M16 (Rifle)

The M16 rifle, officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16, is the United States military version of the AR-15 rifle. The rifle was adapted for semi-automatic, three-round burst, and full-automatic fire.Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge. The rifle entered United States Army service and was deployed for jungle warfare operations in South Vietnam in 1963,becoming the U.S. military's standard service rifle of the Vietnam War by 1969,replacing the M14 rifle in that role. The U.S. Army retained the M14 in CONUS, Europe, and South Korea until 1970. Since the Vietnam War, the M16 rifle family has been the primary service rifle of the U.S. armed forces.

The M16 has also been widely adopted by other militaries around the world. Total worldwide production of M16s has been approximately 8 million, making it the most-produced firearm of its caliber.In 2010, the M16 began to be phased out in the U.S. Army and is being supplemented by the M4 carbine, which is itself a shortened derivative of the M16A2.

Type	Assault rifle
Place of origin	United States of America
Service history
In service	1963–present
Wars	Vietnam War Laotian Civil War Cambodian Civil War Cambodian–Vietnamese War Invasion of Grenada Invasion of Panama Gulf War Somali Civil War Operation Deny Flight Operation Joint Endeavor War in Afghanistan Iraq War
Production history
Designer	Eugene Stoner and L. James Sullivan[1]
Designed	1956[2]
Manufacturer	Colt Defense  Daewoo Precision Industries  FN Herstal  H & R Firearms  General Motors HydramaticDivision  Elisco  U.S. Ordnance
Produced	1959–present[2]
Number built	~10 million[3]
Specifications (M16)
Weight	7.18 lb (3.26 kg) (unloaded) 8.79 lb (4.0 kg) (loaded)
Length	39.5 in (1,000 mm)
Barrel length	20 in (508 mm)
Cartridge	5.56×45mm NATO
Action	Gas-operated, rotating bolt (direct impingement)
Rate of fire	12–15 rounds/min sustained 45–60 rounds/min semi-automatic 700–950 rounds/min cyclic
Muzzle velocity	3,110 ft/s (948 m/s)
Effective range	550 meters (point target) 800 meters (area target)
Feed system	20-round box magazine: (0.211 lb [96 grams] empty / 0.738 lb [335 g] full) 30-round box magazine: (0.257 lb [117 g] empty / 1.06 lb [483 g] full) Beta C-Mag 100-round double-lobed drum: (2.2 lb [1 kg] empty / 4.81 lb [2.19 kg] full)

Introduction

The M16 is a lightweight, 5.56 mm, air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed assault rifle, with a rotating bolt, actuated by direct impingement gas operation. The rifle is made of steel, 7075 aluminum alloy, composite plastics and polymer materials.

In the early 1960s, the U.S. Air Force's rifle, the M16, and the Army's XM16E1, were the first versions of the M16 rifle fielded. Soon, the U.S. Army standardized an upgrade of the XM16E1 as the M16A1 rifle, an M16 with a forward assist feature and other improvements requested by the Army. All of the early versions were chambered to fire the M193/M196 cartridge in the semi-automatic and the automatic firing modes. This occurred in the early 1960s, with the Army issuing it in late 1964.Commercial AR-15s were first issued to Special Forces troops in spring of 1964.

The M16A2 rifle entered service in the 1980s, being ordered in large scale by 1987, chambered to fire the standard NATO cartridge, the Belgian-designed M855/M856 cartridge.The M16A2 is a select-fire rifle (semi-automatic fire, three-round-burst fire) incorporating design elements requested by the Marine Corps:an adjustable, windage rear-sight; a stock 5⁄8 inches (15.9 mm) longer; heavier barrel; case deflector for left-hand shooters; and cylindrical handguards. The fire mode selector is on the receiver's left side.

The M16A3 rifle is an M16A2 rifle with an M16A1's fire control group (semi-automatic fire, automatic fire) that is used only by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard replaced their upper receivers with A2 receivers in the mid 90's, but retained the full auto capability by mounting the new A2 upper receiver on the old full auto lower receiver.

The M16A4 rifle was standard issue for the United States Marine Corps in Operation Iraqi Freedom after 2004; it replaced the M16A2 in front line units. In the U.S. Army, the M16A2 rifle is being supplemented with two rifle models, the M16A4 and the M4 carbine, as the standard issue assault rifle. The M16A4 has a flat-top receiver developed for the M4 carbine, a handguard with four Picatinny rails for mounting a sight, laser, night vision device, forward handgrip, removable handle, or a flashlight.

The M16 rifle is principally manufactured by Colt and Fabrique Nationale de Herstal (under a U.S. military contract since 1988 by FNH-USA; currently in production since 1991, primarily M16A2, A3, and A4), with variants made elsewhere in the world. Versions for the U.S. military have also been made by H & R FirearmsGeneral Motors Hydramatic Division and most recently by Sabre Defence.Semi-automatic versions of the AR-15 are popular recreational shooting rifles, with versions manufactured by other small and large manufacturers in the U.S.

5.56 mm cartridge

The 5.56x45mm cartridge originally developed by Armalite had many advantages over the 7.62x51mm NATO round used in the M14 rifle. Most of these reasons were due to the dense and humid jungle in which US soldiers were fighting during the Vietnam War. The 5.56 mm cartridge was developed as a more medium range alternative to the larger caliber round used in M14 and M1A rifles; each soldier can carry more ammunition and engage enemy targets more effectively at shorter distances. It was also found useful in automatic and burst fire, developing the M16 into variants such as the M16A3 and current M16A4.[citation needed]

[edit]History