Table of Contents
What was wrong with the M16?
The harsh jungle climate corroded the rifle’s chamber, exacerbated by the manufacturer’s decision against chrome-plating the chamber. The ammunition that accompanied the rifles sent to Vietnam was incompatible with the M16 and was the principal cause of the failure to extract malfunctions.
Why was the M16 so unreliable?
The original M-16 fielded in Vietnam was unreliable because cost cutting measures were used which required stringent maintenance in the field that soldiers either weren’t doing or not doing sufficiently. The rifle is manufactured to very tight tolerances.
Why is the M16 hated?
Vietnam War troops hated the M16 and dubbed it the “Mattel 16” because it felt more like a toy than a battle rifle. In short, the troops didn’t have faith in the rifle’s stopping power.
How bad was the M16 in Vietnam?
They found that the M16 with stick powder had 3.2 malfunctions and . 75 stoppages per 1,000 rounds. The same rifles, loaded with the army’s ball powder, faced 18.5 malfunctions and 5.2 stoppages per 1,000 rounds—a failure rate almost six times as high.
Which is better M14 or M16?
The M14 shoots 7.62×51 ammo and that is one of the primary points of contention when claiming the M16/AR15 is the better gun. On the other hand, the M16 (and its civilian version AR15) is more easily toted for long distances and, according to its many fans, is far more accurate at long range.
What did soldiers think of the M16?
The average American infantryman despised the M16. Most of it was plastic, just like a toy. About halfway through the war, enough American soldiers had been killed when their weapons jammed to get the politicians’ notice.
Was the M16 a bad rifle?
Despite what some people may tell you, an M16 is as reliable as an AK, when maintained properly. Key part: when maintained properly. The M16s bad reputation comes from the Vietnam War, but it is not a weapon design flaw. It is the way that the government issued the rifles.
Was the M14 full auto?
Also, because of the M14’s powerful 7.62×51mm cartridge, the weapon was deemed virtually uncontrollable in fully automatic mode, so most M14s were permanently set to semi-automatic fire only to avoid wasting ammunition in combat.
Why was the M16 so bad?
The result was the M16 often jammed, making the rifle “about as effective as a muzzleloader,” in the words of one officer. Men were killed in combat because they couldn’t return fire until the malfunction was cleared.
What is an M16 rifle?
The M16 rifle is one of the most iconic weapons of the post-World War II era. American fighting men have carried the M16 in one form or another into combat for more than fifty years, from Vietnam to the present day.
Was the M16 a success or failure in Vietnam?
But the story of the M16 in Vietnam is anything but a success story. In the early years of the war, the U.S. military had a problem: its primary infantry rifle, the M14, couldn’t stand up to the enemy’s AK-47s.
What is the difference between the M16A2 and the m 16a4?
The M16A2 fires the improved 5.56×45mm NATO (M855/SS109) cartridge and has a newer adjustable rear sight, case deflector, heavy barrel, improved handguard, pistol grip and buttstock, as well as a semi-auto and three-round burst fire selector. Adopted in 1998, the M16A4 is the fourth generation of the M16 series.