A Gun for All Wars?

U.S. Army Soldiers with the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), pulls security during a battle drill on Forward Operating Base Lightning, Afghanistan, Sept. 3, 2013. Credit: Sgt. Justin A. Moeller, 4th Brigade Combat team Public Affairs When the British East India Company first invaded Afghanistan in 1839, its troops came under constant fire in the mountain passes from Afghan tribesmen armed with homemade "jezail" matchlock guns that outranged the muskets carried by the British soldiers. Today's U.S. Army riflemen, armed with M4 carbines, have similar trouble returning fire when Afghan Taliban fighters attack them from the high ground using longer-range machine guns and mortars. How did troops belonging to the world's most powerful modern military end up seeming so outgunned? The first answer is that the M4 carbine — a shorter-range variation of the M16 assault rifle — was never designed for long-range firefights such as those taking place in the valleys of Afghanistan. But the problem faced by U.S. Army soldiers in Afghanistan goes beyond the limitations of a single weapon such as the M4. The U.S. military is currently expected to deploy practically anywhere around the globe; it's doubtful that any gun exists that can perform well in all scenarios. U.S. Army commanders made the choice to equip most soldiers with the compact M4 that works within the tight quarters of vehicles and urban environments, according to a 2009 U.S. Army Command and General Staff College report by Maj. Thomas Ehrhart. By comparison, the U.S. Marine Corps has continued to favor the longer-barreled M16 rifle as its main infantry gun; a weapon that is more unwieldy to use in tight quarters but can effectively kill enemies at longer range.