Source: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/12/army_carbine_dusttest_071217/

Newer carbines outperform M4 in dust test
By Matthew Cox – Staff writer
Posted : Monday Dec 17, 2007 9:25:16 EST

The M4 carbine, the weapon soldiers depend on in combat, finished last in a recent “extreme dust test” to demonstrate the M4’s reliability compared to three newer carbines.

Weapons officials at the Army Test and Evaluation Center at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., exposed Colt Defense LLC’s M4, along with the Heckler & Koch XM8, FNH USA’s Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle and the H&K 416 to sandstorm conditions from late September to late November, firing 6,000 rounds through each test weapon.

When the test was completed, ATEC officials found that the M4 performed “significantly worse” than the other three weapons, sources told Army Times.

Officials tested 10 each of the four carbine models, firing a total of 60,000 rounds per model. Here’s how they ranked, according to the total number of times each model stopped firing:

• XM8: 127 stoppages.

• MK16 SCAR Light: 226 stoppages.

• 416: 233 stoppages.

• M4: 882 stoppages.

the results of the test were “a wake-up call,” but Army officials continue to stand by the current carbine, said Brig. Gen. Mark Brown, commander of Program Executive Office Soldier, the command that is responsible for equipping soldiers.

Talk is cheap & worth nothing until proven.

Editor: I’ve never found that Breakfree CLP is particularly good at the job. It is greasy, causing it to attract dirt and dust like a magnet. It leaves a tacky shellac-like residue when it dries out that can impair function (don’t get Breakfree in Jewell Trigger!) It is not a particularly good corrosion barrier (See: http://www.accurateshooter.com/technical-articles/corrosion-protection-products/). Breakfree also has some not-so-healthy ingredients, though it’s not a high-toxicity substance. Check out the Breakfree Material Data Safety sheet (MDS): http://www.wfrfire.com/msds/pdf/break.pdf . FWIW FrogLube carries the USDA’s BioPreferred designation.

All that said — would this be my first choice of product? No, because I prefer to use specific products for specific tasks. Copper solvent for copper, Carb-Out for carbon, Eezox or Corrosion-X for rust-proofing. But for someone who needs a do-it-all product, this FrogLube stuff is worth trying, at least to replace Breakfree. If you go through the reviews of the products by actual users, there are many, many positive comments. Are ALL those purchasers hallucinating? I doubt it.