M-16A1 1/2

Does anyone else remember the "creative" match rifles fielded by some units in the 1980's?

These were selected A2 upper assemblies mated to "refreshed" A1 lowers. Privately owned ones were built on commercial "A1" style lowers. Butts could be A1 or A2 as required by the geometry of the shooter. Internal / invisible "float-tubes" started appearing (or NOT appearing), inside the round A2 handguards, as well. Some Reserve and Nat. Guard units nearer the bottom of the food-chain purchased A2-style upper assemblies and did their own thing on their least-tired A1 lowers.

The idea of the "early" lowers / trigger mechs. was to get around the peculiarities of the three-round burst trigger pressures.

There was a big rebuild program at Anniston, (and possibly other?), Arsenals in the late 80's and early 90's. These weren't match rifles per say but conversions to A2 configuration because of the new M855 ammunition as the A2 upper assemblies were barreled with the fast 1x7 twist barrel. Most if not all were also converted to three shot burst capability like their M16A2 counterparts. I think most reserve and guard units weapons were shipped to Anniston for these conversions. I don't think they were done at unit level but could be wrong.

I know at least one First Sergeant who had an A1 fire control system installed in his A2.

I don't blame him. I never could stand the stupid three shot burst feature. I always felt it was designed to make up for a lack of training. The additional parts and ratchet are just something else to go wrong with the fire control system.

The older A2 rifles had distinctly different trigger pulls for all three positions of the trigger cam. I seem to recall the TAG (National Guard) matches for New York had a specific prohibition on this fix when the M16A2/A4 was the standard, because of the superior consistency you could get on the trigger mechanism with the A1 components.

Unit Teams tried all sorts of "enhancements" of course, I recall one year the rules specified the number of turns on the main hammer spring on the M9 pistol, as the teams were cutting a few off to get a better trigger squeeze. Then the teams started compressing the springs to reduce the pressure and so a minimum length was added to the specification.

Method I recall that was never caught was grinding the rear of the M9 barrels to minimum headspace, building up the front of the M9 locking block, then lapping to fit the slide. supposed to make them more accurate, but of course completely illegal to do. I am sure it never occurred...ever.

I never served, but did start shooting Service Rifle in the early/mid 90's

tech or ingenuity was rolling then, lots of changes and new ideas were floating around then,
A1 vs A2 front sight posts, the free float tube under handguards was relatively new,
multiple fixes for the A2 rear sight

and of course barrel twist changes and bullet technology changed a bit too,

good times,