C&R · IV · 244
M4 Survival Rifle
Section IV: still an NFA firearm, also a curio or relic
Official wording
ATF P 5300.11 · APRIL 2025 EDITION · SECTION IV · VERBATIM · PDF P. 89 ↗
U.S. M4 Survival Rifle, cal. .22 Hornet, as issued by the Government, mfd. in the United States and Canada by Harrington & Richardson Arms Company.
What this entry requires
- ATF REQUIRESMade or imported as stated: “as issued by the Government”
- ATF REQUIRESMade or imported as stated: “mfd. in the United States and Canada by Harrington & Richardson Arms Company”
- INFOATF states no date; production was about 1949–1952.
- INFOStill an NFA firearm; only registered examples transfer, with ATF approval (26 U.S.C. 5812, 5861).
Editorial facts · Our research
Source
- Official wording
- ATF P 5300.11, April 2025 edition · Section IV · PDF p. 89 ↗ · ATF original ↗
- Entries
- 1 line
- Verbatim check
- Checked against the PDF text before every release
- Editorial facts
- Confidence: Medium · Last revised 18 October 2026 (Evidence pass) · How we rate confidence
- References
- 1. Wikipedia, “M4 survival rifle” ↗, maker: infobox manufacturer Harrington & Richardson
- 2. Wikipedia, “M4 survival rifle” ↗, years: infobox production date 1949–1952 (29,344 made)
- Fact tags
- ATF the ATF wording states it.
- REF ¹ an outside reference supports it; the number points to the list of references.
- ESTIMATE an approximate or indirect reading, for example the production range of the base model.
- NO CITATION we haven’t attached a reference for this fact; it’s our editorial reading, not ATF’s.
- Source checked
- 20 October 2026: ATF’s page still lists the April 2025 edition
- Corrections
- None
Historical context

Image: Wikimedia Commons, “M4-Survival-Rifle.jpg” by Curiosandrelics, CC BY-SA 3.0. Retrieved October 2026.
Summary: Wikipedia, “M4 survival rifle”. Text CC BY-SA 4.0.
FROM WIKIPEDIA
The M4 Survival Rifle was a .22 caliber bolt-action rifle developed after World War II as part of the survival gear stored under the seat of American military aircraft. It was designed to give downed aircrew a survival weapon for foraging wild game for food.
