As a European shooter the M16A1 was my first gun when I was 18. Coming straight from Malaysia with a serial number 9mil. I still have it and it's my favourite rifle ever.
Someone in Malaysia obviously sold M16A1's and these weapons are designated national war stock. In fact, still in use in Reserves, Border and Police Regiments in Malaysia.
I used M16A1 in the Korean Army for two years. I personally liked the M16A1 very much, even though there was a K2 rifle, a Korean ritual rifle. Now, a new model called K2C1 has been supplied to the Korean military, making it difficult to find the M16A1, but this video reminded me of the time when I ran around the field 20 years ago with the M16A1. Thank you.
@John Smith Yo John, I never met anybody from Australia while I was there. We spent nearly all our time in the woods. We trained Mountain Yards, worked with a few ARVN soldiers, and with the Cambodian Mike Strike Force one time. But I never encountered as Aussy while I was there. I've always heard good thing about you guys though. Heard you were serious bad asses.
@John Smith Yes indeed, the ARVNs were lame as hell. We sort of worked with a few. But we as a unit stayed separate. We had a Kit Carson Scout who was Vietnamese and he was petty sharp. He was a good tracker and at times we let him walk point for us. But most ARVNs, in my experience, were lame as hell. We didn't trust them.
@John Smith personally in a jungle environment, open terrain, I prefer the 7.62 × 51. But I do agree with you on speed etc however 7.62 × 51 is around 800m/s so bit faster than you stated
Yeah, I remember how excited I was when we first got our young hands on them during IET's. Felt like a toy after training on the the SLR at Kapooka. The M16 was so much lighter. Had to cock the weapon before you could engage the safety? or is my memory bad. Still preferred my old SLR though. A mans rifle with a real cocking (charging) handle
Indonesian Army still using this riffles today in basic training, most of them produced in post Vietnam era. Somehow Uncle Sam gave lot of these, during our 60-70's communist infestation. 😁
Great video, Larry! I was 17 years old, in the summer of 1980. About 8 days after graduating high school, I was in Ft. Banning , Ga and was issued the M16A1. Qualified Expert with it! It was one of the few times in my life, where I did better than even I believed I could! Thanks for the memories, Larry! Again, Great video! Take care, brother!
Ft. Jackson summer of 92 basic training we used the well warn M16A1. Still walked off the qualification range with expert. I could only see one of the 300m targets.
@@Tagawichin I seem to remember having a tough time seeing some of those 300m targets. I don't remember what color they were, black or green, but man I thought it was tough with the black front sight post sometimes to find the center of mass on the 300m targets.
@@dksdg one of the most forward thinking designs were the triangular hand guard that tapers down; you now see angled vertical grips give a similar feel, that’s very interesting to me.
@@mattwalters6834 agreed, it is very comfortable, blows me away how much better that rifle was than everything after until the last couple of years. Even then there is still something special with it’s magic combo.
** Don't Tell Me ? You ? We're A Scout ? I Was, Also ! Scouts Out ! Bro ! Yeah ! I Was at Knox Too !! **C Troop 5thCAV 1ST BRIGADE ! **Gotta Have *Balls !
I grew up looking at pics of my dad from Vietnam with his M16, and it was always a dream to have my own. I don’t have an authentic Colt select fire, but I have 2 AR’s that I have built (one 16” carbine and one 20”) with the triangle hand guards, carry handle, and fixed stock that I shoot as often as I can.
When I used to live in Russia (from 0 to 25 years old that is)-I had exactly that kind of rifle which was marked as "US government property" and was taken by Vietcong from a dead soldier and then turned semi auto for civilian market where I bought it!By the way due to lax regulations on semi auto conversions in Russia it didn't have any alterations to any of it's main parts so in US it's receiver would have clearly been a transferable machinegun by ATF or SOT-only item because it was never touched by any tool other than for disassembly! Fun gun but jammed much more than any other that I had over the years so I never even taken it on a hunting trip.. Especially because it is completely useless against a large bear for example-like any "assault rifle" for that matter.. Unless you consider something in .308 as an assault rifle(like G-3 which is technically a battle rifle)!
@@Kampfner0087 actually they're using m4 and R4 rifles now while the cops get galil ace. The m16 is only issued to reserves, second line units, training and parades
i did my national service in the singapore armed forces in 1998 we trained with M16A1 most were made in singapore but a few had the COLT label on them i suspected they were vietnam surplus just my guess
If I’m not wrong, Colt licensed the production on a contract to now ST Kinetics. The Colt marked ones were likely commercial samples bought as part of the contract until it expired.
Yes in our 3SIB HQ armskot I saw 2 examples of Colt stamped weapons. One is the original M16 with the tapered muzzle and no forward assist. Brand new unused. The other examples are the short carbines (not M4) like the ones the IDF like to use.
As a Singaporean male who served National Service back in 2004, we were issued with M16s and trained with them as our primary weapon. I felt it was much easier to hump around in the jungles with rather than the bull pup SAR-21. Also, there’s no other feeling like unloading an empty mag, loading a fresh one in and slapping the forward assist to chamber a new round in the barrel. It just feels so ergonomically perfect when you’re holding it with 2 hands.
I remember going through US Army Basic Training in 1992 and qualified Expert with a Colt M16A1. I built it's predecessor (XM16E1) with a mix of original Colt and Nodak parts.
Carried the A1 for my seven years in and loved it, never failed me. Was a grunt in the 509th ABCT in Italy and a Pathfinder in the 101st at Campbell and in Honduras and finally a Pathfinder in Korea. Also went to basic in 81 in the summer at Benning. D61. Small World.
I really miss this rifle. The M16A1 was my issue rifle in boot camp. This was the first gun I ever fired and it ran GREAT. When I graduated Parris Island in July of '85, the newer platoons were just starting to get the A2s.
My dad carried this rifle during his us army service back in the late 1980’s and he told me two things about this gun one that the rifle was reliable when using live ammo but it wasn’t reliable when using blanks and two It WAS A PAIN IN THE A$S TO CLEAN
I had to laugh at your second thing, not that what he said isn’t true, it just brought back a lot of memories. They’re actually not bad to clean, in case you ever decide to get one, it’s just that the Army way of cleaning them was a royal pain in the ass. Lol
Oh yes blanks. I am from the Czech rep. and guys served here with VZ58s said the same about the darn blanks. On exercise a few guys would would get together and only fire from one rifle so they would only have to clean the single one.
Late 80s he was lucky than, I did service in 84 and the marines we were training with had M16s that were so worn out, so all shooting was on a 25m Miniatur target, because beyond that...
Love the classic Vickers slow mo, but I appreciate that a lot more footage shot at normal speed was included in the edit. It's nice to be able to see how fast these full autos shoot in real time.
I love to watch the ejection direction of the empty cases changes, when the bolt speeds up by less friction between bolt carrier and magazine pressures. Empty cases ejection starts at 5’ o’clock and ends at 2 o’clock by the last shot. Cool
I originally started out with the Alaska Army National Guard. Went to basic at Ft. Benning, GA in Oct '87 graduated in Jan '88. We had the A1's in basic. We trained with the A1's, but interestingly enough, on Qualification Day we were issued the A2's. Also, the A1's we had, they were pretty much at the end of their service life. We were told within the next year BCT Units were switched over to the A2's. When I went home to AK. Our Guard units still had the A1's that were in excellent condition! Brings back alot of memories!
I own one. It was passed on to my by my father. My dad bought one in 1979 for $250. They were cheap back then because the hunting community looked down on military weaponry unless it was an M1. My dad got it fixed up. I grew up shooting it. Explains why I was an expert marksman in basic.
@@abbybonilla4511 Ronald Reagan signed the bill. Remember that. Most Republicans are pussies. If they had to choose between your gun rights and getting elected, they would abort you faster than a their mistresses unwanted child
The full auto M16A1 is what I was issued and carried in 1988 at Ft. Benning, Georgia. Our last two weeks of 15 weeks they took them up and issued us the M16A2 3-round burst rifle.
Very cool rifle. If I had a spare $30,000 or so laying around, I'd get one in a heartbeat. I'd love to put a modern upper with a heavy barrel and bipod on there to make it more tolerant of sustained automatic fire.
My dad bought one in 1979 for $ 250 from a gun dealer. At that time military weaponry was considered for crackpots which is why it was so cheap.It was is poor shape but it got upgraded by a gunsmith.
I’m fortunate enough to own an M16A2 carbine I bought couple years ago new and unfired in original box. Funny enough the receiver is marked burst but didn’t have any of the burst components in it only auto. Also kind of cool on the box it has the full name and date of the original owner from 1985 lol
@@user-oy9zy4ds9m A lot of clones have the markings as a cosmetic feature. What they WON'T have is the 'third hole' in the receiver for installing the full auto sear. That makes it a machine gun, subject to NFA restrictions and hard jail time if the ATF catches someone lacking proper paperwork.
I went through basic training at Ft. Jackson SC. a place called tank hill, old barracks from WWll . But I had one there and it was the first one I ever seen in person let alone, hold and shoot. That where the love affair began for me and that platform. I own one, free float barrel, bushnell TR25 with flashlight and a nice sling. But it doesn't have that SELECTOR SWITCH with the third setting on though.
I owned one, sadly had to let it go. One of my very favorite all time firearms. It was such an honor to own one. Now i'm on 07/02 so I can always mfg a fa gun if I need to without the $30k price tag! Great video man. I have a couple on my channel too. Love these guns.
This brings back good memories. Used this rifle in basic training in 1972. Loved it. Sighted the rifle in with 5 shots. First shot was about 1inch low. Adjusted the front sight and the next shot was perfect. Shot 3 rounds on the zero target and had a beautiful very small cloverleaf exactly where it should be. I could hardly believe how well it shot. 😃
Back in the '70s, I was on an FTX at Ft Benning and was issued an XM16E1. It wouldn't cycle blanks unless held under the mag. In '77, I was issued an M16A1 at Marine Corps OCS. I was pleasantly surprised to find it cycled the blanks we got for training perfectly. Alas, I never got to fire it with live ammo.
Never got to fire it with live ammo? You were a Marine O candidate? Were you some kind of pog with a rifle qual waiver or did they let they let you fire the KD course for annual qualification with blanks, SIR?
I treated myself when I turned 18 in the summer of 78 to a slightly used Colt SP1. It cost me a whopping $278. So I had hands on experience when I went through boot camp in 80. Your comment about the plastic is spot on. As an armorer we were always replacing hand guards due to broken tabs. The pistol grips never failed. But the stocks, and buttplates cracked frequently. I tripped once and caught myself by coming down on the buttplate. When it hit the concrete about an inch of it shattered an headed for parts unknown. Later after getting into LE my department got 15 M16A1’s through the LESO program. They had all been through depot rebuild. Most were Colt’s, and some were marked XM16E1. Some were partial fence lower receivers. Three were Hydramatic lower receivers. They all ran fine. But we reconfigured them into a mix of M4A1’s, and Mk18’s. A few years ago we shipped them back to Anniston Army Depot where I’m sure they got cut up.
I trained and qualified with this rifle in Fort Sill, Oklahoma in 1990. When I got to my unit in Germany, I was issued the A2 model. All Army units at that time in Germany had the A2 model.
I was in OSUT2 At Ft. Leonardtown Missouri in Mar. to June 1980 and were issued M16A2 As Well. Later I became failure and was issued AnbM16A2 and a side arm M1911 45 cal. THOSE became my go to weapons for the full times I was assigned combat units. Good to know we have a similar service time.
Whenever you hear the argument of comparing AK’s vs AR’s, this is more accurate of a comparison. People always compare a wooden furniture AK to an AR with railing everywhere. There’s progression, this is the first way the AR came out and the wooden furniture is the first way the AK came out. Love them both!
LOVE IT!!! I carried an M16A1 the first 4 years that I was in the Army, 82nd Airborne. I loved the lightweight and easy handling. I’m 5’4” tall, so when they went to the A2. I really hated the added length of pull, I used to change the buttstock to an A1 every time that I got it out of the arms room.
Thank you for a great breakdown of the differences between the A1 version and later versions of the M16. Also, fantastic slow motion videography and overall video of the gun in action!
I got one from them also. In nam 1970. When I put the first mag in this one I was shaking. I dont know if it was excitement to hold one again. After the first mag I calmed down and was shooting pretty accurate.
4 Jun 80 I also was 17 years old when I reported for Basic Training to Ft McClellan Al. Shot Expert with one 38 out of 40 . Wish I still had the serial number that I had written down but it along with Photos were lost in when our Basement Flooded out.
This rifle still in services for Royal Malaysian Police, and a ceremonial rifle for Malaysian Armed Forces (currently issued with M4 Carbine) Used to shoot one of this back in when I was in High School during Army Cadet Training All I could say.. this rifle running well even have been around a couple decades
That wouldn't surprise me. A medic in the 101st that I ran into during a deployment to Kosovo in 2001 actually told me that back in garrison his unit in the States still had M16A1s. Apparently he and whoever else deployed with him at the time did not bring those A1s for the deployment, but I still remember how shocked I was hearing that a Regular Army unit still had A1s in their inventory by that time.
It was a firearm that I used as a personal firearm when I was in the military, and I can't believe it was already 27 years ago. I miss those days, but if I go back and ask them to do it, I can't.
You're right on about the open prong flash hider c-ration cases I served in the early 80s we had some of those rifles in the 193rd infantry Brigade Panama guys would be opening up c-ration cases with the open prong definite no-go thanks for the video Larry
I'm ROKA(South Korea Army) reservist sergeant. When I served army(2003~2005) we used M16A1. Maybe South Korea licensed product. My base was located rear position. Because I used M16A1. Frontline Amy base use k1 and k2. Now ROKA assault rifle(?) changing k2c1. Rear position base used 20 round magazines. My english so terrible 🤣
Loved the video Larry!! I trained with the A1 rifle in boot camp. Once I was deployed I had an A2. I have an early Colt AR15 Sporter II in my collection that is an oddball. Has A1rear sight, no case deflector, a medium weight government 1/7 barrel. Has the longer A2 buttstock, A2 birdcage with solid bottom half, A2 square front sight post, it has the A2 collar and hand guards. It’s as if Colt threw them together with whatever they had in stock lol. Still a great rifle, runs great with the 20 inch gas system. Semper Fidelis 🇺🇸 1983-1989
Malaysia got Early Batch of these M16a1 Beast Rifle back the end of 1970.. still using it for Infantry Jungle Police Force..Reliable + Robust Rifle ever made.
The gun I went through Basic using in 1981 as well, Ft. McClellan. You’re not kidding about the brass deflector attachment for shooting lefty. Without it was a constant flow of hot brass in the face. LOL That deflector was one of my most valued pieces of equipment!
@@gordonmiller4439 I read that Harold Ramis took meth pills in order to flunk his physical exams so he wouldn’t get drafted into the Vietnam War. Dirty ploy, yes. But I look at it as a blessing in disguise, if Ramis got K.I.A., or came back with PTSD, we wouldn’t have great movies like Caddyshack (1980) or Ghostbusters (1984).
Great video, Larry. I went through Army BCT in the summer of 1970 with A1s, and used A1s during my time of active service, 1970-76. The only difference I see from your video is I saw only the straight-sided 20 round mags - never saw a 30 rounder. The canned ammo in bandoliers was different from today, also. Our bandolier pockets had 2 10-round clips each (instead of 3), and the bandolier had six (or maybe seven) pockets, along with a spoon charger. The pockets were sized so that they would each carry a charged 20 round magazine, so it was a good "user friendly" way to manage and carry ammo. This is what I used in service in VN, Turkey and Germany. Keep up your great videos.
I have 2 of the 9 million series Colt M16A1s that were made for export from after Nam till the mid 80s. Got them both as NOS and only test fired or the equivalent of a bit under $1400 US. My friends in the US flip when I show them the COLT M16A1 stamp on the receiver through the skype cam. Awesome weapon I must say. For something that was actually developed in the late 50s it is ahead of it's time and that is why the platform still serves. As for the direct gas impingement system I use clean burning S&B ammo and there is no problem.
one thing he missed during the first load we were taught to tap the mag and forward assist just to make sure, he just slipped in mag and went. also, we were taught to keep it to short bursts because long bursts drift off target and are a waste of ammo, but he's firing to make it look good, not to make his shots really count.
As long as it's properly-maintained and fed the right bullet (M193), this rifle will deliver. Preferred ammo are: LC (with stripper clips), WCC (70's manufacture), GE.
I put together a M16A1 clone with Aero and Brownells parts. My favorite is my FN M16A4 collector rifle, I put a Specter sling and ACOG on it. I love this rifles.
Man you got the best job in the whole world. Teaching people tactics and techniques . Also shooting some awesome and rare guns . Diemaco L119A2 is my dream gun I drool over . Real deal Colt 177e2 is my favorite retro .
The only thing this video is missing is some chopper blades whapping in the distance and maybe an outro playing fortunate son... other than that as always its pretty much perfection👌
I cobbled one of these rifles together with parts, semi-auto only of course, and is easily my favorite rifle to shoot. Glad to experience/own a slice of history.
Yep - Air Force Basic in 1970 - Lackland AFB. This is the rifle issued to me. Being a left handed shooter I learned very quickly to dislike this rifle because of the brass and gasses coming back into the right side of my face and eyes. They did rivet a piece of sheet metal to the receiver just behind the ejection port and it was easily bent or rotated by flying brass and again I would get brass in the face and helmet. Still got the gas blowback regardless. I found the rifle to be extremely accurate and easy to control - trigger was excellent. Brass and gasses notwithstanding I did qualify expert with that rifle. At the time I said that if someone ever came out with a LH model I would buy it...which some years ago I bought the Stag Arms LH model...in fact I have two. One is configured for 3 gun and the other is just a basic home defense set up. Love both of them
Don't worry, Trump is going to win in the courts. And if he does not, then it is still ok because there are so many Republican seats in the senate that Hiden Biden will most probably not be able to take your guns.
We were given ~6,000 A1’s that had been prior USMC issue weapons. We bas been told to run them dry in the Yuma desert, but we experienced many malfunctions. After much experimentation we found that the A1’s were quite a bit more reliable with heavy lubrication. With the ejection port cover closed and a plastic flash hider cover they were fine when carried in racks in Broncos and Ram Chargers for 50 hours / week for three months between cleanings.
Got my standard issue Hydra-matic M16A1 however I modified it with M5 RAS, IR laser pointer, Harris bipod, carry handle scope mount and a Leupold Mark 4 3.5-10x40mm scope also I made a DIY cheek pad with some unused foam padding and tape, used it as a DMR since 2016 scored my first kill with it, pretty decent DMR. Love your videos Mr. Vickers keep making good content. -Chris Paraiso, Corporal, "D" Co. 39/10ID Philippine Army
M4 Carbine: Look what I can do grandpa! M16A1: We're gonna show you how us old timers did it! To whoever is reading this, Happy Veterans Day 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 God Bless America 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
One of my favorite AR designs. The classic one.
All the tactical shit clapped on ARs today....one wonders if it is really necessary
@@worstchoresmadesimple6259 As long as it give you some advantage in the gunfight - why not?
@@worstchoresmadesimple6259 I like Foregrips.
@@AlfredFJones1776 i like chopped foregrips to use as handstops
@@ifyoudontfailyouarenoteven6210 more like just to make more money
As a European shooter the M16A1 was my first gun when I was 18. Coming straight from Malaysia with a serial number 9mil. I still have it and it's my favourite rifle ever.
Someone in Malaysia obviously sold M16A1's and these weapons are designated national war stock. In fact, still in use in Reserves, Border and Police Regiments in Malaysia.
Is it still automatic or was it neutered for legality? Unfamiliar with European gun laws so I don’t know what you guys are able to get
@@worstchoresmadesimple6259
A1 still used here for training
@@sandervanduren2779 if you watched the video, you would know the answer to your question
m16a1 with an m203+heatshield is the most beautiful rifle ive ever seen
I’m with you on that!
Amen!
@J. Soil the classic look is amazing, literally defined an era
???: SAY HELLO TO MA LITTLEFRIEND
@Greg Roy yeahhhhh agreed Arnies AR with the M203 "Get to the Choppa".
I had an A1 in basic as well; great rifles
Damn bro you don't look that old.
@@seanwhite304 they did use A1s in training until pretty recently. Hell, I've heard stories of people getting E1s in basic in the 2000s!
Woah. Based.
We love ar videos. Feed us
We obviously had A1’s back in the early 80s at Fort McClellan also. I absolutely loved it.
This makes me really really really want an A1 upper.
I used M16A1 in the Korean Army for two years. I personally liked the M16A1 very much, even though there was a K2 rifle, a Korean ritual rifle. Now, a new model called K2C1 has been supplied to the Korean military, making it difficult to find the M16A1, but this video reminded me of the time when I ran around the field 20 years ago with the M16A1. Thank you.
I fully approve of this modern musket!
Thank you President Washington. Too bad you’re underground and not here to bring back America to its former glory
Come back, Mr. President! We need you now!
@Garrison Nichols the cool lefties love guns haha
@Garrison Nichols eh,most of em out here where I am are racist idiots
@Garrison Nichols I never said I liked Biden either,also yes lol.
That's exactly what we carried in the Nam. 1969. 3/503 A&Bco - 3/319FA 173rd ABN Brigade.
Thank you for your service. Glad you got one the later ones with all the fixes.
Thank You for your Service!
👍👍👍 Thank you
@John Smith Yo John, I never met anybody from Australia while I was there. We spent nearly all our time in the woods. We trained Mountain Yards, worked with a few ARVN soldiers, and with the Cambodian Mike Strike Force one time. But I never encountered as Aussy while I was there. I've always heard good thing about you guys though. Heard you were serious bad asses.
@John Smith Yes indeed, the ARVNs were lame as hell. We sort of worked with a few. But we as a unit stayed separate. We had a Kit Carson Scout who was Vietnamese and he was petty sharp. He was a good tracker and at times we let him walk point for us. But most ARVNs, in my experience, were lame as hell. We didn't trust them.
Is anyone else always amazed by how good Larry's recoil control is?
He was SOF if I'm not mistaken
@@belcs7313 he was delta force that doesn't make his recoil control any less cool
Buffer spring helps control recoil. And it helps a lot. CSC 1/35 CAV
We had them issued in the Australian Army in the 80s. Nice basic rifle, got to carry it as a scout.
You aussie’s actually used them in Vietnam too
@John Smith personally in a jungle environment, open terrain, I prefer the 7.62 × 51. But I do agree with you on speed etc however 7.62 × 51 is around 800m/s so bit faster than you stated
Yeah, I remember how excited I was when we first got our young hands on them during IET's. Felt like a toy after training on the the SLR at Kapooka. The M16 was so much lighter. Had to cock the weapon before you could engage the safety? or is my memory bad. Still preferred my old SLR though. A mans rifle with a real cocking (charging) handle
@@dksdg Yes we did! the M16 is a cool weapon, man.
Indonesian Army still using this riffles today in basic training, most of them produced in post Vietnam era. Somehow Uncle Sam gave lot of these, during our 60-70's communist infestation. 😁
The most badass and classic rifle! Absolutely my favorite!
She’s simple and beautiful, and of course the singing.
Great video, Larry! I was 17 years old, in the summer of 1980. About 8 days after graduating high school, I was in Ft. Banning , Ga and was issued the M16A1. Qualified Expert with it! It was one of the few times in my life, where I did better than even I believed I could! Thanks for the memories, Larry! Again, Great video! Take care, brother!
Ft. Jackson summer of 92 basic training we used the well warn M16A1. Still walked off the qualification range with expert. I could only see one of the 300m targets.
@@Tagawichin Might have been the same one I used in the summer of 90 there.
@@Tagawichin I seem to remember having a tough time seeing some of those 300m targets. I don't remember what color they were, black or green, but man I thought it was tough with the black front sight post sometimes to find the center of mass on the 300m targets.
M16a1 is my favorite very simple and light carried well.
It’s funny how close modern AR’s have gotten back to the A1
@@dksdg one of the most forward thinking designs were the triangular hand guard that tapers down; you now see angled vertical grips give a similar feel, that’s very interesting to me.
@@mattwalters6834 agreed, it is very comfortable, blows me away how much better that rifle was than everything after until the last couple of years. Even then there is still something special with it’s magic combo.
Recoil is almost non existent on this particular rifle! Looked very controllable. Sweet blaster! Thank you for everything you do LAV! ✌️
and that's thanks to the mastermind called Eugene Stoner!!!
@@predatorjunglehunter7332 More like Jim Sullivan
@@georgewhitworth9742They both helped
The service rifle of my time. Qualified first time at Ft. Knox.
Yeah, me too... E-18-4, August 1983
** Don't Tell Me ? You ? We're A Scout ? I Was, Also ! Scouts Out ! Bro ! Yeah ! I Was at Knox Too !! **C Troop 5thCAV 1ST BRIGADE ! **Gotta Have *Balls !
I grew up looking at pics of my dad from Vietnam with his M16, and it was always a dream to have my own. I don’t have an authentic Colt select fire, but I have 2 AR’s that I have built (one 16” carbine and one 20”) with the triangle hand guards, carry handle, and fixed stock that I shoot as often as I can.
When I used to live in Russia (from 0 to 25 years old that is)-I had exactly that kind of rifle which was marked as "US government property" and was taken by Vietcong from a dead soldier and then turned semi auto for civilian market where I bought it!By the way due to lax regulations on semi auto conversions in Russia it didn't have any alterations to any of it's main parts so in US it's receiver would have clearly been a transferable machinegun by ATF or SOT-only item because it was never touched by any tool other than for disassembly! Fun gun but jammed much more than any other that I had over the years so I never even taken it on a hunting trip.. Especially because it is completely useless against a large bear for example-like any "assault rifle" for that matter.. Unless you consider something in .308 as an assault rifle(like G-3 which is technically a battle rifle)!
I had used that rifle for two years in the army.
It's a really solid gun.
I had a A1 in basic at Benning in 82 and for six years after that until my hitch was up, Great gun!
nothing beats the classic... I still see cops and soldiers here in the Philippines carrying around that relic...
Yeah, the police and soldiers still aren't fully equipped with more modern rifles despite the modernization that has been happening in the past years.
@@Kampfner0087 actually they're using m4 and R4 rifles now while the cops get galil ace. The m16 is only issued to reserves, second line units, training and parades
@@whybndsu true true correct
@@Kampfner0087 how the hell is an a1 considered “a garbage BB gun”?
Joshua Kang cuz it Jammed all of the time
Greetings from South Korea.
I still remember my old M16A1 rifle when i served in the rear.
Trained in Malaysia, Territorial Army, brings back memories. Thanks.
Hello there, fellow Malaysian. Still in service with the Wataniah?
@@mrmasher1126 nope, thats 12 years ago.
@@isaachiew676 well then, thank you for your service, sir.
@@mrmasher1126 did a very small part though. you are welcome.
Hello fellow Malaysian,thank you for your service
i did my national service in the singapore armed forces in 1998 we trained with M16A1 most were made in singapore but a few had the COLT label on them i suspected they were vietnam surplus just my guess
If I’m not wrong, Colt licensed the production on a contract to now ST Kinetics. The Colt marked ones were likely commercial samples bought as part of the contract until it expired.
@@DC-ru5xz thanks good to know
Yes in our 3SIB HQ armskot I saw 2 examples of Colt stamped weapons. One is the original M16 with the tapered muzzle and no forward assist. Brand new unused. The other examples are the short carbines (not M4) like the ones the IDF like to use.
@@therover65 the former is to my memory a colt 601 or 602, while the latter is most likely a colt 653 assuming the barrel is 14.5
As a Singaporean male who served National Service back in 2004, we were issued with M16s and trained with them as our primary weapon. I felt it was much easier to hump around in the jungles with rather than the bull pup SAR-21. Also, there’s no other feeling like unloading an empty mag, loading a fresh one in and slapping the forward assist to chamber a new round in the barrel. It just feels so ergonomically perfect when you’re holding it with 2 hands.
I remember going through US Army Basic Training in 1992 and qualified Expert with a Colt M16A1. I built it's predecessor (XM16E1) with a mix of original Colt and Nodak parts.
That slo mo is awesome on the Colt Larry!!!
Carried the A1 for my seven years in and loved it, never failed me. Was a grunt in the 509th ABCT in Italy and a Pathfinder in the 101st at Campbell and in Honduras and finally a Pathfinder in Korea. Also went to basic in 81 in the summer at Benning. D61. Small World.
Can't ever get enough Colt videos. Never gets old
I really miss this rifle. The M16A1 was my issue rifle in boot camp. This was the first gun I ever fired and it ran GREAT. When I graduated Parris Island in July of '85, the newer platoons were just starting to get the A2s.
My dad carried this rifle during his us army service back in the late 1980’s and he told me two things about this gun one that the rifle was reliable when using live ammo but it wasn’t reliable when using blanks and two It WAS A PAIN IN THE A$S TO CLEAN
I had to laugh at your second thing, not that what he said isn’t true, it just brought back a lot of memories. They’re actually not bad to clean, in case you ever decide to get one, it’s just that the Army way of cleaning them was a royal pain in the ass. Lol
Oh yes blanks. I am from the Czech rep. and guys served here with VZ58s said the same about the darn blanks. On exercise a few guys would would get together and only fire from one rifle so they would only have to clean the single one.
Late 80s he was lucky than, I did service in 84 and the marines we were training with had M16s that were so worn out, so all shooting was on a 25m Miniatur target, because beyond that...
Blanks dirty up any gun
Thanks, Larry. You'll always be a legend in the civ and mil communities.
Oh the sound... like music to my ears
Love the classic Vickers slow mo, but I appreciate that a lot more footage shot at normal speed was included in the edit. It's nice to be able to see how fast these full autos shoot in real time.
I love to watch the ejection direction of the empty cases changes, when the bolt speeds up by less friction between bolt carrier and magazine pressures. Empty cases ejection starts at 5’ o’clock and ends at 2 o’clock by the last shot. Cool
I originally started out with the Alaska Army National Guard. Went to basic at Ft. Benning, GA in Oct '87 graduated in Jan '88. We had the A1's in basic. We trained with the A1's, but interestingly enough, on Qualification Day we were issued the A2's. Also, the A1's we had, they were pretty much at the end of their service life. We were told within the next year BCT Units were switched over to the A2's. When I went home to AK. Our Guard units still had the A1's that were in excellent condition! Brings back alot of memories!
I want one of those so bad!
Me too, brother. Me too.
Blame the assholes for 1986 FPA...
@@abbybonilla4511 yup😔
I own one. It was passed on to my by my father. My dad bought one in 1979 for $250. They were cheap back then because the hunting community looked down on military weaponry unless it was an M1. My dad got it fixed up. I grew up shooting it. Explains why I was an expert marksman in basic.
@@abbybonilla4511 Ronald Reagan signed the bill. Remember that. Most Republicans are pussies. If they had to choose between your gun rights and getting elected, they would abort you faster than a their mistresses unwanted child
The full auto M16A1 is what I was issued and carried in 1988 at Ft. Benning, Georgia. Our last two weeks of 15 weeks they took them up and issued us the M16A2 3-round burst rifle.
Very cool rifle. If I had a spare $30,000 or so laying around, I'd get one in a heartbeat. I'd love to put a modern upper with a heavy barrel and bipod on there to make it more tolerant of sustained automatic fire.
My dad bought one in 1979 for $ 250 from a gun dealer. At that time military weaponry was considered for crackpots which is why it was so cheap.It was is poor shape but it got upgraded by a gunsmith.
Yeah...imagine a heavy barrel under the handguard, tapering to the A1 diameter for appearance...
I’m fortunate enough to own an M16A2 carbine I bought couple years ago new and unfired in original box. Funny enough the receiver is marked burst but didn’t have any of the burst components in it only auto. Also kind of cool on the box it has the full name and date of the original owner from 1985 lol
@@user-oy9zy4ds9m A lot of clones have the markings as a cosmetic feature. What they WON'T have is the 'third hole' in the receiver for installing the full auto sear. That makes it a machine gun, subject to NFA restrictions and hard jail time if the ATF catches someone lacking proper paperwork.
@@petesheppard1709 no mine is the real deal it’s a full auto transferable
I went through basic training at Ft. Jackson SC. a place called tank hill, old barracks from WWll . But I had one there and it was the first one I ever seen in person let alone, hold and shoot. That where the love affair began for me and that platform. I own one, free float barrel, bushnell TR25 with flashlight and a nice sling. But it doesn't have that SELECTOR SWITCH with the third setting on though.
I had the same thing in basic training at Ft. Dix in 1989.
My favorite platform on the planet.
I owned one, sadly had to let it go. One of my very favorite all time firearms. It was such an honor to own one. Now i'm on 07/02 so I can always mfg a fa gun if I need to without the $30k price tag! Great video man. I have a couple on my channel too. Love these guns.
This brings back good memories. Used this rifle in basic training in 1972. Loved it. Sighted the rifle in with 5 shots. First shot was about 1inch low. Adjusted the front sight and the next shot was perfect. Shot 3 rounds on the zero target and had a beautiful very small cloverleaf exactly where it should be. I could hardly believe how well it shot. 😃
Back in the '70s, I was on an FTX at Ft Benning and was issued an XM16E1. It wouldn't cycle blanks unless held under the mag.
In '77, I was issued an M16A1 at Marine Corps OCS. I was pleasantly surprised to find it cycled the blanks we got for training perfectly. Alas, I never got to fire it with live ammo.
Never got to fire it with live ammo? You were a Marine O candidate? Were you some kind of pog with a rifle qual waiver or did they let they let you fire the KD course for annual qualification with blanks, SIR?
Though I completed OCS, I was NPQ’d on my pre-commisioning physical. 😕
Firing for qual takes place at TBS.
I treated myself when I turned 18 in the summer of 78 to a slightly used Colt SP1. It cost me a whopping $278. So I had hands on experience when I went through boot camp in 80.
Your comment about the plastic is spot on. As an armorer we were always replacing hand guards due to broken tabs. The pistol grips never failed. But the stocks, and buttplates cracked frequently. I tripped once and caught myself by coming down on the buttplate. When it hit the concrete about an inch of it shattered an headed for parts unknown.
Later after getting into LE my department got 15 M16A1’s through the LESO program. They had all been through depot rebuild. Most were Colt’s, and some were marked XM16E1. Some were partial fence lower receivers. Three were Hydramatic lower receivers. They all ran fine. But we reconfigured them into a mix of M4A1’s, and Mk18’s.
A few years ago we shipped them back to Anniston Army Depot where I’m sure they got cut up.
I trained and qualified with this rifle in Fort Sill, Oklahoma in 1990. When I got to my unit in Germany, I was issued the A2 model. All Army units at that time in Germany had the A2 model.
Same with me in FLW, MO.
I was in HQ, V Corps, G1, Heidelberg in the 90s
I was in OSUT2 At Ft. Leonardtown Missouri in Mar. to June 1980 and were issued M16A2 As Well. Later I became failure and was issued AnbM16A2 and a side arm M1911 45 cal. THOSE became my go to weapons for the full times I was assigned combat units. Good to know we have a similar service time.
I love the M16 series, owning an M16A4 type clone myself but you can't beat the old A1 in appearance.
I had an A1 in USMC basic training, 1981. Mine had the 3 prong flash hider. Loved it👍
Whenever you hear the argument of comparing AK’s vs AR’s, this is more accurate of a comparison. People always compare a wooden furniture AK to an AR with railing everywhere. There’s progression, this is the first way the AR came out and the wooden furniture is the first way the AK came out. Love them both!
Thank you, sir! Colt M16A1 military trained 1981 myself.
55 grain with 1/12 twist is a powerful combination.
AR15A4 shooting m855 62 grn. with 1/7 twist is even better.
Perfect presentation perfect shooting with slo mo combination.. perfection!!
LOVE IT!!! I carried an M16A1 the first 4 years that I was in the Army, 82nd Airborne. I loved the lightweight and easy handling. I’m 5’4” tall, so when they went to the A2. I really hated the added length of pull, I used to change the buttstock to an A1 every time that I got it out of the arms room.
Thank you for a great breakdown of the differences between the A1 version and later versions of the M16. Also, fantastic slow motion videography and overall video of the gun in action!
I'll never be able to afford the real deal, so I had to settled for the Brownells clone. Geeze I love this rifle, it just screams "America"
I got one from them also. In nam 1970. When I put the first mag in this one I was shaking. I dont know if it was excitement to hold one again. After the first mag I calmed down and was shooting pretty accurate.
4 Jun 80 I also was 17 years old when I reported for Basic Training to Ft McClellan Al. Shot Expert with one 38 out of 40 . Wish I still had the serial number that I had written down but it along with Photos were lost in when our Basement Flooded out.
This rifle still in services for Royal Malaysian Police, and a ceremonial rifle for Malaysian Armed Forces (currently issued with M4 Carbine)
Used to shoot one of this back in when I was in High School during Army Cadet Training
All I could say.. this rifle running well even have been around a couple decades
The same rifle I had at Ft. Jackson. When I went home to my National Guard unit in PA, I was issued a GM Hydramatic rifle.
I actually hear and see a lot of these were used in the Gulf War too despite the new A2 in service
That wouldn't surprise me. A medic in the 101st that I ran into during a deployment to Kosovo in 2001 actually told me that back in garrison his unit in the States still had M16A1s. Apparently he and whoever else deployed with him at the time did not bring those A1s for the deployment, but I still remember how shocked I was hearing that a Regular Army unit still had A1s in their inventory by that time.
The Ultimate 'Good Guy' Gun........
God Bless Eugene Stoner.
It was a firearm that I used as a personal firearm when I was in the military, and I can't believe it was already 27 years ago. I miss those days, but if I go back and ask them to do it, I can't.
You're right on about the open prong flash hider c-ration cases I served in the early 80s we had some of those rifles in the 193rd infantry Brigade Panama guys would be opening up c-ration cases with the open prong definite no-go thanks for the video Larry
Patrolling the Mojave almost makes you wish for a nuclear winter.
Love the look of this rifle with the tapered barrel shield and black stealth look.
no you dont
Everytime an M16A1 is fired, Fortunate Son intensifies
That or "Run through the jungle" plays every time it's fired
or paint it black
and when you run out of ammo, "Have You Ever Seen The Rain" plays, sad times :(
“Every time an m16A1 is fired the sons get less fortunate “
In Israel the first m16 issued to me in basic was an A1. The buttstock had a note in it from an American GI in Vietnam.
I'm ROKA(South Korea Army) reservist sergeant. When I served army(2003~2005) we used M16A1. Maybe South Korea licensed product. My base was located rear position. Because I used M16A1. Frontline Amy base use k1 and k2. Now ROKA assault rifle(?) changing k2c1. Rear position base used 20 round magazines. My english so terrible 🤣
ROKA did build M16A1 rifles under license and use them for a time, before developing the K1 and K2 rifles.
M16a1 is definitely one of the best rifles.
Loved the video Larry!!
I trained with the A1 rifle in boot camp.
Once I was deployed I had an A2. I have an early Colt AR15 Sporter II in my collection that is an oddball. Has A1rear sight, no case deflector, a medium weight government 1/7 barrel. Has the longer A2 buttstock, A2 birdcage with solid bottom half, A2 square front sight post, it has the A2 collar and hand guards. It’s as if Colt threw them together with whatever they had in stock lol.
Still a great rifle, runs great with the 20 inch gas system. Semper Fidelis 🇺🇸 1983-1989
Malaysia got Early Batch of these M16a1 Beast Rifle back the end of 1970.. still using it for Infantry Jungle Police Force..Reliable + Robust Rifle ever made.
The gun I went through Basic using in 1981 as well, Ft. McClellan. You’re not kidding about the brass deflector attachment for shooting lefty. Without it was a constant flow of hot brass in the face. LOL That deflector was one of my most valued pieces of equipment!
You went through basic training with Bill Murray, Harold Ramis and John Candy??
solid comment
That's a fact, Jack!
@@WillScaryForCandy Hey bro!
@@gordonmiller4439
I read that Harold Ramis took meth pills in order to flunk his physical exams so he wouldn’t get drafted into the Vietnam War. Dirty ploy, yes. But I look at it as a blessing in disguise, if Ramis got K.I.A., or came back with PTSD, we wouldn’t have great movies like Caddyshack (1980) or Ghostbusters (1984).
Hey, Chief!
You just took me down memory lane!
Thank you so much...I trained in 87’ Charlie Co., 1/46 Inf. Ft Knox, KY!
I carried a 16-A1 myself. We didn’t have 30 round magazines just 20 round.
You can really tell that Larry has passion for this rifle
Its rather funny that our M16A1's here in PH may very well look like one but are secretly A2's from the kits prolonging their lives.
Great video, Larry. I went through Army BCT in the summer of 1970 with A1s, and used A1s during my time of active service, 1970-76. The only difference I see from your video is I saw only the straight-sided 20 round mags - never saw a 30 rounder. The canned ammo in bandoliers was different from today, also. Our bandolier pockets had 2 10-round clips each (instead of 3), and the bandolier had six (or maybe seven) pockets, along with a spoon charger. The pockets were sized so that they would each carry a charged 20 round magazine, so it was a good "user friendly" way to manage and carry ammo. This is what I used in service in VN, Turkey and Germany.
Keep up your great videos.
Can we see a collab with you and garand thumb?!
I have 2 of the 9 million series Colt M16A1s that were made for export from after Nam till the mid 80s. Got them both as NOS and only test fired or the equivalent of a bit under $1400 US. My friends in the US flip when I show them the COLT M16A1 stamp on the receiver through the skype cam. Awesome weapon I must say. For something that was actually developed in the late 50s it is ahead of it's time and that is why the platform still serves. As for the direct gas impingement system I use clean burning S&B ammo and there is no problem.
one thing he missed during the first load we were taught to tap the mag and forward assist just to make sure, he just slipped in mag and went. also, we were taught to keep it to short bursts because long bursts drift off target and are a waste of ammo, but he's firing to make it look good, not to make his shots really count.
I suspect Larry can keep it on target lol.
It's amazing how well you can control the recoil on that rifle, truly impressive
As long as it's properly-maintained and fed the right bullet (M193), this rifle will deliver. Preferred ammo are: LC (with stripper clips), WCC (70's manufacture), GE.
I put together a M16A1 clone with Aero and Brownells parts. My favorite is my FN M16A4 collector rifle, I put a Specter sling and ACOG on it. I love this rifles.
This rifle used many armies in the world ! Israel,Philipines, Australia, South Korea and so on 👌❗
Man you got the best job in the whole world. Teaching people tactics and techniques . Also shooting some awesome and rare guns . Diemaco L119A2 is my dream gun I drool over . Real deal Colt 177e2 is my favorite retro .
The only thing this video is missing is some chopper blades whapping in the distance and maybe an outro playing fortunate son... other than that as always its pretty much perfection👌
I cobbled one of these rifles together with parts, semi-auto only of course, and is easily my favorite rifle to shoot. Glad to experience/own a slice of history.
My grandpa is a former South Vietnamese soldier, this was HIS rifle.
Happy Veterans Day to your grandpa! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
@@lucariothehero500 40 years later, still has that commie-killing blood in him.
Cool!
great vid Mr.Vickers.
Fun switch... 💥💥💥
Yep - Air Force Basic in 1970 - Lackland AFB. This is the rifle issued to me. Being a left handed shooter I learned very quickly to dislike this rifle because of the brass and gasses coming back into the right side of my face and eyes. They did rivet a piece of sheet metal to the receiver just behind the ejection port and it was easily bent or rotated by flying brass and again I would get brass in the face and helmet. Still got the gas blowback regardless.
I found the rifle to be extremely accurate and easy to control - trigger was excellent. Brass and gasses notwithstanding I did qualify expert with that rifle.
At the time I said that if someone ever came out with a LH model I would buy it...which some years ago I bought the Stag Arms LH model...in fact I have two. One is configured for 3 gun and the other is just a basic home defense set up. Love both of them
ahh yes, the weapon of choice with m203 launcher when i was in active duty in ROKA
I love these segments
"Things I'll never be allowed to legally own now"
Don't worry, Trump is going to win in the courts. And if he does not, then it is still ok because there are so many Republican seats in the senate that Hiden Biden will most probably not be able to take your guns.
@@maxcady645 Here's hoping
@@maxcady645 You think he'd legalize machine guns? He banned bumpstocks because they replicate that mode of fire.
@@maxcady645 No. It's pretty clear that Biden won this election, and America is saved from the tyranny of a fascist
@@zooeyhill6006 who is it clear to? Name a single thing Trump did to make you think he is a fascist.
We were given ~6,000 A1’s that had been prior USMC issue weapons. We bas been told to run them dry in the Yuma desert, but we experienced many malfunctions. After much experimentation we found that the A1’s were quite a bit more reliable with heavy lubrication. With the ejection port cover closed and a plastic flash hider cover they were fine when carried in racks in Broncos and Ram Chargers for 50 hours / week for three months between cleanings.
7:11 Lord of War cash machine
Got my standard issue Hydra-matic M16A1 however I modified it with M5 RAS, IR laser pointer, Harris bipod, carry handle scope mount and a Leupold Mark 4 3.5-10x40mm scope also I made a DIY cheek pad with some unused foam padding and tape, used it as a DMR since 2016 scored my first kill with it, pretty decent DMR. Love your videos Mr. Vickers keep making good content.
-Chris Paraiso, Corporal, "D" Co. 39/10ID Philippine Army
M4 Carbine: Look what I can do grandpa!
M16A1: We're gonna show you how us old timers did it!
To whoever is reading this, Happy Veterans Day 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
God Bless America 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
😂😂 in my case I’m the M4 and my Dad is the M16A1. Both army vets.
Yes 🤣🇺🇸💪
Some sounds, sights, and smells you never forget...
Nice rifle you've got there!
I was still issued an A1 in AK in 91-93
M16 A1 and M16A2 my favourite guns from all guns