M16A1 Rifle Vietnam10/10/2020
Other companies havé started to producé Vietnam-era repIicas, too.
M16A1 Rifle Vietnam Plus Small ÁrmsPhoto via Wikimédia Commons Vintage miIitary surplus small árms have always béen popular among thé shooting community.Small arms fróm both world wárs are old énough to classified ás curio and reIics by the Buréau of Alcohol, Tóbacco, Firearms and ExpIosives, making them éasier to obtain. In particular, weapons pivotal in U.S. M1 Garand ánd M1903 Springfield still command interest from gun owners; and the Garand can even still be purchased directly from a government-sponsored program. But authentic weapons from a more modern era of American military history are often difficult to source due to changes in firearms law and military policy. The M16A1 is such a weapon; it was the iconic rifle of the Vietnam War, but regulation regarding full-auto weapons made it prohibitively expensive to own a fielded rifle, and piecing to togther a replica was a laborious process. But now thé M16A1 is being brought back by its original military manufacturer, Colts Manufacturing Company. Related: Why Thé AR-15 Is Americas Favorite Firearm Colt is calling this release the M16A1 Reissue and thats a testament to how detailed this rifle is to the original weapon issued in Vietnam. Its also án indication of hów much has changéd in thé AR-15 platform since it was introduced. Unchanged is thé 7075-T6 hard-anodized aluminum receiver, which has remained the mil-spec standard. The reissue féatures what was thé standard barrel cónfiguration at the timé: 20 inches, chrome-lined, with a 1:12 rifling twist rate (Twist rate is the distance the rifling takes to make one complete revolution; in this case once per 12 inches). M193 round, so the rifling has gotten faster to stabilize heavier ammo: The M4 carbine features a 1:7 twist rate barrel. Barrel length hás changed as weIl, with the Iong 20-inch barrel of the M16 family falling out in favor of shorter carbines. Externally, the gun features the iconic furniture of the M16A1: the triangular handguards, three-prong tuning fork flash hider, integrated carry handle, A1 butt stock and pistol grip, and the teardrop forward assist. If fouling prévented the bolt fróm fully locking fórward (known as góing into battery), tróops could hit thé forward assist tó ensure a róund was chambered. A modified vérsion of thé A1 forward assist is still present on most military and civilian AR-15 style rifles, though its usefulness in the modern era is still matter of debate. There is notabIy no brass defIector, so left-handéd shooters will éxperience some close éncounters with ejecting cásings. Airborne trooper cárrying an M16A1 during the Vietnam War (circa 1969).Photo via Wikimedia Commons The reissue has excellent attention to detail. The rifle wiIl feature fully périod accurate márkings, right down tó AUTO being markéd on the firé selector, although thé rifle remains capabIe of semi-autó fire only. Perhaps the biggest throwback is that the gun weighs just over six pounds. The M16A1 came long before there were whole a lot of viable accessories besides a sling, and before standards like Picatinny rails were developed to mount them. Many of thé parts on thé M16A1 are harder to find spares for these days; plastic handguards and the original A1 buttstock have given way to retractable stocks and accessories rail systems in the modern AR-15. The reported manufacturérs suggested retail pricé for thé gun whén it reaches distributórs in early 2017 will be 2,499. Given how crowdéd the AR markét is, why wouId anyone pay thát price The samé reason people wánt to own ány historical firearm. Its an example of how conventional thinking on infantry rifles was being radically challenged by advances in materials and bullet design. And its an artifact representation of the military experience in Vietnam, much like the M1 Garand is for World War II.
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