Vietnam era M16... Very cool firearm.

BattleRife said:
From Stars & Stripes magazine (https://www.stripes.com/news/vietnam-jungle-hot-humid-and-forbidding-1.277008#gallery)

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only the guy in the background has a REAL RIFLE
 
can14 said:
I have an original xm16el and it has forward assist
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The forward assist was an abomination lol
In general (to keep this short) the US military would not adopt a new rifle into service as standard A1 without a way of being able to manually force the action closed (keeping in line with the 1903, the M1/M1 carbine and M14 predating it). I've read The Black Rifle and many other books on the AR15 development and history but shamefully I can't recall if it was the Army or the Marine Corps that insisted vehemently that it had to have a manual action forcing mechanism.
Rifle went back to Stoner who insisted it did NOT need one (as evidenced by the original design and yes the Air Force was the first element to accept and purchase the AR15 for security and guard detail as early as 1960 if I remember as the M16 at the time. It was in the original state that Stoner envisioned at this time and did NOT have the forward assist)
The US Military won out and Stoner/Armalite started working on adding some type of forward assist abortion to the original design (which really did not need it). Crazy fact, the original forward assist was actually designed to be attached to the cocking handle. A flat piece of metal sticking up vertically which you would strike with your palm to shove the bolt forward. They had to modify the bolt and charging handle for this. They ended up Frankensteining the side, ratchet type and settled on it. There's a picture of the first successful prototype in The Black Rifle where they literally cut a chunk out of the side of an M16/original AR15 upper receiver and soldered in the prototype forward assist we all know and are confused by today! This method only required addition of the forward assist assembly to the machining of the upper (and notching the original bolt design)

So, some clarification on the whole "E1" thing.
Before the AR15 became A1 standard (post addition of the useless forward assist and aprox 1967) the XM16E1 was the version in service officially unofficially. XM16E1 was in a constant state of flux especially as 'Nam ramped up. The failings of the M14 in sufficient numbers resulted in a mad rush to produce and assemble "XM16E1" rifles and send them to Nam. You can see them with duckbill flash hiders, 3 prong, fenced lowers, non fenced lowers, slick side uppers, forward assist, no forward assist etc throughout the span of the war up to about 1967/68. They were a mish mash scrambling to meet the frantic demand for guns for the war and the design was still undergoing changes (debates over chrome lining the bore/barrel etc) back home. Parts were always in short supply so it went.

The Military adopted the M16A1 as standard only in 1967 and even early M16A1's can be seen with a slight mish mash effect going on ie use of older parts left over. It was only around 1969 ish that it really levelled out and became the chrome lined, piece of perfection that it was (minus the useless forward assist ;)) By '67 though the A1 was adopted as standard with the forward assist as the DOD would not adopt is as standard without it due to the #####ing of the Army (or Marine Corps) years back I can't recall at the moment if it was Army or Marines and what year that happened. I think it was around 64 but it's been a long time since I read up on the rifle.
 
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I bought my lower for the same reason and intend to build a version of this. I have seen stag arms kits and delton kits, anybody have any other suggested ones? Looking for quality parts.
 
These Norc 311 are like an A1, they have forward assist, but no Shell Deflector..but it kinda acts like one anyway~
 
caramel said:
I took 7 weeks to get here, usual performance for a CFO in Québec.

Came with 2 X mags 10 /5, oïl bottle, sling, targets, tools and a book. It's a beauty time capsule rifle.

Non removable carry handle, 20 inch barrel and 1 12 ROT, this should be very good with 55 gr.


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cool where did you get it? I don't think Canada ammo sells them any more?
 
Yah I thought the front hand guard retainer from Norinco was round ... that makes adding the M16 hand guards hard unless you pop off the A2 front site and swap it out..... plus in that pic the barrel nut is not tappered.... I thought they were tappered with norinco too....
 
hfp75 said:
Yah I thought the front hand guard retainer from Norinco was round ... that makes adding the M16 hand guards hard unless you pop off the A2 front site and swap it out..... plus in that pic the barrel nut is not tappered.... I thought they were tappered with norinco too....
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The 311's had the early straight (non-tapered) rear HG retainer
And yes you have to change the front HG retainer to a triangle one
Styti8vl.jpg
 
3+ months finally it came to my door, great gun for the price. I picked up because of the possible ban . well its here now and i love it. i have a modern sporter coming anytime. Was to swap all parts, lots to learn . I just wanted one as a kid.[url=https://ibb.co/0DPxfL2][/url]

edit, i have the triangle gaurd and the metal thingy, just need some tools now.

edit, i just wanted an m16 clone since i was born.. i love it, close as i will get.
 
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