Yes the M16 was failing in Vietnam, but for reasons some may not know. By opinion poll, the experimentation troops favor the because of its demonstrated characteristics of lightness in weight, reliability, balance and grip, and freedom from recoil and climb on full automatic. With a total combat weight per man equivalent to that planned for riflemen armed with the M-14, a squad consisting of from 5-7 men armed with the would have better hit distribution and greater hit capability than the present eleven-man M-14 squad.
In fact, a report from 1959 comparing the ArmaLite to the M14 lead to these findings:Ī. The rifle itself was much lighter, and the weight savings between rifle and ammunition meant that soldiers could carry almost three times as much ammo as with the M14. The smaller lighter 5.56 (.223) caliber meant the rifle could be better controlled in automatic fire. The M16 offered a number of advantages, primarily attributable to its lower weight. The M16 was shipped to soldiers in Vietnam to replace the standard issue M14. ArmaLite sold its rights to the rifle in 1959 to Colt Firearms.
It fired the same caliber as the M14, a 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge.
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