FN Manufacturing, Columbia, S.C., was awarded on Dec. 21, 2007, a $33,670,649.00 firm-fixed-price, contract for M16A3 and M16A4 Rifles to support the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps. Work will be performed in Columbia, S.C., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Sep. 10, 2007, and nine bids were received. TACOM LCMC, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity (W52H09-08-D-0121).
Colt Defense, Hartford, Conn., was awarded on Dec. 21, 2007, a $ 15,925,000.00 firm-fixed-price contract for M16A3 and M16A4 Rifles to support the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps. Work will be performed in Hartford, Conn., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 13, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Sep. 10, 2007, and nine bids were received. TACOM LCMC, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity (W52H09-08-D-0122).
So is current policy just to split these awards between Colt and FN?
The M16A3 varient is “exclusive” to the Navy and features a full auto trigger group in addtion to the flattop receiver. Whereas the M16A4 varient is utilized by the Marine Corps. and the Army and features the burst trigger group found in the A2 with the addtion of the flattop receiver.
I may be wrong, and I am sure A4’s and A3’s can be found in most branches. But my above statement is how most are dispersed into the system. If I missed a fact please let me know.
Slater you would be correct. I failed to notice the sections at the bottom of the page with each varient discussed separately. I fell into the “misconception” due to the reasoning listed. Oh well, only human lol. I miss my “A4,” was heavy but a good shooter. If only FN would could produce a civilian AR15A4.
I just found a third contract award while attempting to look up the particulars on the FN and Colt awards. Bushmaster got it: W52H09-08-D-0120.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
Delivery Order 0001 obligates a quantity of 5,631 M16A3 Rifle, NSN 1005-01-357-5112, PN 12012000 in accordance with the terms and conditions of the basic contract W52H09-08-D-0120. As this order is in excess of the guaranteed minimum quantity of 5,630 each, the Government is under no further obligation to place any additional orders.
The award is processed against Ordering Period 1 (Award through 31 December 2008) and the following CLINS are awarded:
Clin 0008AA - First Article Test for $20.000.00.
Clin 0008AB - 5,631 M16A3 Rifle, 5.56mm, NSN 1005-01-357-5112 at unit price of $715.00 each for a total of $4,026,165.
This delivery order is awarded FOB Origin.
Accelerated deliveries are acceptable at no cost to the Government and only at the express permission of the Contracting Officer.
Total value of Delivery Order 0001 is $4,046,165.
Delivery is to the US Navy.
Of course, the acid test is whether Bushmaster’s rifle will pass the First Article Test.
In September the Iraqi Special Operations Forces received 2,000 commercial semi-automatic only “M-4 type 5.56mm Carbines” from Rock River Arms equipped with Daniel Defense 7.0 free-float rails.
These were bought by the Government of Iraq through the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Program managed by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.
Other Iraqi units have received Colt commercial-pattern M4s (Model 6920?).
Some of the contractors I’ve seen in Iraq are carrying Bushmasters.
Nice! More money for our local economy! I put in an application via email a few weeks ago for a weapons tester. Then I got to worrying about FN closing shop, if the contracts ran out, and moving to Mexico. Wes
When you add a RAS to a weapon it becomes a Modular Weapon System (MWS) whether it is a M4 or M16A3 or A4. The other services are buying A4s and M4s and now A3s without the RAS on them, the Marines on the other hand are buying all their A4s and M4s as MWSs.
