Was recently watching a show about GI's on patrol in Iraq; their M-16's look very different than the ones their grand-dads carried in Vietnam. Does anyone know how much it costs to manufacture a standard-issue M-16 rifle (per unit)
Thanks!

Credendovidis

Hello Britalian

The cost to buy one standard-issue M-16 rifle is around US$ 300,00.
The actual cost to manufacture one will be less than US$ 100.00.
Please realize that there are many different sub-models of the M-16 rifle.

:>)

.

STG

And the likely reason that the "M16s" looked different is that the M4 is being issued more and more lately...it's a compact version of the M16.

armyguy98c10

Either way. M16 or M4, they are both usless weapons. I have been in the Army for 6 years. The Army is currently taking bids on a new Carbine weapon which be similar to an AK47 in the fact it will fire even after being burried in the mud.

alexsullivan

actually the M4 is just an M16A2 they just re-named it

airborneranger7

Hey just curious.... do you know the differences between an M4 and an M16? Any M16? An M4 has a shorter barrel. Also standard M4s now have a retractable buttstock, rail systems mounted, and a forward vertical grip.

Moving on to the original question, at the start and through most of the Vietnam War the M16A1 rifle was in effect. However, the weapon overheated alot. They then switched to the M16A2 rifle which is what they now train with in Basic Combat Training for the Army. They stick with that rifle for Basic Training because of how easy it is to train with it. As for the modern war, the most effective one they have now is the M4 versus the enemy however news is coming out that the DOD is seriously looking at new weapons geared towards urban warfare.