-equipped Army in the world, and its weapon systems need to be sustained and modernized to maintain that advantage.

Many of the Soldiers who took part in the demonstration had the same point of view.

Spc. Ian Mason, 2nd Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment, was one of the nine Soldiers who fired the XM8 and was probably the weapon’s most outspoken advocate.

Mason spent several months firing the rifle during testing and said, “It blows the M-4 out of the water ... It’s an all-around better design.”

Mason said his squad had the opportunity to qualify on the basic rifle marksmanship test using the weapon, and they all reaped the benefits.

“When I qualified with it, it was the best I ever did, and I zeroed with half as many rounds,” he said. “Some of the guys shot 40 out of 40 and had never done that before.”

Mason said the rifle is also lighter, easier to use, more comfortable and, most importantly, none of the members of his squad have had a single malfunction.

All that aside, Mason said what he likes most about the weapon is how easy it is to clean.

“It takes about two minutes to wipe down, and that is a lot better than the three hours it takes to clean an M-16,” he said.

“There is no gas tube to clean, and the lip on the magazine seals up the weapon,” he said. “I have never had any sand inside.”

“The M-4 is a good weapon. The M-16 is a good weapon. If they weren’t, we wouldn’t have fielded them in the first place,” said Lt. Col. Matt Clarke, product manager for the XM8. “As for the XM8, we will prove one way or another if it is a better system.

“If (the Army) wants something, they want a significant improvement,” he said. “We are looking at modularity, reliability and sustainability.”

As for modularity, one advantage the XM8 has over the M-16 is that its barrels are interchangeable, so the armorer can stock extra parts to keep them 100 percent operational, Clarke said.

The Soldier can even change out the barrels himself while in the field, if necessary.

In the reliability department, Clarke said the XM8 was designed and constructed using high-quality steel, and the manufacturers developed a trade secret for the barrel-and-bolt assembly that prolongs the life of the weapon.

“The barrel on the M-4 can typically fire about 6,000 to 9,000 rounds before it needs repair, and the XM8 can fire 15,000 to 20,000,” he said.

Clarke said sustainability is one of the best features of the XM8 because it gives the armorer the ability to maintain the weapons himself and cuts down on the amount of parts they have to store.

Clarke said armorers need to stock many specialty parts to maintain the M-9, M-16 and the M-249, whereas the XM8 has many interchangeable parts that will work on the different variations, cutting down on the need for storing extra parts.

“It’s like working on a computer,” Clarke said. “If one part goes out, you can just open it up and replace it with another.”

Something that can cut maintenance costs dramatically, Clarke said.

Clarke said testing for the XM8 should be completed in March 2005, and the final decision for fielding the weapon will be up to the Department of the Army.

A nine-man infantry squad armed with XM8s exits a Stryker armored vehicle during a live-fire demonstration at Fort Benning, Ga.'s Red Cloud Range Sept. 22.

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