Henry Rifle Forums

M16 A2 5.56mm / with M203 40mm grenade launcher attached underneath.
I'm sure some of our other 'Nam vets may recognize it.
Needless to say, wish I still had it.

That there is an official assault rifle.

That it is. Very destructive weapon.
Back in the 90s, I bought a Colt AR15, similar to the M16 I had, semi auto, of course, then found & bought a 37mm flare launcher,
which was identical to the 40mm launcher. Wouldn't shoot the grenades due to size. Just wanted it for sentimental reasons ( crazy, maybe ). From a distance, you couldn't tell them apart. Finally gave the 37mm launcher to the local police Dept., later sold the AR,
during my downsizing effort, LOL.
The things a gun nut will do.........

Those didn't show up for us until after I returned to the States in Dec '66. We had M14's. Although I did know of a couple guys who liberated early M-16's from USAF helo's they were guarding in Da Nang.

A lot of liberating went on in 'Nam. I might have done a bit myself.

I had a Car15 and a 1911, but I sat in the front seat of a Huey gunship rather than being a ground pounder.

I have no personal experience with rifles like that and have ultimate respect for those who carried them ..

Grunt,

What is the part located just to the rear of the front sight on top of the hand guard? Maybe the attachment for the launcher?

Yes indeed, a weapon intended to assault whether in defense or offense. As it should be!

Grunt67 wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 22, 2020 9:29 am

A lot of liberating went on in 'Nam. I might have done a bit myself.

Yes, indeed. And that's all I'm going to say about that.

Hatchdog wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 22, 2020 10:39 am

Grunt,

What is the part located just to the rear of the front sight on top of the hand guard? Maybe the attachment for the launcher?

Yes indeed, a weapon intended to assault whether in defense or offense. As it should be!

It's a flip up ladder sight for the launcher. Newer type than mine.
Mine attached back near the receiver, and a pain in the a.. to use.
BTW, the rifle in the pic, is the A2, mine was A1. the earliest. Main difference is the rear sight.
Our squad had a variety of weapons. Besides mine, there was M79 grenade launcher, 12 ga. pump shotgun, M60 machine gun, and hand grenades.
I carried 400 rounds for the M16 & 18 rounds for the launcher.
Can't have too much ammo.

Centaur wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 22, 2020 9:53 am

I had a Car15 and a 1911, but I sat in the front seat of a Huey gunship rather than being a ground pounder.

Appreciate your service, & air support. You guys saved my bacon many times. Chopper pilots have always been my heroes. Medivac picked me up under heavy fire after I was wounded.
Love those guys, even if they were crazy, LOL.

I liked the M16, liked the M14 better for competition. I shot expert with both. I shot expert with both the 38 and 45 and as a door gunner, already qualified with both, I had a choice, I drew a 45. I also drew extra mags and a second mag pouch. Thirty five rounds. I drew two boxes of ammo and kept them in my helmet bag. 135 rounds. If we went down I wasn't going to be short on ammo.

I also started each flight with two fifty cals and 300 rounds for each.

I was artillery and the howitzer was my primary weapon. That being said artillery was the last of the field units to get an M16. I got to nam in March of 69 and was issued an M14, a rifle I had training on. Then a few months into my tour we were issued M16’s, a rifle I had never fired or was trained to maintain.

I received my training from a comic book. It’s been a long time but I don’t remember the DI’s looking like this. None of the M16’s we were issued were new. The infantry got the new rifles and we received theirs after being rebuilt. All of the rifles in my unit were different. Mixed uppers and lowers was the norm. I didn’t think much about it at the time however I later determined it was an XM16E3 if I remember right. It was actually an early Air Force rifle with no forward assist, a chrome bolt and barrel, none of the fences around the corral, 3-prong flash, finger grove pistol grip, no cleaning kit in the stock, and the stock was the darker more rounded shiny one.

Some of us had the older barrels that could only shoot 52 grain bullets and were issued 55 grain. The Army told us it was close enough.

Each howitzer had an M79 grenade launcher and the person on guard was given it for the night. Gotta love those mad minutes when you could light up the night with firepower. We usually had a twin-forty and quad-50 with us and most nights for a minute at random we would open up. Everything but the howitzers were fired and the 79 was my favorite. I could easily get off a dozen rounds during a mad minute.

I hated nam but loved it at the same time.

Agree, Gene. I know for sure, I never saw a DI like that, or anyone else, for that matter.
The old mama sans would make a train take a dirt road.

Grunt67 wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 28, 2020 9:44 pm

Agree, Gene. I know for sure, I never saw a DI like that, or anyone else, for that matter.
The old mama sans would make a train take a dirt road.

Short time boom boom GI?

OMG, after seeing that comic book especially the female discussing “keep it clean” my mind went to a place that can’t be discussed here. So I won’t but I will do some personal quiet giggling.

Sir Henry wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 29, 2020 9:43 am

Grunt67 wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 28, 2020 9:44 pm

Agree, Gene. I know for sure, I never saw a DI like that, or anyone else, for that matter.
The old mama sans would make a train take a dirt road.

Short time boom boom GI?

LOL, never went down that trail. No opportunity, didn't get into town, and Charlie kept me pretty busy, in the bush.