View movie

Play / Download (help)

(35.6 M)Windows Media
(76.2 M)Ogg Video
(79.1 M)512Kb MPEG4

All Files: HTTP

Resources

Bookmark

Rifle 5.56mm, XM16E1, Operation and Cycle of Functioning TF9-3663 (1966)

US Army Training Film on the XM16E1 rifle, the first mass-fielded version of the M16 rifle. This is the version with chrome-plated bolt carrier, no trap door in the buttstock, no forward assist, non-chrome-lined chamber, and three-prong flash supressor. Somewhat notorious for reliability issues in the jungles of Vietnam, it was upgraded into the much more reliable M16A1 in 1967. Most of the basic information in this video is just as true today for the M16A2/A4 and M4 carbine.


This movie is part of the collection: Community Video

Audio/Visual: sound, color

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

Individual Files

Write a review
Downloaded 28,710 times Reviews
Average Rating:

Reviewer: rhurst1945 - - March 29, 2008
Subject: Description is incorrect
The XM16E1 did have a forward assist and can be clearly seen in the film.

Reviewer: movieman - - November 26, 2005
Subject: Interesting
As someone who doesn't know a huge amount about guns and mechanical engineering, I found this pretty interesting: I've often wondered how they managed to make machineguns work with cams and springs and all that pre-digital engineering, and the video goes into it in quite some detail. I'm still amazed that it all works together reliably enough to fire ten times a second (or not realiably, in the case of the original M16!).