Did You Know?
Stars & Stripes
Did you know the M16 rifle, a staple of modern military arsenals, was designed by Eugene Stoner, an innovative American engineer, in the late 1950s? Stoner was working for the Armalite Corporation when he developed the rifle’s original design, which was first introduced as the Armalite AR-15. This lightweight, gas-operated, magazine-fed weapon stood out due to its use of advanced materials like aluminium and composite plastics, which made it lighter and easier to handle compared to earlier rifles.
In the early 1960s, the U.S. military adopted the AR-15 design and designated it the M16. This transition occurred during the Vietnam War, as the M16 replaced the heavier and less versatile M14 rifle. The M16’s design prioritized portability and a high rate of fire, making it well-suited for the challenging conditions of jungle warfare.
Since its initial adoption, the M16 has undergone numerous upgrades and modifications to improve reliability, accuracy, and adaptability. Variants of the rifle, such as the M16A1, M16A2, and the M4 carbine (a shorter, more compact version), have been widely used by U.S. forces and allied militaries worldwide. Today, while newer models like the M4 are more commonly deployed, the M16 remains a symbol of innovation in firearm design and an enduring piece of military history.
In 1966 under the mentorship of the late Major Peter Badcoe VC, the “sniper section” at Infantry Centre’s Demonstration Platoon, Ingleburn, we (about 10 of us) were introduced to the Stoner System. This was an experimental system which was basically a rifle with interchangeable parts that converted it to a light machine gun. As I recall the idea was to enable a section to increase its fire power and/or to maintain operability of weapons by simple substitution of a module that enabled continued firing.
Badcoe said that the system had been trialled by our military and had been rejected for various reasons; one being the problem of increased weight of carrying the extra parts, another of the small calibre for a machine gun, and that the M14-16 were already able to provide excellent firepower for the section.
As far as I know the Stoner system never saw the light of day in neither Australia nor USA.
If memory serves me correctly Stoner at the Armalite Corporation designed the Colt Automatic Rifle15 (AR15) along with the ammunition to go with the rifle. my understanding is that although the US Military took it over and called it the M16 that transaction did not include the ammunition, the rights of which remained with Stoner/Armalite. This resulted in the use of ammunition that was not able to return the bolt to the locked position with a round in the chamber after firing a round. Thus, the incorporation of the bolt assist became necessary and remains so today with the issue of the M16A1. There were/are many variants including, I believe a survival rifle/weapon for pilots.
Before I left for Vietnam I trained with the SLR rifle but in South Vietnam the barrel was to long a pain in the arse, because I was a forward scout my SLR was replaced with an M16 well after 8 weeks out bush and no contact with the enemy we were told to go to the firing range and use all our rounds well I put 2000 rounds through my M16 ARMELITE rifle and it got so hot the butt melted and fell off. Later I found out that they were made by TOLTOYS all Bakelite plastic but very accurate.