However, try as they might, the M16 always stuck around. During the Cold War, the world moved away from the heavy battle rifle calibers that were used in World War II to the assault rifle concept.

The encouraging feedback from these units, fighting enemies armed with the AK-47 assault rifle at close range, led the Army to a “one-time” purchase of 104,000 rifles, renamed the M16 and ...

Editor’s note: this post first appeared in April 2018 Decades before the U.S. military transitioned away from the M16 assault ... rifle’s caseless ammo system into a new Army light machine gun ...