Chief among them was a tendency to jam – far more often than did its predecessors. Whether such tales were actually true or were greatly exaggerated over dramatizations, it was clear that the new rifles had some problems. To heighten the drama, the dead GIs or Marines’ hands were clutching cleaning rods, testimony to the fact that their last harrowing moments on Earth had been spent in feverish but futile attempts to clear stuck cartridges. Entire patrols were said to have been wiped out, their bodies discovered next to their jammed rifles. The Harrowing Tales of the M16īefore long, dramatic tales about the new M16 rifle began to make the rounds among US forces in Vietnam. However, many troops reported that it jammed a lot, especially at the most inopportune moment, when firing at the enemy – as inopportune a moment as it gets. The M16’s lighter weight when compared to its predecessor was a huge advantage. The M16 was ordered into production in March of 1964, and by the end of that year, the first models had been shipped to Vietnam and distributed to front-line troops.
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However, although superior on paper and during the tests that led to its adoption, the new rifle demonstrated some serious drawbacks when it first went into combat. Composed of hard-anodized aluminum alloys, fiberglass, and steel, the new rifle was significantly lighter than the M14, and the lighter weight of M16 and of its cartridges allowed soldiers to carry more ammunition. After minor modifications, the AR-15 entered US military service as the Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16. Early in 1963, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara decided that the AR-15 was the superior rifle, and ordered a halt to M14 production. However, the war in Vietnam forced a reconsideration. The US Army turned down the AR-15 rifle and decided to stick with the M14. Initial Rejection of the AR-15 Rifle, Followed by Its Speedy Adoption 30 round.Īn original M16 without the forward assist, in action in Vietnam. 223 inch caliber (5.56 mm) rounds that could penetrate an American helmet at 500 yards and matched or exceeded the wounding capacity of a. Developed in response to a US Army request, the AR-15 weighed 6 pounds with a 20-round magazine. The debate led military authorities to rethink a rifle they had rejected in the 1950s: the Armalite AR-15. The choice was between greater killing or stopping power with a more accurate and longer range powerful weapon, or more bullets to keep an enemy’s head down at shorter range, with a higher chance of hitting and at least slowing him down. However, it also had been lighter than a high-velocity rifle round, whose long-range was seldom needed in most engagements.
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To stand on an equal footing with the communists during the Cold War, American soldiers needed a rifle that could fire a round that was more powerful than a carbine or submachine gun. An alternative was needed, and the AK-47, with its intermediate cartridge, pointed the way forward. However, the M2’s bullets were underpowered. The M14’s shortcomings led military commanders to consider an older rifle, the M2 Carbine, which offered a higher rate of fire than the M14. Being able to shoot somebody at 500 yards, which the M-14 could reliably do with iron sights (and at 900 yards or more with a scope), was little help to American troops who seldom saw an enemy beyond 100 or 200 yards. There were relatively few wide open fields of fire, and the rugged terrain and vegetation meant that most engagements took place at short to medium distances. In most encounters in Vietnam, the M-14 rifle’s longer-range was seldom needed.
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Worse, the disadvantages caused by the heavier weight were not balanced out by practical advantages.
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That weight meant that M14 users could carry fewer bullets, pound for pound, than did adversaries who wielded AK-47. For another, while its 7.62mm NATO rounds were more powerful and could reach farther than the rounds of the AK-47 wielded by the American GIs’ opponents, the M14’s cartridges were heavier.
#GUN JAM IMMEDIATE VS REMEDIAL ACTION FULL#
For one, while the rifle was a stable and accurate platform when it fired single rounds in semiautomatic mode, it was virtually uncontrollable when it was fired in full auto mode. When the M14 first saw action in Vietnam, significant drawbacks emerged.