Need your help/advice on optics , supressors and so on!

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by B.T.

Oh no, it's that old optics thing again.

But I am really uncertain about several facts concerning the variants of the M16 in the T2k universe.

That's what I think is correct:
The standard rifle for all the US combat troops is the M16A2. I assume, a small contingent of M4 carbines has been issued. The majority is of the first production type, with the new handguard.
Another model would be the M4 or M4A1 MWS, the one with the rails.
The SOPMOD block 1 is in use, but only in very limited numbers.

I've read several things about the M16A3: Now, what is it? Is it a M16A2 variant with the full-auto option but with a fixed rear-sight/carrying handle, or is a flat top?

Next question: When have the M16 MWS variants been fielded? Or when were the rails for the long barrel rifle variants put into production or use?

I am well aware, that a lot more variants would be in use, especially the M16A2 carbine variants (M-733, M-723, maxbe even older XM-177En). Civilian versions will also be encountered.

How easy (or not) would it be, to equip the older versions with the A1-style handguards with the parts of the SOPMOD kits?
Would all the M4 variants be flat-tops?

I know, it is a very complicated issue, so I could really use a little help on this.

Any constructive income is welcome!

The M16A3 is the M16A2 with a flattop receiver, topped by a MIL-STD-1913
rail. The front sight is retained; a BUIS (Backup Iron Sight) can be attached to the receiver rail, and the BUIS for the M16A3 isn't much different from that of the M16A2 in function. Some BUISs fold, allowing the shooter to keep it on his rifle even when optics are attached. The M16A3 uses the 3-round burst setting of the M16A2.

The M16A4 is the M16A3 with full-auto capability instead of the 3-round burst setting.

There is also an AR-15A3, which is the same as the M16A3 except that it can be used only in the semiautomatic mode, and has been designed to be virtually impossible to be converted to automatic fire. (The AR-15A2 is also designed to be close to impossible to convert to automatic fire.)

In either case, a standard rear sight/carrying handle can be attached to the receiver rail.

The standard M4 is basically a shrunken M16A2. M4 handguards cannot be used on an M16 or AR15 series and vice-versa. The M4A1 is the M4 equivalent of the M16A4. I've heard of an M4A2, but I don't remember offhand what its characteristics are. A civilian version of the M4 exists (going by the same name), but it has a 16-inch barrel as opposed to the 14.5-inch barrel of a military M4.

The SOPMOD kit was originally designed specifically for the M-4 series, but SOPMOD kits have since been developed for the M16A3 and M16A4. These have four-point MIL-STD-1913 rails on the handguards. The SOPMOD handguards can also be used with the M16A2 (or M16A1, M16, or AR-15 series for that matter). A plethora of accessories and optics have been designed for use with an M16 series rifle with SOPMOD rails.

M16-series rifles (and AR-15s and AR-15A1s) cannot have their handguards fitted with the SOPMOD kit, but their handguards can be replaced with the handguards of the M16A3/A4 or handguards with SOPMOD rails. Takes all of 30 seconds if you're taking your time. A good gunsmith can also take off the carrying handle of earlier M16s and AR-15s, leaving it flat; these have been fitted with Weaver rails, MIL-STD-1913 rails, drilling and tapping for scope bases, or special solutions for specific bases and optics (primarily early in the development of the M16/AR-15 series when the M16A3/A4/M4A1/AR-15A3 were not yet available). Adapters also exist to mount optics directly on the carrying handle of earlier rifles, but most shooters felt that this was a bad solution, leading to instability and bad aiming due to inadequate cheek weld and leaving them a little more vulnerable since they had to raise their head a little higher to use the optics.

The sliding stock of the M4 can be attached to M16/AR-15 series rifles.

The M16/AR-15/M4 series is perhaps the most copied rifle in the world; numerous clones exist, many of which have different rail solutions, sight solutions, barrel lengths, or items like muzzle brakes or shooter-removable flash suppressors or muzzle brakes that allow the attachment of suppressors. True silencers for the M16/M4/AR-15 are relatively rare, since they exact a serious penalty on the round's range and accuracy (particular when using a subsonic round). The M16 series is known to not function efficiently with less than a 10-inch barrel (though the Israelis, for a short time, used a CAR-16 with the barrel cut down to 9 inches). This is a problem with the Stoner direct gas impingement system and not the round. When they are used with less than a 14.5-inch barrel, muzzle blast and flash become progressively more massive, which is why many such shortened rifles have muzzle brake/flash suppressor combinations, massive muzzle brakes, or suppressors.

I'm willing to bet that someone would have modified the M16A1, M16A2, and M4 to the M16A3/A4 or M4A1 standard in the T2K timeline, whether informally in small batches or on a limited production basis (assuming they don't actually exist in T2K in the first place).

I'd like to offer you constructive income, but I could use some constructive income myself...(yes, I do know that was a mistype, but it was a funny mistype.)