Authentic USGI M16A1 Parts?

[imarangemaster]

SP1 Uppers are perfect for 601 or 602 builds!

[Brian Dick]

Darren, I'm guessing but I'd say gas key staking was in place by the mid-late 1960's. The problem of loose gas keys would have been addressed early on during the fielding of the M16 in the Vietnam conflict and subsequent product improvements that came later as these problems were all discovered. There have been countless improvements to the AR platform in it's almost 60 years of service. They are near flawless now for function. A testament to an excellent design that like all machinery, got needed improvements as necessary over the course of it's service life.

[Sentryduty]

Interesting, perhaps Diemaco (Now Colt Canada) didn't get the memo, or maybe we had a batch that the staking was missed.

I agree about the excellent design, before being a soldier I had the "textbook" opinion about them, underpowered plastic poodle shooters that weren't a "real" rifle.

After using them professionally and personally for over 17 years I appreciate the ergonomics, reliability, flexibility and modularity of the rifle. I certainly never felt undergunned.

Take 10 rifles, strip them to their last spring and screw, throw them in a pile, and reassemble 10 rifles without any handfitting, like assembling Lego.

In service we didn't even serial the bolts to rifles, we tried to keep them together in stores, but often things got mixed up, regardless, they just worked.

In fact whenever I handle a new production semi-auto design, I always hold it to the AR-15 platform standard for ergonomics and function. So far, I have not encountered a firearm that I believe "does it better" Some have come close, like the Robarms XCR series, but that unnecessary AK gas system throws the balance forward, and having a piston rocking about upsets the otherwise smooth shooting cartridge.

I quite like the AR15 platform, always will likely.

[Frederick303]

It is kind of remarkable that 54 years after first combat use, and 52 years after first adoption by the US army, it is still the first line rifle for the US and Canadian armies.

You have to go back to the Brown Bess/1777 Charliville muskets to get to arms that has such a long first line use in the US army/pre army.