The Colt M4: Tarkov's Most Versatile Weapon

Weapon variety is why a lot of people play Tarkov. Myself included. Being able to take a gun and customize it with a large array of attachments and get similar performance is what keeps me playing the game for long periods of time. And while some weapons have more ways of making them interesting than others, one weapon above all else, still reigns supreme in the competition for the most modular weapon. The Colt M4; a weapon that has been in Tarkov since its early incarnations. But now, with so many more attachments added to the game and this gun specifically, it really has become kind of a blank canvas. Anything you can dream up, can pretty much be recreated here in Tarkov. Now to be fair, there is a conversation to be had about weapon attachments in general and how they are poorly balanced, but perhaps we’ll save that conversation for another video. In the meantime, I want to go over the M4 and talk about some builds that I have been running for years now. To get straight to the point, none of these builds are min/maxed at all. There’s only one way to do that and I’ve never been a fan of how that version of the M4 looks. So, while these won’t be the best, they are still just as serviceable and look cooler, so do with that what you will. Also, one more point to note, all these builds will be using level 4 traders for the parts. Meaning every M4 in this video will have the MUR upper receiver, as well as the advanced buffer tube equipped to the gun. Now, this wipe, they decided that the MUR shouldn’t be purchasable until after you complete “The Guide”, which means you need “Wet Job Part 6” completed, and level 7 sniper skill. So, most people won’t be running the MUR receiver on their guns. But don’t worry, most of the handguards that I showcase are compatible with the normal M4 upper. It just won’t have as good of stats. 1% recoil on the normal M4 upper, versus 4% on the MUR. Unfortunately, these parts are pretty much non-negotiable if you want an M4 that can actually be accurate. So, if you don’t have these two core components, your M4 might behave very differently even if you match the weapon build part for part everywhere else. Sorry if this is a little misleading, but I genuinely forgot about this until I was making the guns for this video and some handguards just don’t work with some other uppers.

The first build is a classic, and simple design that has been buildable since the early alpha days. I really like how simple and clean the gun looks. Nothing fancy, just a suppressor and holo sight. Nice and easy. And the shorter barrel length is particularly potent for those CQC situations, while only sacrificing a single point in vertical recoil. And you get 6 extra ergo for the gun as well, which there is an argument that ergo doesn’t really matter because every gun readies from sprint at the same time, but still! It’s important. Here’s the build and shopping list. Just as a disclaimer, none of these guns are going to be cheap. Usually, M4 builds get pricey fast, which is a shame because running this gun on a budget is not a great idea. Doable, if you really temper your expectations, but it will still be rough. Either way, this build is one I can always come back to because of its simplicity yet overall effectiveness. If you want a little more range, you can of course swap out the holographic for whatever ranged optic you like.

The next build is a little different, offering some color to the weapon, in the form of OD green attachments. In addition, the ELCAN scope feels very comfortable on the M4, especially when employed with tap shooting from a safe distance in mind. An added laser helps with point fire, for those who might be uncomfortable with using the ELCAN’s 1x scope as a pseudo red dot sight. If you wanted to run a flashlight as well, you can switch out the tactical device to whatever your general preference is. Here is the build and shopping list. While you definitely can put the laser on the bottom of the gun, I personally am a big fan of when you are able to put the laser on the top rail and not have it get in the way when you ads with your optic. It looks great and usually lines up pretty well when you ads with the laser on. Just one of those small details that make the gun feel more “tacticool” than anything else.

This one is for the tan enthusiast, probably one the coolest builds out there in terms of just how the gun looks. Full tan furnishings, tactical devices, canted sights; this is one of those guns you’d see in a trailer from BSG. Genuinely awesome stuff. Here’s the build and shopping list. Now, some people will definitely swap out the ACOG for something else, but I promise you this thing is very functional and more importantly fun to use. I didn’t add the additional RMR on top of the scope, because years ago BSG nerfed the RMR into oblivion; it wags and wobbles way too much to be considered reliable, so putting on the canted DeltaPoint should make the gun feel much more comfortable. Even though I would love to use the RMR, sadly, it’s bad. And I don’t see any hope of it getting adjusted anytime soon.

And for the final build, probably the most interesting one. A very long range, DMR style M4. Focusing on the ability to take people out at extreme distances, while also still being fairly light and maneuverable. The scope choice here is the Hensoldt 4x16 scope. Obviously, replace this with whatever you want, but I would encourage anyone to try this scope. Here’s the build and shopping list. Again, none of these will be cheap; these are way more for those who have the rubles to mess around with different builds. And this might be my favorite one because of how different it is. It’s not a 27-recoil laser beam that we always see people running around with. The M4 is so modular that it can fit a huge array of roles. One such being a dedicated long rage lethal rifle. If you have any small amounts of M995, or SAI AP ammo laying around this would be the most interesting opportunity to run it.

The M4 is one of the most versatile weapons in all of Tarkov, and it’s a complete shame and wasted opportunity that because of the poor balance of the game, the gun has been reduced to one maybe two different builds that can be successful. My goal here is to try and showcase that it isn’t really the situation. With a little bit of a different style of play, and a mental adjustment to how you handle the weapon, you can build the M4 almost however you want and still be successful in Tarkov. After all, it is the blank canvas of the game. Just use your imagination and build something that you think is both stylish and effective. Thank you very much for taking the time out of your day to watch this video and be sure to subscribe for more videos about different guns in the game and the many ways you can build to kill other players. I hope to see you in future ones.