Ouch!
.
I’ll stick with
Grandpa’s ScatterGun.
I am a 26 year veteran of both the US Army, 5 years active duty, and 21 years in the National Guard. I was a Mech infantry squad leader, and a tank commander with 2 different units in Vietnam, and I was activated for Gulf War I and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
I have built from the ground up 5 different AR-15’s in different calibers, 22 LR, .5.56 NATO .300 Blackout, and .458 SOCOM.
My experience with the M-16/AR-15 and variants does not comport with your opinion. The M-16A1 was extremely reliable and even better than the AK series in mud, owing to it being largely enclosed from that with a magazine in place and the dust cover closed. We carried basic loads of 600 rounds and more and would go through most of it during firefights. As long as you were not trying to use it as a bullet hose, and burning out the barrel in full auto, (It was never intended to replace the squad automatic weapon. Full auto was for initial fire superiority and final assault only) it was quite reliable assuming basic maintenance.
Accuracy for a properly zeroed M-16/AR-15 with a barrel twist rate of 1:12 with 55 grain M-193 ammo is excellent within 300-400 yards, which is within it’s design envelope.
Later M16’s utilize heavier bullets of up to 78 grains with a 1:7 twist rate and are even more accurate at longer ranges. All in all it is one of the most versatile and ergonomically well designed battle rifles ever made.
It sure save MY life!!!