Duty Arms Index

Colt M4 Carbine vs Smith & Wesson M&P15

Which U.S. law enforcement agencies issue each, by state. Colt M4 Carbine appears at more agencies in the index (52 vs 25). 2 agencies list both (for example as primary and backup or authorized options).

Data coverage: Based on 510 agencies in the Duty Arms Index with a current, sourced rifle entry. Generations and optic-cut variants are combined per model family. Counts include only current entries with a public source; agencies not yet in the index, or without a sourced entry for this item, are not counted, so treat shares as a picture of the Duty Arms Index, not of every U.S. agency. Data last updated Oct 10, 2026.

Colt M4 Carbine (model photo)

Colt M4 Carbine

5.56x45mm / .223

Agencies (any current entry)
52
As primary issue
26

10.2% of 510 agencies with a sourced entry in this category.

M4 shown with M68 (Aimpoint) optic. Photo: Photo Courtesy of PEO Soldier, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Model photo, not the agency's own firearm.

Smith & Wesson M&P15 (model photo)

Smith & Wesson M&P15

5.56x45mm / .223

Agencies (any current entry)
25
As primary issue
18

4.9% of 510 agencies with a sourced entry in this category.

Photo: danphamcdp, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Model photo, not the agency's own firearm.

By state

StateColt M4 CarbineSmith & Wesson M&P15
ArizonaParadise Valley Police Department—
CaliforniaAvenal Police Department, Belmont Police Department, Brentwood Police Department, California City Police Department, Chino Police Department, Chowchilla Police Department, Colma Police Department, Crescent City Police Department, Downey Police Department, El Centro Police Department, El Monte Police Department, Fairfield Police Department, Folsom Police Department, Fresno Police Department, Glendora Police Department, Hawthorne Police Department, Inyo County Sheriff's Department, Kern County Sheriff's Department, Los Banos Police Department, Los Gatos/Monte Sereno Police Department, Mountain View Police Department, Newark Police Department, Newport Beach Police Department, Orange County Sheriff's Department, Orange Police Department, Pleasant Hill Police Department, Richmond Police Department, San Bruno Police Department, San Diego County Sheriff's Department, San Fernando Police Department, San Ramon Police Department, Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office, Santa Barbara Police Department, Santa Clara Police Department, Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office, Santa Maria Police Department, Seaside Police Department, Signal Hill Police Department, Solano County Sheriff's Office, South Pasadena Police Department, Torrance Police Department, Tracy Police DepartmentChico Police Department, Chula Vista Police Department, Delano Police Department, Gustine Police Department, Madera County Sheriff's Department, Menifee Police Department, Orange County Sheriff's Department, Pacifica Police Department, Simi Valley Police Department, Tehachapi Police Department, Woodland Police Department
Delaware—Smyrna Police Department
FederalDrug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service—
Idaho—Twin Falls Police Department
Iowa—Iowa State Patrol
Kansas—Garden City Police Department (Kansas), Topeka Police Department
LouisianaJefferson Parish Sheriff's Office—
MassachusettsBraintree Police DepartmentMelrose Police Department
MichiganGrand Rapids Police Department—
Minnesota—Brooklyn Park Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, Minnesota State Patrol
NevadaUniversity Police Department, Southern Command (Nevada)—
North Carolina—North Carolina State Highway Patrol
Oklahoma—Norman Police Department
VirginiaLeesburg Police Department (Virginia)Chesterfield County Police Department
WashingtonJefferson County Sheriff's Office (Washington)Jefferson County Sheriff's Office (Washington)
WisconsinOshkosh Police DepartmentMarathon County Sheriff's Office

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