Army, Marine Corps succeed in rapidly fielding specialized individual weapons.

• Author: Parsons, Dan
• Position: Small Arms

* U.S. troops have given their individual weapons poor performance marks during the past decade.

While Defense Department officials wrestle with replacing hundreds of thousands of rifles and pistols, two weapon systems used in Afghanistan suggest fielding a new firearm doesn't have to be arduous.

In February, the Army began arming troops with the M26 Modular Accessory Shotgun System, which can be fitted to the underside of an M4 carbine barrel. It offers troops the ability to carry one gun with the power of two. The M203 40mm grenade launcher is configured in much the same way, using the rifle's magazine for a grip.

Likewise, the Marine Corps has begun fielding its new M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle, based on the Heckler & Koch 416, which is similar in size and construction to the M4 carbine.

The new weapons are lighter and more capable than the ones they are replacing, officials said.

The MASS will replace the long-serving Mossberg 500 12-guage shotgun, which weighs a full two pounds more than its modular replacement. In service since 1961, the M500 is primarily a breeching tool, used to shoot out hinges and door locks prior to a raid. The MASS will serve the same purpose, hut integrates breeching capability into a soldier's primary weapon.

The MASS has a lower magazine capacity than its predecessor at five rounds versus eight. But it uses a box magazine that can be dropped and replaced whereas the Mossberg requires a soldier to load each individual shell into its magazine tube.

"The MASS enables soldiers to transition more quickly between lethal and less-than-lethal fires and adds shotgun capability to their M4 without carrying a separate ... weapon," reads a statement from Program Executive Office, Soldier. "Tests have determined the M26 to be the most reliable, durable, rugged shotgun in the Army inventory."

Troops from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division were the first to use the new shotgun after it was officially fielded at Ft. Campbell, Ky., in February. The units' engineer and military police battalions are carrying the weapons in theater in both its mounted and standalone configurations.

The Army is approved and funded to procure approximately 9,000 M26s for engineer and military police units.

The weapon fires a variety of special-purpose cartridges, including door-breeching and less-than-lethal shells. It weighs 3.5 pounds when configured to attach to an M4 carbine and 5.5 pounds as a stand-alone weapon.

Soldiers...