” M-16 and its idiot caliber “
What caliber should it be?
Almost anything bigger, it is barely enough for a varmint round. I wouldn’t use a .22 for deer hunting let alone for combat.
7.62
Size, distance, killing power discussions aside, one of the major reasons for that, as I was always told, was interchangeability.
Pardon for breaking in but I’ve trained with all of ‘em, and tested all of ‘em. I’m still a 30 caliber guy even if it means carrying a few less rounds. One of my favorite stories comes from the Pacific in WW II. The Japanese thot that palm tree logs would be fine for bunkers. But those ‘06 rounds snuck right thru over a foot of wood. .223 won’t do that. Tough learning curve for Hirohito’s guys. In today’s world lots or kinds of body armor will stop .223-—not so much for 30 cal which will at least butt-roll the target even if it’s wrapped in enough armor to stop the slug.-——And then there’s the dirty gas problem of the no-op-rod system-—just a bitch to clean at the wrong time.