“The mouse that roared” was the label placed on the legendary M16 as it claimed responsibility for utterly destroying hundreds of thousands of North Vietnamese militants and fighters (Parsons). The M16 was and currently is an assault rifle that was developed by an American engineer named Eugene Stoner (Morgan). The development of the M16 was significant due to the revolutionary design and accuracy that saved many Americans their lives. Even though the M16 is still the weapon of choice today and is credited with saving thousands of lives, there is stark controversy over the reliability and firepower of the weapon. Opponents of the M16 claim thousands of men were lying dead with their jammed M16s next to them in Vietnam (Morgan). Proponents
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These diagrams below illustrate the internals and externals of the M16 to help better understand how a M16 functions. On a M16 there are two settings: fire and auto. Fire allows the weapon to act as a semi-automatic rifle, meaning one shot is fired when the trigger is pulled no matter if the trigger is held in or released out. When the rifle is set to auto, if the trigger held in the depressed position, the rifle will continue to shoot until trigger is released. On some M16s, such as the M16A2, if the rifle is set to auto and the trigger is depressed, the weapon will fire a three round burst. When the trigger is pulled in fire mode, the hammer is sprung forward, striking the firing pin, which strikes the primer, which ignites the powder. Gas from the explosion powers the projectile forward through the barrel. Near the end of the barrel, a small portion of gas escapes through the top of the barrel through a small hole called the gas port (Morgan). The small portion of gas is pushed through the gas tube back toward the cylinder and the bolt (Morgan). The rotating head on the bolt grips the bullet as gas pushes the bolt back and depresses the spring that is located in the stock (Morgan). When the bolt is pulled all the way back, it ejects the empty shell casing out of the rifle (Morgan). Simultaneously, the hammer is cocked and held in …show more content…
With the improved design and increased accuracy, Eugene Stoner’s development has truly saved many American lives. Even though the M16 was prone to jamming in its early stages of existence, the M16 evolved and soon required cleaning after firing rounds throughout the rifle (Morgan). Since the M16 has been modified various times and never required cleaning to begin with, it shows the amateurishness and inexperience of American gun manufacturing. The M16 was a deafening response to the AK-47, the weapon of choice throughout the world. The rotating bold head and gas piston system of the M16 made it possible to produce the light, compact design of the M16 (Dugdale-Pointon). This lightweight approach was beneficial in Vietnam as troops were forced to march miles upon miles day in and day out (Parsons). As it was called, “the black rifle,” the black aluminum rifle did not shine, so it was easier for American troops to hide from the North Vietnamese Army (Parsons). Stoner’s development is regarded as one of the best developments in American history, as the rifle has been in use for over 50 years (Parsons). The black rifle is known as “the mouse that roared,” as it’s size and weight should not be overlooked as the M16’s fatal bullet really packs a
These diagrams below illustrate the internals and externals of the M16 to help better understand how a M16 functions. On a M16 there are two settings: fire and auto. Fire allows the weapon to act as a semi-automatic rifle, meaning one shot is fired when the trigger is pulled no matter if the trigger is held in or released out. When the rifle is set to auto, if the trigger held in the depressed position, the rifle will continue to shoot until trigger is released. On some M16s, such as the M16A2, if the rifle is set to auto and the trigger is depressed, the weapon will fire a three round burst. When the trigger is pulled in fire mode, the hammer is sprung forward, striking the firing pin, which strikes the primer, which ignites the powder. Gas from the explosion powers the projectile forward through the barrel. Near the end of the barrel, a small portion of gas escapes through the top of the barrel through a small hole called the gas port (Morgan). The small portion of gas is pushed through the gas tube back toward the cylinder and the bolt (Morgan). The rotating head on the bolt grips the bullet as gas pushes the bolt back and depresses the spring that is located in the stock (Morgan). When the bolt is pulled all the way back, it ejects the empty shell casing out of the rifle (Morgan). Simultaneously, the hammer is cocked and held in …show more content…
With the improved design and increased accuracy, Eugene Stoner’s development has truly saved many American lives. Even though the M16 was prone to jamming in its early stages of existence, the M16 evolved and soon required cleaning after firing rounds throughout the rifle (Morgan). Since the M16 has been modified various times and never required cleaning to begin with, it shows the amateurishness and inexperience of American gun manufacturing. The M16 was a deafening response to the AK-47, the weapon of choice throughout the world. The rotating bold head and gas piston system of the M16 made it possible to produce the light, compact design of the M16 (Dugdale-Pointon). This lightweight approach was beneficial in Vietnam as troops were forced to march miles upon miles day in and day out (Parsons). As it was called, “the black rifle,” the black aluminum rifle did not shine, so it was easier for American troops to hide from the North Vietnamese Army (Parsons). Stoner’s development is regarded as one of the best developments in American history, as the rifle has been in use for over 50 years (Parsons). The black rifle is known as “the mouse that roared,” as it’s size and weight should not be overlooked as the M16’s fatal bullet really packs a