The M16A2 Rifle - The Backbone of the Military

  • Introduction - The M16 rifle and all its present day variations are in service with practically The M16A2 & M4 Carbine Riflesevery military and law enforcement agency. Its reliability, ease of use, accuracy and seemingly unlimited supply of tactical accessories have made it the weapon of choice for over 60+ countries. The M16A2 rifle system consists of a rifle, magazine, and a sling. It is a lightweight, gas operated, air cooled, magazine fed, shoulder fired weapon that can be fired either in automatic three round bursts or in semiautomatic single shots.

  • Features / Specifications -

    • Manufacturer - Colt Manufacturing and Fabrique Nationale Manufacturing Inc

    • Caliber - 5.56mm

    • Weight - w/30 round magazine is 8.79lbs

    • Length - Rifle w/compensator is 39 5/8 inches (excluding M4s)

    • Mechanical Features - Rifling is a Right Hand 1/7 twist

    • Muzzle Velocity - 3100 fps

    • Cyclic rate of Fire - 800 Rounds per minute

    • Max Effective Rate of Fire - Semi (45 rpm), Burst (90 rpm)

    • Sustained Rate of Fire - 12/15 rpm

    • Max Effective Range - 550 Meters (Point Target), 800 Meters (Area Target such as a vehicle)

    • Max Range - 3534 Meter

  • Why the M16? - Conflicts leading up to and including Vietnam resulted in a growing dissatisfaction with the M14. Numerous  studies led the Army to the development of a light weight weapon capable of firing a burst of bullets with controlled dispersion. The Army Ordinance Corp initially disliked the AR-15/M16. However, the Armalite AR-15 was still adopted by the Secretary of Defense as the 5.56mm M16 rifle. The M16 was capable of firing in a semiautomatic or fully automatic fire mode. The M16 was originally developed to have the same effective range as the M14 rifle it replaced, but it was most effective at a range of 215 yards (200m) or less. The M16 used a 5.56mm (.223 cal.) cartridge in 20- or 30-round magazines. There were a number of problems encountered during initial fielding, but better training, preventive maintenance, and after several design changes, the weapon became the standard issue rifle of the US Army , with some 3,690,000  manufactured. The M16A2 semiautomatic rifle is the standard by which all military rifles of the future will be judged. This variant of the M16 fires a three-round burst in the semiautomatic mode. The rifle system incorporates an adjustable rear sight which corrects for both windage and elevation, a heavier barrel with 1-in-7 rifling, and a muzzle compensator to prevent muzzle climb during semiautomatic operation. This was particularly effective at controlling the dispersion of the three round burst. The M16A2 is capable of firing all NATO standard 5.56mm ammunition and can fire 40mm grenades when equipped with the M203 Grenade Launcher.

  • The M4 Carbine - The M4 5.56mm Carbine is a lightweight, gas operated, air cooled, magazine fed, selective rate, shoulder fired weapon with a collapsible stock. A shortened variant of the M16A2 rifle, the M4 provides the individual soldier operating in close quarters the capability to engage targets at extended range with accurate, lethal fire. The M4 Carbine achieves over 80% commonality with the M16A2 Rifle and will replace all M3 .45 caliber submachine guns and selected M9 pistols and M16 rifle series. The weapon is the standard rifle of issue for Light Infantry Units to include Airborne, Ranger and Special Forces units.

  • Improvements over the M16A1 -

    • a heavier, stiffer barrel than the barrel of the M16A1

    • a redesigned handguard, using two identical halves, with a round contour which is sturdier and provides a better grip when holding the rifle

    • new buttstock and pistol grip made of a tougher injection moldable plastic that provides much greater resistance to breakage

    • an improved rear sight which can be easily adjusted for windage and range

    • a modified upper receiver design to deflect ejected cartridges, and preclude the possibility of the ejected cartridges hitting the face of a left-handed firer

    • a burst control device, that limits the number of rounds fired in the automatic mode to three per trigger pull, which increases accuracy while reducing ammunition expenditure

    • a muzzle compensator, designed to reduce position disclosure and improve controllability and accuracy in both burst and rapid semi-automatic fire

    • a heavier barrel with a 1 in 7 twist to fire NATO standard SS 109 type (M855) ammunition which is also fired from the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW). This further increases the effective range and penetration of the rifle cartridge. The M16A2 will also shoot the older M193 ammunition designed for a 1 in 12 twist.

The Original M16A1 - Vietnam Era

 


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