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M4 getting much use "over there"?


Mcduffsig

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I was meaning to post this earlier, but I saw a great documentary on HBO the other week: The Battle For Marjah [Afghanistan]. Link:

http://www.hbo.com/documentaries/the-battle-for-marjah/index.html

 

One of the Marines always had a Benelli m4 slung over his back. His primary was an M4 carbine. I don't think I saw him actually use the Benelli.

 

It's a great documentary--you should look for it.

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I love my M4 and was wondering, is it getting much frontline service with our troops, or is it a solution for no need?

 

There were reports of the Benelli M4 getting usage in Iraq in 2006, and from what I remember the reports were not always good; something about cycling issues and sand if I remember correctly. I'm sure someone will post the info in a response shortly.

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this is quote from magazine listed at bottom published in 2007

12-Gauge Benelli M4 Combat Shotgun

 

Up close and personal: The Benelli M4 Combat Shotgun is being deployed to troops in Afghanistan’s Helmand province

 

BRITISH soldiers at the forefront of fighting in southern Afghanistan have been given a new punch care of the latest addition to their armoury.

In a move to hit the Taliban at close range, troops are being armed with the combat shotgun to deal with enemy fighters concealing themselves in Helmand province’s Green Zone.

 

The semi-automatic 12-gauge Benelli M4 weapon was procured and dispatched to theatre less than six months after being requested as an Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) by 16 Air Assault Brigade during their 2008 tour.

 

The kit was picked after the Infantry Trials and Development Unit (ITDU) tested and evaluated several shotguns. A number of modifications were made to the chosen model, including a new grip to make firing easier while wearing Osprey body armour and a sophisticated Eotech holographic sighting system.

 

The weapon, which has an eight-round magazine, is also fitted with a three-position telescopic stock, and troops are also being issued with special pouches to carry the ammunition required to deliver the knockout blow to where it is needed.

 

Soldiers from 19 Light Brigade are the first to be armed with the combat shotgun, and early reports from the front line suggest it is already proving its worth. The lead scout with each section or patrol is now being equipped with the firearm.

 

“With this equipment we have given the soldiers an excellent suppression weapon that is accurate and highly reliable,” said Maj Phil Nathan (Lancs), who was involved in testing the kit at ITDU. “It is very simple but extremely effective.

 

“The guys that have had experience of it so far have given it a very positive reception, and there is plenty of scope to develop its use in theatre in the future.

 

“Although this gun has been procured as a UOR, care has also been taken to make sure that there are plenty of them available for the soldiers to train with in the UK.”

 

While combat shotguns have been a feature of British operations in the past, the appearance of the Benelli M4 in southern Afghanistan marks the first time for many years that they have been widely deployed in a front-line role.

 

The weapon has its modern roots in the First World War, when American personnel employed the trench gun in fighting on the Western Front. This short-barrelled pump-action weapon, which was equipped with a bayonet, immediately terrified German troops and proved a deadly house-clearing tool.

 

British personnel last deployed shotguns on a large scale in the fighting of the Malayan Emergency of the 1950s where, like Afghanistan, there was close-range combat in a remote and extreme environment. Since then they have been restricted to niche roles and have only been carried by soldiers in specialist actions.

 

“Effectively we have come full circle in Op Herrick,” said Maj Nathan. “The shotgun is needed for dismounted infantry patrols in the Green Zone where there is thick vegetation similar to that in the jungle combat we’ve seen before.

 

“It is exactly designed for these types of close range engagements, giving you plenty of coverage and stopping power – in short, you have more chance of hitting somebody with it.

 

“There is also plenty of growth potential in the weapon. For example, it could be used in urban environments where the escalation of force is required, but we will only know that when it has been in theatre for some time.”

 

Soldier was given a preview of the combat shotgun in action during a firepower demonstration on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, where its knockout potential in dealing with the close quarter threats of Helmand was clear to see.

 

Firearms specialists were also convinced that the appearance of the Benelli M4 would be a huge benefit to British troops facing an unconventional enemy in theatre.

 

Weapons expert Richard Jones, who heads up the Yorkshire-based National Firearms Centre, said the latest addition to the Army’s armoury would prove useful.

 

He added: “In recent years there has been a need for a tactical shotgun, which is easier to handle than a rifle and more convenient for scenarios such as house clearing. In situations such as fighting in built up areas, the tactical shotgun has its place.”

 

http://www.soldiermagazine.co.uk/mag/feature3.htm

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Got any source links to this information?

 

I too would like a source, although the statement seems self-evident. There are always negative reports. And, if a soldier or Marine doesn't take proper care of the firearm, sand could work its way back in that buffer tube/recoil guide rod build up, and cause the system to seize. Nothing is perfect.

Edited by LeoAtrox
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I too would like a source, although the statement seems self-evident. There are always negative reports. And, if a soldier or Marine doesn't take proper care of the firearm, sand could work its way back in that buffer tube/recoil guide rod build up, and cause the system to seize. Nothing is perfect.

 

True that there are always going to be negative things said. The key here is that providing source info for a statement like the one TKTM made is the is the difference between credible intel and useless internet banter. :)

 

 

Btw, nice post and link Vague.

Edited by KB Fab
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I too would like a source, although the statement seems self-evident. There are always negative reports. And, if a soldier or Marine doesn't take proper care of the firearm, sand could work its way back in that buffer tube/recoil guide rod build up, and cause the system to seize. Nothing is perfect.

 

I don't remember the exact source (I think it was from field reports), but I do remember talking about it with the Benelli rep at he 2006 NRA convention; he REALLY didn't want to talk about it. But since then, I have not heard anything negative so I figured what ever the issue was that it was resolved.

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  • 2 weeks later...
this is quote from magazine listed at bottom published in 2007

12-Gauge Benelli M4 Combat Shotgun

 

Up close and personal: The Benelli M4 Combat Shotgun is being deployed to troops in Afghanistan’s Helmand province

 

BRITISH soldiers at the forefront of fighting in southern Afghanistan have been given a new punch care of the latest addition to their armoury.

In a move to hit the Taliban at close range, troops are being armed with the combat shotgun to deal with enemy fighters concealing themselves in Helmand province’s Green Zone.

 

The semi-automatic 12-gauge Benelli M4 weapon was procured and dispatched to theatre less than six months after being requested as an Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) by 16 Air Assault Brigade during their 2008 tour.

 

The kit was picked after the Infantry Trials and Development Unit (ITDU) tested and evaluated several shotguns. A number of modifications were made to the chosen model, including a new grip to make firing easier while wearing Osprey body armour and a sophisticated Eotech holographic sighting system.

 

The weapon, which has an eight-round magazine, is also fitted with a three-position telescopic stock, and troops are also being issued with special pouches to carry the ammunition required to deliver the knockout blow to where it is needed.

 

Soldiers from 19 Light Brigade are the first to be armed with the combat shotgun, and early reports from the front line suggest it is already proving its worth. The lead scout with each section or patrol is now being equipped with the firearm.

 

“With this equipment we have given the soldiers an excellent suppression weapon that is accurate and highly reliable,” said Maj Phil Nathan (Lancs), who was involved in testing the kit at ITDU. “It is very simple but extremely effective.

 

“The guys that have had experience of it so far have given it a very positive reception, and there is plenty of scope to develop its use in theatre in the future.

 

“Although this gun has been procured as a UOR, care has also been taken to make sure that there are plenty of them available for the soldiers to train with in the UK.”

 

While combat shotguns have been a feature of British operations in the past, the appearance of the Benelli M4 in southern Afghanistan marks the first time for many years that they have been widely deployed in a front-line role.

 

The weapon has its modern roots in the First World War, when American personnel employed the trench gun in fighting on the Western Front. This short-barrelled pump-action weapon, which was equipped with a bayonet, immediately terrified German troops and proved a deadly house-clearing tool.

 

British personnel last deployed shotguns on a large scale in the fighting of the Malayan Emergency of the 1950s where, like Afghanistan, there was close-range combat in a remote and extreme environment. Since then they have been restricted to niche roles and have only been carried by soldiers in specialist actions.

 

“Effectively we have come full circle in Op Herrick,” said Maj Nathan. “The shotgun is needed for dismounted infantry patrols in the Green Zone where there is thick vegetation similar to that in the jungle combat we’ve seen before.

 

“It is exactly designed for these types of close range engagements, giving you plenty of coverage and stopping power – in short, you have more chance of hitting somebody with it.

 

“There is also plenty of growth potential in the weapon. For example, it could be used in urban environments where the escalation of force is required, but we will only know that when it has been in theatre for some time.”

 

Soldier was given a preview of the combat shotgun in action during a firepower demonstration on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, where its knockout potential in dealing with the close quarter threats of Helmand was clear to see.

 

Firearms specialists were also convinced that the appearance of the Benelli M4 would be a huge benefit to British troops facing an unconventional enemy in theatre.

 

Weapons expert Richard Jones, who heads up the Yorkshire-based National Firearms Centre, said the latest addition to the Army’s armoury would prove useful.

 

He added: “In recent years there has been a need for a tactical shotgun, which is easier to handle than a rifle and more convenient for scenarios such as house clearing. In situations such as fighting in built up areas, the tactical shotgun has its place.”

 

http://www.soldiermagazine.co.uk/mag/feature3.htm

 

Interesting Article - Thanks

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