Summary and Key Points: The M16 rifle, designed by Eugene Stoner and adopted by the U.S. military in the 1960s, has remained a staple due to its reliability, modularity, and effectiveness.

The M4-series Carbine achieves over 80% commonality with the M16A2 Rifle and replaces all M3 .45 caliber submachine guns, and selected M9 pistols and M16 rifles. The Army is pursuing a two-phase ...