M416

"What's not to love about it? it's light weight, modular, very little recoil, clears a room in 3 seconds and best of all it's a Heckler & Koch, a Rifle you can trust"

-- Private First Class. Adam Green

The M416 Assault Rifle was designed in response to the aging M4/M16 Rifles in Service with the Tarakian Army and the Failed XM8 Program that still made it's way into the Hands of Tarakian Troops. The M416 addressed several problems the M4/M16 platform suffered from, the 416 was designed to be more ergonomic and more user friendly with the Ability to be used in any environment without worrying about the gun jamming or blowing up in your face, using the Heckler & Koch G36 Gas Piston Rod, instead of what the M4/M16 used, the Gas Piston Rod allowed the 416 to be used with water flooding the gun or with the gun jammed up with sand and dust and still managed to fire, prototypes of the gun were very pleasing as they performed well and didn't jam up as many times as the M4/M16's did in their Trials.

History
The Heckler & Koch HK416 became the prime contender for the Tarakian Army's Assault Rifle Program, it had beat out the competetion and was offered in the 6.8x43mm Caliber, in which most Tarakian Rifles were chambered for, the HK416 at the time it was called was mainly offered in the 10 Inch Barrel configuration and was tested in MOUT and also Vehicles, in which it proved very compact and fast. Once it had entered Tarakian Army Service it was re named M416 and was put into the hands of Every soldier serving, in Country and overseas, the M416 had become the Standard Weapon of the Tarakian Army and in both 10 inch and 14.5 inch Barrel Configurations.

It's Project name was, Tarakian Army Next Generation Assault Rifle Program and had started in the late 1990's while the Rifle itself wasn't designed until 07 and concept rifles showed in early 08, the Program continued until 2009.

Tarakian Army Next Generation Assault Rifle Program
Main Article: Tarakian Army Next Generation Assault Rifle Program

The Tarakian Army had issued a Statement in the late 1990's to find a replacement for the aging M4/M16 Rifle platform, and called for something Modular, Compact, Effective and a entirely new Caliber, Early entries into the program were the G36K in which the Army had favored very well another early entry into the program in 2000 was the FN Herstal Mk-16 SCAR-L it was also favored but soon was cut off the list due to it not meeting a certain criteria, At around the same time the TANGARP was going on, the Army had also issued a statement for the Tarakian Army Offensive Handgun Program which conlcuded in 2016 with the Kimber Desert Warrior M2016 Pistol, like the Next Generation Assault Rifle program it had gained mainy entries. Heckler & Koch submitted the XM8 Assault Rifle, in which had failed U.S. Trials but hoped to get into Tarakian Army Service, although the rifle did fail Army trials it still managed to get into the hands of Tarakian Soldiers. in 2008 Heckler & Koch submitted the HK416 Assault Rifle, it had met all the criteria, soon it was put into Trials and then it had became the M416 Assault Rifle.

Design
The M416 uses a proprietary gas system derived from the HK G36 , replacing the direct impingement gas system used by the standard M16/M4.  The HK G36 gas system was in turn derived from the AR-18  assault rifle designed in 1963.  The HK system uses a short-stroke piston driving an operating rod to force the bolt carrier to the rear. This design prevents combustion gases from entering the weapon's interior, a shortcoming with direct impingement systems.  The reduction in heat and fouling of the bolt carrier group increases the reliability of the weapon and extends the interval between stoppages. It also reduces operator cleaning time and stress on critical components. According to H&K "experience that Heckler & Koch gained during its highly successful 'midlife improvement programme' for the British Army  SA80  assault rifle, have now borne fruit in the M416". The M416 is equipped with a proprietary accessory rail forearm with MIL-STD-1913 rails on all four sides. This allows most current accessories, used on M4/M16-type weapons, to be fitted to the M416. The M416 rail forearm can be installed and removed without tools by using the bolt locking lug as the screwdriver. The rail forearm is "free-floating" and does not contact the barrel, improving accuracy. The M416 has an adjustable multi-position telescopic butt stock, offering six different lengths of pull. The shoulder pad can be either convex or concave and the stock features a storage space for maintenance accessories, spare electrical batteries or other small kit items. The trigger pull is 34 N (7.6 lb <span style="line-height:14.4pt;font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(242,242,242);border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;">f <span style="line-height:14.4pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(242,242,242);border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;">). The empty weight of a M416 box magazine is 250 g (8.8 oz). <span style="color:rgb(242,242,242);font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;line-height:14.4pt;">The M416's barrel is cold hammer-forged with a 20,000-round service life and features a 6 grooves 178 mm (7 in) right hand twist. The cold hammer-forging process provides a stronger barrel for greater safety in case of an obstructed bore or for extended firing sessions. Modifications for an over-the-beach (OTB) capability such as drainage holes in the bolt carrier and buffer system are available; enabling the M416 to be fired safely after being submerged in water.

Differences from the M4 Carbine
<span style="font-size:10pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(242,242,242);">The M416 is a modified variant of the American carbine, the M4. It includes international symbols for Safe, Semi-Automatic, and Fully automatic, a redesigned retractable stock which allows the user to rotate the butt plate, a new pistol grip designed by H&K, made to more ergonomically fit the hand and, attached to the rifle is a new single-piece hand guard with a free floating RIS system, used for mounting accessories. The most notable internal difference is the short stroke gas piston system, derived from the HK G36. To compensate for increased pressure due to the new gas system, a thicker barrel was also integrated. Finally, the HK416 includes a folding front sight, and a rear sight similar in design to the G3. The M416 system is offered as an upper receiver, separate from the rest of the rifle, as a replacement to the standard issue M4 upper receiver. It can be attached to any existing AR-15 family rifles, giving them the new gas system, the new hand guard, and sights, while retaining the original lower receiver. The Heckler & Koch M416 can also be purchased as a fully assembled, stand alone carbine.

Improvements
The M416 spawned several improved models of the Rifle, the most latest version is the M416A4 in which the barrel was lined with a thin layer of Carbon Fiber to control heat and extend the Barrel life, other improvements on the M416A4 Variant included certain reinforced parts which had reportedly(?) failed in Combat or were not maintained right. Most of the Improvements came from request in the Field From the Soldiers who had been deployed for six or more months with the Earlier models and were having minor problems, H&K addressed the problem rather quickly and sent out a improvement kit to deployed troops and recalled all 416's that were still in the Armories to be looked at and address the problem. Some of the other improvements to the Rifle also came from the Soldiers Attachment Choices, at any time different configurations could be seen, the most commen Rifle Configuration is a M416A4 with Standard Configuration of EoTech M556 Holographic Sight with G33 STS Magnifier, Insight Tech AN/PEQ-15, Tango Down Verticle Grip, DTNC Flash Supressor or GemTech Halo 6.8 Suppressor and Magpul CTR/MOE Stock.



HK417
The 416 had also been the basis for a improved "SR-25" like Rifle, in which the HK417 was developed, the 417 was chambered for the 6.5x55mm SPC round but also it could use the 7.62x51mm round if needed, it was essentially the same as the 416, but it's caliber was upped from the 6.8 to the 6.5 which offered good knock down power and high velocity. The M417 also doubled as a Assault Rifle with the Safe/Semi/Auto Trigger group but was made to be a Specialized Rifle, the M417 is equipped with a Forged Hammer Cold steel Barrel that is Chrome Lined to extend Barrel Life, it's standard barrel configuration is a 20 Inch Accurized Barrel with DTNC Flash Suppressor and Optional Surefire FA65 Supressor, the M417 is also highly regarded as one of the most accurate Designated Marksmen Rifles using the 6.5x55mm SPC Caliber. it feeds from a 10 or 20 round Translucant(?) Box Magazine or a 50 Round Drum Magazine for sustained fire, All Factory M417 Rifles come equipped with a Leupold Mark 8 3.5-25x56mm M5B2 Sniper Scope with Barrett BORS Ballistic Computer, Also Standard is the Harris Bipod and Magpul Precision Rifle Stock and are often modified if need be to meet mission requirements.

The M417's remarkable Accuracy has drawn attention from the Special Ops community who have wanted a First hit Kill Rifle to replace the Mk-11's, the 6.5x55mm Semi-Armor Piercing Cartridge has also gained a lot of Attention due to it's remarkable Ballistics of not over penetrating the target's body and not causing a major exit wound, Seal Team 3 has already begun fielding a Variant of the M417 refered to as the M28 Designated Marksmen Rifle chambered for the 6.5x55mm SAP-HE Cartridge.

M417 Variants:

M417: original variant issued in the squad designated marksmen role

M417A1:

M417A2:

M417A3:

M417A4:

M28: Based on the G28, first issued to Seal Team 3, chambered in 6.5x55mm SAP-HE

M428: An improved variant of the M28 issued under the Democratic Republic Army’s Squad Designated Marksmen Rifle program, chambered for the 6.5x55mm cartridge

M110A1: Democratic Republic Army Squad Designated Marksmen Rifle (SDM-R) chambered for the 6.5x50mm PAMA cartridge, the Rifle first saw use with AFO Kingslayer from Group for Specialized Tactics

M418: A Specialized Rifle chambered for the 338 Norma Magnum, based on a enlarged 417 lower and upper receiver



Caliber
When the 5.56x45mm was thrown out the window, a caliber had to be chosen for the Rifle a Seven month long study by the Tarakian Army and Heckler & Koch concluded with the 6.8x43mm Special Purpose Cartridge being favored over the other entrants, not only was the 6.8 better it offered penetration that the 5.56mm wasn't capable of, in response a newer 5.56 was developed to address that issue the 5.56x62mm SOCOM or Mk-232 Mod1 as it was dubbed, however the 6.8 still won over the Mk-232 and eventually became the standard service rifle round, the standard 6.8x43mm Bullet is a 110 Grain Boat Tail Hollowpoint or BTHP/WC and has several variants.



Military and Law Enforcement
HK416: Original Trial Variant

M416: The M416 is the first model to be designated and enter Army Service

M416A1:

M416A2:

M416A3:

M416A4:

M416A5 (current issue):

R1: New Canterlot Republic model. made for the Equestrian species, shoulder stock removed, forestock enlarged for Equestrian hooves, the ability to linked with the Equestrian battle saddle, an enlarged trigger and chambered to 6.5x40mm.

Specialized Variants
M427A3 Infantry Automatic Rifle

M38 Squad Designated Marksmen Rifle: based on the M427 IAR, the M38 SDMR is a Marine Corps DMR

M416A4 Compact

M416 GST Recce: A custom M416 Variant designed by Group For Specialized Tactics operators, the 416 Recce is standard with an 18” barrel, Magpul MOE-SL stock, Nightforce scope and KAC Flip Up Ironsights among other attachments. Many GST Operators who choose the Recce rifle often outfit other attachments for personal preference

M416 ION Custom:

Mk18 Mod2 CQBR: HK contract built Close Quarters Battle Receiver, the HK CQBR features a 10.4 inch barrel with a 10 Inch HK Quad Rail, the H2 buffer is equipped as standard to run the heavier 132gr Special Ball ammo in the 6.8mm caliber, the Mk18 Mod2 is primarily used by Navy Seals and VBSS

MR556: Civilian Variant of the M416