Photos The Cold War
- Thread starter BravoZulu
- Start date
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The iconic M16...aka "the black rifle", actually got off to a rather inauspicious start.
Entering service with the USAF as the AR-15 in 1962, then standardised as the M16, it soon exhibited a raft of reliability problems.
The technical / ballistic details are beyond the scope of this summary, but complaints about the rifle by the fighting troops who used it in Vietnam prompted a Congressional Inquiry into its alleged failures.
In a nutshell, the problems were gradually addressed and resolved via improved ammunition, better weapon maintenance, the provision of weapon cleaning-kits, chroming of the barrel...and a re-design of the receiver to incorporate a forward-assist plunger which was not a feature of the original M16. The improved weapon was initially designated XM16E1 and later standardised as the M16A1. Both the M16 / XM16E1 are illustrated below.
The accompanying photographs show Representative Richard Ichord Jr., of Missouri inspecting an XM16E1 in the company of a USMC Drill Instructor in July 1967. Note that the Representative has been given a set of jungle fatigues bearing his name and status. The other individual, test-firing the AK-47 is Colin Leinster, LIFE Magazine's British-born Vietnam Correspondent. He too has personalised jungle fatigues.
(LIFE / Co Rentmeester....Peter DeForest )
Entering service with the USAF as the AR-15 in 1962, then standardised as the M16, it soon exhibited a raft of reliability problems.
The technical / ballistic details are beyond the scope of this summary, but complaints about the rifle by the fighting troops who used it in Vietnam prompted a Congressional Inquiry into its alleged failures.
In a nutshell, the problems were gradually addressed and resolved via improved ammunition, better weapon maintenance, the provision of weapon cleaning-kits, chroming of the barrel...and a re-design of the receiver to incorporate a forward-assist plunger which was not a feature of the original M16. The improved weapon was initially designated XM16E1 and later standardised as the M16A1. Both the M16 / XM16E1 are illustrated below.
The accompanying photographs show Representative Richard Ichord Jr., of Missouri inspecting an XM16E1 in the company of a USMC Drill Instructor in July 1967. Note that the Representative has been given a set of jungle fatigues bearing his name and status. The other individual, test-firing the AK-47 is Colin Leinster, LIFE Magazine's British-born Vietnam Correspondent. He too has personalised jungle fatigues.
(LIFE / Co Rentmeester....Peter DeForest )
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Pics from different NATO exercises in Germany. I have a mix of US Army, Belgian Army., Bundeswehr, BAOR etc. pics.
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