SHAH ALAM: Another Colt M4 Carbine story. As you are aware the Colt M4 Carbine is the standard rifle of the Malaysian military since around 2010. The contract for the weapons was signed back in 2006 and by 2008 onwards the military has standardised on the weapon.
It is interesting to note that the RMN (for a spare tender) is calling the rifle, the M4 A3, a designation that is unknown anywhere else. The Malaysian Army and RMAF simply called it the M4. It must be noted that the US Army called its Colt carbine as the M4 or the M4A1 which is the full auto version like our rifles.
Ours are not M4A1 though as it was bought via a commercial deal with Colt. Moreover, it is fitted with a carry handle and no Picatinny rail, like the Vietnam-era Colt Model 629 (the Colt Commando) but with a 16.1-inch barrel just like the US Army’s M4A1s. The Model 629s have 11.1-inch barrels. So, I am guessing the M4 A3 as designated by the RMN might be the correct one.
It must also be noted that some units in the military – GGK, Paskau, Paskal, the recon unit of the 10th Para Brigade and the Special Operations Division of the Armed Forces- are also equipped with M4 Carbines with picatinny rail.
It is likely these carbines are equipped with the picatinny rail- upper receivers making them like the M4A1s of the US military. The picatinny rail allows the use of all sorts of accessories from optics to laser designators.
Two spare parts tenders from the Army – one this year and one last year – showed that the parts of the M4 Carbines that needed most replacements were the handguards. For the tender this year, 500 new handguards were sought and 483 were needed last year. It is still small with some 120,000 M4 Carbines in service with the three services.
Another item, the sling, also needed replacement, with some 800 procured from SME Ordnance for RM64,800. SMEO was also the winning bidder for the parts tenders though the cost of the contract were not announced. The company was the one that was given the M4 contract in 2006.
— Malaysian Defence
If you like this post, buy me an espresso. Paypal Payment
M4A3 is a specific Bushmaster made AR15 type of firearm.
Ours are Colt manufactured so they got nothing to do with the Bushmaster ones
RMN (PASKAL) has multitudes of AR15 type firearms from various manufacturers, not just SME/Colt. So these worn-out ones are probably Bushmaster built, and why it is spelt out so, so that the spareparts could actually fit to those specific firearms.
Below is a picture of PASKAL Bushmaster M4A3 with attached m203 grenade launcher
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ee/fd/22/eefd2274166cfa43680f5b9cea36d584.jpg
Bushmaster ad
https://i.redd.it/nbttvsc6fxj91.jpg
I think u might be mistaken on this one Marhalim. Ive held and shot a few of the army M4s before. They got picantinny rails on the upper receiver. Those are not fix carry handles. The barrels are 14.5 inches. The 16 inch are for civilian usage in the US.
“Ours are not M4A1 though as it was bought via a commercial deal with Colt. Moreover, it is fitted with a carry handle and no Picatinny rail”
Unless we are talking about different things, I believe our current batch of M4 has rails under the removable handles.
Agreed with Shed.
I believe the carry handle on our M4A1’s are detachable based on pictures seen of our M4A1 when compared to commercial ar15 detachable carry handle.
Thus, i believe all of our M4A1 have picatinny upper receiver.
Hopefully they replace all those handguards with more ergonomic 2-piece NFF handguard like magpul moe sl. Cheap and have mlok slots for vertical grip and weaponlight.
On the other note, please say the RMN M4A3 which is equipped with 16.1 inch barrel is mid length gassed. Better weapon parts longevity and weapon recoil.
Just my 2 cent.
What is the “Special Operations Division of the Armed Forces”?
The replacement for NSOF, but limited to the GGK, Paskau and Paskal.
“Ours are not M4A1 though as it was bought via a commercial deal with Colt.” Could you explain this statement? I don’t get why being purchased through a commercial deal makes it not an M4A1 variant. I thought that the difference between the M4 and the A1 variant are the fire selector modes.(semi and burst for the M4, and semi and auto for the M4A1)
“Ours are not M4A1 though as it was bought via a commercial deal with Colt.” Could you explain this statement? I don’t get why being purchased through a commercial deal makes it not an M4A1.
Only M4A1s bought via the US Army are designated as such. Ours were bought directly from Colt
M4 and the M4A1 are actual US Army designations. Yes, one can call ours M4A1 as well if you want to, but it is not.