There was a discussion about M16/M16A1s still in US Use

[Eyes On]

Odd stock selection for that receiver.

A buddy of mine with a department in the southeast just got a bunch of rifles from Uncle Sugars very special back lot. Included in the batch was a rifle marked "Armalite AR15 Patent Pending". It has green furniture, a 1:12 barrel that is otherwise no different in taper than an M16/16a1's, and the most important feature: Serial #005700.

Some masochist in his chain of command wants him to convert it to semi-auto only and ISSUE it to a patrol officer....

Keep in mind, this is one of the FIRST 100 RIFLES MANUFACTURED FOR THE USAF CONTRACT. It is in factory condition. Needless to say more level headed people have taken charge of the situation, and the rifle will be placed on static display. Uncle Sugar has opted to give them a less historically significant a1 for them to issue to a patrol officer.

[TMiller]

Interesting find. Doesn't surprise me in the least though, a lot of our military's weaponry/vehicles/etc. are around 50 years old or so. Hell, the C-130 is still in production. Sometimes things just don't need changing, and sometimes things are kept around for a lot longer than necessary.

The m14 is another example.

Indeed, a very good example at that

or the b52 bomber which has been in use for 58 years

[Nocte]

Or bullets. Bullets are like totally old and stuff.

[Hallowground]

dude, ya know whats old? gunpowder. that shit is OLD

[G36 FTW]

A buddy of mine with a department in the southeast just got a bunch of rifles from Uncle Sugars very special back lot. Included in the batch was a rifle marked "Armalite AR15 Patent Pending". It has green furniture, a 1:12 barrel that is otherwise no different in taper than an M16/16a1's, and the most important feature: Serial #005700.

Some masochist in his chain of command wants him to convert it to semi-auto only and ISSUE it to a patrol officer....

Keep in mind, this is one of the FIRST 100 RIFLES MANUFACTURED FOR THE USAF CONTRACT. It is in factory condition. Needless to say more level headed people have taken charge of the situation, and the rifle will be placed on static display. Uncle Sugar has opted to give them a less historically significant a1 for them to issue to a patrol officer.

I just love that kind of stuff.. History..


And "factory condition" as in never previously fired? (Sat in a crate for 50+ years?)

[Eyes On]

Well fired, but obviously used as a sentry weapon and maintained correctly.

As an aside to the age of a design being irrelevant, I submit the M2 .50 caliber machine gun. The M2 was introduced in 1921. The current design is from a 1932 revision. The last NEW M2 receiver accepted into US military service left the factory in 1972. All current "new" inventory M2 receivers are actually refurbished. All current "new" inventory of M2 barrels were manufactured between 1942 and 1972. There are more than 1000 unissued, tested and certified barrels, bolts, and parts kits for each and EVERY M2 receiver currently in service.

[Redmoney]

Well fired, but obviously used as a sentry weapon and maintained correctly.

As an aside to the age of a design being irrelevant, I submit the M2 .50 caliber machine gun. The M2 was introduced in 1921. The current design is from a 1932 revision. The last NEW M2 receiver accepted into US military service left the factory in 1972. All current "new" inventory M2 receivers are actually refurbished. All current "new" inventory of M2 barrels were manufactured between 1942 and 1972. There are more than 1000 unissued, tested and certified barrels, bolts, and parts kits for each and EVERY M2 receiver currently in service.

I don't see that weapon going away anywhere in the near future.

[Haloeclipse]

I loved my m2 over seas. Shes a heavy phony pony but she's reliable, accurate too.

[Dukky]

My M-16 at basic jammed every 10th round during the qual. It always jammed on the same target >.<

lol. Thats not right

[Peaches]

My M-16 at basic jammed every 10th round during the qual. It always jammed on the same target >.<

Dude, we must have had the same rifle, that's about how many times mine jammed when I went through BMT.
Also Sleepy, it's not the AF get's sloppy seconds from the other branches, its that we don't use them as much as the combat arms (Army, Marines) branches, so they don't wear out as fast, and we don't get the replacements as much.
Like I have said before, when I went through basic in 1996, I was using that version LR with a M16 upper receiver, meaning that it had the triangular hand guards, not the round ones.

[Tanto]

My M-16 at basic jammed every 10th round during the qual. It always jammed on the same target >.<

Dude, we must have had the same rifle, that's about how many times mine jammed when I went through BMT.

Also Sleepy, it's not the AF get's sloppy seconds from the other branches, its that we don't use them as much as the combat arms (Army, Marines) branches, so they don't wear out as fast, and we don't get the replacements as much.

Like I have said before, when I went through basic in 1996, I was using that version LR with a M16 upper receiver, meaning that it had the triangular hand guards, not the round ones.

My flight got some "newer" rifles. Our instructors told us that this batch was from the early 80's (making the rifle older than me). They had a special way of jamming that the normal SPORTS would only complicate.

If you look at what the SF regularly use, it's the newer M-4. The M-16 is mostly just around as an "Oh crap, the Ruskies invading. Give everyone a rilfe." Also for rifle qualifications for the 95% of Airmen that will never use a rifle while deployed.

[Crimmins]

iv had guys transfer into the guard from 10+ years on active duty AF that only ever handled a weapon in his initial basic training. as far as a ground ponder goes most AF guys that change service and move into anything remotely combat arms suck at it. there are exceptions but as a general rule it takes a LONG time to unF*&% them and turn them into a decent Joe... but they do make some of the best coffee in the field iv ever seen. is there some special AF coffee school i haven’t heard about?

[Crusader 6]

My M-16 at basic jammed every 10th round during the qual. It always jammed on the same target >.<

My dad's M16 was way messed up, he wasn't hitting the target he was aiming at at all when they took them to the range for the first time. Drill sergeant or whoever was supervising comes up and asks what's going on. My dad explained it to him and then the drill sergeant took the rifle and tested it himself, only to find that the rounds were hitting the adjacent target. Needless to say he had to get a new one.

[Tanto]

Here's what Nasty and I are talking about:

Security Forces



Combat Control


Rifle Qualification


*Edit* Do you see the differences? The actual (possible) combat arm of the Air Force uses updated equipment. The office jobs use the M-16 for basic qualification requirements.

About 25% of the Air Force can't even pass the qualification (which is psychotically easy. It's several targets at 25 frikkin' yards!). The part that justifies this is that THEY DON'T NEED TO!

[Tanto]

Is it just me, or are those SFs wearing EPCs in Ranger Green?

It does look better than the ABU/ACU pattern gear they (you) usually wear. I like this look.