The M16 rifle was created in the design office of the Californian company Armalite. It was developed according to the tactical and technical assumptions for the new rifle, issued by the American Infantry Board, which was to replace the worn-out and obsolete M14 rifles. The main designer of the weapon was Eugenie Stoner, who based the new design on his earlier work, the AR-10 rifle. The main change was the use of a different caliber, which was reduced from 7.62mm to 5.56mm. The cartridge used raised doubts from the beginning, today it is almost universally believed that it was not accurate, and the new rifle at that time should fire 6.6mm cartridges. After the modernization of the weapon, as a result of which the M16A2 version was created, the thread pitch in the barrel was changed, which allowed the use of a Belgian 5.56 mm cartridge, ballistically much better than the previously used cartridge of the same caliber produced in the USA. The first ten copies were tested on March 31, 1958. The field trials, conducted at two sites (Aberdeen Proving Ground - normal conditions; Fort Greely - arctic conditions), turned out to be successful, and the Committee recommended that the M16 rifle be used in the armament of the US Army. After the necessary corrections were made in January 1959, the Colt Patent Firearms Company, which acquired the license rights from Armalite, began serial production. Deliveries to the army began in 1961. Initially, the army received 85,000 units, while the US Air Force received 8,500. At the same time, the company designation was changed from AR-15 to M16. In 1967, the US government bought the patent rights from Colt. The M16A2 version was introduced into service in 1984. The rifle works on the principle of using the energy of gunpowder gases discharged from the barrel. The gases are discharged directly to the bolt carrier with a thin tube. Locking is performed by means of a rotary lock, the bolts of which enter the thrust of the bolt chamber, screwed on the barrel of the weapon. Interchangeable box magazines with a capacity of 20 or 30 cartridges, arranged in two rows, are used for power supply. The cartridge extractor and their ejector are located in the lock. Hammer action mechanism, with a covered stopcock. The trigger mechanism allows for single and series fire. Sight, dual-setting: 0-300 m and 300-500 m. The barrel of the weapon can be fitted with an M7 bayonet-knife or a device for firing blank ammunition. The "M203" grenade launcher can be hung under the barrel. Caliber: 5.56mm. Maximum shot distance: 3,600 meters. Maximum effective range: surface target: 800 meters; target target: 550 meters. Muzzle velocity: 853 m / s. Theoretical rate of fire: 800 rounds per minute. Magazine capacity: 20 and 30 rounds.
3_edu635012_instruction_sheet.pdf