M4A1

For the Submachine gun in Call of Duty: Black Ops, see Spectre M4.

The M4A1 Carbine is an assault rifle featured in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Modern Warfare: Mobilized, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Campaign
In singleplayer, the M4A1 is first used in "Blackout".

During the campaign, the M4A1 is always equipped with a Tasco Red Dot Sight and the AN/PEQ-2A and the grenadier version of the M4A1 is equipped with the M203, Holographic Sight, & AN/PEQ-2A.

If the player uses the give all cheat in the mission "Ultimatum" (on the PC version), a M4A1 SOPMOD without the Red Dot Sight can be obtained.

The SAS uses the M4A1 SOPMOD in the missions "Blackout", "Safehouse", "Ultimatum", "All In", and "No Fighting In The War Room".

The Marines use the M4A1 Grenadier in "The Bog", "War Pig" (Level), and "Shock & Awe".

Captain Price will always use the M4A1 with attachments in all SAS missions.

Multiplayer
In multiplayer, the M4A1 carbine appears as its regular model, the M4. It has an attached foregrip which is held by the player but does not take up an attachment slot. The M4A1 can be modified with a red dot sight, ACOG Scope, M203, or silencer. The M4A1 is an excellent weapon in the right hands, with moderate damage and fairly low recoil. However, the M4A1 has fast, large idle sway (4 degrees) making it more difficult to aim with at long range. This was done for balancing purposes, because the M4A1 was incredibly overpowered in the beta, in which it had no idle sway. The M4A1 shares ammo with the M16A4 and the G36C. The M4A1 Carbine is one of the most commonly used weapons in online multiplayer on all platforms.

As stated above, the M4A1 is not particularly effective at long range due to its sway on consoles. The M4A1 is ideal in close quarters combat due to its high rate of fire. Steady Aim also makes the M4 a fairly hip-fire weapon. Double Tap can be quite effective due to low recoil and low damage, but ammo use increases dramatically. Another good perk for this rifle is Stopping Power, which makes it deadly at all ranges.

The weapon's low damage output can be compensated by its high rate of fire, and the very low recoil allows for accurate full automatic fire at short and medium ranges. Because of this, Bandolier can be useful. For these reasons as well, either optics or a silencer is a good choice.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
The M4A1 returns in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, but looks quite different compared to its appearance in Call of Duty 4.

Singleplayer
The M4A1 is first seen in "S.S.D.D.," when the player helps train the locals, and seen in almost every mission after that. The M4A1 actually is used by Joseph Allen in "No Russian," suggesting that NATO weapons were captured by Makarov and his men. The M4A1 has many attachments, such as M203 grenade launcher. The M4A1 is commonly used by the Rangers and Task Force 141, as it is the standard assault rifle for the two factions. In many missions the player will start out and see the M4A1. In right hands the M4A1 can be a very deadly weapon, due to its accuracy. The M4A1 always comes with a vertical foregrip on the gun, unless the player is using an underbarrel attachment. The M4A1 has a high rate of fire, but it also sways 4 degrees making it difficult to aim. The M4A1 is last seen in the level "Endgame." The unique "SOPMOD" version of the weapon, found only in "The Only Easy Day... Was Yesterday" and in "The Gulag" it is set up in the SOPMOD fashion; the M4A1 in "The Only Easy Day...Was Yesterday" is equipped with a silencer, Red Dot Sight, and M203. However, it will lose the silencer later on in the mission. Although this is very rare, there's also an ACOG and M203 version of this in the level Hornet's Nest off from fallen friendlies.

Multiplayer
In multiplayer the M4A1 becomes available at level 4, when Create-a-Class is unlocked. It is very similar to the ACR, firing 50 RPM faster but having slightly higher recoil and lower range. This essentially makes it inferior to the ACR since having a firing rate 50 RPM faster is barely noticeable, while the higher recoil and lower range can make a big difference at long range. However, even this small increase in fire rate may make the difference at close range, especially with Stopping Power.

It is a good idea to use Scavenger or One Man Army with the M4A1 because it uses up ammo quickly due to its rather fast fire rate.

The M4A1's slight recoil forces the user to burst fire at long range, which makes it more suited to medium to close than the ACR while the ACR is still much more accurate at long range when firing full-auto. The M4A1 also has a tighter hipfire crosshair, again giving it more utility in close quarters. The M4A1 benefits greatly from Stopping Power due to its relatively low damage, making it kill in 4 shots at even the highest ranges. It has almost no benefits from Stopping Power in hardcore, because the gun will still be a 1-hit-kill at close and mid-range, and 2 at long range. However, with Stopping Power, it will be able to one-shot players if a headshot is made at long ranges, so the effects are generally useless.

Players often fit a Red Dot Sight, Holographic Sight, or Silencer onto this gun, however the iron sights on this gun are regarded as some of the easiest sights to use in the game, as they are relatively open, meaning the player still has decent peripheral vision. While using the iron sights however, the M4A1 has a fair level of muzzle flash. A silencer may be used to counteract this problem.

An uncommon yet effective tactic is to use Thermal Sight on this weapon. Though the recoil is magnified, it will quickly down an enemy and often yielding headshots. Scavenger is recommended while using this tactic because the amount of bullets used will also increase. Players who find 60 extra rounds is enough should use Sleight of Hand Pro to reduce the time reloading and decrease the time it takes to ADS, or Marathon if the player plans on 'Running and Gunning'.

Weapon Attachments

 * M203
 * Masterkey
 * Red Dot Sight
 * Holographic Sight
 * Silencer
 * Heartbeat Sensor
 * ACOG Scope
 * Thermal Scope
 * FMJ
 * Extended Mags

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized
The M4A1 Carbine is featured in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized with two variants, the original 3-round burst M4 Carbine, and the fully automatic M4A1. The M4 Carbine and M4A1 have the same rate of fire, but the M4A1 has much more stopping power.

M4 Carbine
The M4 Carbine is almost a copy of the M16A4 found in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Notable differences are that the 3-round burst has a slower rate of fire, more compact iron sights, and a smaller delay between the bursts.

Singleplayer
In single player, the M4 Carbine is exclusive to the level "Closing In", though it can be seen in use by allies in all the missions of the American campaign. It produces the same sound as the M4A1, but it has a lower damage per bullet, still killing with one burst. Due to its 3-round burst and only extra 120 rounds that come with it, the M4 is the least ammunition efficient weapon.

Multiplayer
In multiplayer, the M4 Carbine is available by default, along with the MP5 and MP7. It is probably the least common weapon used in multiplayer, due to its lack of power, as it takes two bursts to kill, and low ammunition efficiency. Those who do use it usually discard it when the M4A1 is unlocked, since it has much higher power and the same rate of fire as the M4 Carbine, only without the delay between bursts.

M4A1
The M4A1 is very similar in appearance compared to the console, and PC one in Call of Duty 4. It has the same reload animation, and it is only found with a red dot sight and foregrip in single player as well, but that is where the similarities end. First of all, the weapon has a higher damage than the Call of Duty 4 version, as it can perform a one shot kill if it is aimed at the chest at any range. Second, it has a higher rate of fire, and, lastly, it has almost no recoil when aiming down the sights.

Singleplayer
In single player, the M4A1 is a starting weapon in the last few missions of the American campaign, and in the middle of the British campaign. Since it has a high rate of fire, and only 120 extra rounds to start with, it usually runs out of ammo before the end of the level.

Multiplayer
In multiplayer, it is the first weapon unlocked for the American/British faction. Due to its high rate of fire and low recoil, it is favored by most players. The lack of spare magazines usually isn't a problem, since most players die before they use up half of the magazines.

Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iM7LLbWbILM

Gameplay with the M4A1 in Modern Warfare 2

General

 * When sensitivity is 10 (insane) and the player is turning to the right, the M4A1's missing a rail on the right side of the handguard; this modeling error is most likely for the purpose of saving memory and space.
 * The M4A1 is shown having a foregrip but this has no effect on accuracy as shown when an M203 is attached.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

 * As seen on Training overview, originally M4 Carbinr had fire selection ability, like some weapons in first Call of Duty games, because name says "M4 Carbine Full-A", and "Full-A" is obvious part of "Full-Auto".
 * In Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare singleplayer, players cannot find any M4A1 with an iron sight. This also applies to the G36C.
 * In Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the lower receiver of the M4A1 has "BLUE4" written in tape; the M16A4 shares these markings. "BLUE4" is a reference to BluFor, the opposite of OpFor, which is applied to all NATO forces. It also says, "Property of U.S. Government, Caliber 5.56mm, M4A1 Carbine" over the magazine housing, regardless of what faction for which the player is fighting.
 * Attaching the Grenade Launcher will give the M4A1 a dipping motion while aiming down the sights and panning left and right.
 * The SOPMOD Kit of the M4A1 has the highest number of attachments on a single weapon (Suppressor, M203, Red Dot Sight, and an AN/PEQ-2).
 * The M4A1 iron sights changes slightly when using a grenade launcher.
 * In both Single-Player and Multi-Player, when seen on the ground or in the hands of another player/NPC, the M4A1 has no visible foregrip, but if picked up by the player, it will have one (except if a Grenade Launcher was attached)
 * The SOPMOD version of the M4A1 appears to be a favorite of Soap MacTavish, as it is the primary starting weapon in numerous singleplayer levels.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

 * In the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 campaign, the rifle sounds like the Call of Duty 4 M4A1, but in multiplayer, the rifle sounds quite different, with an added ringing in the sound.
 * In the beginning of the Modern Warfare 2 level "The Only Easy Day...Was Yesterday", the M4A1 is titled as M4A1 SOPMOD, but later in the level changes to M4A1 Grenadier w/ Red Dot Sight, and loses its silencer attachment after the player detonates the corpses. The SCAR-H also loses its suppressor at this point. However, if the player switches out the M4A1 for another weapon and switches it back after the ambush it will still have the silencer attachment; the quirk applies for the SCAR-H as well.
 * Attaching an ACOG Scope to an M4A1 in Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer causes the text to change from "M4A1" to "M4 ACOG Sight".
 * The serial number on the M4A1 is "19200-49042."
 * On the left side of the gun, tally marks are scratched into the receiver. These marks surpass 100.
 * The pickup icon in Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer uses the same pickup icon that the Call of Duty 4 M4A1 uses, even though the two rifles look quite different.
 * When using FMJ, the grip on the rifle disappears when it is dropped, reloaded, or in 3rd Person, but a removable olive green grip is seen when held.
 * In campaign, when used with a red dot sight, the zoom whilst aiming down sight is much greater than in multiplayer; this trait is shared with the ACR.
 * In "Museum", the silenced M4A1's pickup icon is different than usual. It appears to be an M4A1 with a silencer and a Tasco Red Dot Sight. It is also called "M4A1 Suppressed", which is never seen anywhere else.
 * The M4A1 is one of the six guns that come with a foregrip as standard, not taking up an attachment slot. The others are the MP5K, Vector, TMP, PP2000, Striker, and M93 Raffica.
 * The SOPMOD version of the M4A1 is one of few weapons that are seen with more than two attachments; the only other weapons where this is the case are the ACR found in Cliffhanger and Just Like Old Times, and the AA12 found in Acceptable Losses.
 * Like the AK-47 and ACR, this weapon's designation with an M203 is "M4A1 Grenadier". This is different from all other assault rifles, which have the added "w/ Grenade Launcher" instead.
 * The M4A1's Create-A-Class icon is seen without a foregrip, meanwhile in-game it includes a foregrip attached (with the exception of when a Shotgun or Grenade Launcher is equipped.
 * It is the first weapon to be picked up and used in the Modern Warfare 2 campaign.
 * It seems to be the default weapon when playing as a Ranger in campaign. However, in Wolveriens! and Exodus the SCAR-H is the default weapon.
 * The M4A1 (Iron sights, Red Dot, Holographic) doesn't have idle sway while aiming unless the silencer or grenade launcher is attached. Using the Bling perk with Red Dot or Holographic and either silencer or grenade launcher will add sway.
 * When using an optic with the M4A1, the ironsights are still present, although they're flipped down.
 * In third person, even when optics are attached to the gun, the iron sights is flipped up. In first person, the iron sights will be flipped down if there is an optic attached.
 * In the PC version the magazine vanishes when the player is reloading the gun. The player can see it if the player is standing, then presses the reload button. The character's hand goes back to pull out a new magazine and the magazine is inserted into its slot, but the old magazine is never removed
 * The emblem received for getting 1000 kills with the M4A1 says M4 Carbine on it, instead of M4A1.
 * The M4A1, along with the ACR, has the largest ammo capacity of all assault rifles (630).

Modern Warfare: Mobilized

 * On an early screenshot of Mobilized, a Marine is holding an M4 as though it has a foregrip. This isn't seen in the final game.
 * The M4 Carbine's knobs used for removing the rail-sight and windage apparatus are on the wrong side of the weapon.
 * The M4A1 has a Red Dot Sight that is more like a scope than a red dot sight in the console versions.