Getting to know your M16

[Brother in Arms]

Sir I also love retro AR's even though not much of an AR guy.
I am working on a Colt 610 right now and I am also building a KISS rifle not that its exactly retro but it does have a C7 upper.

As for the Semi-auto 7188 I found the thread on AR-15.com he did an amazing job. A 1200 trench gun would be good as its definitly a forgotten U.S combat shotgun.

I am a bit into Remington Model 11 shotguns and I have a Short bonnie and clyde style "whippit gun" that I may do over into a legal SBS. On the other hand I might add a magazine extension to it and make it into a semi modern "combat shotgun" because no one uses A5 type guns these days.

interesting side note...guess I should post more M16 type firearms maybe do carbines next.

[waiting4something]

Originally Posted by Brother in Arms

Sir I also love retro AR's even though not much of an AR guy.
I am working on a Colt 610 right now and I am also building a KISS rifle not that its exactly retro but it does have a C7 upper.

As for the Semi-auto 7188 I found the thread on AR-15.com he did an amazing job. A 1200 trench gun would be good as its definitly a forgotten U.S combat shotgun.

I am a bit into Remington Model 11 shotguns and I have a Short bonnie and clyde style "whippit gun" that I may do over into a legal SBS. On the other hand I might add a magazine extension to it and make it into a semi modern "combat shotgun" because no one uses A5 type guns these days.

interesting side note...guess I should post more M16 type firearms maybe do carbines next.

I have a Auto-5 myself. I thought about putting a magazine tube extension on it too, but I can't find any. I know Choate used to make them back in the 80's, but they don't anymore. Mine kicks pretty hard for some reason. Someone told me it was because the stock had been cut down a little (not whippit gun cut down), but slightly cut down.

Post as much stuff as you can about the M16 please. It's a great topic that can go on and on.

[waiting4something]

You know it be awesome to have a M177/GAU-5 commando clone with the big moderator flash suppressor. Something is just cool about that look. The one big probelm with making one, is the moderator flash suppressor counts as a suppressor according to the BATFE. So it going to cost you $200 for a tax stamp for a flash suppessor!

[HorseSoldier]

Yeah, though lookalike flash hiders that thread onto standard 16" barrels and cover back from the muzzle run about $30.

[95th Rifleman]

On the subject of the M16 it may be worth mentioning some of the more unusual modifications.

One that caught my attention was the AR57 reciever which takes an M16 or M4 and modifies it to use the P90's 5.7mm magazines.

While the magazine is strange and seemingly complicated the 5.7mm round has really good penetration. In a world of increasingly common body armour (hell even the bloody insurgens are showing up with body armour these days) this is a factor worth considering.

As far as I'm aware the 5.7mm and HK's 4.6 are the main contenders for the future NATO standard sidearm/SMG/PDW round (assuming NATO actualy has a future).

[Rockwolf66]

Locally while the AR15s fly off the shelves the AR57 thats in one of the local gunshops has been there for months. The ammo is not that common and most people prefer the much better performance of the 5.56mm round.

Personally I would love to get a dedicated 10mm AR15. I've handled a 9mm uppered Olympic arms AR and while neat the conversion block in the weapon falls out when you hit the standard AR magazine release. That isn't good as the 9mm magazine uses a differen mag release that's on the adaptor block.

[waiting4something]

Originally Posted by HorseSoldier

Yeah, though lookalike flash hiders that thread onto standard 16" barrels and cover back from the muzzle run about $30.

I know and it most likely is a better set-up since you have the extra barrel lenth, but it's just not the same. I want to feel like like a bad ass cold war warrior, lol.

[waiting4something]

I think another cool clone set-up would be the M16A2E2 ACR. I know the parts would be impossible to find, but it be something to have one. I want to say some guy did one once, but I have no idea where you get the parts for that. I wish the military would sell off all the stuff they aren't going to use instead of destroying it.

[HorseSoldier]

One that caught my attention was the AR57 reciever which takes an M16 or M4 and modifies it to use the P90's 5.7mm magazines.

Buddy of mine has one back in CONUS after he picked up a 5-7 pistol and decided he really like the round. He picked it up after I moved up here to AK, so I don't have any firsthand experience with it, but he says runs really well.

I think another cool clone set-up would be the M16A2E2 ACR. I know the parts would be impossible to find, but it be something to have one. I want to say some guy did one once, but I have no idea where you get the parts for that.

Seems like I've heard the same thing -- can't recall where, but may have been a thread on the Arfcom retro board.

[Brother in Arms]

I am building an XM177E2 or actually the GAU5 because mine has no forward assist. Its coming along nicely but the parts are hard to find if you want to stay as historically accurate as possible. Its really the only M16 variant I have much Joy for. Watched to many Vietnam movies when I was a kid I guess. It just seems to have so much soul at least as far as the AR is concerned anyway.

Brother in Arms

[waiting4something]

Originally Posted by Brother in Arms

I am building an XM177E2 or actually the GAU5 because mine has no forward assist. Its coming along nicely but the parts are hard to find if you want to stay as historically accurate as possible. Its really the only M16 variant I have much Joy for. Watched to many Vietnam movies when I was a kid I guess. It just seems to have so much soul at least as far as the AR is concerned anyway.

Brother in Arms

That's badass! The big fat moderator flash suppressor just looks cool. Even without the moderator the commando length barrels just stand out more then carbine 14.5 inchers or 16 inch civilian ones. I kinda like the no forward assist style too. The forward assist is just a unnecessary feature, and I agree with the Air Force that its better to just eject the round if there is a misfeed. The only couple times I have tried using the forward assist feature it didn't do a damn bit of good. It's crazy how the CAR-15 was never that popular, but the M4 is.

[Brother in Arms]

The CAR-15 came along to soon!
Basickly the military didn't think it needed a short weapon but the cold war ushered in a new type of combat that was more vehicular than ever. The M16a2 and M16A2 proved to be too long and ackward for vehicle usage. (Personally I think a collaspsing stock on an M16A1 is the way to go but what do I know.)

The CAR-15 of course was extremely popular (basickly standard) with SF units in jungle fighting because they needed something lighter and smaller. But for the majority of the military this wasn't a priority yet. The SF community used them until the M4 was developed. It definitly is the Grandson of the Car-15 or more so the Carbine. The original XM177 and E1 had a 10.3" barrel and then the moderator. XM177E2 had had 11.5 the the Carbine was the first to have the 14.5 and it was very popular around the world as an export. It was used by our military as well before the M4 exsisted. But the M4 was always more of an M16A2 carbine than an M16A1 type.

I can do a thread about the carbines too if youd like.

BIA