The early days of the M16 rifle in Vietnam

[imarangemaster]

Thanks for all the input chaps which is very interesting. It's a good idea of Jim's to get the book "The Black Rifle", thanks. I notice that there are 2 books with this title but I need the one that has "Retrospective" on the cover.

I seem to recall hearing or seeing somewhere it suggested that the barrel was shortened on the "standard rifle" (not one of the derivatives) at some point? Would this be correct?

The Black Rifler book is my bible! Another great resource is Retro Black Rifle.com Retro Black Rifle www.retroblackrifle.com
and ar15.com retro forum AR-15 / M-16 Retro Forum - AR15.COM

As for the shortened one, it was a model 605, with a 15.5" barrel, cut off just in front of the front sight base, and threaded for a three prong flash hider. They had to open the gas port quite a bit, because there was little bullet dwell in the barrel after the gas port. Modern replicas often use a carbine length gas system with a low profile gas block, and the FSB is only for the sight. Also most people do a 16" barrel to keep from needed a tax stamp for an SBR.



---------- Post added at 08:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:50 PM ----------

I have used the forward assist to close the bolt after riding it forward while trying to chamber a round as quietly as possible.

In most other circumstances, if the bolt traveling normally fails to close completely, the round is bent or some thing is interfering. If you are lucky, hitting the forward assist well let it chamber and normal firing will resume. If you are unlucky you will have jammed things to the point you can't get the round to fire nor can you get it out of the chamber. Worse, the bolt carrier will be out just enough, you will have trouble because it is partly in the buffer tube.

By July of 1969, the Army was getting the word out to the troops...

DA_Pamphlet_750-30

Great Comic Book manual. I still have an original I got from the arms room in 1979. Pretty worn now, but very cool.