I was just wondering where the #'s for AR and M came from? why are they (ar)15 and (m)16?

geeez, guys and gals,are we slack'n?  I thought for sure this would be the board with my answer!

well the original company came out with ar15 and ofcourse the military changes the names on everything.  ex. humvees to M1089 or somthing weird.  thats wht i think.  it might be inaccurate though.

I wonder if its just a WD-40 thing(how many tries it took ot get it right) or if there is logic behind the #15 [:\]

Yup, the AR-180 is exactly an AR-18 with a zero stuck on the end to denote it is a semi-only sporter.  The AR-18 is select fire.

I don't know near enough about Stoners to gie any insight on that.  I know there was a Stoner 62 planned in 7.62mm, but what the other 61 models were, I haven't a clue.

As for the "M16" designation, that's a military designation assigned by the Government.  "M" is for model.  The M16 came after the M15, which was a heavy barrel M14 that was cancelled.  There have been a series of other rifle model numbers, but they have been experimental.  The Army puts an "X" in front of the experimental one and then just drops the "X" if it gets adopted.  If it doesn't, then the next model number is used for the next experimental.  That's why there is a gap between M16 and M21 (M14 sniper) and the M21 and M24.  We are currently up to M25 (another precision rifle based on the M14).  "A" is an adopted variation, like M16A1=the first adopted variation of an adopted model.  Experimental variations are "E", so the M16A1E1 was the first experimental variation of the first adopted variation of the M16.  When it was adopted, it bacame the M16A2, for the second adopted variation of the rifle.  Minor product improvments do not warrant their own designation.  There were something like 195 product improvments to the M16A1 from begining to end, but the designation never changed.  It's only when you actually change something major, or more rarely, for political reasons.

As a side note the M4 is simply the fourth carbine the US has adopted since going to model numbers.  M1, M2, and M3 were WWII and Korea, all based on the .30 carbine.  We just haven't had a carbine again until now, so the next number was "4".

Ross

Thanks guys, I guess my WD-40 theory about the AR was right [:D]

The AR-17 was a shotgun. Ask Arock about it.

Pretty neat...  but what about the CAR-15 I used to carry?  Carbine M16A2.

Did you use your CAR when you were a Ranger? what do you think the ratio was between the CAR and the M16A2?

So what does the WD stand for?

Minor, minor, minor correction to Ross's comment.  There wouldn't have been an M16A1E1.  I"m not sure if it would have been M16E2 or XM16E2.  And it was definately XM16E1, not M16E1 or M16A1E1 (if your A1E1 is the experimental for the A2, then see the first comment about E2).

For instance, a few years ago I was at the National Advanced Leaders Course, and I carried a (marked) XM16E1, SN#167275, with a chromed bolt and carrier, triangle handguards, birdcage flash suppressor, and safe/semi/auto select fire.  I didn't note the rifle twist.  Most likely 1/12, though.

IIRC, the M16A2 prototypes [b]WERE[/b] M16A1E1s....

Scott

I was certain WD stood for War Department....

mugzilla

SSSHHHHHHHHHH!
Why are you trying to give away Top Military secrets while we are at war! [bounce]

M16 means "we know 15 ways this damn thing won't work..."