ar‑15 in vietnam

Listed rate-of-fire was approximately 800 rounds per minute on full-automatic (if available on the particular AR-15 model). He claimed to have looked down the barrel of one rifle and not seen ‘daylight’ due to severe rusting and pitting. The new M16A2 barrels had a rifling twist of 1:7 inches to accommodate the SS109/M855 cartridge. One man was hit in the head; it looked like it exploded. Over $517,000 worth of spare parts was ordered. In 1994, the Army adopted the second carbine of the 20th century and the first general issue carbine since 1941, the M4, perhaps the finest carbine ever developed. I did keep the rifle clean and never had any issues. The subcommittee accepted this as the reason for the condition. Colt now signed an additional contract to deliver 25,000 rifles a month by December 1966. After inserting a full magazine, the rifleman would push in on the upper portion of the bolt catch to release the bolt and load the rifle. The legacy of the ArmaLite rifles is far from over. Gents, With respects it’s obvious to me that you guys are too young to remember the controversy surrounding the introduction of the M-16. A decision to reduce the velocity requirement, and continue loading IMR4475 propellant would probably have been made instead, and development of alternate propellants could have been pursued more deliberately.”. Many of the U.S. advisors in Vietnam were equipped with the new AR-15 rifle. The U.S. military has always been a military of marksmen, and the M16A2 complements this philosophy, setting a standard of accuracy very few assault rifles can match while enjoying the reputation of being the finest human-engineered assault rifle in the world. Fortunately, Defense Secretary McNamara was fond of the AR-15, knew the Ordnance Corps was dragging its feet on the weapon and on January 23, 1963, halted all procurements of the M14. With its 14.5-inch barrel, the M4 fires the M855 Ball round at 2900 fps. In fact, SS109 was LESS lethal and fragmented less due to heavier mass, thicker jacket, and therefore slower velocity. When the last round was fired, the magazine follower would elevate the bolt catch and lock the bolt to the rear. IT WAS ISSUED TO THE VAST MAJORITY OF SOLDIERS DURING THE CONFLICT, AND ITS GENERAL SUCCESS IN COMBAT LED TO ITS CONTINUED SERVICE IN THE U.S. ARMED FORCES IN VARIED FORMS OVER THE YEARS. 7 Most Important Guns of The Vietnam War - Pew Pew Tactical The stock was cheap, short, and flimsy and easily broken in use. 2. But I made my thought known to the people.”. The AR-10, scaled down to fire the popular 222 Remington cartridge, had little recoil in semi-auto mode and was amazingly controllable on full-auto. A spent shell deflector was added to the upper receiver behind the ejection port of the M16A2 to accommodate left-hand shooters and, as well, the pivot pin area of the upper receiver has been strengthened. Just my experience, but an unpleasant one. The burst mechanism does not recycle. Would you care to say something?” He never replied to the question. The rifling twist was changed from 1:14 inches to 1:12 inches. Read Colonel Moore’s book, “We were soldiers one and Young” to get a better understanding of how critical reliability is to a grunt. There isn’t a single major power still using a .30 cal rifle as standard issue, but reality never fazes the US Army. It is easy to maintain. General LeMay then brought the issue to President Kennedy, without success. With things warming up in Southeast Asia, the AR-15 was about to meet the Army. There were other rifles used in Vietnam, such as hunting rifles converted to sniper weapons, but this short list were the primary ones. 8. I find it difficult to believe that the Rangers and Green Berets quoted were mistaken, and terminal effects such as they describe are possible with hits from the .223 caliber, and have been documented in other cases. The buttplate has been made stronger (™Zytel), and the entire buttplate is checkered. The trapdoor can be opened by hand rather requiring the tip of a cartridge. He, along with C. Reed Knight of Knight’s Manufacturing, perfected the AR-10 and added many design features of the M16A2, to build the SR25 (Stoner Rifle Model 25). Colt’s Manufacturing Company, Inc., manufactures more civilian versions of the rifle than any other manufacturer, even though there are many other semi-auto clones produced. 3. The original M16 came into US military service in 1964, and in 1965 it was being used in jungle warfare with Vietnam. The mentioned high lethality of the AR-15 rifle is still a subject of much contention. It makes sense, then, that M855 has not been characterized in official reports as a “poor” terminal performer, but an “inconsistent” one; this is precisely the result we’d expect to see for a round with generally good yaw characteristics but still totally subject to the fleet yaw problem. Besides the horrific cartridge case-stuck-in-the-chamber jams, the safety detent was too strong and often required a hard hit to move it to “Fire” using a bayonet butt. • Sights were better for low-light conditions thanks to a larger-diameter (5mm) close-range aperture in the rear sight. a. Silhouette targets were positioned behind dense underbrush which generally consisted of bamboo saplings, bush, grass and vines. I could never quite get it through my mind that it was necessary. In one test in the Arctic, weapons were malfunctioning at alarming rates. One round in the head-took it completely off. This new cartridge, however, was significantly more accurate at longer ranges than the M193 Ball cartridge, boosting the maximum effective range to 800 meters. I saw several dead Marines next to their broken-down rifles and my own personal solution at the time was to retrieve my M-14 and use any clever method I could get away with to keep it instead of carrying an M-16. ArmaLite’s W focus was thus changed to the 22-caliber rifle and the AR-15 M (ArmaLite Rifle model 15) was born. Wait, no, THEY BENT WHEN WE LANDED, SIR! Gene Stoner was called to testify at the congressional hearings to explain the extraction problem; he explained the failure to extract was due to the use of Ball powder. A fresh magazine, requiring no camming — or ‘rocking’ — could be inserted straight into the magazine well. In August 1967, the hearings ended, and in October 1967, the subcommittee concluded, “Grave mismanagement, errors of judgment and lack of responsibility had characterized the Army’s handling of the entire M16 program.” They stated the officials in the Department of the Army were aware of the adverse affect of Ball propellant on the cyclic rate of the M16 rifle as early as March 1964, yet continued to accept delivery of additional thousands of rifles that were not subjected to acceptance or endurance tests using Ball propellant. Gene Stoner [To Mr. Bray]: “Well, the cartridge tends to stick under high residual pressure in the barrel, and of course with this too-soon action you also have a higher bolt velocity. He explained the last thing you want to do is force a round into a dirty chamber, which quickly leads to function failures. The forward assist assembly was changed from the “tear drop” style of the M16A1 to the new round “button” style forward assist assembly of the M16A2. According to Gene Stoner, there were hardly any 22-caliber cleaning kits in Vietnam — and no instruction manuals. Of these malfunctions, 90 percent were failures to extract. With things warming up in Southeast Asia, the AR-15 was about to meet the Army. Chrome-lining the barrels gave three major improvements to the standard barrel. The distance was then increased to 50 meters and the targets were fired upon again. Which implies it wasn’t even considered. The forward assist was one of the changes on which he was not consulted and Mr. Ichord asked Gene Stoner his opinion of the device. More offensive to me was the remark that the M14 was prone to jams and problems and speaking from experience I can tell you that is exactly the opposite of the truth. When the Al barrels would heat up, sling tension could bend them. The M16A1 rifles barrels were known to bend when paratroopers landed and the barrels hit the ground. Sierra Bullet Co. made the 55-grain full metal jacket boat-tail bullet and the first “222 Special” ammunition was loaded by Remington Arms. The receivers, produced from 7075 T6 aircraft aluminum, which helps keep the rifle lightweight and dissipates heat better than conventional metals, are hard-anodized with a non-reflective matte gray weather-resistant finish. The troops who were in Vietnam were praising the AR-15, and word of this assault rifle got to the newly-appointed Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara. – Hatcher’s Book of The Garand, Julian S. Hatcher. It was built off the ArmaLite AR-15, which was a select-fire, air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed rifle manufactured in the U.S. between 1959 and 1964. The arctic test was, in fact, rigged to make the AR-15 look inadequate. While, theoretically, the 3-round burst was more effective than full-auto fire, there was no substitute for a well-trained automatic rifleman. A selector lever on the left side of the rifle could be manipulated with the shooter’s right thumb without removing the hand from the pistol grip. In September 1965, General Westmoreland ordered an additional 100,000 rifles and requested all U.S. ground forces in Vietnam be equipped with the new M16A1 rifles. Buttock wound, which destroyed all tissue of both buttocks. Subsequently, the Ordnance Corps set up the test without delay. (Beyond 50 meters it was impossible to distinguish a target, so this was considered an acceptable maximum distance for the test). His focus is on military rifles and their histories. (C) “On 13 April, 62, a Special Forces team made a raid on a small village. They were never issued down to the individual grunt level, all were kept locked up on the weapons rooms or the armorer’s supply area. Colonel Crossman found 22-caliber cleaning kits in short supply and concluded many of the problems were due to lack of maintenance and cleaning. These deaths were inflicted by the AR-15 and all were instantaneous except the buttock wound. Many improvements were necessary to accommodate the new M855 Ball and M856 tracer rounds. It’s unclear exactly what ranges the firearms were used, and whether those ranges were unknown to everyone (as in, perhaps the ranges were unknown because they were in combat), or just the shooters (as in a test). We understand that your AR is a significant investment, and that you cannot afford to have inferior components. Finally, in 1964, Defense Secretary McNamara ordered the Ordnance Corps to work with all branches of the armed forces to get the AR-15 ready for issue to all military personnel…one rifle for all branches. YT260750 and contacted 3 armed VC in heavily forested jungle. After the AR15 — now, the M16 rifle — went into circulation, more was learned about how to improve the rifle. Please try again. From experience gained in the Pacific Theater during World War II, it was found that chrome plating a chamber of a firearm would prevent many serious failures to extract. The Marines ordered 76,000 M16A2 rifles from Colt. I had used the M14 through all of basic training. As a result, the 30-caliber AR-10 was to have a short history with the U.S. military. The change from IMR extruded powder to Ball powder in 1964 for the 5.56mm ammunition was neither justified nor supported by test data, they found. The South Vietnamese were impressed with the rifle, as well. However, a request arrived at the Pentagon from Lackland Air Force Base requesting the AR-15 be qualified as a candidate to replace M2 carbines. The pistol grip is now made of a stronger plastic (™Zytel), and incorporates a “swell” below the middle finger position. The SR25 Match rifle is a 7.62×51mm NATO sniper rifle. XM16E1 being used during the Vietnam War. He said it turned into a good rifle after the bugs were worked out of it. He also felt there was room for improvement in the rifle. The⅝-inch longer M16A2 stock is made from foam-filled nylon, said to be ten to twelve times stronger than the fibrite stocks of the M16 /M16A1. This system uses a port in the barrel to bleed gas from the fired cartridge into a tube that runs under the hand-guard, from the front sight assembly to the upper receiver and into the carrier key on the bolt carrier. The AR-15 was an air-cooled rifle system to which the operator risked overheating the barrel through much subsequent firing without a break. As the subject of another DTIC post proved, however, this effect is no guarantee of terminal performance. Discussion of some of these statements will be handled below: (d) (C) Test 04, Marksmanship ability, unknown distance. When chromed, the walls of the chamber are harder; sand and mud don’t “iron” into them. Each one of those young Marines’ and soldiers’ lives were important and not just a sacrifice to getting the best price for a “least bidder” weapon. ” (VN Special Forces). The resulting rifle was 37½ inches long and weighed an incredible 6 pounds empty; 6.12 pounds with a loaded 25-round magazine. Although test after test was ordered, even demanding the attention of President John F. Kennedy itself, two things were clear. The United States needed it’s own assault rifle — and needed it fast. The Army signed a contract for 2,815 “Commando model” submachine guns on June 28, 1966. It imposes the least logistical burden. One passage, regarding Lt. Herricks surounded platoon, say it all. Muzzle velocity was rated at 3,200 feet per second. Thirdly, chrome is 2 to 3 times harder than standard barrel steel so the barrel lasts significantly longer. The chief engineer was Eugene M. Stoner (1922–1997), described by many as the most gifted firearms designer since John Browning. All Colt endurance testing was done using IMR 4475. Field tests shpwed a M-16 allowed an 8-soldier unit to outgun an 11-soldier unit armed with M14s. The “cleanup” began: The military developed bore and chamber cleaning brushes and began to distribute 22-caliber cleaning kits, firearm maintenance cards and instruction manuals, for the M16/M16A1 rifles. In October 1961, William Godel, a senior man at the Advanced Research Projects Agency, sent 10 AR-15s to South Vietnam. c. Procedures a and b above were repeated several times with foliage of varying density. First, the chrome-lined barrel was corrosion resistant. a. My rifle never laid down on me, I never had jams even though I shot it a lot because I was the armorer and shooting up the extra ammo was a benefit. Heel wound, the projectile entered the bottom of the right foot causing the leg to split from the foot to the hip. In 1960, Colt introduced the AR-15 semiautomatic rifle. Later the barrel was changed to 11.4 inches to permit the weapon to launch grenades. Two were killed by AR-15 fire. The subcommittee also concluded, “The failure on the part of officials with authority in the Army to cause action to be taken to correct the deficiencies of the 5.56mm ammunition borders on criminal negligence.”. 11. Many experts, including Bill Davis, felt the failure to chrome the chamber was responsible for many of the early malfunctions in Vietnam. The 1.75mm and 5mm apertures made adjustable for windage as well as elevation. Number of VC killed: 5 b. Several people were called to testify before the subcommittee. Popular for tactical training and fun at the range, an AR-15 makes a great addition to any firearm collection. In 1969 at the end of basic training in the US Army I was given several days of introduction to the M16. Cool story, bro! The M4A1 is identical to the M4 with the exception of its removable carrying handle, which is attached to a Picatinny Weaver rail system. Instead of having vents all around the flash suppresser, the bottom has been left solid, which reduces muzzle climb and prevents dust from flying when firing from the prone position. Ease of training. Hundreds, maybe thousands of good young American men were killed unnecessarily because their weapon seized up solid during firefights because our government and certain commercial interests were in a hurry to introduce the M-16 in country. I just haven’t been able to understand you — but perhaps you haven’t offered the information in words I can understand. He couldn’t hit a thing on full auto, but it was a standard M14 with the key installed. Number of AR-15’s employed: 5 c. Range of engagement: 30-100 meters d. Type wounds: 1. In contrast, I have had no problems firing AR-15s out to 800+ meters. Despite the positive conclusion of the test, Dr. Carten’s report stated the AR-15 had not demonstrated sufficient technical merit and should not be developed by the Army. NATO (Northern Atlantic Treaty Organization) had adopted the Belgian-made SS109. The Canadian military adopted the C7 as its main battle rifle. The Pig Board tests of the 1920s showed the greatest terminal effects at ranges under 300m with the .256 caliber round (which was a little more powerful than the .250 Savage) – the smallest caliber tested: At 300 yards the caliber .256, 125-grain flat-base bullet gave by far the most severe wounds in all parts of the animal. This is a modified SR25 Match rifle, which has a 20-inch barrel instead of 24-inch barrel. It was first used during the Vietnam … As the armorer for the 6th Engineer Bn I one had to use a hammer and screwdriver to force the bolt into full battery (with a round in the chamber!) Testing of the AR-15 weapon system had met with contempt from the Ordnance Corps. Gene Stoner repaired all the weapons; the test resumed and the weapons performed admirably. One round hit him in the right side, causing a hole about five inches in diameter. Only if you got the barrel up near 1025F would you be able to bend that by hand. In the end, the rifle was not the problem; instead, this was an ammunition-driven problem that altered the design intent of the rifle. Only two parts have been issued to date to replace breakage for the entire 1.000 weapons. I always got a center mass shot at 400 meters on the range with iron sights. The pressures involved were more than the 222 Remington case could handle, so the 222 Special was developed. The Army designated the M14A1 a squad level support level. Basically the SR25 looks like an M16 on steroids, beefed up to accommodate the 30-caliber round. I thought it was a mistake, myself. It was still too light and too lightweight a mechanism to replace the BAR, few were issued. 7. One rifle in the accuracy test delivered an amazing 10-round group at 100 yards that measured only 1.5 inches; any group under six inches at 100 yards being acceptable for an assault rifle. was the subject of our very first DTIC post. Military surgeons all over the world have asked the United Nations to ban small caliber high-velocity rounds in combat — including the 5.56×45mm and the 5.45×39mm cartridges — which they believe cause unnecessary pain and suffering. It took General LeMay three tries before his request was approved. Switzerland re-designed the M855/SS109 round with a thicker jacket to stop fragmentation upon impact. The point of all of this is that no weapon should ever be inflicted on troops in combat unless it is thoroughly tested in the environment that it will be used in. The trajectory of the AR- 15 bullet is not significantly affected when fired through dense underbrush at ranges up to 50 meters. The ammunition used when the ARPA report was being written were pre-M193 specification, but were broadly similar to that round, except for having a somewhat better ballistic coefficient. Trust me, that sucks. Stoppages on the AR-15 are easily cleared by the individual soldier through the application of “immediate action”. Initially the request was denied, the Ordnance Corps saying the military had no use for such a weapon. The Armory's stock of AR-15 Rifles and Long Guns. Now, I feel like a fool after telling anti-gunners that the AR15 was never used in our Military. The AK’s light recoil permitted controllable, accurate full-auto bursts and American troops began to feel outgunned. In truth, no cleaning or lubricant would have changed the reliable operation of the M-16 one iota: it was the ammo and the flaws in the basic design of the weapon itself. M16 rifle project manager, Col. Yout, was of particular interest to the subcommittee. If you were an 11B and carried an M14, you might remember a metal detent on the left side with a couple of holes in it. Should I be embarrassed? AR-15 Parts; AR-15 Parts. The AR-15 made use of high-impact fibrite stocks, pistol grips and handguards. In July of 1960, Air Force General Curtis LeMay attended a Fourth of July celebration where a Colt salesman placed three watermelons on a firing range at distances of 50, 100 and 150 yards — then gave General LeMay an AR-15 and loaded magazines. Looking for the best .223 and 5.56 ammo for self-defense, target shooting, and more? BRAND NEW IN THE BOX AND READY TO SHIP! The first rifles arrived from Colt in November of 1981. Product Improvement (PIP). colt m16a1 retro reissue semi auto ar15 - 223/5.56 vietnam war collection. I also went to the Gulf War with my rifle and was totally comfortable with the platform. In actual combat, the new 5.56×45mm cartridge was found to be more lethal than its 30-caliber counterparts. The Model 605A CAR-15 Carbine was a shortened version for situations where longer weapons could be unwieldy, such as aboard vehicles or helicopters.It was an improved version of the AR-15 SBR, which was a shorter barrel version of the Colt Armalite AR-15.

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