ROTC: Basic Weapons M16

• M16A1 RIFLE - the basic rifle of the Philippine Army. Because of its proven reliability in worst conditions, this weapon is widely used in the Infantry Battalions.  It was introduced during the Vietnam War in the late 1960’s and was found to be effective in tropical areas like the Philippines.

  HISTORY

  US Rifle Cal. 5.56mm M16A1 commonly known as “ARMALITE” was invented by Eugene M Stoner in early 1950’s as replacement of US Cal 30, M14, garand as basic infantry weapon.
• FEATURES OF M16A1 RIFLE

  • Can be fired either automatic or semi-automatic
  • The barrel assembly has an adjustable sight and flash suppressor
  • The barrel is surrounded by heat resistant materials made of fiberglass
  • The butt of the stock has a rubber recoil pad
  • For M16A1 butt of the stock has storage for cleaning gear/materials
  • It has a forward assist assembly located on the rear of the upper receiver
  • A bipod can be attached to the rifle
• CHARACTERISTICS OF M16 RIFLE

  1. Lightweight
  2. Air Cooled 
  3. Magazine Fed
  4. Shoulder Hip Weapon 
  5. Gas Operated
  6. Automatic and Semi-Automatic
• 3 MAIN GROUPS OF M16A1 RIFLE

  1. Upper Receiver Group 
  2. Lower Receiver Group
  3. bolt carrier assembly
• 8 Cycles of Operation  

  1. Feeding – the forward movement of the bolt, stripping the top round from the magazine and moving it toward the chamber.
  2. Chambering – refers to fully seating the round in the chamber.
  3. Locking -the step in the cycle of operation that is a counterclockwise rotation of the bolt, securing it into the barrel locking lugs.
  4. Firing – refers to pulling the trigger, releasing the hammer to strike the firing pin, which strikes the primer. The primer ignites and, in turn ignites the powder charge within the cartridge care.
• 5. Unlocking– the clockwise rotation of the bolt after firing, freeing the bolt from the barrel locking lugs.

  6. Extracting – pulls the round from the chamber.

  7. Ejecting - removes the expended cartridge from the weapon out of the ejection port.

  8. Cocking – the rearward movement of the bolt riding over the hammer, resetting the weapon for subsequent firing.
• The Malfunction of M16 Rifle: 

  • Malfunction - a failure of a weapon to function normally and one common form of malfunction is stoppage. 
  • Stoppage is a failure of automatic or semi-automatic firearms to complete the cycle of operation.
• Immediate Action for Stoppage 

  • When the rifle fails to operate you must attempt to clear it as soon as possible and do this by applying immediate action.  Immediate is recognized by using the acronym “SPORTS”.
  • S - Slap bottom of magazine to make sure it is properly seated.
  • P - Pull charging handle all the way to the rear.
  • O - Observe ejection of case or cartridge.  Eyeball chamber and
  • R - Release the charging handle to feed new round. (Don’t ride the       charging handle).
  • T - Tap the forward assist.
  • S - Shoots, if it won’t fire, look for trouble and apply remedial action.
• Remedial Action  - a continuing effort to determine the cause of stoppages or malfunctions and to try to clear the stoppage once it had been identified. (disassembly/assembly, then check the assembly, care & maintenance, cleaning & lubricating the: barrel, bolt carrier, and lower receiver group, and maintenance before, during and after firing)