High School

What are the 8 cycles of functioning for the M16/M4?

A. Extraction, ejection, feeding, chambering, locking, firing, unlocking, cocking
B. Firing, feeding, chambering, extraction, ejection, locking, unlocking, cocking
C. Cocking, unlocking, locking, ejection, extraction, chambering, feeding, firing
D. Feeding, chambering, locking, firing, unlocking, cocking, extraction, ejection

Answer :

The correct answer is option (c). Cocking, unlocking, locking, ejection, extraction, chambering, feeding, firing are the 8 cycles of functioning for the M16/M4.

To understand the functioning cycles of the M16/M4 rifle, we need to follow the sequence of operations that occur during the firing process. Here is the explanation for each step in the correct sequence:

1. Cocking:

  • The first step is to cocking the weapon, which involves pulling back the charging handle to move the bolt carrier rearward.
  • This action compresses the recoil spring and rotates the bolt, unlocking it from the barrel extension.

2. Unlocking:

  • As the bolt carrier moves to the rear, the bolt cam pin engages the camming surfaces of the barrel extension, causing the bolt to rotate and unlock from the barrel extension.

3. Locking:

  • When the bolt carrier moves forward under the pressure of the recoil spring, the bolt rotates back into the locked position, engaging the lugs with the barrel extension.

4. Ejection:

  • As the bolt carrier continues to move forward, it ejects the spent cartridge casing from the rifle.
  • The ejector on the bolt face strikes the base of the cartridge, and the extractor pulls the cartridge out of the chamber.

5. Extraction:

  • The extractor, which is part of the bolt, pulls the spent cartridge casing from the chamber as the bolt carrier moves to the rear.

6. Chambering:

  • A new round is stripped from the magazine and chambered as the bolt carrier moves forward.
  • The round is pushed into the chamber by the bolt face.

7. Feeding:

  • The bolt carrier group's forward movement causes the top round in the magazine to be fed into the chamber.

8. Firing:

  • When the trigger is pulled, the hammer strikes the firing pin, which in turn strikes the primer of the cartridge, igniting the propellant and firing the weapon.

Final answer:

The 8 cycles of functioning for the M16/M4 are firing, unlocking, extraction, ejection, feeding, chambering, locking, and cocking. These cycles work together to fire and reload the weapon effectively while reducing recoil through internal damping mechanisms. Option B is correct.

Explanation:

The 8 cycles of functioning for the M16/M4 are as follows:

  1. Firing
  2. Unlocking
  3. Extraction
  4. Ejection
  5. Feeding
  6. Chambering
  7. Locking
  8. Cocking

When a soldier pulls the trigger on an M16/M4, the firing process initiates with the hammer striking the firing pin, which in turn ignites the primer to fire the bullet. Following that, the bolt carrier moves backward, which begins the unlocking phase where the bolt turns and unlocks from the barrel extension.

Next is the extraction phase, where the bolt assembly pulls the spent casing from the chamber and moves it toward the ejection port. The ejection mechanism then expels the casing from the rifle.

The progression continues with the feeding process, in which a new round is moved into position for chambering, where it is inserted into the chamber.

Subsequently, the locking phase ensures that the bolt locks into the barrel extension, securing the new round for firing. Lastly, the cocking phase reengages the hammer, setting the rifle ready to fire again.

This entire process is designed to minimize recoil—internal parts such as springs and damping mechanisms distribute and absorb the force over time and distance to reduce the average force experienced by the user.