Why does the Army insist on M4s being black when everything else is camouflaged?

MSgt Kurt S. - They are similar for sure.

I always thought UCP meant "Useless Camouflage Pattern"

MAJ (Join to see) - I've seen a few that you couldn't have stood out more unless You wore white and there was no snow. Some of the camouflage patterns sure didn't blend very well. UCP as You mention sure fits some of those. I love that reference term You made for UCPs, LOL. With the woodland camouflage that was i think hte last pattern that all services were wearing for a while. The post MSgt Kurt made shows the Marine WWII pattern (which was fine) but also a lot of others as well, seems a lot of money was wasted on a lot of them.

Woodland works well in forested environments. It's a bit too "green" for arid environments. Interestingly, it's not that different from the late Vietnam War jungle camouflage pattern (remember the old slant pocket blouses?). My recollection is that the Marine Corps WWII pattern had a larger pattern and was more suited to a sandy / arid environment than to forests because of the lighter, browner color scheme. It worked well in the environments where the Corps was deployed. One of the problems with camouflage is that everyone is trying to invent a better mousetrap to sell to the DoD (either from the procurement side or from the vendor side, and sometimes from both). Until we have reliable, lightweight, active camouflage, there aren't going to be any huge leaps in concealment.

Why not just have them original manufactured in OCP or FDE? Then there would be no more need to change the color of the rifle than there would be to change the OCP uniform as environments change.

MAJ (Join to see) - Is it because they sold enough cookies? Or because they learned to "hooooah" with a French accent while they twirl their handle bar mustache?

SMSgt Lawrence McCarter - I know... they are former Marines who want nice quarters.

Ba dump tsss I got a million of em.

I never had a problem when i had to under field conditions but then why would i want to ? I'd rather be comfortable. My new roughing it is a hotel that hasn't got a pool. I'm NOT a former Marine, started and stayed Air Force, no regrets about that. I'm not into discomfort. Former training before the Air Force was Army Infantry at a Military Academy as a Cadet, (not a member of the US Army) There is nothing wrong with nice quarters, I made the right choice !

In Vietnam however We did live and work with Marines working base perimeter, making out own sweep outside the wire, QRTs, Quick reaction teams and the Marine unit had no dogs, all 45 dogs and all German Shepard's, in our unit the 366th SPS, were with Air Force handlers.

SMSgt Lawrence McCarter - I had a Surveillance and Target Acquisition Plt, (where the scout snipers are.) We aggressed USAF dog unit from Kadena. We did not win.

Excellent and valid point Sir, I also added a longer comment here that agrees with what You have said here. What You have said though is very clear and too the point. I did make reference in My comment that He should also read Your input here.

I understand the bluing and Parkerizing process, but that does not apply to the anodizing on the upper and lower receiver, which are aluminum forgings. Nor to the receiver extension, rail system, or furniture. The only carbon steel parts are detents, springs, fire control group, bolt carrier, barrel and flash hider (the gas tube is stainless steel) - almost none of which are visible. Consequently, all but the rail, barrel and flash hider can in fact be either anodized or otherwise originally manufactured in a different color without compromising the carbon steel parts. As for the rail, barrel and flash hider, those can be treated with a high temperature, hard coating from the factory that would not be readily removable. I suppose my question really is why the Army does not purchase rifles in the first place in the Army's standard OCP camouflage pattern. OCP for FDE would be better than black/dark gray even in a desert environment, and certainly would enhance concealment in most other environments (save snow, where black isn't exactly the color or choice either). If the point is to "soldier-proof" the weapons system, then that's a different problem, but I seriously doubt that's the reason these systems were purchased in black in the first place. The original AR-15s from Armalite came in gray, so it's not as though the Army couldn't specify a different color for replacement rifles and carbines from the manufacturer or for armory rebuilds.

MAJ (Join to see) - That would be fine if they came from the factory that way I suppose as opposed to trying to add different colors or feature to disguise the appearance. I do realize We are talking about exterior appearance only, there are other ways to disguise weapons though if it wasn't factory applied. In Vietnam though most the attacks We defended against in my own experience were during the hours of darkness so I suppose it would have been less of an issue anyway. i guess what You say also goes back to the original question although i still agree with the Army but then that only My opinion. Your input though does give something to think about that I may not have considered.

MAJ (Join to see) Point taken. Nevertheless, DoD and it’s infinite wisdom, would select the cheapest color and pay the highest price!

SGT, in fact, they would not need to be repainted for different environments - any more than the Army (at least for the moment) does wear different camouflage patterns anymore (since the desert uniform is history and the Marines, well, they do their own thing). Just configure the rifles in OCP to match the camouflage uniform or perhaps FDE/Coyote, which still would still be a better color in terms of concealment in practically every environment the Army operates in. Even in snow, it would be better than black, and as with the existing rifles, temporary camouflage could be applied to break up the pattern in a winter environment. As for the logistical issues, as with the transition from UCP to OCP, where mix and match is verboten, the same rule could apply to rifles. As new ones are phased in, units could transition as a group to the new camouflage pattern to maintain a semblance of uniformity in a garrison environment.

Well, this had crossed my mind too. "The contractor sold it to us that way." "It was that way when I got here." "Because the Army says so." "We don't have the money/skill/time/inclination to change it."

They could, of course, be spec'd to be manufactured with a different color finish.

MAJ (Join to see) This is true, but who wants to be the officer to rock that boat.