M16 Rifle: Assault 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, it is currently the standard infantry rifle used by the United States Military Forces. The rifle is being used by over 80 nations.
| 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 |
|
| 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.
Related pages
References
- Rose, Alexander. American Rifle-A Biography. 2008; Bantam Dell Publishing. ISBN 978-0-553-80517-8.
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