BIGGREG Posted January 23, 2013 Share #1 Posted January 23, 2013 DEAR ALL.. I noticed recently a picture....And i need the help of some experts here....i tried to find a solution..and now i'm lost... I saw this picture ( another angle ) on the book of Eric Micheletti about the SEALs in Vietnam and i saw noticed it...(pag 3)... The handguards of the M16 look really like an A2...could it be possible, since that model was only introduced in the '80 I thought also about the Canadian C7...but still introduced in '80....experimental handguards..????? or i am seing things??? please help... BIG GREG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longhorn92 Posted January 23, 2013 Share #2 Posted January 23, 2013 It's probably just taped up a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGREG Posted January 23, 2013 Author Share #3 Posted January 23, 2013 Well if it was "taped" and i was considering that option too... you would see it in "conical" way... but here... it's not it stays almost the same diameter...(by the way thanks Longhorn for your idea)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longhorn92 Posted January 23, 2013 Share #4 Posted January 23, 2013 Or maybe it's an XM148 handguard. But I've never seen them without the grenade launcher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted January 23, 2013 Share #5 Posted January 23, 2013 Didnt some of the very early AR10s have the round hand guards.I believe in 1957 the Armalite Company revised the AR10 to fire the .223 round opposed to the 308 which it originally fired.I was thinking when Stoner developed this the handguards were round.Very well could be an early seriers rifle. Also see coral booties and float coats in the pic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted January 23, 2013 Share #6 Posted January 23, 2013 Doesnt look like a standard 3 prong flash hider either unless he has a cover over it to keep out water Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilitariaKollektor Posted January 23, 2013 Share #7 Posted January 23, 2013 There was a popular mechanics article in Aug 1967 that featured the M16 and there is a photo of the M16 with the M16A2 style round hand guard being available as early as 1967. Page 70-73 about a third to half way down the link. The article is titled "How good is our New Vietnam Rifle?". I hope this link works http://books.google.com/books?id=Cyo...ed=0CFkQ6AEwBQ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted January 23, 2013 Share #8 Posted January 23, 2013 To me it seems like an optical illusion caused by the angle of the handguard to the camera and the (I am not sure of the proper term) exposure in the photo. It looks like a standard triangular handguard to my eyes. The handguard in question also does not have any ribbing on the outside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1SG_1st_Cav Posted January 24, 2013 Share #9 Posted January 24, 2013 Hey guys, maybe this will help you. This is my picture with my M-16 in August 1967. We got issued these just before our unit deplyed from Ft Bragg in June 1967. At least it will give you something to chuckle about! Danny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsellati Posted January 24, 2013 Share #10 Posted January 24, 2013 Doesnt look like a standard 3 prong flash hider either unless he has a cover over it to keep out water It appears as though there is a cover on the flash hider. If there were not you would see the end of the rifle open from where the bullet would exit, if that makes sense. Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awheeler Posted January 24, 2013 Share #11 Posted January 24, 2013 There were tubular experimental handguards issued in Vietnam. I cannot remember the details, but they were round and had to do with air circulation... They were designed to cool down the barrel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGREG Posted January 24, 2013 Author Share #12 Posted January 24, 2013 Well THANK you guys.. you solved a "mistery"...now for the cover on the muzzle that is FOR SURE... for the water... ;-) Thank you all if you have other pictures please.. post so we have more proofs... :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilitariaKollektor Posted January 24, 2013 Share #13 Posted January 24, 2013 Annihilator I is correct. It could be from the the angle of the shot. Here is a shot of triangular handguards that look cylindrical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1SG_1st_Cav Posted January 24, 2013 Share #14 Posted January 24, 2013 Guys: That's my picture of the skinny guy with no shirt holding the M-16. I never used a cover over the flash-hider on my M-16, and I carried an M-16 in one capacity or another until 1978. So I'm not sure what you guys are imagining about the M-16 I carried to Vietnam from Ft Bragg in 1967. BTW, in 1968, I was promoted into another combat Artillery unit. I carried an M-14 with a Full-Auto selector switch, along with a .45. In fact. in my 20 years in the Army, I never put a cover over the muzzle on a rifle. Much to do about nothing! Danny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGREG Posted January 25, 2013 Author Share #15 Posted January 25, 2013 Well.. I understand your point MilitariaKollektor I don't want to be....how can I say.. paranoid but if you look carefully at the picture...the handguard looks like there are some "stripes"...it's not even (like the look of a conical one).... if you understand what i mean...so it's that that made think about a "experimental" handguard... i don't know... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awheeler Posted January 26, 2013 Share #16 Posted January 26, 2013 This is whats up with the "muzzle cover". Prepare yourselves because it is really complicated and SEAL specific: 100 mph tape. Aka : OD duct tape. All sarcasm aside, that is not a muzzle cover. Or any standard issue item. it is simply tape over the flash hider. Now, why you may ask. Its simple, to keep dirt out of your barrel. m16s operate just fine if they are wet. and putting a muzzle cover on the end is not water proof. But wrapping you muzzle with a layer of tape keeps out dirt, and you can just shoot it off. And the experimental hand guards were ribbed horizontally along the length, and I believe they were a dark grey or green color. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGREG Posted January 26, 2013 Author Share #17 Posted January 26, 2013 ok...i got that...i'll post the other picture that is really weird..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted January 26, 2013 Share #18 Posted January 26, 2013 The operator also has a 30 rd mag in use. Several items over time have been uses as muzzle covers. As mentioned tape as well as foil,condoms,plactic bags with tape or rubber bands.In WW2 there were canvas covers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccyooper Posted January 26, 2013 Share #19 Posted January 26, 2013 just my observation.. I think the forend is triangle shaped. I think that is why the shadow is flat on the bottom.. in addition to standard tape, electrical, duct, etc those little black muzzle covers were availble as early as 1976 because that is when I believe I first saw them. So I guess it could have been a muzzle cover but most likely tape if there is a cover on the rifle. When did the 30 round mag come into use .. late 60's i believe.. standard issue 70? ... just trying to get an idea when the picture may have been taken... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGREG Posted January 28, 2013 Author Share #20 Posted January 28, 2013 OK this is the same picture... but on another angle....I post like this and i will post a sencond one with my personal thoughts.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGREG Posted January 28, 2013 Author Share #21 Posted January 28, 2013 and here are my comments..... from this angle it really does not look like triangular to me...and i can see the tape only until a certain extend...so i think that this picture is still debatable... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westernfed Posted February 9, 2013 Share #22 Posted February 9, 2013 when did Remember get a boat? you guys have really stepped up your impression! Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sactroop Posted February 9, 2013 Share #23 Posted February 9, 2013 From the pictures it sure looks like the plastic muzzle cover with the rim on the end. That being said those muzzle covers always reminded me of the plastic covers we used in the AF to cover "cannon plugs" for electrical gear. Could it be that someone noticed that those plugs in the right size would fit over the FS of the M16? At that point it's just a FSN or NSN away from procuring a bag full of those things for field use. I've wondered in the past if that's not the way those muzzle covers came into use in the first place. There's lots of down time aboard a ship to get creative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puff Posted December 8, 2014 Share #24 Posted December 8, 2014 I've discovered this pic two days ago and I was then very surprise! I can assume with this better quality pic that the handguard is well an A2 one. Probably tested in a very short number in Vietnam... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldfireguy Posted December 8, 2014 Share #25 Posted December 8, 2014 If you can get a copy of the Black Rifle, vol. 1, by Stevens/Ezell, there is a photograph of a rifle like that on page 236. They are calling it a Colt model 616, the CAR 15, "Heavy Assault Rifle M1". C-1966. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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