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Posted: 10/12/2022 10:41:13 AM EDT
[#1]
They actually used and passed around Mattel Marauders in training at one point, so he might technically not be wrong. If he remembers holding the toy in training, he might have honestly believed his real M16A1 was in fact made by Mattel. We have actually dealt with this before here and had to explain this.
ETA: This was several years before Rubber Ducks were a thing, so I can see how useful something like this could be.  " /> |
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Posted: 10/12/2022 10:58:25 AM EDT
[#2]
The handgrip of the M16 rifle was made by Mattel. When the gun was first introduced in Vietnam, soldiers noticed the toy company’s logo embossed on the handgrip and complained. Later shipments arrived without the imprint, but the grips were still manufactured by Mattel.
I guess not… I don’t have proof, just stories from a veteran. My bad. |
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Posted: 10/12/2022 11:07:28 AM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryQuoted: The handgrip of the M16 rifle was made by Mattel. When the gun was first introduced in Vietnam, soldiers noticed the toy company’s logo embossed on the handgrip and complained. Later shipments arrived without the imprint, but the grips were still manufactured by Mattel. I have never seen any documentation that supports this. “Pics or it didn’t happen…” |
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Posted: 10/12/2022 11:13:57 AM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryQuoted: The handgrip of the M16 rifle was made by Mattel. When the gun was first introduced in Vietnam, soldiers noticed the toy company’s logo embossed on the handgrip and complained. Later shipments arrived without the imprint, but the grips were still manufactured by Mattel. 100% false. I’m sure tens of thousands of grips have passed through this groups hands and none were made by Mattel |
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Posted: 10/12/2022 11:16:34 AM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted: The handgrip of the M16 rifle was made by Mattel. When the gun was first introduced in Vietnam, soldiers noticed the toy company’s logo embossed on the handgrip and complained. Later shipments arrived without the imprint, but the grips were still manufactured by Mattel.  Attached File |
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Posted: 10/12/2022 11:28:59 AM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryQuoted: The handgrip of the M16 rifle was made by Mattel. When the gun was first introduced in Vietnam, soldiers noticed the toy company’s logo embossed on the handgrip and complained. Later shipments arrived without the imprint, but the grips were still manufactured by Mattel. Well OP, here is your answer as to how this continues to be a thing....this stuff just never dies. My father spent 33 years in the military and retired as a well respected military strategist. He did tons of overseas deployments and has plenty of time behind M16 - M4 variants. Still, his knowledge and understanding of the platform is limited and he believed (until we discuss it) many of these rumors (or whatever you want to call them). |
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Posted: 10/12/2022 11:30:26 AM EDT
[#7]
The handgrip argument is an aggravating one as well. Unfortunately there are articles you can find on a google search that repeat this, but I'm with aeyoung and Americansheepdog. Receipts or it didn't happen!
Also, Mattel did not work in composites, they worked with cardboard, plastic, and pot metal. They have no experience with the materials used to build the grips, stocks, or handguards. |
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Posted: 10/12/2022 11:34:18 AM EDT
[#8]
Another thing to keep in mind..
Most Joe's aren't gun guys. At least not to extent we are. We thrive on the minutiae and details. Most just know they had an M-16 or an M-4. |
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Posted: 10/12/2022 11:39:39 AM EDT
[#9]
It’s the Mandela Effect
I roamed the woods most of my childhood with a 22 rifle. Nailing a squirrel in the head at 50 yards with open sights wasn’t anything special. Most of my friends could do the same. I was a Boy Scout (USAF) so this isn’t indicative of any riflemen experience. I saw my first ‘M16’ in 1983. It was for qualifying at boot camp and utilized .22LR adapters. I remember thinking what a piece of shit. As I joined and left different organizations we would be assigned an off the rack M16. Qualifying with the actual 556 round changed my mind. Although I know and believe the posters saying it didn’t happen, until the internet arrived (to me) in the late 90’s I would have argued I carried a Mattel at some point. I can remember it vividly yet it didn’t happen. 
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Posted: 10/12/2022 11:42:28 AM EDT
[#10]
John Wayne broke a Mattel Marauder in "The Green Berets" movie.
That's about as close as it got... 1) I (also) want to see physical evidence to the contrary, if it exists. Not 50+ year old conflated recollections from someone who may or may not know the difference. 2) Just having a "Vietnam Veterans" hat on does not confer any knowledge whatsoever. If I had a nickel for every fake Vietnam Veteran/Navy SeAL/Sniper/Green Beret/Ranger etc... that I've run across, I could afford to buy myself a fake Mattel M16! |
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Posted: 10/12/2022 11:42:43 AM EDT
[#11]
Bite your tongue. Walk away. Let fools be fools.
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Posted: 10/12/2022 11:50:53 AM EDT
[#12]
who cares what company made the stock, grips, forend, etc..
damn thing ran like a sewing machine and evolved into what we have today.. |
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Posted: 10/12/2022 12:30:25 PM EDT
[#13]
With all the rumors of Mattel M16's that were out there, you guys dont think a few artistic GI's didn't realistically mark up a few guns with the Logo to feed the rumor?
That could explain things. My dad, who we lost 2 years back, was a smart well educated guy (He was a psychologist) served from 64-68 & did a tour swore he saw a Mattel marked M16. |
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Posted: 10/12/2022 12:31:04 PM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted: 100% false. I’m sure tens of thousands of grips have passed through this groups hands and none were made by Mattel I'm no expert but I'm going to go with this right here. |
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Posted: 10/12/2022 12:34:28 PM EDT
[#15]
I do not engage in gunshop conversations. Ever.
That's how I deal with it. |
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Posted: 10/12/2022 1:02:39 PM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted: With all the rumors of Mattel M16's that were out there, you guys dont think a few artistic GI's didn't realistically mark up a few guns with the Logo to feed the rumor? That could explain things. My dad, who we lost 2 years back, was a smart well educated guy (He was a psychologist) served from 64-68 & did a tour swore he saw a Mattel marked M16. Props to your Pops! 
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Posted: 10/12/2022 2:25:40 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I do not engage in gunshop conversations. Ever. That's how I deal with it. |
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Posted: 10/12/2022 3:12:14 PM EDT
[#18]
Just ask them what Mattel's CAGE code is.
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Posted: 10/12/2022 3:24:04 PM EDT
[#19]
My uncles, sister inlaws, husbands, neighbors, newspaper boys, moms, uncles, kids teachers, cousins dog walker used to work at Mattel and was in charge of QC of the grips they made. 100% true swears by his dogs chew toys.
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Posted: 10/12/2022 3:33:06 PM EDT
[#20]
My uncle who went to Korea in the Mid or Late 70s also swore he had a Mattel Marked (ie the lower) M16… I had to shut that down REAL quick in that conversation.
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Posted: 10/12/2022 3:33:30 PM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Just ask them what Mattel's CAGE code is. Lol |
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Posted: 10/12/2022 3:35:06 PM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryQuoted: who cares what company made the stock, grips, forend, etc.. damn thing ran like a sewing machine and evolved into what we have today.. Not at first. It had problems with chamber corrosion, dirty ammo & probably got more than one guy killed because of it. |
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Posted: 10/12/2022 3:41:44 PM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Not at first. It had problems with chamber corrosion, dirty ammo & probably got more than one guy killed because of it. Partially true. “At first” the 601 was in the field and SF and SEALS, etc LOVED them. The 601 had no chrome bore and chamber and I haven't seen any reports of corroded bores and chambers, or over-sped actions from that era. Then the Army had to go and mess with the TDP and not issue cleaning kits, leading to the issue you're describing. Not to mention the fact those guys in 1964-1966 with XM16E1s with these problems were often originally trained on the M14. It was a combination of circumstances that lead to a bad situation. |
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Posted: 10/12/2022 3:46:33 PM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Just ask them what Mattel's CAGE code is. 67CS2, for those looking to clone their issued Mattel M16A1. 
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Posted: 10/12/2022 3:56:32 PM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I do not engage in gunshop conversations. Ever. That's how I deal with it. This is the way. had the Assistant Fudd at a soon to be dead shop recently 1) tell me that i couldn't build more than 3 guns in my lifetime without an FFL. (oh, thanks for letting me know) 2) ask me just what i planned on doing with the 3 brownells BRN-22 receivers once they were built. (shoot them, what else are they good for?) i used them once more for a complete firearm, and the owner screamed that i was a liar when i said he wasn't there on the agreed upon time day. assistant fudd vouched that i was there and owner was out. The transfer moved through while the owner repeatedly told me how he had been trying to sell the gun i was having transferred because he thought i had stood him up. Other times, they have been friendly and gracious going out of the way to treat family members well. I love to shoot, but man, the stupidity in a lot of gun shops is unbearable. |
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Posted: 10/12/2022 4:05:00 PM EDT
[#26]
I thought everyone knew only the soldiers that guarded the moon landing sound stage carried Mattel M16’s.
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Posted: 10/12/2022 4:10:24 PM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Not at first. It had problems with chamber corrosion, dirty ammo & probably got more than one guy killed because of it. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: who cares what company made the stock, grips, forend, etc.. damn thing ran like a sewing machine and evolved into what we have today.. Not at first. It had problems with chamber corrosion, dirty ammo & probably got more than one guy killed because of it. and yet.. it DID evolve.. |
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Posted: 10/12/2022 4:32:42 PM EDT
[#28]
I don't know about the A1s, but I have a rare A2 with the rare "crooked 2" rollmark made by Jeremiah McCallister, who had Tardive Dyskinesia; he messed up the 2 during one of his uncontrollable twitches. He made an uncontrolled hard right turn off of Mullholland and they left the 2 in memorium.
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Posted: 10/12/2022 4:54:51 PM EDT
[#29]
 When will this nonsense die? The Myth of Mattel's M16 - Podcast 18 I had an NCO who swore he was issued a Mattel M16A1 at basic training... and other nonsense with that guy.
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Posted: 10/12/2022 4:56:18 PM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Bite your tongue. Walk away. Let fools be fools. This is the way. |
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Posted: 10/12/2022 5:08:29 PM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryQuoted: 67CS2, for those looking to clone their issued Mattel M16A1. |
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Posted: 10/12/2022 5:32:11 PM EDT
[#32]
I did not want to disrespect the guy................. That's when the employee with the veteran hat on told me he held them in Vietnam and what did I know? There are no shortages of dumb asses in the military. Complicating this are cases of stolen valor and exaggerated but maybe otherwise true stories. Firearms knowledge is often very minimal for the average person in the military. |
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Posted: 10/12/2022 5:41:10 PM EDT
[#33]
Quote HistoryQuoted: There are no shortages of dumb asses in the military. Complicating this are cases of stolen valor and exaggerated but maybe otherwise true stories. Firearms knowledge is often very minimal for the average person in the military. |
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Posted: 10/12/2022 5:42:18 PM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryQuoted: When will this nonsense die? The Myth of Mattel's M16 - Podcast 18 I had an NCO who swore he was issued a Mattel M16A1 at basic training... and other nonsense with that guy. |
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Posted: 10/12/2022 5:47:47 PM EDT
[#35]
I wouldn't want a weapon with the 'Mattel' logo on it.
To me, the best assault rifle ever made was made by Hasbro...  To this day the ATF is still trying to ban them. |
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Posted: 10/12/2022 6:21:42 PM EDT
[#36]
I had no idea the ghost gun actually exists. So it's been Hasbro this whole time
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Posted: 10/12/2022 6:24:15 PM EDT
[#37]
Quoted: Yesterday I was in a local gun shop, ... I don't remember the last time I went in to a dedicated 'gun shop' for anything more than to pick up something being transferred to me that required paperwork, and stories like this are exactly why. If it isn't someone talking out of their ass, it's someone being an asshole, or monopolizing the sales staff's time with nonsense. |
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Posted: 10/12/2022 6:25:33 PM EDT
[#38]
Quote HistoryQuoted: and yet.. it DID evolve.. Yes it did in spite of or maybe even because of the bureaucratic boondoggle that caused it to be an unreliable weapon in the beginning. It took a a year or two before it became that "sewing machine" you alluded to. |
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Posted: 10/12/2022 7:27:57 PM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Another thing to keep in mind.. Most Joe's aren't gun guys. At least not to extent we are. We thrive on the minutiae and details. Most just know they had an M-16 or an M-4. Correct. I remember us joking about Mattel guns a-way back then but don't think anybody really believed it. After all, the manufacturer's name was right there on the rifle. But stack on 50 or 60 years, memories fade and change and some old guys get frustrated. Personal example: I toted a "CAR-15" for a bit and could not today tell you whether it was an XM177E1 or an E2. And I was in fact a "gun guy." But I'm not gonna join the group down at Fuddville and argue about it. Or here either...... |
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Posted: 10/12/2022 7:38:15 PM EDT
[#40]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I do not engage in gunshop conversations. Ever. That's how I deal with it. This. |
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Posted: 10/12/2022 10:10:16 PM EDT
[#41]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Correct. I remember us joking about Mattel guns a-way back then but don't think anybody really believed it. After all, the manufacturer's name was right there on the rifle. But stack on 50 or 60 years, memories fade and change and some old guys get frustrated. Personal example: I toted a "CAR-15" for a bit and could not today tell you whether it was an XM177E1 or an E2. And I was in fact a "gun guy." But I'm not gonna join the group down at Fuddville and argue about it. Or here either...... Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Another thing to keep in mind.. Most Joe's aren't gun guys. At least not to extent we are. We thrive on the minutiae and details. Most just know they had an M-16 or an M-4. Correct. I remember us joking about Mattel guns a-way back then but don't think anybody really believed it. After all, the manufacturer's name was right there on the rifle. But stack on 50 or 60 years, memories fade and change and some old guys get frustrated. Personal example: I toted a "CAR-15" for a bit and could not today tell you whether it was an XM177E1 or an E2. And I was in fact a "gun guy." But I'm not gonna join the group down at Fuddville and argue about it. Or here either...... I thought of myself as a gun-geek when I was in, but the only reason I know we had a Hydramatic M16A2 is from being a car guy. It was years later I learned my memory wasn't messing with me after learning that that Hydramatic only made M16A1's. There was some re-working done. I also remember my issue 1911A1 as being a Remington Rand, but the serial number on my weapons card says it was a Colt by serial. Mixmaster. |
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Posted: 10/13/2022 6:08:47 AM EDT
[#42]
Yes, total garbage the Mattel fallacy stories. And I believe it's true most former serviceman of yester-year didn't really pay any attention on there weapon system manufactures ie M16, M16A1, M60 & M2 that I was introduced to as a Marine 1978-82. Today's serviceman may be more informed thanks to the internet.
What I did pay attention to was hi-fi stereo systems you could buy at the main exchange overseas!!! Pioneer, MacIntosh, Yamaha, Akai etc, etc, etc. I still have my system I bought 1979-80 while stationed in Okinawa less original turntable. Receiver, equalizer, cassette deck, headphones & JBL speakers (was tapped out and couldn't afford the reel to reel I wanted @ $450). Listen to it daily still to this day. Now that's more important to me plus why I stay out of gun shops as much as possible.  
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Posted: 10/13/2022 7:04:45 AM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Today's serviceman may be more informed thanks to the internet. I would hope so. "Back-in-the-day" all we had was grunt superstition. Nice set up, Wags. I'm jealous. |
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Posted: 10/13/2022 8:16:48 AM EDT
[#44]
No offense to any gun store clerks in the forum, but the only things I want to hear from the counter jockeys is "May I help you" and "Your NCIS went through for the transfer."
Have never learned anything from overheard conversations and I'm not anyone's teacher. |
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Posted: 10/13/2022 9:20:36 AM EDT
[#45]
I guess someone swore that Mattel made magazines too.
RIA auction catalog, september 2012.  "The Mattel M16A1: A Frontier Between Truth & Mythology" by Martin k.a. Morgan would have been the resolutive speech at the NRA convention but i guess it never materialized due to covid, am i wrong? That said, the only Mattel connection i have is a picture from JOTC Panama during Vietnam war, a green beret sitting with a Marauder on his lap, the veteran pictured said that he would use it to scare recruits. I will dig the pic out. |
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Posted: 10/13/2022 9:32:38 AM EDT
[#46]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I guess someone swore that Mattel made magazines too. RIA auction catalog, september 2012. https://images2.imgbox.com/6f/3b/vUxvW9Xn_o.jpg "The Mattel M16A1: A Frontier Between Truth & Mythology" by Martin k.a. Morgan would have been the resolutive speech at the NRA convention but i guess it never materialized due to covid, am i wrong? That said, the only Mattel connection i have is a picture from JOTC Panama during Vietnam war, a green beret sitting with a Marauder on his lap, the veteran pictured said that he would use it to scare recruits. I will dig the pic out. Hey, if an auction house says it, it HAS TO BE TRUE |
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Posted: 10/13/2022 9:56:20 AM EDT
[#47]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Hey, if an auction house says it, it HAS TO BE TRUE definitely Also, why a GI wouldn't trust a Mattel handguard while at the sime time he would trust a complete rifle made by General Motors?
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Posted: 10/13/2022 11:52:27 AM EDT
[#48]
Quote HistoryQuoted: definitely Also, why a GI wouldn't trust a Mattel handguard while at the sime time he would trust a complete rifle made by General Motors? GI’s didn’t t have a choice unless they were not a regular GI. A frogman or GB maybe got to choose. A ‘Joe’ didn’t choose anything he didn’t steal or trade for. My best friend had to transition from M14 to M16. He was so unsure of the new tech he volunteered to carry the M79 (I may be wrong on model) but ‘grenade launcher’. Said you’d be surprised the grenades could bounce back if you didn’t know what you were doing). His ‘field testing’ ended in a rice patty with the loss of his lower leg. He now contends they targeted grenadiers (sp?) and he was a dumbass for avoiding the M16. He also claims his lower leg was worth all the poon he got recuperating in Oki. He’s fading fast and men like him are becoming rare (at least in my small world). btw- I’m aware you were just being jolly, it was just a chance to brag on my friend. 
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Posted: 10/13/2022 1:08:53 PM EDT
[#49]
Wonder if one could FOIA Mattel for a letter stating once and for all and put this to rest.
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Posted: 10/13/2022 3:42:35 PM EDT
[#50]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Wonder if one could FOIA Mattel for a letter stating once and for all and put this to rest. Still wouldn't be enough for some 
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