Posted on 12/07/2016 4:54:38 PM PST by PROCON
The classic M16A1 was the iconic rifle of the Vietnam War. It was issued to the vast majority of U.S. soldiers during the conflict, and it’s general success in combat led to its continued service in the U.S. armed forces in varied forms over the years. And of course it wasn’t too long before the M16’s popularity translated to the civilian market as well.
Luckily, earlier this summer at the 2016 NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Louisville, Kentucky, Colt teased the release of a reproduction, semi-auto-only M16A1 that faithfully replicates the look and features of the original, Vietnam-era rifle. The new rifle, which Colt has dubbed the M16A1 Reissue, is a virtual match to the classic design, featuring the same unique triangular handguard, 20-inch pencil-profile chrome-lined barrel with a 1:12-inch twist, and recognizable carrying handle.
Although I wasn’t in attendance at the event in Louisville, I did get a chance to get some shooting time with the new Colt M16A1 Reissue at Colt’s recent Media Day event at the historic Gunsite Academy in Paulden, Arizona. It was a great opportunity to learn more about the M16A1 Reissue from the Colt team and to put some rounds through it at the range.
While there are a ton of AR-15 style rifles available today, faithful recreations of the original military-issue M16A1 are a little harder to find. This can be especially disappointing for collectors looking for a semi-auto replica of this classic and historical rifle.
(Excerpt) Read more at gundigest.com ...
“Well, if I was shooting at a target from 480 yards I would want a different caliber rifle all together.”
I was required to hit a man sized target at 600 yards using a rack grade A-1 model using only iron sights and military issues ammunition.
It ain’t the rifle. It’s the shooter.
L
I’m talking back when the Pew-pew-pew kept pewing until the magazine ran out of pew-pews. :-)
NOSTALGIAPHOBE! :-)
A good .308 rifle rules.Accept no substitutes.
I’d love to have one and relive my 1/2 of one day at the rifle range during Air Force basic training back in 1977.
But not at $2,499.
It isn’t that hard to hit a man sized target at 400 yards even for an average shooter.
The most important thing is that the sights be on at that distance.
All those Walmart AR’s out there for $500 once again, and Colt’s offers an `original’ for $2,500?
Good luck to that, prong flash hider & all.
Never liked it in Vietnam (Huey driver here, we carried anything), much and still do prefer the AK-47, which at least was made from blue steel & wood, not aluminum & plastic.
IIRC, the A1 had a rear flip site for ranges over 300 yards.
The civilian SP1s did not have a forward assist.
I door-gunned on Hueys for awhile in Nam. We always kept the A1 as a back-up to the M-60.
Meh.
I still like the Colt 1911.
And I will always have warm fuzzies for the MK 19, and still wish they had made a belt of alternating red and white phosphorus rounds for it.
The Ma Deuce is as beloved as ever.
But you could throw the HKs in a barrel of sludge and fire them with stuff still running out of the barrel. M16s would never do that. Plus when I was younger and still had good eyesight I appreciated the longer range of the 7.62.
I trained and drilled with the M14, a fun and accurate 7.62 at the range.
I know I could hit a target that big from 600yds with that M16.
But I would want a different rifle for that purpose.
Qualified with the A1 and A2 during my Marine Corps career. 10th award Expert. Never shot less than 10 out of 10 from the 500 yd line with iron sights. Dial the windage and elevation in and every round is center mass. 500 yd line was where you would pad your score.
Baloney. Mattel never made parts.
Yeah, none of that 3-pew-burst crapola.
I'll continue doing that until the asinine Assault Weapons law is repealed.
Hopefully that can occur with a new Future Republican majority,but i’m not holding my breath.
Too much money & I never liked those handguards.
My daughter does well with a shotgun, but never shot a rifle. A new friend at college took her out to shoot both. She was saying how she did okay with the rifle - she missed the target the first couple of times, but then was able to hit it consistently.
“How far?”
“300 yards”
“You mean 300 feet?”
“No - yards - it was a gong.”
“And you hit it on your third shot!?”
“It’s not all that hard - he’s got a scope and all this other crap (.30-06) - all you have to do is point it. It’s not like a shotgun.”
I don’t think she gets how much of a natural she is. I had to double-check, the range they went to does have a gong at 300 yards.
If I paid over 2700 for a rifle like that (sales tax don’tchaknow) I wouldn’t have any money for ammo. Does it take a CMMG .22lr conversion kit? LOL
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