M16 A3

Last crawled date: 1 year, 11 months ago

The M16's receivers are made of aluminum alloy, its barrel, bolt, and bolt carrier of steel, and its handguards, pistol grip, and buttstock of plastics. Early models were especially lightweight at 6.4 lb (2.9 kg). This was significantly less than older 7.62 mm 'battle rifles' of the 1950s and 1960s. It also compares with the 11 lb (5 kg) (loaded) AK-47. M16A2 and later variants weigh more (8.5 lb or 3.9 kg loaded) because of the adoption of a thicker barrel profile. The thicker barrel is more resistant to damage when handled roughly and is also slower to overheat during sustained fire. Unlike a traditional 'bull' barrel that is thick its entire length, the M16A2's barrel is only thick forward of the handguards. The barrel profile under the handguards remained the same as the M16A1 for compatibility with the M203 grenade launcher. The rifle is approximately 40 inches (1006.6 mm) long4] with standard 20-inch (508 mm) barrel. #556_alloy #bolt #firearm #GUN #GUNS #handguard #m16 #m4 #m4a1 #m4a2 #m4a3 #m4a4 #nato #plastic #weapon