The Firearm Blog

I came across these stunning photos of the Czech 601st Special Forces Group in Afghanistan at MP.net (Click through for these photos in high resolution).

I did not realize the Czech special forces use an AR/M16 variant.

Military.com reported a few days ago that the entire Iraqi army is moving to the M16A2 and M4. Some Iraqi units have been using M16s since May last year. The move was originally announced last April.

So far, the U.S. military has helped the Iraqi army purchase 43,000 rifles - a mix of full-stock M-16A2s and compact M-4 carbines. Another 50,000 rifles are currently on order, and the objective is to outfit the entire Iraqi army with 165,000 American rifles in a one-for-one replacement of the AK-47.

“Our goal is to give every Iraqi soldier an M-16A2 or an M-4,” Scott said. “And as the Iraqi army grows, we will adjust.” - Military.com

Reasons given are logistical and that the M16 is a superior and more reliable weapon. Many think it is superior but few would say more reliable. It is easier to see the logistical benefits. I imagine training will also be easier.

The big advantage is that the rifles can be easily traced. Mexico has gone down this route by using a weapon they themselves designed. If a FX-05 “Xiuhcoatl” ends up in the hands of a drug runner, the Mexican army will know where to find the culprit who supplied it.

Last year it was reported that then an Iraqi soldier gets issued an M16 he is finger printed, undergoes a digital retina scan, and is photographed with the rifle serial number. The information is then transfered into a central database.

The weapon exchange is just the first step in a five-day program of instruction for the Iraqis. However, new rifles are not handed out in a one-for-one swap. Coalition Forces assign each IA recruit a weapon using a high-tech, biometric issue system.

Verified against a master list and having tuned in his old rifle, the IA soldier and his new M-16 continue on to one of ten biometric stations, where he is finger printed, undergoes a digital retinal scan and is photographed with the M16’s serial number. Officials then transfer the information to a database in Baghdad, to ensure accountability and to prevent the weapon from ending up in the wrong hands. - Blackanthem Military News

The BAT (Biometrics Automated Toolset) in Iraq

The DOD Biometric Task Force

My thoughts on the move to the M16

The move of course also sends money to American factories. It makes sense as hundreds of millions have been spent on arms for the Iraqi army. At the end of last year Iraq’s defence Minister Abdul-Qadir al-Obaidi announced a US$230 million deal with Serbia for what is likely to be rifles, machine guns, explosives and ammo.

Serbia has signed a US$230m (£116m) deal with Iraq to sell weapons and military equipment, the defence ministry said yesterday.

It did not specify the weapons but Serbian military experts believe they include Serbian-made assault rifles, machine guns, anti-tank weapons, ammunition and explosives. - IRAQ UPDATES

Training with M16s in Iraq. May 2007. US Army photo.

Unfortunately for the rest of us who do not own shares in ammunition manufacturers the supply of 5.56mm to yet another army at war, and who will be at war for a long time, means the price is only going to go up and up.

What does not make sense is why they do not supply them with the gas piston AR variants. Politics would be my guess. I think they had enough media attention over the body armor, they don’t want to be accused of issuing the Iraqi superior rifles.

Iraqi Army soldier loading
5.56mm ammo.

The winners of the World Press Photo 2007 were announced in Amsterdam on 08 February 2008. “1st prize stories” of “People in the news” was awarded to Philippe Dudouit for “PKK fighters, Southern Kurdistan/Northern Iraq”.

This photo in particular is very interesting. The soldier is holding an M16 with an advanced sight!

The Turks have been accusing the US of not doing enough to prevent theft of firearms which they claim end up in the hands of the PKK. Although the US and other western nations has been known to work with branches of the PPK, it is very unlikely they would provide M16s which could be traced back to them.

When the photo was published I am sure some people were not too happy about it.

The rest of the photos are here. I especially like the last one which features a woman facing away with an AK slung over her back.

GunsAmerica has the 7th production M16 listed for sale. It is listed for $295,000!

Without a doubt the most famous and most documented Armalite/Colt M16 in existence, serial no 106 manufactured in 1959 (the 7th production gun) and of course the earliest known gun to exist. Yes, this is the gun that Gen Curtis LeMay shot the coconuts and melons with at the cocktail party and then turned to the Cooper-McDonald rep and said,”I want 10,000 of them and I want them yesterday!”. It is said this gun was also shot by Pres Kennedy (off the Presidential Yacht), Batista, MacNamarra, Diem, and a host of other important people. Traveling to Viet Nam twice, its history is part of America’s History, and I feel there is no other gun in existence as important as this firearm - at least as far as 20th century military firearms are concerned.

The original black rifle was not all that black!

It is listed here.

MilitaryPhotos.net has some interesting photos of the Chinese International Criminal Police Organization.

Some interesting suppressed AKs, they look like AK-103’s but could be something else, and what is probably a Norinco CQ (M16A1 clone) or CQ-M4 (you guessed it, an M4 clone).

Although, I wouldn’t be surprised if these were airsofters (btw, I have nothing against airsoft).

FN Manufacturing in Columbia, SC received a $33.7 million firm-fixed-price, contract for M16A3 and M16A4 Rifles to support the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps.

….

Colt Defense in Hartford, CT received a $15.9 million firm-fixed-price contract for M16A3 and M16A4 Rifles to support the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps.

I know FN and Colt are happy

More at DID

From MilitaryPhotos

Armed Forces of the Philippines chief general Germohenes Esperon (L) and Philippine National Police chief general Avelino Razon (R) hold a rifle during hand over ceremony of captured, confiscated, surrendered or recovered firearms at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon city, east of Manila, Philippines on 27 November 2007. Around 200 assorted firearms were handed over to police for securement and to prevent said firearms from landing into the hands of terrorists, criminals and insurgent groups

I suppose it is good that they recovered those rifles. I wonder how many US supplied M16s are in the hands of rebels and common criminals!

This Is Awesome!

AM15 full auto UPPER RECEIVER allows you to shoot slightly modified.22LR American 180 drums, in either 165 round, 220 round or 275 round capacity, on your M16 host receiver. The full auto AM15 upper receiver conversion is a BATF APPROVED OPEN BOLT .22LR rimfire caliber conversion that ejects through the AR mag well.

It uses fire control parts that are similar to Colt Light Machine Gun parts, which will be provided with the AM15 conversion. The AM15 conversion at this time will only work on registered receiver sear drilled M16 lowers. We are working on reliable solutions for owners of drop in auto sears.

Check out the videos

Hat Tip for the 2nd post in a row to Traction Control (via SaysUncle). Check out the Traction Control blog, its a good read.

Two years ago, an M16 automatic rifle could fetch $5,400 or more in the Palestinian West Bank. Now buyers at Hebron’s clandestine gun market are asked to pay more than double.

Four months after Islamist Hamas routed secular Fatah in the Gaza Strip, fears that clashes between the Palestinian rivals could erupt in the West Bank and uncertainty ahead of a U.S.-led peace conference are fuelling a scramble for guns.

Dealers at the gun market in Hebron, the West Bank’s most populous city, say weapons sales have jumped by up to 70 percent since Hamas took control of Gaza, while buoyant demand and supply bottlenecks due to tighter security have inflated prices.

In the northern West Bank city of Jenin, every bullet for an AK-47 rifle costs 35 Israeli shekels, or more than $8. In Hamas-controlled Gaza, an AK-47 bullet goes for 4-6 Israeli shekels, $1-1.50.

I have heard it said that gun prices reflect upcoming conflict….

Also, I wonder where they get M16 or AR-15’s from.

More here.
Hat Tip: Little Green Footballs

I came across a Navy presentation showing what can happen when the bore of an M16 is obstructed!

Click on the below thumbnails to enlarge them.

The upper receiver has been blown off:

Half of the upper receiver was found 25-35 yards away!

More photos here.

I have been getting quite a lot of visits from people searching google for M16 / M4 / AR-15 manuals. So I decided to post some of them.
US Army M16 / M4 operators manual

This covers Disassembly, Cleaning, Reassembly, Magazine, Operation and Ammunition and more.

Click here to download it.

Bushmaster: Operating and Safety Instruction Manual.

Uses the diagrams from the US Army manual and covers the same content but is not as detailed.

Click here to download it.

Olympic Arms: OWNER’S MANUAL FOR PCR/AR RIFLES

Covers the same content as the above manuals.

Click here to download it.

The M16 has been in service for over 40 years and I did some research to see which governments now use it. I decided to create a map showing who uses the M16/M4, AR-15 (civilian version)and the C7/ C8 (Canadian version).

This is what I came up with (click the image to increase the size)

Some of the countries, such as the UK, only use M16/M4/AR-15/C7/C8 rifles for their special forces. Presumably because the AR-15 platform has no end of customizations available.

Here is a complete list of countries (from the Colt website. The above map is more detailed than the Colt map):

Argentina, Australia, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Botswana, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, East Timor, Estonia, Fiji, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq ,Ireland, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Jamaica, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Maldives, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, New Zealand, Norway, Laos, Nigeria, Netherlands, Oman,Pakistan, Panama, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Vietnam and Venezuela.

UPDATE

Added Georgia, who are adopting the M4, and Afghanistan, who have been given C7 rifles.