Another article in progress. I'm surprised that since the M16 and its derivatives have been around for more than a half century, so few really know its history. Comments welcome.
John
Produced in numbers eclipsed only by the communist bloc’s AK47, the United States M16 series of rifles and carbines now spans the globe. In use by the U.S. and many of its allies, this rifle has spawned both admiration and criticism. It’s been in the U.S. service in one form or another since 1962, giving it an unequaled record of service time here. It’s gone through a number of permutations. Some of its variations have been known as the AR-15, the M16, XM16E1, the CAR-15, the XM177E2, the HBAR, the AR-15A2, the Canadian C7 rifle and C8 carbine, the M16A1, the M16A2, the M16A4, the XM4 carbine, and the M4 carbine. The cartridge it spawned, the 5.56mm NATO (civilian version .223 Remington), is in almost universal use around the world. Its more than half-century of service easily qualifies this enduring and interesting weapon as a definite classic.
In the beginning, the first of these rifles were the AR-15s, which were scaled-down versions of the 1958-vintage Armalite AR-10 rifles chambered for the 7.62mm NATO cartridge (civilian version .308 Winchester). The AR-10 was a design of Armalite/Fairchild Industries engineer Eugene Stoner, who used a bolt lockup system very similar to the earlier Johnson Model of 1941. This system concentrated the forces of firing into the bolt and a circular ring around the rear of the barrel into which the bolt rotated and locked. This allowed the receiver halves to be made of lightweight aluminum, since they were not especially stressed. A gas system similar to that of the Swedish Ljungman Gevar 42 was utilized. This directed barrel gasses through a tube directly into a bolt carrier, forcing it to the rear. Instead of the tilting bolt used by the Ljungman, Stoner's design unlocked a rotating bolt from the barrel ring through a cam in the bolt carrier. Excess gas pressure remaining after the bullet had left the barrel was vented through ports on the right side of the bolt carrier. A spring and buffer in the stock returned the bolt into battery, picking up a new cartridge from a 20-round magazine. The AR-10 and the AR-15 were “straight line” designs in which the recoil forces were directed straight back, rather than at an angle. While this minimized recoil movement, it necessitated a higher front and rear sight arrangement, and the rear sight was integrated into a carrying handle. The cartridge for the smaller AR-15 was initially a modified .222 Remington known as the .222 Special. It was renamed the “.223 Remington” in 1959.
The AR-15’s redesign from its AR-10 forbear was assigned to two Armalite engineers, L. James Sullivan and Robert Fremont. Tests of the new rifle were run by the Army’s Infantry Board in 1959, but the fledgling AR-15 was put on indefinite hold in favor of the newly adopted M14 rifle. The U.S., having pressured NATO into the use of the 7.62mm cartridge, could hardly do an about face and adopt a totally different round. Fairchild, which owned the rights to the AR-15, was facing severe financial difficulties and divested the rights to the AR-15. These were sold to Colt’s Patent Firearms Mfg. Co. for a sum of $75,000 and a royalty of 4.5% on all future production. Colt’s completed an initial production run of 300 “Models 01” in late 1959. The first ones ever sold (25 total) went to Malaya. The second export of 23 rifles soon went to India. Some went to Australia, Burma, and the Singapore police. These rifles were an immediate hit with the small-statured people of Southeast Asia. Efforts were made by Colt’s to get the little black rifle adopted for U.S. service.
The U.S. Air Force was seeking to replace its aging M2 carbines. Three Colt Models 01 were sent to USAF General Curtis LeMay in 1960. He sent these to Lackland AFB in Texas for testing and familiarization. A manual for the AR-15 published at the time stated “The Colt AR-15 will fire longer without cleaning or oiling than any other known rifle.” Lackland formally requested the Army Ordnance Department to qualify the AR-15 as a replacement for its M2 carbines. Following more testing at Aberdeen Proving Grounds and at Lackland, General LeMay continued to request approval to procure the new rifle. He also met with President Kennedy to discuss the matter. After three tries, in May of 1962, 8,500 AR-15s were approved for USAF procurement. About 20,000 of the new rifles were also bought for Navy UDT (SEAL) teams, some South Vietnamese Army units and their U.S. advisors. The AR-15’s service with the U.S. had begun. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara did not hide his contempt for the traditional U.S. Army Ordnance infrastructure. In the summer of 1962, McNamara shut it down and reassigned its functions. He initiated further tests of the M14 and the upstart AR-15. In spite of a less-than-stellar reliability record on the part of the AR-15, the M14 program was curtailed. The AR-15 became the heir apparent. The Army initiated a “one time buy” of the newly christened M16 rifle in 1963, totaling 85,000 units. It was felt that this was all the Army would ever need. Events were to prove otherwise.
The initial record of the M16 in the jungles of Vietnam was a spotty one. It was plagued with reliability problems. Chambers rusted and rifles jammed. The powder used in new runs of ammo was not suited for the needed pressure characteristics. The rifling twist rate of the 20-inch barrel was called into question. Slamfires occurred while loading. There was a lack of cleaning equipment and instruction manuals. In short, it was a messy situation. Soldiers, losing confidence in their M16s, picked up and used AK47s, M14s, Thompsons, M1 carbines and Garands. Something had to be done.
Modifications to the rifle were made, resulting in the XM16E1 rifle. Chambers were chrome plated. A forward-assist knob was added to force the bolt closed under fouling resistance. A 1-in-12” twist rate replaced the 1-in-14” original. An enclosed birdcage flash suppressor replaced the pronged type (troops sometimes used the pronged flash suppressor to twist open the metal bands on ammo crates, bending the barrel). 30-round magazines replaced the older 20-round types. A trapdoor for cleaning materials was incorporated into the buttstock. Rifle propellant powder was studied and standardized. Less sensitive primers were used. Cleaning materials including special brushes and lubricants were issued, along with easy-to-read comic-book style instructions for maintenance. Production quality control at Colt’s was beefed up to cure a number of nagging performance problems. The XM16E1 became standardized as the M16A1 in February 1967.
A “shorty” collapsible-stock AR-15 with a 10-inch barrel known as the CAR-15 Commando was made beginning in 1966. With a forward assist, an 11.5” barrel and a combination flash/noise suppressor, it became the XM177E2 “submachine gun” in 1967. It was very popular among Special Forces and other troops for its general handiness. In 1965, Secretary of Defense McNamara had closed the legendary Springfield Armory, calling its functions neither “necessary nor desirable.” This nailed the coffin shut on the M14 rifle program. The M16A1 rifle was to soldier on until 1982 as our main longarm, when a product-improved rifle called the M16A1E2 was adopted as the M16A2. It incorporated a number of improvements: a heavier barrel, a 1-in-7” barrel twist rate for heavier bullets, a square post front sight, a slanted slip ring to secure the handguards, a strengthened upper receiver with an ejected case deflector, a redesigned rear sight, a round forward assist knob (replacing the “tear drop” design), a more robust pistol grip, a strengthened round-profile handguard assembly, a 3-round burst position on the selector lever replacing the full-auto position, a buttstock with a heavily checkered buttplate, and a solid-bottomed flash suppressor. This is our current service weapon. Also current issue is the M4 carbine, with a 14-inch barrel and a collapsible multi-position stock. Some variants of these weapons have removable carrying handles, which allow direct attachment of optical sights to the upper receiver on a lower plane than mounting them on the carrying handle. These handier weapons are quite prevalent in Iraq and Afghanistan today, where they are preferred for house-to-house clearing.
The rifle illustrated dates from 1969. It’s an AR-15/M16A1 hybrid, combining an M16A1 upper and a 1967-vintage civilian-legal semiauto lower receiver. It’s virtually identical to the rifles used during the Vietnam era except for the lack of a full-auto function.
In spite of a shaky start, the M16 rifle and its variants have trooped the line through three generations and have become free world icons. Produced by many nations and manufacturers, they are found on battlefields around the globe and prolifically on the firing lines in target competition. Many folks find them eminently suitable for home defense and the game fields as well. Eugene Stoner’s creation has morphed and lived on to become our longest-lasting U.S. service weapon, spanning two centuries and easily qualifying as a true classic.
(c) 2013 JLM
John
Produced in numbers eclipsed only by the communist bloc’s AK47, the United States M16 series of rifles and carbines now spans the globe. In use by the U.S. and many of its allies, this rifle has spawned both admiration and criticism. It’s been in the U.S. service in one form or another since 1962, giving it an unequaled record of service time here. It’s gone through a number of permutations. Some of its variations have been known as the AR-15, the M16, XM16E1, the CAR-15, the XM177E2, the HBAR, the AR-15A2, the Canadian C7 rifle and C8 carbine, the M16A1, the M16A2, the M16A4, the XM4 carbine, and the M4 carbine. The cartridge it spawned, the 5.56mm NATO (civilian version .223 Remington), is in almost universal use around the world. Its more than half-century of service easily qualifies this enduring and interesting weapon as a definite classic.
In the beginning, the first of these rifles were the AR-15s, which were scaled-down versions of the 1958-vintage Armalite AR-10 rifles chambered for the 7.62mm NATO cartridge (civilian version .308 Winchester). The AR-10 was a design of Armalite/Fairchild Industries engineer Eugene Stoner, who used a bolt lockup system very similar to the earlier Johnson Model of 1941. This system concentrated the forces of firing into the bolt and a circular ring around the rear of the barrel into which the bolt rotated and locked. This allowed the receiver halves to be made of lightweight aluminum, since they were not especially stressed. A gas system similar to that of the Swedish Ljungman Gevar 42 was utilized. This directed barrel gasses through a tube directly into a bolt carrier, forcing it to the rear. Instead of the tilting bolt used by the Ljungman, Stoner's design unlocked a rotating bolt from the barrel ring through a cam in the bolt carrier. Excess gas pressure remaining after the bullet had left the barrel was vented through ports on the right side of the bolt carrier. A spring and buffer in the stock returned the bolt into battery, picking up a new cartridge from a 20-round magazine. The AR-10 and the AR-15 were “straight line” designs in which the recoil forces were directed straight back, rather than at an angle. While this minimized recoil movement, it necessitated a higher front and rear sight arrangement, and the rear sight was integrated into a carrying handle. The cartridge for the smaller AR-15 was initially a modified .222 Remington known as the .222 Special. It was renamed the “.223 Remington” in 1959.
The AR-15’s redesign from its AR-10 forbear was assigned to two Armalite engineers, L. James Sullivan and Robert Fremont. Tests of the new rifle were run by the Army’s Infantry Board in 1959, but the fledgling AR-15 was put on indefinite hold in favor of the newly adopted M14 rifle. The U.S., having pressured NATO into the use of the 7.62mm cartridge, could hardly do an about face and adopt a totally different round. Fairchild, which owned the rights to the AR-15, was facing severe financial difficulties and divested the rights to the AR-15. These were sold to Colt’s Patent Firearms Mfg. Co. for a sum of $75,000 and a royalty of 4.5% on all future production. Colt’s completed an initial production run of 300 “Models 01” in late 1959. The first ones ever sold (25 total) went to Malaya. The second export of 23 rifles soon went to India. Some went to Australia, Burma, and the Singapore police. These rifles were an immediate hit with the small-statured people of Southeast Asia. Efforts were made by Colt’s to get the little black rifle adopted for U.S. service.
The U.S. Air Force was seeking to replace its aging M2 carbines. Three Colt Models 01 were sent to USAF General Curtis LeMay in 1960. He sent these to Lackland AFB in Texas for testing and familiarization. A manual for the AR-15 published at the time stated “The Colt AR-15 will fire longer without cleaning or oiling than any other known rifle.” Lackland formally requested the Army Ordnance Department to qualify the AR-15 as a replacement for its M2 carbines. Following more testing at Aberdeen Proving Grounds and at Lackland, General LeMay continued to request approval to procure the new rifle. He also met with President Kennedy to discuss the matter. After three tries, in May of 1962, 8,500 AR-15s were approved for USAF procurement. About 20,000 of the new rifles were also bought for Navy UDT (SEAL) teams, some South Vietnamese Army units and their U.S. advisors. The AR-15’s service with the U.S. had begun. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara did not hide his contempt for the traditional U.S. Army Ordnance infrastructure. In the summer of 1962, McNamara shut it down and reassigned its functions. He initiated further tests of the M14 and the upstart AR-15. In spite of a less-than-stellar reliability record on the part of the AR-15, the M14 program was curtailed. The AR-15 became the heir apparent. The Army initiated a “one time buy” of the newly christened M16 rifle in 1963, totaling 85,000 units. It was felt that this was all the Army would ever need. Events were to prove otherwise.
The initial record of the M16 in the jungles of Vietnam was a spotty one. It was plagued with reliability problems. Chambers rusted and rifles jammed. The powder used in new runs of ammo was not suited for the needed pressure characteristics. The rifling twist rate of the 20-inch barrel was called into question. Slamfires occurred while loading. There was a lack of cleaning equipment and instruction manuals. In short, it was a messy situation. Soldiers, losing confidence in their M16s, picked up and used AK47s, M14s, Thompsons, M1 carbines and Garands. Something had to be done.
Modifications to the rifle were made, resulting in the XM16E1 rifle. Chambers were chrome plated. A forward-assist knob was added to force the bolt closed under fouling resistance. A 1-in-12” twist rate replaced the 1-in-14” original. An enclosed birdcage flash suppressor replaced the pronged type (troops sometimes used the pronged flash suppressor to twist open the metal bands on ammo crates, bending the barrel). 30-round magazines replaced the older 20-round types. A trapdoor for cleaning materials was incorporated into the buttstock. Rifle propellant powder was studied and standardized. Less sensitive primers were used. Cleaning materials including special brushes and lubricants were issued, along with easy-to-read comic-book style instructions for maintenance. Production quality control at Colt’s was beefed up to cure a number of nagging performance problems. The XM16E1 became standardized as the M16A1 in February 1967.
A “shorty” collapsible-stock AR-15 with a 10-inch barrel known as the CAR-15 Commando was made beginning in 1966. With a forward assist, an 11.5” barrel and a combination flash/noise suppressor, it became the XM177E2 “submachine gun” in 1967. It was very popular among Special Forces and other troops for its general handiness. In 1965, Secretary of Defense McNamara had closed the legendary Springfield Armory, calling its functions neither “necessary nor desirable.” This nailed the coffin shut on the M14 rifle program. The M16A1 rifle was to soldier on until 1982 as our main longarm, when a product-improved rifle called the M16A1E2 was adopted as the M16A2. It incorporated a number of improvements: a heavier barrel, a 1-in-7” barrel twist rate for heavier bullets, a square post front sight, a slanted slip ring to secure the handguards, a strengthened upper receiver with an ejected case deflector, a redesigned rear sight, a round forward assist knob (replacing the “tear drop” design), a more robust pistol grip, a strengthened round-profile handguard assembly, a 3-round burst position on the selector lever replacing the full-auto position, a buttstock with a heavily checkered buttplate, and a solid-bottomed flash suppressor. This is our current service weapon. Also current issue is the M4 carbine, with a 14-inch barrel and a collapsible multi-position stock. Some variants of these weapons have removable carrying handles, which allow direct attachment of optical sights to the upper receiver on a lower plane than mounting them on the carrying handle. These handier weapons are quite prevalent in Iraq and Afghanistan today, where they are preferred for house-to-house clearing.
The rifle illustrated dates from 1969. It’s an AR-15/M16A1 hybrid, combining an M16A1 upper and a 1967-vintage civilian-legal semiauto lower receiver. It’s virtually identical to the rifles used during the Vietnam era except for the lack of a full-auto function.
In spite of a shaky start, the M16 rifle and its variants have trooped the line through three generations and have become free world icons. Produced by many nations and manufacturers, they are found on battlefields around the globe and prolifically on the firing lines in target competition. Many folks find them eminently suitable for home defense and the game fields as well. Eugene Stoner’s creation has morphed and lived on to become our longest-lasting U.S. service weapon, spanning two centuries and easily qualifying as a true classic.
(c) 2013 JLM
Last edited:
