From Gunpedia
 |
| M16A1 |
|---|
| Country of origin |
United States of America
| | Designer |
Colt
| | Production begins |
February 28, 1967
| | Production ends |
1985
| | Weapon type |
Assault Rifle
| | Caliber |
5.56x45mm (.223 Remington), M193
| | Action |
Gas operated, Rotating bolt
| | Overall length |
986 millimeters
| | Barrel length |
508 millimeters
| | Weight empty |
2.9 kilograms
| | Magazine capacity |
20 or 30 rounds
| | Rate of fire |
650 - 750 rounds per minute
| | Maximum effective range |
460 meters
| | Muzzle velocity |
945 meters per second
| | Other operators |
Israel, Greece, others
| |
The prototype army-version, XM16E1 (now known as "M16A1"), was essentially the same weapon as the M16 with the addition of a forward assist. The M16A1 was the finalized production model. To address issues raised by the XM16E1's testing cycle, a "bird-cage" flash suppressor replaced the XM16E1's three-pronged flash suppressor, which was too easy for foreign material to get into and which caught on twigs and leaves. After numerous problems in the field, numerous changes were fielded. Cleaning kits were developed and issued; barrels with chromed chambers and later fully-chromed bores were introduced. The number of malfunctions due to fouling and corrosion declined and later troops were generally unfamiliar with early problems. A rib was built into the side of the receiver on the XM16E1 to help prevent accidentally pressing the magazine release button when closing the ejection port cover and perhaps also to protect the receiver from wear from the cover hitting up against it. This rib was later extended on production M16A1s to help in preventing the magazine release from inadvertently being pressed. The bolt cam pin and the hole it rides in the bolt were tapered to prevent the bolt from being inserted upside down (creating a failure to eject).
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