Light weight and deadly precision have made the M16 the most widely used assault rifle in the world. The M16 rifle is used in 15 NATO member countries, including the United States of America, and in more than 80 countries around the world. Since 1963, when the rifle entered service, over eight million versions of the M16 have been produced since then, making it the most widely used assault rifle in the world. NATO estimates that 90% of the M16 s are still in active use, including some rifles that were manufactured in the 1960s.
The M16 rifle enjoys immense popularity due to its qualities such as light weight, reliability and a lethal blow. The M16 fires 5.56x45 mm bullets that cause severe injuries. Australia, Canada, Israel, Great Britain, Mexico - this is not a complete list of countries that use the M16 rifle or its variant.
The popularity of M16 in the world is so high that the combination of "M16" has become a real brand. Fans of shooters go online under it, under it even bed linen and accessories for military uniforms are produced in Europe and the USA - https://ellinashop.ru/tegi-postelnoe-bele/verossa, computer games and applications are created under it.
The M16 rifle was designed for use in the Vietnam conflict. It was first used in South Vietnam in 1963. By 1970, the M16 rifle had become the standard infantry rifle of the US Armed Forces. Before Vietnam, the primary American infantry weapon was the M14 rifle. Versions of the M16 were used by all divisions of the American armed forces, including the navy.
The M16 rifle is made from several different materials, including steel, aluminum, and plastic. The materials used to manufacture the M16 rifle make it one of the lightest conventional rifles. Early versions of the weapon weighed only about 6 pounds. Newer versions can weigh 8.5 pounds due to the thickness of the barrel and attachments such as night vision goggles.
In the late 1970s, NATO member states began to accept the M16 rifle as their main infantry weapon. The US military called for standardization of weapons among its allies and offered the original design of the M16 rifle to NATO member states without any changes. The M16 rifle was enthusiastically received by the NATO allies and is today a widely used assault rifle in many countries.
There are four variants of the M16 rifle - M16A1, M16A2, M16A3 and M16A4. The M16A4 is the standard US Marines rifle that features a redesigned grip and improved sighting frames over earlier versions of the weapon. In recent years, the US Department of Defense has studied several programs to replace the M16 with an updated assault rifle. However, none of these programs have moved forward.
