In the 2001 time period, the current U.S. military weapon system M16/M4 came under scrutiny during the initial Global War on Terrorism. US Special Operations operators experienced issues with failure to extract, bolts breaking, barrel overheating/ruptures, and malfunctions in the desert environment. The program commenced in June of 2000 and was initiated by Jim Schatz and Ernst Mauch of Heckler & Koch, which would become known as the HKM4. Ernst Mauch decided he wanted to pursue similar improvements to the existing M16/M4 weapon systems. Former Tier 1 U.S. Special Operations operator Larry Vickers went to work with Heckler & Koch to develop an improved M4 which would correct the deficiencies they encountered.
While visiting H&K on another matter, Vickers noticed a blueprint hanging on the wall of former H&K CEO Ernst Mauch of an M4 adapted to a G36 gas system. Vickers knew there was a requirement in his unit for a short barreled (10.4 inch) CQB rifle to replace the Mk18 currently in use. SOCOM had found the short 10.3 inch weapons experienced significantly more malfunctions than the M4 with the 14.5 inch barrel in various operational conditions. Additionally, H&K staffers, Tom Kivlehan and Bruce Davidson, worked along with Mauch, Schatz and Vickers to get this program off the ground and eventually into military testing and acceptance.
In August of 2000, USSOCOM held a "PMOD" Conference in Indianapolis to discuss their planned "Platform MODifications" effort they hoped would address the many documented deficiencies in the M4. HK staff, Mauch, Schatz, and Volker Kurtz was present and briefed on the first drawings of a monolithic (one piece upper receiver and rail system) M4-style upper with a G36-style op rod gas system. The proposal was reportedly well received by many military program staff (including, Gus Taylor from Crane and the Army’s Steve Holland). As recalled by several people, Colt Defense killed off the PMod program making exclusivity claims to the M4 and that only they could make such modifications to “their M4”. Given the time frame and the lack of cooperation, this spawned the invocation of the SCAR program, which would allow SOCOM to pick a new weapons platform that they would be the project manager on and could modify, at will; rather than use Colt M4A1 carbines that they could not make changes to, due to them being a “TDP” commodity and having to go through the big army to change.
While visiting H&K on another matter, Vickers noticed a blueprint hanging on the wall of former H&K CEO Ernst Mauch of an M4 adapted to a G36 gas system. Vickers knew there was a requirement in his unit for a short barreled (10.4 inch) CQB rifle to replace the Mk18 currently in use. SOCOM had found the short 10.3 inch weapons experienced significantly more malfunctions than the M4 with the 14.5 inch barrel in various operational conditions. Additionally, H&K staffers, Tom Kivlehan and Bruce Davidson, worked along with Mauch, Schatz and Vickers to get this program off the ground and eventually into military testing and acceptance.
In August of 2000, USSOCOM held a "PMOD" Conference in Indianapolis to discuss their planned "Platform MODifications" effort they hoped would address the many documented deficiencies in the M4. HK staff, Mauch, Schatz, and Volker Kurtz was present and briefed on the first drawings of a monolithic (one piece upper receiver and rail system) M4-style upper with a G36-style op rod gas system. The proposal was reportedly well received by many military program staff (including, Gus Taylor from Crane and the Army’s Steve Holland). As recalled by several people, Colt Defense killed off the PMod program making exclusivity claims to the M4 and that only they could make such modifications to “their M4”. Given the time frame and the lack of cooperation, this spawned the invocation of the SCAR program, which would allow SOCOM to pick a new weapons platform that they would be the project manager on and could modify, at will; rather than use Colt M4A1 carbines that they could not make changes to, due to them being a “TDP” commodity and having to go through the big army to change.
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