Quote:
Originally Posted by Gene L
I think the rear sight isn't right...not from my memory. The correct one was a flip-up peep for close and far ranges...different size peeps. But that's the only thing I see that isn't quite right. I think the Mattel thing is a rumor. It wasn't a rumor (I don't think) in 68-69, that I heard.) Mine was made by GM, same handguards but they weren't shiny like the earlier ones. Wonderful gun, and very lightweight. They had about a 12-twist, IIRC, for the 55-gr. bullets.
The Army used to publish comic book style maintenance booklets in bright colors and featuring sometimes a busty blonde, scantily clad. Wish I had one now.
The ones we had did not have a chrome-lined bore. Or the chrome bolts. The bolt retaining pin on early ones weren't keys, they were solid pins with a cone-shaped top, but these were quickly withdrawn and replaced with the key. And didn't have a trap in the butt, at least the earlier ones. Maybe later than 1969, mine had a Rubber butt pad. We got a nylon-bag cleaning kit we carried in our rucks.
As posted above, in 67 we trained with the M 14 and my first introduction to the M 16A1 was in Vietnam. In 68. My first one was what we called a Kar 15, which had a short barrel with a big flash guard and a collapsible stock. It jammed, got rid of it.
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Yes, the CAR-15 was the original "Jam-O-Matic". Apparently there was not enough R&D done to tune the gas operating system (gas port, gas tube, etc) for the shorter barrel length. The lengthy flash suppressor was necessary because of the extreme flash created by the powder charge, which was geared more toward properly launching bullets through the standard 20" barrel instead of the CAR-15's shorter tube (12" or 14", plus suppressor as I recall). The CAR-15's were very popular with rear echelon units that wanted to look all "combat" everywhere they went (in their starched and pressed camo fatigues and boonie hats, which most combat units never saw issued), but actual combat units wanted nothing to do with them.