SMALL ARMS.

• Author: Lee, Connie
• Position: SOCOM'S TOP 10

Special Operations Command is examining ways to convert its current M4A1 carbine into a personal defense weapon.

It will give "the operator the ability to have a personal defense weapon that can be used in environments that require a close-quarters battle or variant assault rifle with the additional capability of minimizing weapon signature," Army Lt. Col. Mark Owens, ammunition and weapons program manager in the program executive office for special operations forces warrior, said in an emailed statement.

Special operators typically work in small units, heightening the need to equip the commandos with technologies for small unit dominance--Green Berets usually form groups of 12, while SEALs usually form groups of 16.

SOCOM this year awarded a contract worth about $77,000 to Sig Sauer for 10 personal defense weapons kits, Owens noted. The firm-fixed-price contract requires the company to provide limited test articles for combat evaluation, he said. The award encompasses both the weapon and the optic.

"This will enable [the] government to assess the weapon system's potential to meet the size, weight, overall length and reliability articulated by the user," he noted. The 10 systems will help inform future acquisition decisions and plans, he said.

The complete kit includes the upper receiver and bump stock kits; tools required for the conversion; and an attachable light and sound reducing suppressor, according to the request for information released on FedBizOpps.

The system, including the M4A1 itself but not the magazine, must not weigh more than 5.5 pounds, according to the RFI. With the stock extended, the weapon must not be longer than 26 inches. With the stock collapsed, the weapon must be no longer than 17 inches; however, the desired length is 15 inches.

Additionally, the kit must have a 5.56 mm barrel that can be switched in less than three minutes to fire the .300 Blackout cartridge, the RFI stated. SOCOM hopes to have a weapon that is the same length and size for both calibers.

An announcement of the intent to award the contract, also released on FedBizOpps, states SOCOM chose Sig Sauer because...