A friend of mine has a father-in-law that says he had an m-16 in vietnam with a collapsible stock and bakelite grip and handguard. I don't know where to search very well, but every search I do turns up AK-47 references, but nothing for m-16 or ar-15's.

Does anyone know if this guy has a faulty memory or if I have a faulty search pattern?

I did a research paper for school about a year and a half ago on the history of the AR rifle (it was an open topic i took advantage of it hat

on a side note: i am only 20... but from what i learned in research for the paper upset me a great deal as to far as how the Gov works.the rifle was not ready to be put into service. it was rushed into service before it was ready to be there. If it had undergone more testing and gotten the bugs out before our troops got it many lives would have been saved. My hat is off to all the guys who had a bad rifle.


I will look for the paper and data but thats what i remember.

anyone who had one or knows more about it?

That would be the CAR-15 SMG (XM177 and XM177E1 - E2). It was issued to troops beginning in '67 (I think). The book "The Black Rifle" lists it as having been issued to SEALs, Special Forces, LRRPs and other troops. So your friends Dad could very well have used one.

ETA: the book does not say anything about Bakelite grips and handguard. At least not in the part that I read looking this up. The collapsible stock is defiantly there.

Not Bakelite, but some of the 1960's furniture looked like it: