Thumbing through a copy of "Guns of the Elite" by George Markham, noticed several photos of M16s with rather goofy looking upper receivers, seems to be a different type of forward assist, short knob projecting out of the rear most portion of the upper receiver, about 1.5-2" long, with what appears to be a forward assist button. Page 146 and 111 if you have the book, any ideas?

I have that work in my reference library, but I can't locate it at the moment in this mess of accumulated knowledge...

Scott

Finally found my copy. Never noticed that before. DEFINATELY different profile than the button on my M16A1/2 (Canadian pattern) upper. Must be because of the contract. (Contractor changed the profile, perhaps at the request of the using agency.) SAS guns, maybe? Since the nightscopes on page 146-147 are British......

Scott

Those are not live weapons. They are Blanking firing models. If you look closely at the Guns in "FMJ", "Tour Of Duty".etc......... you'll see them  used as well.  When doing water OPS training you don't carry live weapons.  Most of the MP5, M4 and M16's you see in the hands of SEAL's etc... are plastic training models (Rubber Duckies) or blank firing models. Don't want to have to search miles of ocean bottom for lost live weapons.


The guns you are seeing, used to be sold by companies such as Collectors Armory

Most likely they are staight pull training rifles.  There are a lot of people that have AR's over there without a gas tube and may have modified handles.

Quoted: Most likely they are staight pull training rifles.  There are a lot of people that have AR's over there without a gas tube and may have modified handles.

It's not the charging handle that is different. The forward assist is not angled like on a normal AR-15/M16. It is PARALLEL to the side of the action. I can believe they are mock-ups of some kind. The one on page 146-147 has an Rank Pullin nightscope on it, and is from the archives of the Rank Pullin Company...

Scott