Redhawk Firearms M-4 Precision Rifle
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| Redhawk Firearms M-4 Precision Rifle | |
|---|---|
 Soldiers of the Shenandoahan Air National Guard Special Rescue Squadron during an exercise in 2012. The pictured operator is equipped with a Redhawk Firearms M-4 Precision Rifle | |
| Type | Designated marksman rifle |
| Place of origin |  Shenandoah |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2001 – present |
| Used by | See Operators |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1999 - 2003 |
| Manufacturer | Redhawk Firearms |
| Produced | 2002 – present |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 10 lb (4.5 kg) (fully loaded, w/heavy barrel added with a optic) |
| Length | 37.5 inches (952.5 mm) |
| Barrel length | 18 inches (457.2 mm) |
| Cartridge | M-4 .243 GSM M-4A1: .277 Grady |
| Action | Gas-operated, rotating bolt |
| Muzzle velocity | 2,750 ± 20 ft/s (838.2 ± 6.1 m/s) |
| Feed system | M-4 15-round detachable box magazine M-4A1 30-round detachable box magazine |
The Redhawk Firearms M-4 Precision Rifle is a semiautomatic designated marksman rifle designed by Earl Black and Redhawk Firearms for the Shenandoahan National Guard he M-4 Precision Rifle in intended to fill the engagement range gap between a standard service rifle and a dedicated sniper rifle, at around 330 to 660 yards, while also being lighter and more maneuverable than the Redhawk Firearms M-3 Precision Rifle.
Despite the superior ballistic performance of the .243 GSM round, the M-4 Precision Rifle was not widely popular among users in the Shenandoahan National Guard, mostly owing to its low magazine capacity. Therefore, a program to improve the M-4 Precision Rifle was authorized in 2016. This program resulted in the M-4A1 Precision Rifle, chambered in a new round, meant to have the same ballistic performance of the large .243 GSM round, while allowing for larger magazine capacity, with the round chosen being the the .277 Grady round which would allow the operator to use standard rifle magazines with a 30 round capacity.
Design
The M-4 Precision Rifle was designed around the .243 GSM round, more on this later
Both the upper and lower receivers of the rifle are standard M-3A2 Carbine style receivers, although some were converted from older M-3 Assault Rifle receivers, though these lacked the fixed carry handle, instead being supplied with the accssory rail system common to the M-3A2 Carbine. The decision to use M-3A2 and older M-3 receivers was made based on the fact that the full auto trigger group in these lower receivers provided a consistent pull while the more common 3-round burst trigger groups didn't.
An M-4 Precision Rifle is equipped with a unique 18-inch (457 mm) threaded-muzzle match-grade free-floating stainless steel heavy barrel. The barrels have a unique contour that reduces weight but maintained rigidity for accuracy.
There was no standard stock for the weapon, and thus M-4 Precision Rifle may be equipped with the fixed buttstock from the M-3A1 or M-3A2, or either pattern (2 position or 6 position) of telescoping stock from the M-3 Carbine series of weapons. In addition, aftermarket stocks have been seen on service weapons as well, as soldiers of the
Shenandoahan Army National Guard have been authorized to procure and use authorized aftermarket items for their service weapon since 2014.
History
In 1998, the The Shenandoahan National Guard issued a proposal to various firearms designers to create a rifle with greater effective range than an Redhawk Firearms M-3 Carbine but shorter than then Redhawk Firearms M-3 Precision Rifle, as well as being overall shorter and lighter than the latter.
Variants
- M-4 Precision Rifle: Initial production version chambered in the .243 GSM round.
- M-4A1 Precision Rifle: Updated rifle chambered in the newly developed .277 Grady round meant to retain ballistic performance of the .243 GSM round while allowing for greater magazines capacity.