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Posted: 10/7/2003 9:50:50 AM EDT
While watching a History Channel program about Viet Nam, I noticed that all of the M-16's had birdcage flash hiders on them. The video came from the invasion across the border during 1970-1971 time frame.

When was the birdcage hider adopted? and why.
Link Posted: 10/7/2003 3:40:52 PM EDT
[#1]
When: ????

Why: One reason was that its predecessor, the 3 pronged FH would snag on things like grass & foliage.  
Link Posted: 10/7/2003 3:49:00 PM EDT
[#2]
The 3 prong suppressor was on the M16 and the M16E1.  The birdcage came out with the M16A1, which began to appear in numbers in mid-1967.  
Link Posted: 10/7/2003 4:01:41 PM EDT
[#3]
I don't recall where i heard this, but:  I heard that early GI's would bend the prongs up by using the FS to bust the strapping off of shipments.  Probably just AR15.com horseshit, but I would imagine those things would catch a lot of jungle plantlife in them.
Link Posted: 10/7/2003 4:07:09 PM EDT
[#4]
Link Posted: 10/7/2003 5:29:44 PM EDT
[#5]
Still, it took some time before older ARs were cycled out of use and send to armorers to have components upgraded, so the older 3-prongs were still occasionally seen on rifles much later in the war.
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I used an M16 with a 3-prong flashhider as late as 1989 - you'll find all kinds of crap in a reserve unit armory. They do indeed snag and gather brush like nobody's business.
Link Posted: 10/7/2003 5:37:38 PM EDT
[#6]
Quoted:
I don't recall where i heard this, but:  I heard that early GI's would bend the prongs up by using the FS to bust the strapping off of shipments.  Probably just AR15.com horseshit, but I would imagine those things would catch a lot of jungle plantlife in them.
View Quote


The 3 prong was used often to pop the wire bindings on C-ration cases.

Link Posted: 10/7/2003 8:54:42 PM EDT
[#7]
The three prong flashhider also wasn't as effective in reducing flash as the birdcage flashider.
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