Survey of Soldiers Regarding Weaponry
Compiled by David Barth on September 15, 2008 from an article
in Military.com.
Survey of Soldiers Regarding Weaponry.
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Survey of Soldiers Regarding Weaponry
Nearly 80 percent of Soldiers said in a recent survey they are satisfied with their weapons, though almost half
recommended a replacement for the standard-issued M9 (9mm) pistol or ammunition with more stopping power.
Additionally, nearly 30 percent of Soldiers in the December 2006 survey, conducted on behalf of the Army by the
Center for Naval Analyses (CNA), said the M4 carbine should be replaced or more deadly ammunition fielded.
"Across weapons, Soldiers have requested weapons and ammunition with more stopping power/lethality," the report said.
The study was commissioned by the Army's Project Manager for Soldier Weapons to address concerns raised by Soldiers
returning from combat about the dependability and effectiveness of their small arms.
At the time of this writing, the entire 2MB pdf
CNA report was available
for downloading.
"This study assessed Soldier perspectives on the reliability and durability of their weapons systems in combat to aid
in decisions regarding current and future small arms needs of the Army," said the study, which was obtained by
Military.com.
CNA surveyors conducted over 2,600 interviews with Soldiers returning from combat duty, asking them a variety of
questions about accessories, weapons training, maintenance and recommended changes to their small arms.
"The U.S. Army Infantry Center is conducting a study to refine the Army's Small Arms Strategy, which focuses on the
employment of rifles, carbines, ammunition caliber, and future technologies," said Army spokesman, Lt. Col. William
Wiggins, in a statement. "All Services are participating in this study, which is expected in the July/August 2007
timeframe."
The survey lends weight to Army claims that current-issued weapons are effective despite growing criticism from
Soldiers and lawmakers on Capitol Hill that the service should re-assess the standard M4 - as well as the M9 pistol.
In April, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) sent a letter to acting Army secretary Pete Geren taking issue with the service's
sole-source contract to buy about 500,000 M4 carbines despite evidence that new rifle technologies could provide more
reliable weapons.
The study found the most stoppage problems with the M249 machine gun and M9 pistol, with an average of about 30
percent of respondents saying they experienced stoppages with each weapon in firefights. About four in ten Soldiers
who said they experienced jams during combat with their pistols or machine guns claimed it took them out of the
fight.
Though vocal critics of the M4 say it's prone to jamming in the talcum-like sand environments of Iraq and
Afghanistan, only 19 percent of M4 users said they experienced stoppages in combat. But of those with malfunctioning
M4s, nearly 20 percent said they were "unable to engage the target with that weapon during a significant portion of
or the entire firefight after performing immediate or remedial action to clear the stoppage," the report
said.
Soldiers who attach accessories to their weapons experienced a disproportionate number of malfunctions, with M249
users nine times more likely to experience a stoppage "if accessories were attached via zip cord, four times more
likely if attached with duct tape and three times more likely if attached with dummy cords or rails."
"Accessory attachments had a significant impact on reported stoppages," the report said. "Those who attached
accessories to their weapon were more likely to experience stoppages, regardless of how the accessories were
attached."
The CNA surveyors also asked Soldiers for their opinions on possible improvements to their small arms. The top
request from Soldiers was for more knock-down power, reigniting the debate over America's small arms caliber
choices.
"When speaking to experts and Soldiers on site, many commented on the limited ability to effectively stop targets,
saying that those personnel targets who were shot multiple times were still able to continue pursuit," the report said.
A full 20 percent of M9 users said they wanted a new weapon, and "some were more specific and requested a return
to the Colt .45 for standard issue pistols," including others who asked for hollow-point (HP) ammo.
Here are some of the comments received.
Comment Group 1.