What is a CAR-15 and how is it different than an AR-15?

the CAR-15 is an AR-15 with a collapsible stock. look at the AR15 logo in the upper left-hand corner. a CAR-15 looks like that, but usually has a 16 inch barrel. sometimes with a 5.5inch flash suppressor attached to a 10 1/2 inch barrel.


post-ban CAR-15 owning lib

Does the Army still issue the CAR-15?

This has been discussed a few times, my take on this.

The CAR-15 name was originally used with the XM177, XM177E1 and E2 carbines during the Vietnam war, short carbines with 10.5" barrels with 5.5" FHs have been also generally labeled as CAR-15s, but the [b]true[/b] CAR-15s were the old Colt military carbines.

kane,i believe the US Armed Forces do not use the old XM series anymore, i think the Air Force hung onto them the longest, the various special operations units used them long after Vietnam until the advent of other Colt carbines, such as the M653, and the newer M4 and M4A1 carbines.

Edited cause i can´t frickin spell

What TUUKKA said.....also the XM-144 was another model of CAR-15 with the 10.5 or 11.5 inch barrel and collapsible stock......also I think the original flash hider was only about 3" and banned by ATF because the original flash hider design was thought to suppress the sound....seriously...therefore it was part "suppressor" I guess......BTW Army doesn't use them anymore....we use M-4's now....might find one in a museum at Bragg or Benning

J_Smith, i don´t believe there was a XM-144,as i recall the carbines at that times were:

Model 607
Model 609
Model 610
Model 619
Model 620
Model 629

I just finished reading [i]BlackHawk Down[/i] last night.  I was wondering about the CAR-15, since it was being used by most of the guys on the ground.

Anybody want to explain why the Army changed to the M-4?

double handgaurd heat shields, gay "notch" in barrel for grenage launcher mount.

Kane, as far as the BHD mentions of the CAR-15, the weapons were a various mix of carbines, but they were mostly 14.5" barreled ones.

I think Mark Bowden received info on the weapons from soldiers or somewhere elsewhere and just wrote about CAR-15s as a simple overall term for the carbines.

Here is a pretty good article on the various carbines and the developement of the M4 and M4A1.

For book info on the subject:

The Black Rifle
Special Warfare, Special Weapons