History of M16

	Revision 8 . . (edit) October 5, 2001 2:28 am by Mike dill
	Revision 7 . . October 2, 2001 7:34 am by Ansible [taping mazazines is a no-no, bit more on early problems.]
	Revision 6 . . October 2, 2001 7:00 am by Jimbo Wales

---

Difference (from prior major revision) (minor diff, author diff)

Changed: 7c7

It is an angular, modernistic, unusually light-weight rifle. It has a pistol-grip, which aids intuitive pointing. It is made of aluminum and plastic, except for the barrel and parts of the action. Most models weigh near 3Kg (6lbs), about a third less than comparable rifles.

It is an angular, modernistic, unusually light-weight rifle. It has a pistol-grip, which aids intuitive pointing. It is made of aluminum and plastics, except for the barrel and parts of the action. Most models weigh near 3Kg (6lbs), about a third less than comparable rifles.

Changed: 20c20

The magazine release is on the front of the trigger guard. Most military magazines have 30 rounds, and are frequently taped in upside-down pairs to speed reloading.

The magazine release is on the front of the trigger guard. Most military magazines have 30 rounds, and are frequently taped in upside-down pairs to speed reloading. This practice is often discouraged, because it increases the chance that the top of the magazine will be damaged or pick up dirt.

Changed: 26c26

Early U.S. users in the [Vietnam war]? had numerous reliability problems. Some believe that this is because those users (who had been told that the gun required very little or no maintenance, so that they neglected maintenance and the neglected guns became extremely unreliable. However, other evidence points to subtle problems with compatibility between the ammunition and the early versions of the gun, such that even perfectly maintained and cleaned guns were unreliable.

Early U.S. users in the [Vietnam war]? had numerous reliability problems. Some believe that this is because those users (who had been told that the gun required very little or no maintenance, so that they neglected maintenance and the neglected guns became extremely unreliable. However, other evidence points to subtle problems with compatibility between the ammunition and the early versions of the gun, such that even perfectly maintained and cleaned guns were unreliable.

Changed: 28c28,30

In either case, modern versions with modern ammunition are reliable.

The gunpowder of early version M16 ammunition was clean-burning, and the gun did not require plating in the receiver area. However, a last-minute change to the gunpowder formula was made shortly before the gun was introduced into service. While resulting in a higher muzzle velocity, it caused the weapon to foul much more quickly, and because it lacked plating, it would tend to jam. Modern versions of the M16 with modern ammunition are reliable.