Place of origin United States | Used by Over 60 nations | |
 | ||
Type Carbine rifle (semi-automatic or select fire) Wars War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
War in Iraq (2003-2011)
War in South Ossetia (2008) Manufacturer Bushmaster Firearms International Variants M4A2, M4A3, M4 Post-Ban | ||
The Bushmaster M4 is a semi-automatic or select-fire carbine manufactured by Bushmaster Firearms International, modeled on the AR-15. It is one of the Bushmaster XM15 line of rifles and carbines.
Contents
Overview
The M4 Type Carbine is a copy of the Colt M4 carbine. The semi-automatic is marketed to the U.S. civilian market in compliance with the National Firearms Act. An assault rifle variant can be ordered by military or law enforcement organizations with three-round burst or fully automatic capability.
The rifle's caliber is .223 Remington/5.56×45mm NATO, and the barrel is hard chrome lined in both the bore and chamber. Unlike the current Colt M4 Carbine which features a 4-position telescopic stock, the Bushmaster has a 6-position stock. It is compatible with most standard AR-15 parts, and has the ability to accept all AR-15/M16 type STANAG magazines.
All variants of the rifle are available in either M4A2 and M4A3 configurations; the difference being the M4A3 has a removable carry handle allowing access to a Picatinny rail for mounting accessories.
The standard M4 Type Carbine features a permanently fixed "Izzy" flash suppressor attached to a 14.5 in (370 mm) barrel which brings the barrel to a total length of 16 in (410 mm). Bushmaster also produces the Patrolman's Carbine variant which features the more common removable "bird cage" flash suppressor, attached to a 16 in (410 mm) barrel bringing the total barrel length to 17.5 in (440 mm). Both of these comply with current U.S. federal law which states a minimum 16 in (410 mm) barrel for a rifle. There is also a military M4 Type Carbine which comes with a 14.5 in (370 mm) barrel and a removable "bird cage" flash suppressor. The 6.8mm SPC Rifle only comes with a 16 in (410 mm) barrel and a removable "Izzy" flash suppressor.
An M4 Type Post-Ban Carbine was developed for the 1994 United States Federal Assault Weapons Ban requirements. Since the ban expired in 2004, this rifle has essentially been replaced by the M4A2 and M4A3. Some states in the U.S. have kept these laws, so the rifle is still being produced.
Legal issues
A trademark dispute between Bushmaster and Colt concerned the use of the "M4" name. The M4 was developed and produced for the United States government by Colt, which had an exclusive contract to produce the M4 family of weapons through 2009. Several other manufacturers, including Bushmaster, offer M4-like firearms, nicknamed "M4geries." Colt previously held a U.S. trademark on the term "M4." In April 2004, Colt filed a lawsuit against Bushmaster and Heckler & Koch, claiming acts of trademark infringement, trade dress infringement, trademark dilution, false designation of origin, false advertising, patent infringement, unfair competition, and deceptive trade practices. Heckler & Koch later settled out of court. On December 8, 2005, a District court judge in Maine granted a summary judgment in favor of Bushmaster Firearms, dismissing all of Colt's claims except for false advertising. On the latter claim, Colt could not recover monetary damages. The court also ruled that "M4" was now a generic name, and that Colt's trademark should be revoked.
Related models
Bushmaster has also developed a 6.8mm Remington SPC and a 7.62×39mm version of the rifle, simply named the 6.8mm SPC Rifle and the 7.62×39mm Carbine respectively, as well as a separate upper receiver kit that can be installed on any AR-15 type lower receiver. It is available as either the A2 or the A3.
Military users
Bushmaster weapons are currently in service with military and police organizations in over 60 nations around the world.