Mud Test: And It’s The M4 Block 2 For The Win!
BY Herschel Smith
2 years, 9 months ago
I love AR torture tests, and this is a good one. Garand Thumb does a mud test for a number of battle rifles, including AKs.
And the win goes to M4 Block 2.
So readers can supply more details, but the Block 2 design comes from SOPMOD / SOCOM history and is usually considered to include at least the 14.5″ barrel (in the civilian world this would mean that the flash hider is pinned and welded), quad rail the length of the barrel (making it a bit heavier on the front end, but also more durable), and an upgraded trigger.
Maybe a firearms builder can weigh in with more distinctions of the Block 2. Daniel Defense makes these rifles, and they’re good. The Block 2 design was popular several years ago (and still is today), while today’s designs are sporting extremely light hand guards with locations for MLok or Keymod attachments on the forend.
So with the current designs, you’re to some extent sacrificing durability for weight.
Either way, I do love the Eugene Stoner design.
On January 31, 2022 at 11:41 am, Ohio Guy said:
That was painful to watch. But I managed. OG
On January 31, 2022 at 9:54 pm, George 1 said:
What no X-95? Just kidding. They don’t do so well in the mud most of the time.
People will say that this type of test is meaningless. Maybe but the thing is AR 15s do well in all types of tests. Just look at Military Arms Channel test of the AR15 going many rounds with no cleaning or lube.
The military has been trying to replace Stoner’s creation for nearly 50 years. So far no one has made a better mouse trap.
On February 1, 2022 at 10:38 am, ReluctantMillennial said:
That was a great video. Truly fascinating to see just how robust the direct impingement system truly is (once it was returned to it’s as-designed configuration instead of the bastardized original M16), despite all the naysayers. It was interesting to watch the AK choke on the mud while the AR platform kept chugging along (so much for the myth of burying an AK, digging it up, and shooting it right away).
On February 1, 2022 at 10:39 am, Drake said:
My experience was that the M16 did okay in the mud. Sand was that weapon’s nemesis.