Adoption M16 rifle

101st airborne trooper cleans xm16e1 during vietnam war in 1966.



front cover - m16a1 rifle - operation , preventive maintenance eisner

after modifications (most notably, charging handle re-located under carrying handle ar-10 rear of receiver), new redesigned rifle renamed rifle, caliber 5.56 mm, m16. inexplicably, modification new m16 did not include chrome-plated barrel. meanwhile, army relented , recommended adoption of m16 jungle warfare operations. however, army insisted on inclusion of forward assist push bolt battery in event cartridge failed seat chamber. air force, colt , eugene stoner believed addition of forward assist unjustified expense. result, design split 2 variants: air force s m16 without forward assist, , xm16e1 forward assist other service branches.

in november 1963, mcnamara approved u.s. army s order of 85,000 xm16e1s; , appease general lemay, air force granted order 19,000 m16s. in march 1964, m16 rifle went production , army accepted delivery of first batch of 2,129 rifles later year, , additional 57,240 rifles following year.

in 1964, army informed dupont not mass-produce imr 4475 stick powder specifications demanded m16. therefore, olin mathieson company provided high-performance ball propellant. while olin wc 846 powder achieved desired 3,300 ft (1,000 m) per second muzzle velocity, produced more fouling, jammed m16s action (unless rifle cleaned , often).

in march 1965, army began issue xm16e1 infantry units. however, rifle delivered without adequate cleaning kits or instructions because colt had claimed m16 self-cleaning. result, reports of stoppages in combat began surface. severe problem, known failure extract —the spent cartridge case remained lodged in chamber after rifle fired. documented accounts of dead u.s. troops found next disassembled rifles led congressional investigation.

we left 72 men in our platoon , came 19, believe or not, know killed of us? our own rifle. practically every 1 of our dead found (m16) torn down next him had been trying fix it.

in february 1967, improved xm16e1 standardized m16a1. new rifle had chrome-plated chamber , bore eliminate corrosion , stuck cartridges , other, minor, modifications. new cleaning kits, powder solvents , lubricants issued. intensive training programs in weapons cleaning instituted including comic book-style operations manual. result, reliability problems diminished , m16a1 rifle achieved widespread acceptance u.s. troops in vietnam.

in 1969, m16a1 officially replaced m14 rifle become u.s. military s standard service rifle. in 1970, new wc 844 powder introduced reduce fouling.