M16 rifle: Encyclopedia II - M16 rifle - Variants

M16 rifle - Variants

M16 rifle - Colt Model's 601 and 602

Colt's first two models produced after the acquisition of the rifle from Armalite were the 601 and 602, and these rifles were in many ways clones of the original Armalite rifle (in fact, these rifles were often found stamped Colt Armalite AR-15). The 601 and 602 are easily identified by their "slab-sideed" lower receivers without the commonly found "fencing" around the magazine well, and in certain cases their green or brown furniture. The 601 was adopted first of any of the rifles by the USAF, and was quickly supplemented with the XM16/M16 (Colt Model 604) as improvements were made. There was also a limited purchase of 602s, and a number of both of these rifles found their way to a number of Special Operations units then operating in South East Asia, most notably the U.S. Navy SEALs. The only major difference between the 601 and 602 is the switch from the original 1-14 inch rifling twist to the more common 1-12 inch twist.

M16 rifle - M16

Variant originally adopted by the USAF. This was the first M16 adopted operationally. This variant had triangular handguards, a three-pronged flash suppressor, and no forward assist. Bolt carriers were originally chrome plated and slick-sided, lacking any notches for a forward assist. Later, the chrome plated carriers were dropped in favor of Army issued notched and parkerized carriers. The Air Force continues to operate these weapons and upgrades them as parts wear or break and through attrition.

M16 rifle - XM16E1 and M16A1

The prototype army-version, XM16E1, was essentially the same weapon as the M16 with the addition of a forward assist. The M16A1 was the finalized production model. To address issues raised by the XM16E1's testing cycle, a "bird-cage" flash suppressor replaced the XM16E1's three-pronged flash suppressor, which was too easy for foreign material to get into and which caught on twigs and leaves. After numerous problems in the field, numerous changes were fielded. Cleaning kits were developed and issued; barrels with chromed chambers and later fully-chromed bores were introduced. The number of malfunctions due to fouling and corrosion declined and later troops were generally unfamiliar with early problems.

M16 rifle - M16A2

Modifications to the M16A2 were more extensive. In addition to the new rifling, the barrel was made with a greater thickness in front of the front sight post to resist bending in the field. A new adjustable rear sight was added, allowing the rear sight to be dialed in for specific range settings between 300 and 800 meters to take full advantage of the ballistic characteristics of the new SS-109 rounds. The flash suppressor was again modified, this time to be closed on the bottom so it would not kick up dirt or snow when being fired from the prone position. The front grip was modified from the original triangular shape to a round one, which better fit smaller hands. The new handguards were also symmetrical so that armories didn't need separate left and right spares. The buttstock was redesigned to be longer and stronger. In fact, the new buttstock is said to be ten times stronger than the original due to advances in plastics and design. The heavier bullet has a reduced muzzle velocity from 3,200 feet per second (975 m/s) in the earlier models, to about 2,900 feet per second (875 m/s) in the A2. A special spent case deflector was incorporated into the upper receiver to the rear of the ejection port to prevent spent casings from striking left-handed users.

The action was also modified, replacing the fully-automatic setting with a three-round burst setting. When using a fully-automatic weapon, poorly trained troops often hold down the trigger and "spray" when under fire. The U.S. Army concluded that three-shot groups provide an optimum combination of ammunition conservation, accuracy and firepower. Recently, thinking has shifted away from the three-round burst setting and back to fully-automatic fire. Soldiers today are better trained, more disciplined, and enjoy more secure supply structures than they did in previous conflicts. There are also mechanical flaws in the M16A2 burst mechanism. The trigger group does not reset when the trigger is released. If a soldier lets go of the trigger between the second and third round of the burst, for example, the next trigger pull would only result in a single shot. Even in semi-automatic mode, the trigger group mechanism affects weapon handling. With each round fired, the trigger group cycles through one of the three stages of the burst mechanism. The trigger pull at each of these stages is slightly different, detracting from accuracy.

All together, the M16A2s new features added weight and complexity to the M16 while simultaneously decreasing barrel life and removing the fully-automatic setting. While the new gun was said to be more accurate, the heavier bullets had a more curved trajectory requiring more precise range estimation for accurate shot placement. Critics also point out that neither of the rear sight apertures is ideally sized. The small aperture is too small, making quick acquisition of the front site post difficult, and the large aperture is too large, resulting in decreased accuracy. To make matters worse, the rear sight apertures are not machined to be on the same plane. In other words, the point of impact changes when the user changes from one aperture to the other. The rear sight's range adjustment feature is rarely used in combat. In fact, only the Marines train to use this features. Soldiers tend to leave the rear sight on its lowest range setting: 300 meters.

The one good feature of the new rifle was the fact that it was new. Vietnam era weapons were wearing out and needed replacement.

M16 rifle - M16A3

The M16A3 was a fully-automatic variant of the M16A2 adopted in small numbers around the time of the introduction of the M16A2, primarily by the U.S. Navy for use by the SEALs. It features a Safe-Semi-Auto (S-1-F) trigger group like that of the M16A1.

Some confusion continues to exist regarding the M16A3. It is often described as the fully-automatic version of the M16A4. Descriptions of the M16A3 that claim that it shares the M16A4's Picatinny rail are incorrect. This misunderstanding most likely stems from the usage of the A2 and A3 designations by civilian manufacturers to differentiate between A2-style fixed carry handles and Picatinny rail versions.

M16 rifle - M16A4

The M16A4, now standard issue for frontline U.S. Army and USMC units, replaces the combination fixed carry handle/rear iron sight with a MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail, allowing for the rifle to be equipped with a carry handle and/or most military and consumer scopes or sighting systems. All of the U.S. Marine Corps' M16A4s are equipped with a Knight's Armament Company M5 RAS handguard, allowing vertical grips, lasers, tactical lights, and other accessories to be attached. U.S. Army M16A4s also often feature the KAC M5 RAS. In U.S. Army Field Manuals, M16A4s fitted with the RAS are sometimes referred to as M16A4 MWS or Modular Weapon System.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Variants", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki