Am I the only that thinks all 3 series of M16s where amazing? The A1 had that iconic hand guard and just screams Vietnam whenever you see it. The A2 was a classic during the 80s and 90s. And the A4 with that pic rail and ACOG was the work horse of the war on terror.

Eugene Stoner thought most of the A2 "upgrades" defeated the purpose of what they set out to do in creating a lightweight, intermediate caliber(so accurate in full auto), high volume of fire weapon for use in targets within 0-300 yards/meters where you can actually see it through iron sights. the only thing he liked was the handguards bc it increased efficiency by using one mold.

If I can have only one rifle for the rest of my life, this is it. A plain Jane M16A2 with well zeroed iron sights will serve you for a lifetime.

We were still using the M16 A1 when I was in. We were also taught to use 3 round bursts without a "burst" lever position.

as an Air Force Security Specialist, we were issued M16A1 slick sides left over from the 60-70s. looking back, i was glad i wasn't paying for the ammo when you can dump a 30 round mag in a second or so. i loved that gun so much i went ahead and built my own AR15 clone with a 1 :12 twist pencil profile barrel, carry handle upper, rifle length gas system and A2 butt stock. You Can't Beat The Classics. #LetsGoBrandon

I grew up on the M16A2 in the Marines, and loved it. I had no problems at all with its accuracy and reliability. My only complaint was the burst feature. I believe replacing the auto for burst was a punishment for poor training. Rather than limiting the Marine to three rounds, proper techniques to train the Marine to control each burst would have been appropriate. Sometimes, a mag dump is in order, and forcing the operator to repeatedly mash the trigger 10 times to keep the enemies head down while your buddy advances is lame. It's interesting how the burst feature is either being implemented in conjunction with auto, or being replaced in lieu of auto on new rifle platforms.

This is the best video on the M16A2 rifle, very informative.

It's just funny because the Army is now upgrading our burst fire M4s to Full-auto M4A1s.

I sure did love my A2 never had a failure to fire in my years of service

II went into the Corps in ‘80 (1st summmeer of PLC). Used and qualed with the A1 until either ‘85 or ‘86 when I then qualed with the A2. Was in the Air Wing then and only saw it at the range. I immediately liked it. Around 1989 or. 90, , I bought a Colt Sporter Target model. Basically the A2 without the burst. Still have it.

I have used the M16 and the M4. I definitely prefer the M16. I was a Cavalry Scout with the 101st so we were issued M4's as they better served our purposes but I still would have rather had the M16. It has superior accuracy and can reach out to 500 meters while the M4 only reaches out to 300 meters effectively on a point target.

Always loved the fixed carry handle and solid butt stock. It's what god intended.

As a left-handed shooter... I thank you for the deflector! It's very cool to see who was behind the changes to A2 and why. I love the carry handle rifles of old. I'm building an a1 clone, but I fully plan on doing an A2 also.

People are impressed when I tell them that as a Marine we would use the M16a2 at 200, 300, and 500 Meters with iron sights to qualify. AT&T long distance tapping for the aggressor.

We got the M16a2 in the summer of 84 after we got back from Beruit,brand new in the box so to speak .The weapon was a great improvement over the M16a1.Only bad part was the 3rd burst

Jake recorded over six hours of video where I covered all the changes asked about below. So what you have here is a condensed version.

Man I gotta get one someday. I don't have any ARs yet. Got an M1a and other old military. Had the A2 in the Marines. sometimes I miss that rifle. More practical than the old wood rifles I have. But shooting a 1917 Eddystone in 30 06 is a blast also. I'd love to go pull butts on the USMC range once more. Of course I'd like to go for another expert award also! Yut!

M１６A２の性能、命中精度、デザインが素晴らしいです。

Good to see LtCol Lutz. I wanted to come work for you at the Development Center after I left the Scout-Sniper Instructor School but ended up going to a CQB section. We then developed the 36 yard/30 meter zeroing procedure to replace the 25 meter/1000 inch zeroing for the A2.

The very first items I purchased after serving as a Corpsman, 2nd MarDiv was a Colt AR15 A2 HBAR Match slab-side (no mag release fence), an Ithaca M37 shotgun, an M-1A by Springfield topped with an original Unertl 6x40 and a Colt .45 M1911. That's what I used then and know well. That A2 really shoots great. Puts the newer junk ARs (all Colts and one Stag) I've since bought to shame! For me, the A2 HBAR was and is still perfect!

When I reported to my 1st duty station ( armory at TBS, Quantico, VA) in '79, then Capt. Lutz was running the show. He was one of the finest officers I ever had the privilege to serve under in my 26 yrs. of military service. Semper Fi, Sir! Job well done!

I mustered out just as the A2 came online. After watching this I wish the improvements had been implemented years earlier. Live and learn, right? I'll always miss the A1 handguards. It's a 70s thing, I guess. Semper Fi!

You asked: "...What about the heavy profile in front of the fsb? I was under the impression that the reasons for adding the extra meat at the front was in error...." Not in regards to preventing the barrel bending during dynamic bayonet fighting drills or banging against rappelling towers, etc. The Operational and Engineering testing proved the heavier profile in front of just behind the FSP was many times more resistant to being ben in our more aggressive training environments than those of the other services.. Now it is also a fact (now, established many years after this testing) that a burr on the gas port can act as a "scraper" of sorts and may cause a build-up of bullet jacket material that will cause the military's "barrel straightness gauge" to get hung-up in that general area. A bore brush and an electric drill can usually fix this. However, I noted more recently, that the copy of the Army 23&P TM on the internet directs Armorers to "re-bend" bent barrels over a bench so the drop gauge passes through. So maybe we have at least two potential issues with the drop gauge, "bent barrels", etc.The drop gauge used always "sticks" in the area of the gas port, so if the bayonet lug was used as a fulcrum in theory it might bend there. Never saw one "bent" any where else by using the drop gauge that was not grossly observable like if run over by a truck.I also remember being told that Colt originally used such a drop gauge after turning down the barrel blanks on the lathe, and if bent, they had a way to straighten them. Some Army engineer saw this in action and then insisted that such a drop gauge be part of the Armorer's gauge set.I have watched Colt turn down M16 barrel blanks (about 1-inch in diameter) in just two hard and fast passes and you could see the barrel bowing under the pressure from the carbide cutter.

Naahh.. Still love the old school m16a1.

Every time I went to the field or on deployment, I would swap out my trigger pack for a full auto A1 pack. It only takes a couple minutes. Nobody was ever the wiser. To be fair though, in the 13 years I was in, I can count on three fingers how many times we actually used full auto or burst.

I used the M16A2 in boot camp. I then was issued a M16A4 in the fleet.

Well, IMHO.....the length of the stock and "burst" settings are the two biggest shortcoming....

My Marine Officer Basic School class (TBS - H Co. 1984) was one of the first classes to qualify with the A2. I fired the A1 when I was in boot camp at Parris Island. I liked the A2. It was heavier and sturdier than the A1. We never used the burst feature. One of my more memorable times at TBS was when after a live fire exercise, they let us shoot up a bunch of left over ammo. We were shooting from the hip and doing lots of John Wayne type shit. It would have been great to have had the old A1 to shoot off a few mags on fully auto. I actually do not remember being able to fire the A1 on fully auto in Basic. Of course, as a LT at TBS, we were not nearly as regulated as a recruit. I was surprised that they let us just play John Wayne with hundreds of rounds of ammo!

I had the A2 in boot camp and it it was old wore-out and still would hit a target at 300 yards, thanks for your video

This man is a living legend. I’ll never look at my upgrades the same way again. Good stuff.💪👍🥃

Keep in mind, the A2 with burst was designed in the Cold War where you had to stockpile gear for massive amounts of troops - many of them conscripted through Selective Service and never proven in battle - to fight in multiple theaters. Since 99% of the military isn't using full-auto by doctrine at the rifleman role anyways, the burst feature makes sense - it's an emergency option only and it stops newbies from mag-dumping into oblivion like in Vietnam. For suppressive fire, you already had the M60 or M249 held by specialists at the squad level.

I prefer the A1 carry handle but the A2 is definitely a great sight. Workin on a CAR-15 build at the moment and loving every second of it.

I have come full circle on this and now I would comfortably choose this rifle and would use the longer barrel

I was a teenager during early gwot, so i have become fond of the M16A4 with M5 Ras and Ta31rco

Great video! Thank you for sharing it.

Had an A2 thru OSUT and 4 years of active duty infantry with the 82nd; got out, and still had A1s in service with our Vermont National Guard unit in '94... they were a blast to shoot, but almost to a soldier, folks did better with their annual qualifying with the A2. That's not to say the A1's weren't missed during summer camp, MILEs gear and all that ;) Thanks for the video.

Thanks for your service

Col. Lutz is well-respected, but it's funny to me - after watching videos of Gene Stoner discussing the M16 - to hear that Stoner disliked the 3-round burst feature, the heavy barrel, the target-range sights, and especially the forward assist "Wheeler button."

IMO this is the best looking version of the M16

The finest M16 in my opinion (and best looking). The A4 is about as good and makes it easier to install optics, if you want that. I have sold off all my AR carbines and pistol AR platforms and kept my AR15A2 HBAR with standard sights, AR15A4 HBAR with 1.5-4 x compact scope and Colt Enhanced rifle with 24" bull barrel and micrometer match sights. No need for anything else and there is nothing better.

We in our time had the E 1 in the USMC in Nam but this was good to learn

The M16A2 is the most beautiful post-WW2 rifle. It's one of the very few modern guns that look very elegant.

Great info! Thanks for sharing

Outstanding platform. When all those bells and whistles s**t the bed, your irons are good to go. Every Marine a Rifleman. RAH

Excellent.

Good video. Actually learned something

Best dang video in a long time

Thank you sir, I went from a truly awful shot to high Sharpshooter on the Rock in 1985.

Love this video. What is the name of the background music? In April 1987 I was introduced to the M16A2 at USMC Recruit Depot San Diego, and qualified expert with it at Edson Range, Camp Pendleton, California. At 500 meters in the prone position with a good/tight sling, I hit the target 8 out of 10 times using iron sights. We weren't allowed to use the carrying handle, but when we ran through the pitch black tunnel to and from the butts, we all ran using the carrying handle.

the ar15 is such a good design it was still a solid weapon no matter how hard they tried to ruin it with the m16a2

Holy Crap, the M16A2 had fully adjustable Rear Sights; just like the Model 1903 Springfield, M1 Garand, & M14 Springfield !

Great video.

Awesome guns. I have the M14 M16A1 and the M16A2

....great to hear it from one of the leaders of the program...thank you. I love the A1 and A2s....I HATE the look of the flat tops...yea, okay optics reasons...still hate the look...thank you for improving upon the A1! Thank you...

The squared off front sight post, longer butt stock and 3 round burst over full auto are considered among many to be hindrances and not improvements. Other than that I guess he did ok. I wouldn't be bragging about it though.

I highly disagree that a 3-round burst provides "ammo savings" and that it's better than a full-auto or 2-round burst. The 3rd shot is essentially wasted since it's so off target.

excellent

Why in the hell would Marines want a 3 round burst????

I loved the A2. First time shooting a rifle that wasn’t bolt action was in 99 at Ft Benning. First time shooting burst with tracers was even better. Never got to shoot anything full auto.

I didn't see where he said why the twist rate was changed. I have read the change was because the M855 needed it, not the other way around. The M855 was developed for the belt fed M249, then the rifling was changed to match the new bullet. Great video, I am glad he shared it with us.

No discussion of the A2 lower reinforcements.

I have a windaham weaponry m16a2 clone and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT! the only thing I wish that was different about it, is mine has a removable carry handle. I wish it came already fixed to the upper. Not removable

I remember when I was first issued my M16 A2 back in 1985 we had to clean our weapons as soon as we got them take all the packing grease off of them and they were inspected the M16 A2 is a very good weapon I would much rather have that than a M4 carbine I am M16 A2 with an m203 40 mm grenade launcher underneath and I'm good as long as I got all 40 mm grenades I can use

In my opinion, the M16-A2 was the sexiest rifle made before 1990. Aside from the AK-74 😃😜

I think the changes were outstanding. I went through grass week in 1983 with the A1 at Parris Island in 1983. Once I was deployed I had the A2 and really appreciated the simple but effective changes to the rifle. Semper Fidelis 🇺🇸

Huh. Gotta love history lessons. I thought the M16A2 was first adopted by the Army like its predecessor. The more you know!

While I really love some of the a2 mods there are some I can do without. First the positives. the case deflector, front sight post (bearing in mind my eons behind an a1) and the increased length of pull also the ease of the trap door opening. Now the negatives. the 1/7 twist was adopted to stabilize the NATO m856 Tracer round it is shot out/worn out far faster than slower twists. secondly the Burst fire function instead of full auto over complicates the trigger assembly and creates a horrendous trigger pull so the "ammo saver" turns out to be an ammo waster. the Marine Corps teaches long distance shooting ( which the Army should do more of) but the 1/7 twist also negates a lot of the lethality of the 5.56 round ( no tumbling). the longer length of pull is a very good idea. the handguards (a2 style) are a problem too. they do not dissipate heat nearly as well as the a1 type and they are hydroscopic. Now IF you have not signed the Hague accords or the Geneva Convention and can use say barnes x bullets in a heavier weight say 77 grains now you are pushing (somewhat) .243 Winchester territory ballistically speaking. all in all the a2 is a great rifle I prefer mine in a 1/9 twist. I,ll give the reader of my post three guesses why.

Good video, somethings from the A1 to A2 weren't in this video, one I'm curious about is to hear from him is the change to the A2 barrel profile. Maybe a Part 2?

It was the summer of 86 - I hit eight out of ten bulls with an A2 at 500 meters to shoot expert. Probably because the last thing I wanted to do was get put in an unq platoon and get bent for the next two weeks during mess and maintenance...

FYI GENTS, Re, the 3RB, Lt Col Lutz states in a rather lengthy & informative Article on line, that the Marine Corps "Bean Counters" (think $$$ !) were going to eliminate Full Auto ALL TOGETHER ! So he was able to convince them to go with 3 RB instead, as a Compromise !

From experience, they really should not have made the rifler heavier or made the stock longer. Most people find the A1 stock to be a one size fits all and the 3 round burst was just poorly designed and since none of us ever use it in combat, it served no purpose. The select fire setting will always affect the semi auto trigger pull. Even today with M4s, there's been problems with M4s that have burst settings messing up. M4A1s that have full auto settings never have that problem. The stock's length should have been kept like the A1's length. That little bit of extra length makes it harder to work with modern armor with all the new stuff we have to put on. Back in the 80s when this thing came out, the gear was different, so a longer stock length was ok and everybody was using a bladed stance anyway. Today, we don't shoulder our weapons that way anymore

The Col. didn't mention changing the hand guards form triangular to round...unless I missed it!

So, you are responsible for the LOUSY trigger, gee thanks.

Shouldn't have implemented the burst fire feature in the first place. Wasting ammunition could have been resolved with proper training and trigger control.

i carried a GAU-5

The AR-15/M16 invented by a Marine vet and the A2 was refined by Marines. During my time in the Corps the A2 paid it's dues and in my duties as a 8531 I pressed it's capabilities to it's full potential and trained many to become Expert marksman with it. When I hear Call of duty millennials complaining about the overall length of the A2 thru A4 20" bbl and weight today I'm like really?? it's not an M14 on M1 and still considered a carbine in comparison to other NATO class battle rifles in use.

so basically they added a pound of barrel, lengthened the stock and made a spongy trigger just to get something they could qualify easier with? GREAT CHANGES COL, THANKS FOR THE HARD WORK LMAO

It is a good looking rifle. I prefer the full butt stock. The problem with any air cooled machinegun is the fire discipline required to not to overheat the barrel. Three round burst is the way to go.

I loved it it was damn sure accurate. Semper fi

That’s pretty interesting

What about the Flash Suppresser and Forward Assist?

What is the difference between the modern M4A1 and the old M16A1 lower recievers?.. I mean they both fire full automatic. (Not talking about the uppers just lower receivers).

I love your videos but please review your audio settings, the music is so much louder than the spoken words.

I love that Rifle

I had no idea what I was doing when I built my first AR and been kicking my self in the ass for not going with a 20in barrel. Other than that and having a detachable carry handle, mine looks just like this one.

That burst was the worst idea introduced to the M16, you get caught up in between a burst and only fire one round when expecting multiple.., going back to the M16A3 with full auto , it was right the first time.

I love my AR15.....

Intense music for a technical video

Along with the 3rd burst, I think the elevation drum in the rear sight was a mistake. The carry handle itself is lightweight and simple enough, but the way it stretches across the whole upper receiver is unnecessary. A simple rear sight with 1/2 moa windage adjustament would have been fine. I think had there been a flattop rail from the start and a freefloated handguard, it would have been damn near perfect. Still not a bad choice.

One of the best assault rifle.

I like these and the A1 rifles. The modern stuff looks too busy design wise.

The burst trigger is a total p.o.s. everything else about that rifle I like.

Why did they change the handguard? What is the difference functionally?

Building an m16a4 this month

2020. Did the rangers in battle of mogadishu wished they had full auto m16 than a semi and 3 burst fire?

The M16 in Vietnam had its problems with the powder was the quarterage and was no cleaning kits but then they got the problem soft but then they started the problems again when they shortened the barrel the M16 to well time need to 20th barrel that said

Nice, who better to present this history?

"Improvements", yeah lets take the best thing about the M16A1 (the lightweight) and ruin it. The front sight, case deflector, and ghost ring rear sight aperture were probably the best and only viable changes made to the M16A1. The adjustable rear sight gets knocked off zero too easily, its only good for KD ranges. We already know that the barrels bending was a myth and they never needed to be thickened, just added weight to the worst possible place on the rifle. The three-round bust was useless, ruined the semi auto trigger pull, and is now being phased out in the military (or at least the Army is going back to AUTO last I heard). And the A2 stock is too long for the majority of shooters, especially with modern body armor. I hated the A2 and A4, pigs of rifles for absolutely no reason.

I'm more curious about the rifle at 6:03

I only have a Colt SP1.