They should change it to M16
I'm down with it.
If fact, I would suggest "The National Militia Act of 2024" as follows:
In addition to repealing the NFA, the US Government should issue to any citizen, on demand, a US Carbine, Caliber 5.56, M4 along with a full set of personal gear suitable for a basic infantry soldier, and ammunition. For the purpose of civil defense and training.
I'd suggest the following conditions:
1.) The citizen requesting it must prove citizenship.
2.) The equipment remains the property of the US Government and once a year the citizen must present it to prove it has been kept in serviceable condition, or pay for lost equipment. This is to ensure that the gear isn't just sold off.
3.) Should the citizen choose to no longer participate, they must return the issued equipment or pay for equipment lost or damaged.
4.) Ammunition used during regular, organized, training purposes will be replenished at no expense to the citizen. This is to encourage training, as well as ensuring that the citizen has the basic combat load that a normal infantryman would have in an emergency.
In short, everything in the arsenals is actually ours. So, perhaps the defensive model we should seek is along the same lines as the Swiss. We are the militia, and anyone who feels capable of participating should be encouraged to do so. So stop stockpiling this gear in warehouses and put it in the hands of the citizens who paid for it.
In a way, this would be like an enhanced CMP system. Instead of selling old arms as collectibles and hoping the buyers learn to use them (ahem, which is what CMP has become) , it would be the loan of modern arms to citizens so they will learn to use them and be a potential pool of personnel ready in the event of an emergency. Like the militia our founding fathers envisioned from the start.
The current CMP could play a role in this, as could the active duty military and reserves. Think of it as weekly training clinics held on base for civilians who need to learn the basics of how to shoot, clean, repair, etc. etc. When the citizen needs to meet his or her yearly obligation to present the issued equipment for inspection, here's the chance to get some voluntary training in at the same time.
That way, were a crisis to happen, there would be a mass of civilians with a basic understanding of what they may have to do. They wouldn't be a professional army by any stretch, but they wouldn't be a useless bunch either. Those who then choose to join the actual army in immediate need of troops could focus on more important skills, instead of wasting precious time being taught which end the bullet comes out.
