Colt Commando
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| Caliber: | 5.56 mm |
| Firearm action: | gas-actuated locking bolt |
| Barrel length: | 11.5 in (290 mm) |
| Overall length: | 30 in (760 mm) |
| Effective range: | about (300 m) |
| Magazine: | 30 round, box |
| Cyclic rate of fire: | 700 to 1000 rounds/min |
| Muzzle velocity: | 2611 ft/s (796 m/s) |
| Mass (unloaded): | 2.44 kg (5.38 lb) |
| Mass (loaded): | 2.89 kg (6.38 lb) |
The Colt Commando (a.k.a. CAR-15 and XM-177), like most members of the AR15/M16 family is a gas-actuated locking bolt 5.56 mm carbine, and is produced by the Colt manufacturing. The moniker “Commando” has been used to describe Colt’s ultra-short carbine variants, as well as, “pre-A2 configuration” or “pre-M4” in general. The first weapon in this ultra-short category began production in 1967 for Special Operations units during the Vietnam war. By the end of the conflict, it had been used by members of various elite units, and had been given a slew of official designations in addition to the informal names it received in the field.
In 1967 Colt created and sold an ultra-short carbine variant to the US Army. Colt’s .223 Remington CAR-15 Model 607 Commando Model Submachine Gun (although it is not a sub-machine gun, as a true SMG would be chambered for pistol rather than rifle ammunition) looked much like a miniturized M16A1 rifle, and featured a retracting buttstock modeled after the full rifle stock. With a 10 in (254 mm) barrel, muzzle blast soon became a major issue, and while the initial variants were equipped with the same flash hiders as A1 rifles, special “moderators” were quickly created.
These weapons were not given an official designation, but the long Colt name prompted troops to simply refer to it as “CAR-15.” While CAR-15, or Colt Automatic Rifle-15, was to be used for an entire family of Colt patterned AR-15 type weapons including 2 rifles, 2 Heavy Barreled rifles or HBARs, a 16 in (406 mm) carbine, and the ultra-short 10 in (254 mm) gun, it quickly fell by the wayside. CAR-15 has since been used, incorrectly, to describe A1 configured or pre-M4 type carbines.
In addition to the 607 Colt manufactured the Model 608, which was a special survival rifle prototype made specifically for the US Air Force, but never adopted. Only 10 were believed to have been made.
With the initial success of the 607 idea, Colt refined the pattern and created 3 additional guns, the 609, 610, and 610B. The most important features of these guns are the revised retracting stocks (similar in style to the stocks commonly found on M4 type rifles), originally case out of aluminum, and short round handguards to help with the issues of the barrel becoming extremely hot during prolonged firing. These weapons also had 10 in (254 mm) barrels and were originally fitted with the 3.5 in (89 mm) moderators designed for the 607. A 4.5 in (114 mm) moderator was eventually created for these weapons. The 609 had a forward assist for the bolt, but neither of the 610s did. The Air Force maintained that it was an unnecessary addition that complicated the weapon, and both these guns and the M16A1 rifles purchased by them lacked the feature. The US Army designated the 609 the XM177E1 and the 610 as the XM177. The US Air Force designed the 610 the GAU-5/A, and it is believed received a small number of 610Bs for testing. The B stands for burst, and these featured Colt’s original four-position (Safe-Semi-Full-3RB) selector.
After fielding it, improvements were suggested, to which Colt answered with the revised Model 629 and Model 630, in which the barrel was lengthen to 11.5 inches (292 mm), which featured a barrel ring for firing rifle grenades.. The US Army designated the 629 the XM177E2, while the US Air Force purchased the Colt model 630 (no forward assist) and it was classified GAU-5A/A. The US Air Force also received a number of “hand-me-down” Colt 629s from the US Army at some time, and designed these weapons GAU-5A/B.
Colt eventually went on to improve the basic “Commando” design in the early 1970s. The barrel was lengthened to 14.5 inches (368 mm). This barrel length allowed the usage of the M7 bayonet, and with the decision by the US administration in the late 1970s to ban the sale of sound suppression equipment abroad (the previous “XM” moderators had been classified by the BATF as sound suppressors, despite the general ridiculousness of calling them that), these weapons were fitted with the standard “birdcage” flash suppressor used on A1-type rifles. Colt produced an number of carbine models, but the most prominent was the Colt 653. The US Army and US Navy procured some in small numbers for SOF units, but did not officially adopt it. The 653 appeared in 1973, too late to see use by US forces in South East Asia. These weapons featured a retracting stock of the same style as the XM177 stocks, but made out of fiberlite instead of aluminum.
One of the largest end users of Colt 653s happened to be Israel, who imported a large number just in time for the Yom Kippur War. In the last decade or so, these weapons have been extensively modified, bringing them up to a pseudo-M4 standard. These weapons have had their stock tubes modified to allow for six positions instead of the original 2 or 4, and have A2 style pistol grips, as well as, M4 profile barrels. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are currently phasing these out in favor true M4/A1 carbines.
The US Air Force has done a number of similar in-house upgrades and modifications to their old GAU-5 carbines, starting with simple rebarrels of 10 and 11.5 in (254 and 292 mm) guns with 14.5 in (368 mm) A1 profile barrels. These weapons were redesignated GAU-5/P. Also, weapons rebarreled with M4 profile barrels or with their entire upper receivers replaced with M4A1 style M1913 fail “flat top” upper receivers. Weapons in either of these configurations have been designated GUU-5/P.
These “A1” variants were used until the mid-1980s when the M16A2 and the new M855 FMJ and M856 Tracer rounds were adopted. Colt begane to develop a number of carbines with the same new rifling twist, 1:7 in (178 mm) as the M16A2, designed to fire these new rounds. While the US purchased a number of Colt 720s (essentially M16A2 carbines) for testing, other countries provided the initial impetus, with the Canadian firm of Diemaco (recently purchased by Colt to provide a certain level of irony) even license producing the Colt Model 725 as the C8.
Colt also updated the original ultra-short “Commando” and released the Model 733 and Model 735. These guns again feature an 11.5 in (292 mm) barrel. The difference between the 733 and the 735 is primarily in that the 733 is Safe-Semi-Full (S-1-F) and the 735 is Safe-Semi-Burst (S-1-3). Early 733s also had A1 style rear sights. Colt eventually released variants of both these guns with M1913 rail “Flat Top” upper receivers, as the 933 and the 935 respectively.
The Commando is similar in design and has many interoperable components with the M4 Carbine and the M16 Rifle, with the M4 being more or less a just another “Commando.” The M4 for all intensive purposes is identical to A1 style carbines, with the exception of the A2-style rear sights and pistol grip, upgraded stock, upgraded handguards, and extended feed ramps in the breach, along with its distinct notched barrel profile, for mounting the M203/A1 grenade launcher.
See also
External links
- Modern Firearms (http://world.guns.ru/assault/as50-e.htm)
- Colt Manufacturing: Colt Commando (http://www.colt.com/mil/M4Com.asp)