U.S. Army conducted a test on all four weapons including M4 in extreme dust conditions, and the results are in
the purpose of this test was to expose the weapons to the same extreme dust and sand conditions/environment to which both the Colt M4/M4A1 Carbine and FN M16 rifle were exposed by U.S. Army weapons testers during a systems assessment test at Aberdeen last year and in the summer of this year. Here%u2019s how the four 5.56 45mm NATO (5.56mm NATO)/.223 Rem. infantry rifle / carbines were tested:
The ATEC team tested ten (10) sample guns of each weapon system (make/model), so 40 guns total were tested. Each (individual) gun/weapon got a heavy dose of lubricant, the muzzle was capped, and the ejection port cover was closed. Then, each weapon was exposed to heavy dust environment (i.e. a dust chamber) for 30 minutes. Then a tester fired 120 rounds through each weapon. Then, back in the dust chamber they went for another 30 minutes of dust bathing, before having to fire another 120 rounds. This process/sequence was repeated until each weapon had fired 600 rounds. Then, all the weapons were wiped down and lubed up again (heavy lubrication), and put back in the dust bath (dust chamber) for 30 minutes, 120 rounds fired through it, up to 600 rounds again.
You get the picture. Well this kept goin until each gun (i.e. individual rifle/carbine) had 6,000 rounds through it. 10 guns (individual weapon type) x 6,000 rounds = 60,000 rounds through each weapon type. And, here%u2019s how the test fleshed out, best to worst (most reliable to least reliable):
XM8: 127 stoppages/malfunctions
Mk16 SCAR-L: 226 stoppages/malfunctions
HK416: 233 stoppages/malfunctions
M4 Carbine: 882 stoppages/malfunctions
10 M4 Carbines that were tested to 60,000 (again, 6,000 rounds a piece) during the summer only experienced 307 total malfunctions/stoppages. In the Fall test, 643 of the stoppages/malfunctions were weapon-related, and 239 were magazine-related.
http://www.defensereview.com/defrev-receives-m4-carbine-extreme-dust-test-brief-powerpoint-document/
