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Michael McCandless

Colt M4 carbine- The quintessential AR-15

Updated: Sep 29

For over 60 years, the AR-15 pattern rifle has been one of the greatest and most distinguished weapons in the world. Among all the many manufacturers producing this fine rifle, Colt holds a special place in the AR-15 family.



Colt M4 LE
Colt M4 LE (Image credit: Palmetto State Armory)

 

Table of contents


 

Introduction


You've seen it in video games, movies, T.V shows, and maybe, just maybe, in real life- whether at the range, in a gun store or in a more official capacity, such as in the armed forces or in the hands of police tactical units.


Regardless of the context, you probably (hopefully) recognize it immediately- it's an AR-pattern rifle- and most likely, it's an M4 variant specifically.


Originally derived from an earlier, shorter variant of the M16 rifle known as the CAR-15, the Colt M4 carbine in its modern incarnation first came about in the mid 1990's and was quick to achieve widespread popularity- it saw extensive use with NATO forces throughout the war on terror (and still does to this day).


While part of the M4 carbine's fame is no doubt because of its media appearances, it's widespread adoption by military and police forces globally underscores the fact that it's an exceptional weapon- it's light weight, accuracy and the superior ballistics of the 5.56x45 NATO/.223 Remington rounds it fires (compared to the rounds most commonly used by our enemies overseas) have helped ensure its continued use worldwide for nearly three decades.


Indeed, Colt has made what could well be one of the best assault rifles ever made.


 

Hands-on experience (function, features, shooting and more)


First impressions


If you're like anyone else who has shot an AR-15, you'll immediately be familiar with how it feels- light, handy and well-balanced. The AR-15 family has always been famous for this, and it's always been something that users have loved. Colt certainly hasn't sacrificed this in the M4.


The ergonomics on the rifle are also standard for an AR, but AR's tend to have a very high standard in this regard. The factory A2 pistol grip on the rifles is both criticized by some and praised by others- on one hand, it's small, brittle and prone to cracking or breaking if you treat it roughly, but on the other, it's actually fairly ergonomic and allows a very good grip that feels natural and reasonably comfortable.


Even if you don't like it, aftermarket grips for AR-15's- including the Colt M4- are so abundant you'll probably be overwhelmed with the options presented.


The flip up Magpul MBUS sights that come with the M4 series rifles aren't super great as far as iron sights go, but they're good enough for most situations and feel marginally better than standard A2 carry handle sights AR-15's used to come with. Again, aftermarket replacements and upgrades are available in abundance.


The standard CAR handguard that comes on the stock model, while not remarkable aside from its uniqueness to the platform, gives the fore-end a bit of a retro look, but railed fore-ends from the factory are also available. The direct impingement gas system that is standard on most AR-15's further decreases the weapons weight (especially towards the front).


Some models used to also have a detachable retro-style A2 carry handle (which, as far as I can tell, was more or less identical to the one used by our military) but it appears to have been discontinued as of 2024 for all their products except the AR15A4 (which is an M16 clone- similar, but not identical).


All these combined underlines the fact that one thing the standard Colt M4 series excels at compared to other basic mil-spec AR-15 rifles (e.g. the PA-15 from Palmetto State Armory) is its aesthetic authenticity- aside from the 16 inch barrel and a few minor internal tweaks (namely, you can't shoot them in full auto if you're a civilian, obviously), this rifle feels like holding an actual piece of military hardware, even if that's only because Colt made it as close to mil-spec as they could.


In short, few other AR-15's feel as real and legitimate as a near-identical clone of the rifle the U.S military has used for almost 3 decades.


Controls and external features


As a near mil-spec AR-15, the Colt M4 series of rifles (which includes the CR 6920, LE 6920, LE 6940 etc.) all function exactly the same as their military counterpart.


The external working parts on the M4- especially the safety lever and magazine release, are both rugged but easy to use- even compared to other barebones AR's. Or at least, I found no real issue with them.


Like all mil-spec AR-15's, it has a forward assist, which, while adding to the "cool" factor a bit, is rarely needed (assuming you properly take care of your rifle) and in any case, is borderline painful to use with just your bare hands. All standard AR-15's have this problem, however, and as you might expect, aftermarket forward assist kits are all that hard to find.


The biggest real complaint I have with the M4 (or any AR-15) is the T-shaped charging handle that is mounted to the upper receiver. And yet, on the Colt M4 series, it's actually pretty tolerable in its stock form. While it's still awkward to use, it doesn't wobble when you pull it or beat up your fingers like some other AR-15 clones do- it really feels solid and, dare I say, pleasant to use.


Overall, it handles, works and feels just like any other AR, with maxed-out performance in some areas.


Other features worth mentioning


We mentioned several times in this article thus far that these are "mil-spec" rifles- while we've mentioned before on this site that that's something of a misnomer, the fact is that, for all practical purposes, this is indeed a rifle built to military specifications.


And this has actual performance benefits as well- for example, the barrel of the Colt M4 is chrome-lined, which will provide better resistance against heat and reduce wear and thus, increase the lifespan of the barrel. This is especially important if you will be shooting your rifle frequently for a long time- whether you're undergoing intense training, or just mag-dumping at the range.


Another feature that many will probably appreciate is the 1:7-inch twist barrel. For those of you who are unfamiliar with barrel twist rates, AR-15's usually come with 1:7 or 1:9-inch twist barrels (although some manufactures also make 1:8-inch barrels as well). And yes, a 1:7-inch barrel is also mil-spec.


Why is this important?


A 1:7-inch barrel will help stabilize long, heavy bullets (such as those used in hunting or competition target shooting), while also not over-stabilizing most smaller loads, such as common 62 grain rounds like M855. This is very important for people who shoot many different types of ammunition out of the same rifle, but overall, while useful, it is by no means unique to the Colt M4.


Shooting it


Always the best part of the article, right?


We'll open this subsection by saying the Colt M4 is probably the second most enjoyable rifle to shoot (after the AK-47 and its brethren). It's extremely soft shooting thanks to the light weight of the 5.56/.223 round (as well as the D.I gas system) and combined with the light weight and excellent ergonomics of the rifle, is neither tiring nor awkward to hold or shoot for long periods of time.


The rifle also demonstrated exceptional reliably (as is expected of most firearms) but for an AR-15, the Colt M4 really shined bright- I've yet to count how many rounds I've shot through it, but my guess would be well over 10,000 and no problems besides the occasional stovepipe caused by weak ammo has been my experience. Because it runs on a typical direct impingement system, it will need to be kept as clean as possible in order to run properly.


If you do this and feed it good ammo from a reputable manufacturer and it will reliably go bang whenever you pull it's (mediocre but reasonably comfortable) trigger.


The exact accuracy potential of a stock M4 is a bit of a point of contention among myself and others who have shot this rifle, but in general, with standard ball ammo, expecting anywhere from 4-6 MOA beyond 100 yards seems to be a realistic standard. It's worth noting that it is considered by many to be slightly more accurate than its classic battlefield rival, the AK-47, but it's not exceptional and won't win you many competitions, obviously.


However, this can be improved upon with good, solid match-grade ammo- for example, I've heard of reports from soldiers overseas during the war on terror which have mentioned being able to down enemy combatants at distances of up to 800 yards with 77 grain OTM (open tip match) ammo out of the military M4 (which has an even shorter 14.5 inch barrel compared to the civilian versions we are reviewing)- if these reports are indeed accurate, assuming a human torso is ~18 inches wide, this indicates potential accuracy in the realm of 2-2.5 MOA- and that's under the stress of combat.


So, shooting from a bench on your ranch, you should do just fine when it comes to accuracy.


Overall, I'd highly recommend this rifle for anyone who just wants to shoot for fun, because it's just such a literal damn blast to shoot.


 

Pros and cons


Pros

  • Mil-spec (mostly)

  • Superb reliability

  • Light weight

  • Light recoil

  • Typical AR versatility

  • Huge array of aftermarket parts available

  • Barrel twist rate provides diverse load options


Cons

  • Not 100% identical to the original

  • Still plagued by typical AR handling problems (namely some mediocre and rough controls)

  • Also like most AR-15's, the direct impingement system is susceptible to dirt, grime etc. and must be frequently cleaned


 

Final thoughts


Whether serving armies on the battlefield, or police and civilians domestically, the Colt M4 is a superb rifle even among the AR-15 family- it's distinguished history alone tells us as much, but for the civilian user, the combination of high-quality mil-spec manufacturing and versatility of the AR-15 platform offers us an excellent rifle for only around 1,000 USD.


While it's not perfect by any means, for a barebones AR-15, it's pretty damn close. I certainly would trust it if I had to carry it into a situation where I'd need one, but as an AR-15 type rifle, it's also perfectly adequate for just about anything else you could need a gun for- whether it be plinking at the range, competitive target shooting or hunting, the Colt M4 series rifles could conceivably fill all these niches in just one weapon with some tweaking, add-ons and of course, proper ammo selection.


All in all, the Colt M4 is definitely a gun you shouldn't pass up- especially if you specifically want a mil-spec AR-15, or really just any quality AR-15 for any purpose.


 

Gun stats


(Stats source: Palmetto State Armory)

Caliber

5.56/.223

Action

Semi-automatic, direct impingement (D.I)

Barrel length

16.1 inches

Overall length

35.5 inches

Weight

5.95 pounds

Magazine capacity

30 (standard)


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