Anyone know for *sure* when the US armed forces went from 20 to 30 rd mags
for the M16 service rifle? Was it during the Vietnam Campaign?
It came up in conversation last night. How would one look it up? Army
Ordinance records?

Thanks guys,

Rob

"Rob Fraser" FraserRacing"AT"RobFraser.Net wrote:

Anyone know for *sure* when the US armed forces went from 20 to 30 rd mags
for the M16 service rifle? Was it during the Vietnam Campaign?
It came up in conversation last night. How would one look it up? Army
Ordinance records?

Thanks guys,

Rob



From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M16_rifle half way down if we can trust
it.

....
The magazine release is on the right side of the rifle, ahead of the trigger
guard. Current military magazines have a capacity of 30 rounds, as opposed
to the 20-round magazines issued in Vietnam. (30-round magazines were not
developed and issued until late in the war.)
....

Wes

On Thu, 17 Jan 2008 09:25:33 -0600, "Rob Fraser"
FraserRacing"AT"RobFraser.Net wrote:

Anyone know for *sure* when the US armed forces went from 20 to 30 rd mags
for the M16 service rifle? Was it during the Vietnam Campaign?
It came up in conversation last night. How would one look it up? Army
Ordinance records?

Thanks guys,

Rob

IRRC..it was with the introduction of the A2 version, mid 70s

Im not much on Matel toys, living in California.

Gunner

On Thu, 17 Jan 2008 08:32:44 -0800, Gunner
wrote:

On Thu, 17 Jan 2008 09:25:33 -0600, "Rob Fraser"
FraserRacing"AT"RobFraser.Net wrote:

Anyone know for *sure* when the US armed forces went from 20 to 30 rd mags
for the M16 service rifle? Was it during the Vietnam Campaign?
It came up in conversation last night. How would one look it up? Army
Ordinance records?

Thanks guys,

Rob

IRRC..it was with the introduction of the A2 version, mid 70s

Addendum..mid 80s. I hit the wrong key.

Im not much on Matel toys, living in California.

Gunner

Not so....some were around in the early seventies, but they were scarce. I
had 2 in Vietnam. I left Saigon in April '75.
Steve

"Gunner" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 17 Jan 2008 08:32:44 -0800, Gunner
wrote:

On Thu, 17 Jan 2008 09:25:33 -0600, "Rob Fraser"
FraserRacing"AT"RobFraser.Net wrote:

Anyone know for *sure* when the US armed forces went from 20 to 30 rd
mags
for the M16 service rifle? Was it during the Vietnam Campaign?
It came up in conversation last night. How would one look it up? Army
Ordinance records?

Thanks guys,

Rob

IRRC..it was with the introduction of the A2 version, mid 70s

Addendum..mid 80s. I hit the wrong key.

Im not much on Matel toys, living in California.

Gunner

On Thu, 17 Jan 2008 19:54:24 +0100, "Steve Lusardi"
wrote:

Not so....some were around in the early seventies, but they were scarce. I
had 2 in Vietnam. I left Saigon in April '75.
Steve

True, but they were not "standard issue". And with the 20s, you kept
only 18 in it, with the 2nd or 3rd from the bottom being tracers.


"Gunner" wrote in message
.. .
On Thu, 17 Jan 2008 08:32:44 -0800, Gunner
wrote:

On Thu, 17 Jan 2008 09:25:33 -0600, "Rob Fraser"
FraserRacing"AT"RobFraser.Net wrote:

Anyone know for *sure* when the US armed forces went from 20 to 30 rd
mags
for the M16 service rifle? Was it during the Vietnam Campaign?
It came up in conversation last night. How would one look it up? Army
Ordinance records?

Thanks guys,

Rob

IRRC..it was with the introduction of the A2 version, mid 70s

Addendum..mid 80s. I hit the wrong key.

Im not much on Matel toys, living in California.

Gunner

David R. Birch wrote:

Gunner wrote:

On Thu, 17 Jan 2008 19:54:24 +0100, "Steve Lusardi"
wrote:

Not so....some were around in the early seventies, but they were
scarce. I had 2 in Vietnam. I left Saigon in April '75.
Steve

True, but they were not "standard issue". And with the 20s, you kept
only 18 in it, with the 2nd or 3rd from the bottom being tracers.


The function of the tracers was to alert your opponent that you were
about to change magazines?

"Hmm...every time I see tracers there's a lull in shooting from that
guy...good time to advance to closer cover..."

David

An old timer taught us to fight - get in the habit of firing 3 round
groups in a fire fight. Then after 6 groups - change the magazine.

Just think on your fingers - five - then the LAST one - then change.

It's a pretty well ingraned habbit even afre all these years.

I seem to automatically count gtoups - especially in Hollywood movies...

Richard

On Sat, 19 Jan 2008 14:32:58 -0600, cavelamb himself
wrote:

David R. Birch wrote:

Gunner wrote:

On Thu, 17 Jan 2008 19:54:24 +0100, "Steve Lusardi"
wrote:

Not so....some were around in the early seventies, but they were
scarce. I had 2 in Vietnam. I left Saigon in April '75.
Steve

True, but they were not "standard issue". And with the 20s, you kept
only 18 in it, with the 2nd or 3rd from the bottom being tracers.


The function of the tracers was to alert your opponent that you were
about to change magazines?

"Hmm...every time I see tracers there's a lull in shooting from that
guy...good time to advance to closer cover..."

David

When you are in the bush, its all cover and its cat and mouse or balls
to the wall scoot and shoot.

Your sceanario might make sense if you were by yourself. And its
damned hard to see tracers coming AT you.

An old timer taught us to fight - get in the habit of firing 3 round
groups in a fire fight. Then after 6 groups - change the magazine.

Just think on your fingers - five - then the LAST one - then change.

It's a pretty well ingraned habbit even afre all these years.

I seem to automatically count gtoups - especially in Hollywood movies...

Richard



"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire.
Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us)
off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give
them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the **** out of you
for torturing the cat." Gunner