Reader and frequent commenter JimB (he of Scoresby fame) sent me a few pictures, with some text.
Indeed, I do. It's also mentioned in Chapter 14 of Stevens' and Ezell's book The Black Rifle. I was also an Army brat and I listened when the dads around me were talking.
Jim agrees we could use a new rifle. I agree we could use a new rifle. The M16 is one of the longest-serving western designs of the modern era. Not because it's the best, but perhaps because it was the best compromise. There was a *lot* of sausage-making in the saga of the M16, and a lot of people who will sputter over an assertion of it being the "best compromise." Stevens and Ezell wrote the book that counts as the Ordnance Board parallel to Upton Sinclair's The Jungle about the American meat-packing industry.
So, let us trip down the causeway of rifle-making history...
The original M16 flash suppressor. That's what this is - it isn't truly a muzzle brake - yet. It's designed to disperse the muzzle flash to lessen flash-blinding of the shooter at night, and to make the flash less visible to the enemy in all light conditions. This is what was on the initial production rifles that made it into combat in Vietnam.
This is the one that effectively channelled water into the barrel, caught on vines and creepers, and was used by the troops as a wire- and strapping-breaker. None of which can be considered features, except in the software development way that bugs are termed features.
So, we went to the "birdcage" version of the suppressor, which also served to function as a bit of a muzzle brake (not that the M16 has vicious recoil that needs controlling, really). It had the minor design flaw of a slot in it that pointed down, so that a troop firing from the prone position kicked up dust, which was a little counter to the purpose.
That lead us to the current muzzle brake, which disperses the flash, and by eliminating the bottom slot, also actually helps to reduce muzzle climb in full auto, and is the muzzle brake most troops serving today are familiar with. Some of us older guys used the M16A1 for a while, with the other muzzle brake.
While it's a serviceable weapon, that doesn't mean the field of firearms technology has been static since it was built.
Comes now the FN SCAR, by all accounts a pretty good rifle.
Note to PEO-Soldier - today's wars are being fought in dusty deserts and rocky mountains. What about tomorrow's?
Remember - you go to war with the Army (and equipment) you have. Didn't someone famous say that recently?
Even if he's fallen into disfavor, the comment still stands.
A walk down memory lane. Remember how the early M16 muzzle brake used to snag on everything in the jungle? Remember how troops used to break the prongs off using the muzzle brake to open (break the wires) around C-Rat cases?
Indeed, I do. It's also mentioned in Chapter 14 of Stevens' and Ezell's book The Black Rifle. I was also an Army brat and I listened when the dads around me were talking.
Jim agrees we could use a new rifle. I agree we could use a new rifle. The M16 is one of the longest-serving western designs of the modern era. Not because it's the best, but perhaps because it was the best compromise. There was a *lot* of sausage-making in the saga of the M16, and a lot of people who will sputter over an assertion of it being the "best compromise." Stevens and Ezell wrote the book that counts as the Ordnance Board parallel to Upton Sinclair's The Jungle about the American meat-packing industry.
So, let us trip down the causeway of rifle-making history...
The original M16 flash suppressor. That's what this is - it isn't truly a muzzle brake - yet. It's designed to disperse the muzzle flash to lessen flash-blinding of the shooter at night, and to make the flash less visible to the enemy in all light conditions. This is what was on the initial production rifles that made it into combat in Vietnam.
This is the one that effectively channelled water into the barrel, caught on vines and creepers, and was used by the troops as a wire- and strapping-breaker. None of which can be considered features, except in the software development way that bugs are termed features.
So, we went to the "birdcage" version of the suppressor, which also served to function as a bit of a muzzle brake (not that the M16 has vicious recoil that needs controlling, really). It had the minor design flaw of a slot in it that pointed down, so that a troop firing from the prone position kicked up dust, which was a little counter to the purpose.
That lead us to the current muzzle brake, which disperses the flash, and by eliminating the bottom slot, also actually helps to reduce muzzle climb in full auto, and is the muzzle brake most troops serving today are familiar with. Some of us older guys used the M16A1 for a while, with the other muzzle brake.
While it's a serviceable weapon, that doesn't mean the field of firearms technology has been static since it was built.
Comes now the FN SCAR, by all accounts a pretty good rifle.
Note to PEO-Soldier - today's wars are being fought in dusty deserts and rocky mountains. What about tomorrow's?
Remember - you go to war with the Army (and equipment) you have. Didn't someone famous say that recently?
Even if he's fallen into disfavor, the comment still stands.
I suspect your analysis of the our current battle rifle as the best compromise is accurate. It is probably a collection of best compromises. I don't know of any reputation for excellence belonging to the rifle or its carbine derivatives. But, they are accurate enough at the necessary ranges and can certainly put out a significant stream of lead. The service of the M-16 family of rifles and carbines has been long and honorable but it is time to retire them.
BTW, the combox needs a spell checker.
I used M14's in ROTC, too - we got them from the 128th FA in Columbia.
As for the spell checker - can you see the box within the comment box - there at the top of the box? The one that has MS standard formatting commands in it? If you can, the spell check is at the end of the top line.
If you can't - we need to talk what browser and settings you are using.
Now to a real rifle:
How do you dismantle a Mauser 1871 bolt? I am cleaning mine right now and I wanted to unscrew the nut (?) at the end of the bolt next to the safety lever. Like you do with a Mauser 71/84. That's not possible on a 1871.
I vaguely remembered someone around here had a few old rifles himself. Any thougths on the bolt?
When I brought his attention to the black tips, he said that was a protective coating to enable the bullet to travel farther. I'm firmly convinced the SOB found a career in procurement during the 1970-1990 timeframe...
I spent my time with the M-16 in '68 & '69. I was with the 1st Cav and we spent most of our time out in the bush due to the joys of airmobility. About a month into my tour, I picked up a CARB-15 and relocated the front end onto my M-16 stock. It was sweet in the bush and adequate in open areas.
What really ticked me off was the scarcity of the 30-round magazines. Some of our guys actually had them sent from home.
Backing out the screw on the right side of the receiver should allow you to remove the bolt.
Disassembling the bolt itself, I'll have to go home and look at mine, rather than try to talk you through it from memory.
I believe there is also a real belief on the part of the smaller makers that they can't get past Colt, FN, etc, so they don't even bother trying.
Is there a modern John Browning or even a Eugene Stoner clone out there?
They're supposedly working on a rifle-caliber version.
Other than that, it's mostly incremental - designs like the Masada (which borrowed liberally from the M16) and the RobArm XCR.
Even the Grendel and 6.8 SPC were constrained by the need to fit in an AR-framed weapon.
Personally, I still think necking down the old 7.62x45 Czech round to 6.5 would be pretty close to ideal.
We thought the AR was nice to shoot squirrels from the back porch or zip a few crows but we really didn't think it would actually hurt anybody...and that's the reason they gave it to us.
It didn't feel like a gun, it didn't sound like a gun, and there was no wood. It never dawned on us that the next generation would become the peacemaker to the world. Well...after they fixed all the upgrades the Army thought they needed.
There is only PEO-Soldier and the Marine equivalent, along with guys at SOCOM, who develop requirements and passes them to industry for development.
There's another side to this is that the basic technology is very mature, and thus isn't subject to a whole lot of tinkering at the edges - though we still may find someone who comes up with a huge conceptual breakthrough.
But with all the high-tech widgetry the Army wants on it's rifles, I don't see too many garage Armorers tinkering their way through steerable munitions.
Metal Storm (anyone heard anything about them lately?) being something along the lines of an exception there.
Plus, all the weapons being developed for the military, aside from sniping and pistols, have very little sales potential outside of the military and well-heeled law enforcement. So the incentive for the little guy is all that tweaking we're seeing in calibers, mostly based on AR-style receivers, and fiddling with alternatives on the gas system, in weapons that can be sold to regular joes.
And the semi-auto versions of the military weapons are running in the $2-5K realm, so the market isn't all that huge there, either.
Then just prior to graduation about 15 of us were called out of formation.......Tagged by 1SG as "most likely to go to the Prom", we got a couple of days with the 16. That was the last time I saw the "wire cutter" model.
I have the bolt out of the rifle (screw and washer are out). The front end of the bolt is apart from the main body of the bolt. Now I am looking at the end of the bolt. There is a screw/nut there, next to the safety lever, that I want unscrewed. With the 71/84 it's simple, but with the 1871 it look likes it's impossible for normal users (only for arsenal experts with special tools).
So, next...
Rest the firing pin point on a hardwood surface (or anything to protect the end of the pin and that won't itself be damaged by the pressure you're about to put on it) and press down on the bolt and safety until the cocking piece clears the firing pin nut.
Then unscrew the firing pin nut.
Separate the cocking piece and safety from the firing pin, and you can then remove the pin and spring from the bolt..
Reassembly is in reverse.
Make sure you align the flat on the cocking piece with the flat on the firing pin.
Lemme know how it works out
What does "most likely to go to the Prom" mean?
I am getting an invalid certificate from the PEO link.
My dad would sometimes take me out of school for the day if his ship was doing something interesting in the SOCAL OPAREA. This day they were shooting at San Clemente Island, the XO was on the wing shooting, he asked me if I wanted to shoot, looked over at dad and asked "Captain?" Dad said sure, and I got to put a few clips into the water, actually managing to hit the same ocean the casings were floating in.
Lordy, what a day! Later, when his ship deployed to Vietnam, I got to ride her as far as Pearl, standing bridge watches with the Quartermasters (navigators to you Army types). Later, all my classmates were pissed because my "how I spent my summer vacation" paper eclipsed theirs.
Today I have two Garands... wish I could have one of those old BARs and Tommy guns from back then, as well.
If you people had just adopted a decent 7mm cartridge back in the last century of the last millenium, this would not be (so much of) a problem. As a 7mm crank, I would like to point out...
[Jtg giggles, smells finger, is distracted by shiny object]
"most likely to go to the prom"......most likely to go straight to VN after training is what I meant by it, Argent.
Having been a quartermaster in that time frame I can relate. The last skipper we had while I was on board used to have the quartermasters shoot. He would issue the command, "Quartermaster, standby to repel boarders." The two Garands would come off the bulkhead and two of us would take turns shooting into the pond and the other shooting at the splash. The ammo was WWII or Korean vintage and there were always a few failure to fire rounds that wound up under the bridge wing gratings.
One morning at San Clemente we had an accidental discharge of the 5 inch 54 into the center of the illegally anchored fishing fleet at Pyramid cove. We didn't have to wait for the range safety boat to chase them away that morning. Fortunately, no one was injured.