What was the last M16A1 modification during the Vietnam War?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - What was the last M16A1 modification during the Vietnam War?

Posted: 8/15/2017 12:53:41 AM EDT

I think that it was the Type E (storage compartment) stock. I have seen pics and film clips of soldiers in Vietnam with full fence A1s, birdcage FH, and Type D stocks. But I don't know when the chrome bore came along. Maybe there's something else I'm not thinking of.

Posted: 8/15/2017 7:23:17 AM EDT

[#1]

Chrome bores and Type E stocks started being added in 71 and we were still sending troops there as well. Not sure which one came out first however.

Posted: 8/15/2017 7:55:06 AM EDT

[#2]

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Chrome bores and Type E stocks started being added in 71 and we were still sending troops there as well. Not sure which one came out first however.

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I just want to add that when the M16A1 was first issued, it came with the D type stock and a 3-prong FH. Later in 1967, the birdcage FH replaced the 3-prong. Around late 1967 to early 1968, they made the move to a chrome chambered barrel. This happened just after the birdcage FH came about.

Posted: 8/15/2017 3:36:49 PM EDT

[#3]

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I just want to add that when the M16A1 was first issued, it came with the D type stock and a 3-prong FH. Later in 1967, the birdcage FH replaced the 3-prong. Around late 1967 to early 1968, they made the move to a chrome-lined barrel. This happened just after the birdcage FH came about.

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So you think the E stock was the last mod? Were dimples all gone by this point?

Posted: 8/15/2017 4:48:15 PM EDT

[#4]

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So you think the E stock was the last mod? Were dimples all gone by this point?

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For the most part, if not entirely, the dimples were gone with the XM16E1.

Just a word on the stocks, which doesn't really mean anything toward your question, but the Type D's were still being used into the early 90's. At least 1 of my issued rifles had a Type D, and that particular rifle was issued to me in 88 and I carried it into the 90's.

Posted: 8/15/2017 5:03:07 PM EDT

[#5]

I also carried a D stock in the 90s...but that was USAF...604s never had E stocks.

Posted: 8/15/2017 5:16:22 PM EDT

[#6]

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I also carried a D stock in the 90s...but that was USAF...604s never had E stocks.

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I was in the Army, and the only rifles that I ever carried (not counting when I was on an M60 team), were A1's. We never got any A2's. Never even so much as saw an A2, other than in magazines like SoF.

I actually didn't even remember that I carried a Type D until I was looking through some old pictures of me with my rifle.

Posted: 8/15/2017 10:19:01 PM EDT

[#7]

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I was in the Army, and the only rifles that I ever carried (not counting when I was on an M60 team), were A1's. We never got any A2's. Never even so much as saw an A2, other than in magazines like SoF.

I actually didn't even remember that I carried a Type D until I was looking through some old pictures of me with my rifle.

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Yeah, I never saw anything but 604s. Handled dozens of those, fired thousands of rounds......of blanks.

Heard talk of 3RB coming down the pike, but never saw an A2, a carbine, or a forward assist.

Posted: 8/15/2017 11:34:56 PM EDT

[#8]

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Yeah, I never saw anything but 604s. Handled dozens of those, fired thousands of rounds......of blanks.

Heard talk of 3RB coming down the pike, but never saw an A2, a carbine, or a forward assist.

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The only time we fired blanks was when we were using MILES gear. I still have about 30 rounds of blanks from back in the day, in fact.

Posted: 8/15/2017 11:55:26 PM EDT

[#9]

Has anyone actually seen the luminous front sight of the late A1?

Posted: 8/16/2017 1:24:26 AM EDT

[#10]

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The only time we fired blanks was when we were using MILES gear. I still have about 30 rounds of blanks from back in the day, in fact.

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Yep, same here. Anyone who'd been through Mob School could volunteer as an aggressor (like OpFor) against later classes. I did it as often as I could, it was a blast and it got me out of the shop. On the last day of field week the aggressors would simulate an overrunning force, and the trainees would learn site egress. We were to get close to the camp but stay out of sight, and make as much noise as we could. It was the only time we were allowed to go full auto. We'd load as many magazines full of blanks as we could fit in all those BDU pockets and just let it rip. Good times.

Posted: 8/16/2017 1:31:21 AM EDT

[#11]

^ Well, actually now that I think about it, we didn't use MILES gear on the site overrun day, because we stayed just out of sight and made noise. The rest of the week we did.

Posted: 8/16/2017 1:41:33 AM EDT

[#12]

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Has anyone actually seen the luminous front sight of the late A1?

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Not me, when did that come around?

(post 2000)

Posted: 8/16/2017 1:51:29 AM EDT

[#13]

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Quoted:
I just want to add that when the M16A1 was first issued, it came with the D type stock and a 3-prong FH. Later in 1967, the birdcage FH replaced the 3-prong. Around late 1967 to early 1968, they made the move to a chrome-lined barrel. This happened just after the birdcage FH came about.

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I think all M16 and M16A1 rifles shipped with chrome bores, modern BCGs, and birdcage/A1 flash suppressors. A1 had E stock and M16 kept D stock. Older XM16 and XM16E1 rifles were updated during rebuilds. USAF XM16 usually kept their chrome BCG if they had one.

The early rifle with 3-prong and type D stock would be an XM16 or XM16E1. Both started with full chrome BCG which was phased out. First they chrome plated the chambers, then bore+chamber. When they dropped the X prefix, all the above features were standardized.

Colt model 603 can be an XM16E1 or M16A1.
Colt model 604 can be XM16 or M16.

There was a MWO to replace all Edgewater buffers with the current rifle buffer and they were ordered destroyed. Not sure if that was before or after M16A1 adoption.

Posted: 8/16/2017 7:28:57 AM EDT

[#14]

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Quoted:
I think all M16 and M16A1 rifles shipped with chrome bores, modern BCGs, and birdcage/A1 flash suppressors. A1 had E stock and M16 kept D stock. Older XM16 and XM16E1 rifles were updated during rebuilds. USAF XM16 usually kept their chrome BCG if they had one.

The early rifle with 3-prong and type D stock would be an XM16 or XM16E1. Both started with full chrome BCG which was phased out. First they chrome plated the chambers, then bore+chamber. When they dropped the X prefix, all the above features were standardized.

Colt model 603 can be an XM16E1 or M16A1.
Colt model 604 can be XM16 or M16.

There was a MWO to replace all Edgewater buffers with the current rifle buffer and they were ordered destroyed. Not sure if that was before or after M16A1 adoption.

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Do a little more research. The early (circa 1967) M16A1 did not have a chrome bore. In late 1967 to early 1968, they did have chrome chambers. It was basically an XM16E1 with a full-fence lower. It was not until late 1971 that they had chrome bore barrels. The early M16A1 may have had either a chrome or phosphate BCG. Also, the E type stock did not appear until 1971.

Posted: 8/16/2017 7:45:08 AM EDT

[#15]

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Quoted:
Has anyone actually seen the luminous front sight of the late A1?

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Yes, in 1972 at Ft. Knox, KY in a night firing course. The front sight had a radioactive capsule inserted into the front post. The rear flip sight had what now is the Large Close Combat Aperature. I seem to recall a later MWO recalling all of the radioactive capsules for proper disposition.

--fjruple

Posted: 8/16/2017 10:41:33 AM EDT

[#16]

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Quoted:
Do a little more research. The early (circa 1967) M16A1 did not have a chrome bore. It was basically an XM16E1 with a full-fence lower. It was not until late 1967-early 1968 that they had chrome bore barrels and birdcage FHs. It may have had either a chrome or phosphate BCG. Also, the E type stock did not appear until 1971.

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Quoted:

Quoted:
I think all M16 and M16A1 rifles shipped with chrome bores, modern BCGs, and birdcage/A1 flash suppressors. A1 had E stock and M16 kept D stock. Older XM16 and XM16E1 rifles were updated during rebuilds. USAF XM16 usually kept their chrome BCG if they had one.

The early rifle with 3-prong and type D stock would be an XM16 or XM16E1. Both started with full chrome BCG which was phased out. First they chrome plated the chambers, then bore+chamber. When they dropped the X prefix, all the above features were standardized.

Colt model 603 can be an XM16E1 or M16A1.
Colt model 604 can be XM16 or M16.

There was a MWO to replace all Edgewater buffers with the current rifle buffer and they were ordered destroyed. Not sure if that was before or after M16A1 adoption.

Do a little more research. The early (circa 1967) M16A1 did not have a chrome bore. It was basically an XM16E1 with a full-fence lower. It was not until late 1967-early 1968 that they had chrome bore barrels and birdcage FHs. It may have had either a chrome or phosphate BCG. Also, the E type stock did not appear until 1971.

Effective in December 1971 at about serial number 4,700,000 along with the chamber the bores were chromed, early ones were marked C MP B. The C means Colt’s, the M means Magnetic particle inspected, the P for Proof fired, and the B for chrome Bore. The barrel extention on these not chromed:

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_123/241681_.html

Posted: 8/16/2017 12:48:41 PM EDT

[#17]

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Quoted:

Effective in December 1971 at about serial number 4,700,000 along with the chamber the bores were chromed, early ones were marked C MP B. The C means Colt’s, the M means Magnetic particle inspected, the P for Proof fired, and the B for chrome Bore. The barrel extention on these not chromed:

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_123/241681_.html

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I stand corrected. I was mistaking the chrome chamber introduction to being the chrome bore. Chrome bore did not happen until 1971 as evidenced by the above quote. My mistake. I guess it helps if I read a little slower at times.

Posted: 8/16/2017 1:55:23 PM EDT

[#18]

At 1st maintenance Company Camp Pendleton in 1971-72, we (Ordnance Platoon) were re-barreling all the 1st Division's M16A1's to the Chrome bore and chamber series barrels, but also replacing any chrome carriers and bolts with the "up-graded" mag-phosphate ones. So in my mind, it was the "up grading???" of the bolts and carriers that was the last mod...

Posted: 8/16/2017 3:27:52 PM EDT

[#19]

So we have a specific month and serial number for the chrome bores. Is it probable that the E stock came before Dec '71?

Posted: 8/16/2017 3:57:06 PM EDT

[#20]

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Quoted:
So we have a specific month and serial number for the chrome bores. Is it probable that the E stock came before Dec '71?

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It is possible that it may have been introduced before December 1971, but it still would have been in 1971.

Posted: 8/16/2017 5:53:32 PM EDT

[#21]

Yes, I own one... Still glows, but very faintly.

Posted: 8/17/2017 3:51:35 PM EDT

[#22]

The LLLSS tritium front sight post and enlarged rear sight were standard on our A1s (83-86).

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - What was the last M16A1 modification during the Vietnam War?

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