Differences between the Diemaco C8 and the Colt M4A1

[alexishere2007]

I did some research on the differences of the Diemaco C8 SFW and the Colt M4A1 but all I found was that the barrel and the carry handle of the Diemaco C8 SFW was different from the M4's. (not even sure if this true)

So basicly could you guys put the differences between the C8 SFW and the M4A1?

(If I get enough informatin I'll be editing the wikipedia article of the C8 with the differences for future reference)

Thanks guys

[Birger]

There are differences between the SFW and the C8A2. First you have to decide which of them you want to differentiate from the M4?

You might find these links helpful:
http://diemaco.com/c8-page.htm
http://diemaco.com/sfw-page.htm

[kinney_bmx]

Off the top of my head the SFW has a hammer forged heavy 16 inch barrel. The M4 has a 14.5. All the c8s use a buttstock pad. Uhm The carrying handle is different like you said. Can i state the obvious and say the C8 is canadian and the M4 is american??
Thats all i can think of off the top of my head if anythign else comes up ill post it
But you do need to know the differences between the C8 and M4 cuz they arent exact copies either.
If anything just PM me mate

[SMGLee]

C8A2
Hammer forged 14.5 chrome lined barrel with 1:7 twist
M4 feed ramp cut
Flat top with weaver style rail cuts
A1 style removable carry handle, instead of thumb nut, it has wing nut for the mount.
Barrel mounted tri-rails so they did not have to pay for the more expensive KAC RAS
M4 stock with butt pad
Standard CAR handguards


M4A1
Button rifled 14.5 chrome lined barrel with 1:7 twist
M4 feed ramp cut
Flat top with picatinny rail cuts
A2 style removable carry handle.
Double heat shield M4 handguards
Enhanced M4 stock

this is about as far as I know.

since Diemaco been purchased by Colt, i am not sure what has been changed....



This is my Diemaco barrelled PWS piston M4...

[kinney_bmx]

C8 SFW
16 inch Heavy profile hammer forged barrel 1:7 twist
Old M4 style 4 position stock
Knights RAS carbine length though I think that they come with standard handguard and might come with the diemaco TRIAD mount
Safe-Semi-Full Auto
Slightly modified Carrying Handle/rear sight
Flattop rail
weighs 3.6 kg
Stock extended- 34.6 inch
Stock retracted- 31.5 inch
Rubber butt pad
Anybody can correct me if im wrong though


If you modify the wikipedia Article you mise well add some pictures because there are very few pictures on the c7/c8 article

[kinney_bmx]

Beautiful firearm SMG

[Hispeed1]

Showing off your FN exclusive rail covers! How dare you! J/K. Cool stuff.

[-[Crosshair]-]

All of these have the heavy 16" barrel:

C8SFW: KAC RAS front grip (that's all I know, we don't use them in the CF, other countries do)

C8FTHB: This is what most of the CF has right now. Standard old CAR grips with heatshields and uses the TRIAD rails to add accessories. Sling-loop on the left side of the lower-receiver's backplate. Black grips, flat-top receiver, no rubber pad on the old 4-position stock. We don't have that A1-style detachable carrying handle in the CF, we either put an Elcan C79/C79A2 (green), an Eotech or a BUIS on it. I have a picture of a C8FTHB with an Eotech and the new folding vertical grip that I had to install on every damn C7A2 and some C8FTHBs in the batallion on it, I'll post it later when I get home.

C8A3: Most recent version, this will be the new CF carbine (we already started receiving them, replacing C8FTHBs). Same as an FTHB except it has green grips, comes with an Elcan C79A2 and basically comes with some of the features that the C7A2 got over the C7A1: ambidextrous fire-selector and magazine release, the longer and ambidextrous charging-handle latch (that gets caught on your gear and bends or breaks the charging-handle), the rubber pad on the stock...

C8FTHBA3: These were normal FTHBs that were converted into C8A3s before the C8A3 came to light, so they simply stamped "A3" next to "FTHB" instead of using new receivers like the newly-manufactured C8A3. 400 of these were made before they just started freshly stamping C8A3 on the receivers.

Hope this helps.

[kinney_bmx]

C8A3: Most recent version, this will be the new CF carbine (we already started receiving them, replacing C8FTHBs). Same as an FTHB except it has green grips, comes with an Elcan C79A2 and basically comes with some of the features that the C7A2 got over the C7A1: ambidextrous fire-selector and magazine release, the longer and ambidextrous charging-handle latch (that gets caught on your gear and bends or breaks the charging-handle), the rubber pad on the stock...

If you dont mind me asking what unit are you in? Seems like a really nice weapon. Do you know if you guys will ever get the RAS system on your c8s? Ive seen a few c7a2s with them but they dont seem to be standard

[-[Crosshair]-]

Attached to the 2ième Bataillon Royal 22ième Régiment at Valcartier... mechanized infantry, the guys get good stuff here.

The only RAS I've seen on C7A2s are on pictures of soldiers in the sandbox. We aren't allowed to put that sort of thing on our rifles, overseas it'll depend on who's in command, I guess, but I wouldn't know.

I don't see us getting RAS for our rifles anytime soon at all. Maybe CSOR, but I wouldn't know again.

[kinney_bmx]

Attached to the 2ième Bataillon Royal 22ième Régiment at Valcartier... mechanized infantry, the guys get good stuff here.

The only RAS I've seen on C7A2s are on pictures of soldiers in the sandbox. We aren't allowed to put that sort of thing on our rifles, overseas it'll depend on who's in command, I guess, but I wouldn't know.

I don't see us getting RAS for our rifles anytime soon at all. Maybe CSOR, but I wouldn't know again.

It just seems like those traid rails are bad stuff. Looks to be awful front heavy. Seems like a RAS system would be a better bet for you guys then those TRIADs

[SMGLee]

It just seems like those traid rails are bad stuff. Looks to be awful front heavy. Seems like a RAS system would be a better bet for you guys then those TRIADs

Tri-Rail is developed instead of adapting the RAS because the Canadian military did not want to pay for the RAS.

My C8A2 barrel seem to be 14.5inch in length....

[alexishere2007]

The gas systems are the same?
Btw add anything about the C8 not just the SFW.

[SMGLee]

Both are direct gas guns...

[kinney_bmx]

ignore.....