It looks like that the U.S. Marine Corps will be able to finally say goodbye to the M16 rifle which has been in use by the Corps since the Vietnam War. According to the Marine Corps Times, USMC leaders have endorsed the switch to the M4 rifle as the universal weapon for the Marines over the M16 rifle.

The news report states that with the endorsement of major commands of the switch such as the Marine Corps Combat Development Command; Combat Development and Integration; Plans, Policies and Operations; Marine Corps Systems Command; and Installations and Logistics, the final approval is just a matter of weeks, if not months.

It is said the infantry marines would welcome the change as they find the M16A4 is too long for close quarter battles and the M4's compact size offers more flexibility, lower weight, can be used by smaller Marines, and works better with body armor. According to Ranger 365, the Marines had to short stock their M16 rifles for Close Quarters Combat when they took back Fallujah from the insurgents during Operation Phantom Fury in 2004.

The decision would relegate the M16 to a support role and would also align the USMC with the US Army which already made the switch in 2009.  Once approval is given, the Marine Infantry can be quickly given the M4s by their unit armories as there are already 17,000 M4 rifles in the inventory ready to be used by those who still don't have an M4 issued to them. Those who are using M4 rifles in the USMC as of the moment are the officers, vehicle operators, and squad leaders. A Marine Fire Team comes equipped with the M27 IAR which can also perform the role as a DMR.

Another rifle up for retirement from the USMC is M40A5 Sniper Rifle which is the latest iteration in the line of M40 sniper rifles used by the Marine Corps based on the Remington M700 Sniper Rifle which has seen action with the Marines since the 1960s. In a story on the Washington Post, one of the rifles they are looking into as replacement is the Mk.21 Precision Sniper Rifle (PSR), or more known as the Remington Modular Sniper Rifle (MSR) which many airsoft players are familiar with due to the Ares Airsoft Remington MSR MS388 spring-powered sniper rifle.

MK.21 PSR/Remington MSR

The Mk.21 PSR, which is now in use with special operations units, is a versatile shooting platform as it can be used with the .338 Lapua, .338 Norma Magnum, .300 Winchester Magnum, and 7.62x51. The M40A5 with .308 caliber can shoot to range of 1,000 yards. With the Mk.21 PSR and .338 Lapua, the Marine Sniper can shoot up to 1,600 yards.

Another contender is  again, a Remington M700-based sniper rifle which was adopted by the U.S. Army 2011 to replace the M24. The U.S. Army's M2010 ESR (Enhanced Sniper Rifle) uses the .300 Winchester Magnum with a range of 1,300 yards. If you are wondering why the USMC has not upgraded to a sniper rifle with a more accurate ammo and longer range, you can read it in another story at Washington Post.

The USMC will lose a bit in range and velocity with the M4 replacing the M16A4, but this will be mitigated by the use of the M27 IAR. A new Sniper Rifle either in the form of the Mk.21 PSR or the M2010 will give it the range and accuracy it needs in the field.