M16 Rifle | M4 Carbine | |
---|---|---|
In service | 1963–present | 1994–present |
Variants | AR-15, M16A1, M16A2, M16A3, M16A4, XM16E1, M4, Mk12 | M4A1, CQBR (Mk. 18 Mod 0) |
The M16 is much more accurate weapon than the AK-47. It is much smoother-operating weapon and has less recoil. The M16 is much easier to control during full-auto fire.
The easiest way to look at it is this: Every M16 is an AR15, but not all AR15s are an M16. Many people will tell you that an AR15 is semi-auto only, and the M16 is full-auto. … The original AR15 (before it picked up a military name) was fully-automatic, as well as plenty since then.
1947
AK-47, also called Kalashnikov Model 1947, Soviet assault rifle, possibly the most widely used shoulder weapon in the world. The initials AK represent Avtomat Kalashnikova, Russian for “automatic Kalashnikov,” for its designer, Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov, who designed the accepted version of the weapon in 1947.
M16. The M16 would become the standard service rifle for U.S. troops during the 1960s, seeing widespread use in Vietnam and largely replacing the M14. The weapon was in many ways revolutionary, though not without problems.
November 1, 1955 – April 30, 1975
Over very short distances, bullets do follow more or less a straight line. Over longer distances, they follow a slight downward curve because gravity tugs them toward the ground as they go along. Air resistance and the spinning, gyroscopic motion of a bullet complicate things too.
M4A1 carbine
The M4A1 carbine is the primary weapon used by SEAL operators. A shorter, more compact version of the M16A2 rifle, it was specially designed for U.S. Special Operations Forces.
AK-47 | |
---|---|
Cartridge | 7.62×39mm |
Action | Gas-operated, rotating bolt |
Rate of fire | Cyclic rate of fire: 600 rds/min Combat rate of fire: Semi-auto 40 rds/min Bursts 100 rds/min |
Muzzle velocity | 715 m/s (2,350 ft/s) |
AK-47, AKM and Type 56 – Captured rifles were used by South Vietnamese and U.S forces.
During the Vietnam War, Soldiers were issued a semiautomatic rifle with automatic capability and up to 20 magazines of 20 rounds each along with fragmentation and colored smoke grenades. Body armor was a newer feature, adding weight as well as protection.
What percentage of Vietnam veterans actually saw combat? Of the 2.6 million, between 1-1.6 million (40-60%) either fought in combat, provided close support or were at least fairly regularly exposed to enemy attack. 7,484 women (6,250 or 83.5% were nurses) served in Vietnam.
The HK416 was originally fielded by the U.S. Army’s Assymmetric Warfare Group and now reportedly is used by US Navy SEALs and Delta Force. A version with a sixteen-inch barrel is being fielded by the U.S. Marine Corps as the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle and will eventually equip all frontline Marine Corps infantry.
In general, the price per round is near – but slightly lower than – the cost for a 5.56 round. However, prices for 7.62×39 ammo are not as volatile as they can be for other rounds due to its worldwide popularity. Costs tend to start around $0.30 per round depending on supply.
Generally, yes. If factory centerfire cartridges are stored in a dry, cool place with low humidity, preferably in an airtight container, they can have an amazingly long shelf life. Many ballistics experts who have shot tens of thousands of rounds over the years report shooting 20- to 50-year-old ammo with no problems.
The first firearms can be traced back to 10th century China. The Chinese were the first to invent gunpowder, and historians typically credit the first guns as being weapons the Chinese called fire lances. The fire lance was a metal or bamboo tube attached to the end of a spear.
During World War II it was estimated that 45,000 rounds of small arms ammunition was fired to kill one enemy soldier. In Vietnam the American military establishment consumed an estimated 50,000 rounds of ammunition for every enemy killed.
The last US ground troops left Vietnam in March 1973, after which the peace talks once again broke down. Fighting resumed and South Vietnam eventually surrendered to the forces of North Vietnam in April 1975. Approximately 2,700,000 American men and women served in Vietnam.
Bullet mass/type | Velocity | Energy |
---|---|---|
0.2 g (3 gr) FMJ | 200 m/s (660 ft/s) | 4 J (3.0 ft⋅lbf) |
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