1.5 Mil Carbines Left In Vietnam

[fjruple]

Pics are available of the M18, which looks like a Colt SMG or 177...some with a can.

Jim--

I found this article on their facebook page. Here's a rough Google translation into English. I will also post several photos of the M18, there appears to be two versions, one with a suppressor and one without. Initially the M18 made an appearance at the 1000 year military parade of Vietnam. The M18 was still in their possession on the 45th anniversary (2015) parade of the fall of South Vietnam. Its appears from what I can tell from my limited knowledge of Vietnamese and English as well. The M16 was the primary weapon of the Vietnamese Militia. The refinishing and upgrades appear to be done at K888 depot in Long Binh in the former South Vietnam. As a side note it appears that some of the management got themselves in trouble by leasing out propriety at the depot and another incident of illegal weapons manufacture of what appears to be .22LR revolvers. Enjoy!! I do apologize to the original poster of this thread for hi-jacking his thread.

VIETNAM MILITARY PRODUCTION OF M-16?

"Obtaining enemy weapons" is a guideline throughout the Vietnamese military art. Using this motto, we have improved many of our weapons of mass destruction, making them a means of serving the war of national liberation and protection of sovereignty.

During the Vietnam War, the AR-15 and M16 modified versions became the standard weapon of the US Army and the Republic of Vietnam (VNCH). So, after the war, many AR-15s and M16s were recovered by the Vietnam People's Army, with estimates estimated at millions of people. These weapons are now the standard weapon for the militia of South Vietnam.

M16 modified by Colt from the ArmaLite AR-15 gun, is a NATO 5.56 × 45mm gun. Since 1967, the M16 has been a popular weapon of the United States Army and NATO forces. This is the highest number of guns produced in individual submachine guns.

The characteristics of the M16 are quite light (3-4 kg), parts made of steel, alloy, aluminum and hard plastic (fiberglass or polymer). Gantry, loaded from the ballistic feeder with a barrel-shaped locking mechanism.

There are three different series in the M16 production process. The first series: M16 and M16A1, used in the 1960s, fired M193 / M196 (or Remington 223), which could be fully automatic or semi-automatic. Two XM16E1 and M16A1 models were used in Vietnam.

The M16A2 series was used in the 1980s, firing M855 / M856 (Belgian inventor of the FN Minimi), capable of firing individual pellets or firing three series of pellets. The last series was the M16A4, the standard US Marine Corps rifle in the Iraq war. M16A4 and M4 Carbine rifles are gradually replacing the M16A2 which is slightly outdated and less usable. M16A4 and M4 / M4A1 have removable handles for viewfinder, laser target, night vision, grenade launcher and light.

"Vietnamese version" of M16

During the Vietnam War, the AK-47 and M16 did not stop racing for the No. 1 position in the assault rifle category. Each type has different weak points. Although the M16 has faster firing speed, longer range and higher accuracy, the AK-47 is perfectly suited to guerrilla warfare in Vietnam thanks to simplicity, reliability in everything. Harsh conditions and strong power in close range.

One drawback with the naked eye is that the M-16 has a long barrel. To overcome this disadvantage, in the Vietnam War, an improved version of the M-16 was the XM177E2 (formerly known as the Colt 629 Comando, belonging to the CAR-15 family. ) has been specially designed for special forces, with two improvements, mainly adjusting the length and long headlamps, which both function to reduce shock and fire. The specifications of the XM177E2 are similar to those of the M16, except that the shorter barrel length is 292mm compared to the 508mm of the M16, and the gun is also lighter.

XM177E2 was introduced into Vietnam in 1966 as part of the US Army's Test Pilot Program, first equipped for American troops in the United States Military Command (MACV) and a number of units This is a special form of the ARVN. After the testing program ended, with the official name M177E2, this gun was widely available to the ARVN.

After 1975, the People's Army of Vietnam obtained a large number of these. Recognizing the advantages of XM1772, Vietnam has equipped a certain number of special forces for the Coast Guard.

Along with the process of using, the people's army of Vietnam has carried out many major repairs. During the repair process, the gun must be repaired to make many replacement parts. This replacement process has helped Vietnam master the technology of manufacturing M16.

In particular, during the 1000th anniversary of Thang Long - Hanoi, a strange gun model called M18 appeared, attracting great attention for military analysts. Earlier, the M18 was observed for the first time during General Phung Quang Thanh's visit by the Minister of Defense to parade exercises.

Although no official information has confirmed the exact origin of the M18, but based on the short-barrel characteristics, the length of the muzzle and some other characteristics, the M18 was identified to be similar to that of the M18. XM177E2. In many respects, the M18 can be considered a "Vietnamese version" of the M16.

As observable, the M18 is compact in size, which is suitable for combat situations in narrow spaces or in missions requiring soldiers to be flexible in secrecy when approaching targets in response to the task of the task force, the marine police.

In particular, the use of new materials technology (using a variety of light alloys, parts made of synthetic resins), using small size bullets, M18 does not consume the energy of the soldiers on the move.

It can be seen in the hands of the soldiers of the Vietnamese People's Army, arms originating from Russia or America, Western Europe are exploited effectively. The evidence for this is that a series of booty weapons after 1975, which Vietnam obtained after the United States and South Vietnam, all contributed greatly to the defense of the independence and territorial integrity of the country. That is the traditional "cunning, creative" of our Army.