M16 rifle

The M16 is an assault rifle used by the United States since the Vietnam War in 1963, based on the AR-15. Since 1975, the M16 has been used by many different countries. First designed by Eugene Stoner in the United States of America, although it is currently being replaced by the shorter M4A1 as the standard infantry rifle used by the United States Military Forces. The rifle and its variants are still being used by over 80 nations around the world.

Rifle, 5.56 mm, M16
From top to bottom: M16A1, M16A2, M4A1, M16A4
Type	Assault rifle
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1963–present
Used by	See Users
Wars	Vietnam War Laotian Civil War Cambodian Civil War The Troubles Cambodian–Vietnamese War Communist Insurgency War Lebanese Civil War Salvadoran Civil War Falklands War 1982 Lebanon War Invasion of Grenada South Lebanon conflict (1985–2000) Bougainville Civil War United States invasion of Panama Oka Crisis Persian Gulf War Yugoslav Wars Somali Civil War Operation Deny Flight Operation Joint Endeavor Nepalese Civil War 1996 Gangneung submarine infiltration incident Kosovo War War in Afghanistan Iraq War 2006 Lebanon War Mexican Drug War 2010 Rio de Janeiro Security Crisis Syrian civil war Gaza–Israel conflict 2013 Lahad Datu standoff 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine Iraq War (2014–present)
Production history
Designer	Eugene Stoner and L. James Sullivan
Designed	1956
Manufacturer	Colt's Manufacturing Company Daewoo Precision Industries FN Herstal H&R Firearms General Motors Hydramatic Division Elisco U.S. Ordnance
Produced	1959–present
No. built	about 8 million
Variants	See Variants
Specifications (M16)
Mass	7.18 lb (3.26 kg) (unloaded) 8.79 lb (3.99 kg) (loaded)
Length	39.5 in (1,003 mm)
Barrel length	20 in (508 mm)
Cartridge	5.56×45mm NATO
Action	Gas-operated, rotating bolt (direct impingement)
Rate of fire	12–15 rounds/min sustained 45–60 rounds/min semi-automatic 700–950 rounds/min cyclic
Muzzle velocity	3,110 ft/s (948 m/s)
Effective firing range	800 meters
Maximum firing range	800 meters
Feed system	20-round detachable box magazine: 0.211 lb (96 g) empty / 0.738 lb (335 g) full 30-round detachable box magazine: 0.257 lb (117 g) empty / 1.06 lb (480 g) full) Beta C-Mag 100-round double-lobed drum: 2.20 lb (1,000 g) empty / 4.81 lb (2,180 g) full)
Sights	Iron sights

The M16 uses the 5.56mm NATO (.223) caliber cartridge, with a muzzle velocity (the speed of bullet leaving the rifle) of over 900 meters per second (over 3,000 feet per second), and has a maximum effective range of 600 yards, with a rate of fire (how fast the gun shoots) of approximately 800 rounds per minute. The M16A1 can shoot semi automatic and fully automatic fire. The M16A2 can shoot semi automatic and three-round-burst fire. The M4A1 Carbine retains full automatic and semi automatic fire. The M16 normally holds 30 cartridges in its magazine, but there are variants of the magazine that hold only 20 or 10 cartridges.

There is also an M16 variant for the Canadian Army called Diemaco C-7. The Diemaco C-7 rifles have maple leaves on the left side.

M16 Rifle Media

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  A Marine of the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines cleans his XM16E1 in December 1967.

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  The M16 gas redirect system, incorrectly labeled as direct impingement. The gif does not show the operating mechanism of the rifle, only the gas redirect system.

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  Front cover – The M16A1 Rifle – Operation and Preventive Maintenance by Will Eisner, issued to American soldiers in the Vietnam War.

• Video of Rifle 5.56mm, XM16E1, Operation and Cycle of Functioning

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  M16 internal piston action system

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  M16 sight picture when using the 0.070 in (1.78 mm) rear aperture

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  M16A2 with unmarked aperture rear sight for normal firing situations raised. The larger aperture, marked '0-2', is flipped down.

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  Fully adjustable rear sight, brass deflector and forward assist of the M16A2

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  NATO E-type silhouette target

Related pages

• AR-15

References

• Rose, Alexander. American Rifle-A Biography. 2008; Bantam Dell Publishing. ISBN 978-0-553-80517-8.