It's still a problem. I know. From personal experience - and the experiences of several close friends.
In Iraq - brand new M16A4. I used it at the range before deployment; it was LTI'd (inspected by the armorers) before deployment. It was regularly cleaned and well maintained on deployment (Marines are anal like that).
Once the heavy shooting started - It failed twice requiring remedial action during house to house fighting in Fallujah. Trying to clear a jam and unfoul your gas tube while getting shot at = not much f'n fun at all.
During a firefight, my buddy shot the gas tube out of his in Afghanistan. Basically turning it into a glorified bolt action .22
You go to the range and shoot? Great the average shooter will have 0 issues.
You get in a TIC? Great the average shooter will have 0 issues.
You wind up pinned down and surrounded in an ambush? You find yourself doing house to house in continuous contact when it's drizzling outside and everything is grimy? ie. when your buddy's ass is on the line, and your ass is on the line?
M16/AR wouldn't be my first choice.
You fight with the gun you're issued - I took an M16 in one variant or another across x4 combat deployments. Now that I do my own procurement and logistics? I don't own a single AR....
And aside from all that - I've seen a dude (high) take 4 rnds 5.56 to the chest at less than 30m, run - yes run away. Probably died later -but he was still in the fight after two double taps to the chest.
Your preferences and mileage may vary.
Forgot to mention - I busted the cheap plastic handguard on my M16A2 on my first Iraq deployment.
I don’t care how much the ammo weighs,I’m sticking with 7.62x51.
David Petraeus once took an M-16 round through the chest and was out jogging again two days later.
I don’t think I’ve taken courses from you, but I have taken many from Travis Haley, Kyle Lamb, and John McPhee “the sheriff of bagdad”. All of whom use BCM. That’s the way I’ve chosen to go. The AR platform is reliable.