The traditional rifle is forged from iron, furnished in wood.
It should kill a man in a single shot - and kick like a mule in the process.
This one, however, was different.
The M16 is a definitive American weapon that dared to break tradition in the face of modern
warfare.
Controversial at first, it managed to shed its bad reputation and became an institution.
So, why did the US abandon their .30 calibre tradition?
What problems did the new platform face?
And how did it go on to become the definitive black rifle?
World War 2 changed everything.
Traditional tactics were outmoded: combat was faster paced and closer ranged.
This meant battles were no longer won by marksmanship - instead victory correlates with sheer volume
of fire.
Armalite was founded in 1954 as a division of Fairchild Aircraft, and design was led
by American small arms designer Eugene Stoner.
In response to the US' need for a new rifle, the AR-10 was developed: making liberal use
of modern materials for a lightweight automatic rifle design.
Its hollow-core fibreglass furniture and aluminium receiver made for a thoroughly modern platform.
It retained the .308 Winchester cartridge of more traditional designs, but despite excellent
recoil control, the full-power cartridge was not well-suited to full auto in such a light
weapon.
The need for a smaller intermediate cartridge became clear.
The NATO 5.56mm round was borne from an earlier commercial Remington offering - with an increased
powder load to meet minimum velocity and penetration requirements.
It allows soldiers to carry twice the ammunition for the same weight; and despite the smaller
projectile, terminal ballistics remain impressive due to yawing and fragmentation in flesh.
The Armalite AR-10 was adapted to fire this smaller cartridge, and the resultant rifle
was dubbed the AR-15.
The design rights were sold to Colt in 1959, and under their patronage the AR-15 was adopted
by the US Army in 1962.
With a new role came a new designation - the M16.
There would be no delay before the rifle's first trial: under the challenging political
conditions of the mid-1960s, deployed in the midst of the Vietnam War.
'Mattel-16'; 'Poodle shooter'.
The new rifle was not received well.
Its small size and lightweight construction led to comparisons with a toy - and its less
powerful cartridge made some doubt its lethality.
However, one unforgivable fatal flaw was the early rifle's reliability in the field.
A change in powder type radically altered the ammunition's pressure curve, with drastically
higher PSI raising cyclic rate - and leading to extraction failures.
The earliest issued rifles also lacked a chrome-lined bore - and combined with challenging jungle
conditions, and lax maintenance based on the belief that the weapon was 'self-cleaning'
- the M16 quickly gained a bad reputation.
Its failures were widespread - with 80 percent of soldiers reporting experience with stoppages
- and the effects potentially lethal.
A crisis no-one needed.
At a time when public opposition to the war was nearing its peak, it's not surprising
swift action was taken.
The upgraded M16A1 was introduced in 1967, resolving most issues and helping to quickly
re-earn trust in the weapon.
By 1968, the rifle was well-liked by those who used it - and despite its shaky start,
few bear any grudge against the platform today.
Lightweight, and easy to handle - yet accurate and with a round that punches above its weight.
The M16 set the standard for modern military rifles, and as a result it's easy to forget
how revolutionary it was upon its introduction.
It was very much a product of the space age - highly engineered materials, an outlandish
sci-fi appearance - and sleek black exterior.
It set a fashion for all military rifles that followed - now there was no place for wooden
stocks in a truly modern fighting force.
In service for over 50 years, and still going strong.
No modern rifle is more American than this particular patriot.
It's because of this long use by the world's most powerful nation that the M16 is a frequent
sight in games.
Coupled with a decade of popular modern-military shooters, and fans of the rifle are spoilt
for choice.
Anywhere the American armed forces are present - this weapon will follow.
It's the default option for US troops, at least in those instances where it's not usurped
by its little brother, the M4.
Quite often, it will be depicted not as an automatic weapon - but instead as one firing
three-round bursts.
The original M16 and M16A1 were capable of fully automatic fire, but the later M16A2
variant replaced it with a three-round burst instead.
This was done in an effort to preserve ammunition, while still putting multiple rounds down range:
otherwise, it can be all too easy to empty a magazine without good discipline.
In games, the burst-fire helps to differentiate the M16 from the automatic rifles on offer
- burst rifles add variety, and the potential for a new balance tier.
Easy to handle, accurate - and dropping targets with a single well-aimed burst.
The AR-15 platform might have half a century of experience, but it remains as popular as
ever: both in military roles and civilian use.
Steadfast in service in the face of potential replacements - perhaps it didn't get off to
the greatest start:
But all considered, it probably doesn't matter.
It wasn't the rifle America wanted, but instead the one they needed.
Some things might be worth clinging to, but ignore the evolution of the battlefield at
your peril.
It dared to defy military tradition, and established a new standard for assault rifles in the process.
The M16.
Lightweight.
Space age.
An American classic.
Thank you very much for watching - and until next time, farewell.