M4 Effectivness

An April 2002 presentation by the Natick Soldier Center presented by LTC Charlie Dean and SFC Sam Newland reported on lessons learned from M4 use in Afghanistan (such as use during Operation Anaconda):
34% of soldiers reported that their M4's handguards rattle and become excessively hot when firing.
15% reported that they had trouble zeroing the M68 reflex sight.
35% added barber brushes and 24% added dental picks to their cleaning kits.
Soldiers reported the following malfunctions:
20% reported double-feeding.
15% reported feeding jams.
13% reported that feeding problems were due to magazines.
89% of soldiers reported confidence in the weapon.
20% were dissatisfied with its ease of maintenance.
Soldiers requested the following changes:
55% requested the firearm be made lighter
20% requested a larger magazine