03-02-2020, 05:01 PM
I just remember when the M-16 was rushed into Vietnam in a money saving configuration, non chrome lined chamber and bore using a dirty burning powder in the ammo and troops being told, "It don't need to be cleaned" so they were not issued cleaning equipment. Lot's of guys were found dead with their rifles in some sort of tear down trying to get it to fire before the powers that be allowed those that knew what they were doing to fix it. I had friends and a family member involved in this SNAFU. One friend was a Marine helicopter maintenance chief that told me I think it was in 1968 they marched his unit by one truck and they took their M14s and ammo away and at the next truck they handed them a M16 and ammo and sent them on their way to learn how the thing was supposed to work on their own. With all the problems he experienced and saw others have he took an M2 carbine from an Arvin to use as his personal weapon. By the time that he went back to Vietnam for his 3rd tour in 1972 they had the bugs worked out pretty much with the M-16. He still scrounged up a M-2 Carbine and cut the stock off making it a pistol grip and then cut the barrel off back as far as he could. He stashed it with a number of mags of ammo in a tool bag he kept close to him while on the chopper in case they were shot down. His choppers received enemy fire three times that caused them to have to put down but never crashed and each time was where they could be supported and picked up quickly. He was one lucky man.