M16 rifle

The M16 is an assault rifle used by the United States since the Vietnam War in 1963,Rose, p. 380 & 392 based on the AR-15. Since 1975, the M16 has been used by many different countries. First designed by Eugene Stoner in the United States of America, although it is currently being replaced by the shorter M4A1 as the standard infantry rifle used by the United States Military Forces. The rifle and its variants are still being used by over 80 nations around the world.

The M16 uses the 5.56mm NATO (.223) caliber cartridge, with a muzzle velocity (the speed of bullet leaving the rifle) of over 900 meters per second (over 3,000 feet per second), and has a maximum effective range of 600 yards,U.S. Army Field Manual 3-22.9 Rifle Marksmanship Chapter 2 with a rate of fire (how fast the gun shoots) of approximately 800 rounds per minute. The M16A1 can shoot semi automatic and fully automatic fire. The M16A2 can shoot semi automatic and three-round-burst fire. The M4A1 Carbine retains full automatic and semi automatic fire. The M16 normally holds 30 cartridges in its magazine, but there are variants of the magazine that hold only 20 or 10 cartridges.

There is also an M16 variant for the Canadian Army called Diemaco C-7. The Diemaco C-7 rifles have maple leaves on the left side.

 Related pages 
 AR-15

 References 
 Rose, Alexander. American Rifle-A Biography. 2008; Bantam Dell Publishing. .

Category:Assault rifles
Category:5.56 mm firearms
Category:Rifles of the Cold War