Guess Which One?

Which one’s which?

Find the M-16 and the AR-15.

And, did you know?

ALL parts are interchangeable on the M-16 and the AR-15.

Every single one of them.

Why is that?

When Eugene Stoner (1922-1997) of the Armalite corporation originally designed the weapon, it was at the behest of the United States Department of Defense which sought a firearm that was lightweight (under 6 pounds) had a high-capacity magazine (30 rounds), and could penetrate BOTH sides of a steel helmet at 500 yards. It was called the AR15, for Armalite Rifle version 15. There had been several previous iterations to the rifle, all of which were intended exclusively for military use.

The .223 caliber round (the bullet, not the shell/casing) had been introduced to market and made available to the civilian market by Remington, which commercially introduced the .222 Remington as a varmint cartridge in 1950 – a round intended for pest control.

Bullets are measured in size, which is called “caliber,” and refers to its diameter/circumference, and weight, which is measured in “grains.” So, a 60 grain bullet would weigh 3.887935 grams.

Sometimes also called “ball ammo,” bullets so described are lead bullets completely covered with metal, also known as FMJ, or Full Metal Jacket. Unlike hollow point bullets – bullets which have a hollowed-out center – ball ammo/FMJ bullets do not expand upon impact. Instead, they penetrate a target and quite possibly even penetrate the object behind the target.

There are also numerous varieties and shapes of ball ammunition which range from “boat tails,” flat nose (sometimes called dum-dum bullets), and ones with truncated cones. Each shape has a specific use, but all are made for one purpose in mind: Penetration.

Though the years, the development of the .223 caliber round, and the Armalite Rifle proceeded. The military was increasingly interested in both.

In 1957, events began to accelerate with development of both. Eugene Stoner had developed a rifle called the AR-10 in response to the Army’s request for a “small-caliber, high-velocity” (SCHV) cartridge – the entire shell casing and round, filled with gunpowder, a primer, and bullet. And that year, the Infantry Board had agreed upon the preliminary specifications, which called for a 6 pound, select-fire .22″ rifle with a conventional stock and a 20 round magazine. The proposed chambering had to penetrate the standard issue steel helmet, body armor, and a .135″ steel plate at 500 yards, while maintaining the trajectory and accuracy of M2 ball from a M1 Garand, and equaling or exceeding the “wounding” ability of the .30 Carbine.

In January 1963, just as the Vietnam “conflict” was simmering slightly below a boil, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara ordered the AR-15 adopted to replace the M14 which had been the standard issue infantry rifle, and standard issue for all branches of service for several years. His decision was based upon reports that production of the M14 was insufficient to meet the needs of the troops. And with that official replacement and adoption, the AR-15 was renamed the M16 by the Department of Defense.

Fast forward a few years.

Because of its relatively simple construction, and the ability to be customized with ease, the AR-15 was quickly “accepted” by the firearms community as their “weapon of choice,” despite the fact that it (the round) was inadequate for anything other than killing small vermin aka “varmints,” such as coyotes, and prairie dogs, and severely wounding humans in close-range fire fights. For that reason, some states have prohibited its use (the .223 caliber round) in hunting wild game, since it cannot reliably and humanely kill. The firearm was made for one thing, and one thing only – mortally wounding human beings in close combat during wartime.

Today’s AR-15 – the allegedly “civilian” version – is a semi-automatic firearm, meaning that it fires one shot per trigger pull, and automatically reloads after a shot is fired in that process.

Sometimes, fully automatic firearms are called “select fire,” meaning that a choice can be made to select either single shot firing, or fully automatic firing – meaning that as long as the trigger is held, it will shoot, i.e. more than one round can be fired with one trigger pull. There are variations upon that fully-automatic “theme,” and some firearms have the ability to automatically fire 3-round bursts with one trigger pull. But any firearm that discharges MORE than ONE shot per trigger pull is classified as “fully automatic.”

And without exception, fully automatic firearms are highly regulated, and though they can be purchased, not only are they often very expensive, a full-blown FBI and local law enforcement investigation must be performed for EVERY PURCHASE, and a $200 tax paid to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), BEFORE a transaction (sale, or gift) occurs.

The NFA – National Firearms Act of 1934 – was enacted in response to the proliferation of fully automatic firearms (Thompson submachine guns, short-barreled shotguns, etc.) among the general populace, and which were increasingly being used in crimes by lawless individuals, gangsters such as “Pretty Boy” Floyd, Bonnie & Clyde, John Dillinger, “Ma” Barker, “Baby Face” Nelson, Al Capone, and other criminals who traveled widely robbing banks, businesses, murdering, and creating general mayhem.

The NFA essentially allows law-abiding citizens – upon payment of a tax, comprehensive and clean background investigation – the privilege of purchasing short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, silencers (aka “suppressors”) and fully automatic firearms.

The ONLY difference between the so-called “civilian” AR-15 and the military M-16, is the built-in ability for select fire – single shot, or fully automatic fire – defined as firing more than one round with one trigger pull. And yet, with a minor addition, the AR-15 can also be fully automatic.

Otherwise, they’re the EXACT SAME WEAPON. The parts are 100% interchangeable.

Remington, which developed the .223-size round in the late-50’s/early 60’s (only minimally larger than a .22–caliber bullet, but with a MASSIVE gunpowder load), is a twice-bankrupted company which falsely claimed the NY Safe Act was their motivation for moving their manufacturing facilities for their “Bushmaster” AR-15 from upstate Ilion, New York to Huntsville, Alabama in 2014, and hoodwinked the local and state governments and community by taking unfair advantage of numerous state and local tax breaks and other forms of corporate welfare, before TWICE filing bankruptcy (Chapter 11 – 2018, and 2020), and being fully liquidated – lock, stock, and barrel – this year (2021). They were NOT fully forthright about their financial condition, and purposely deceived state and community officials about their financial condition.

Remington was formerly owned by private equity firm Cerberus Capital.

In their June 1968 Report of the M16 Rifle Review Panel, the Department of Defense made no differentiation between the two weapons, and specifically wrote,

“the M16 rifle is referred to as an AR15, M16, M16A1, and XM16E1.”

The report further states that, “The development of the AR15 rifle, was initiated in mid-1957 by Mr. Eugene Stoner of the Armalite Corporation, Costa Mesa, California, in response to a verbal request from General Wyman. The request, also made to other gun manufacturers was for a new lightweight infantry rifle chambered for high velocity caliber .22 cartridges. The general specifications were: a maximum loaded weight of six pounds; a capability of firing semiautomatic or full automatic; a killing power equal to or better than that of the M1 (Garand) rilfe up to 500 yards; and a capability of penetrating a steel helmet or standard body armor at 500 yards.”

The report further stated that, “The AR15 rifle was a scaled down version of the 7.62mm AR10 rifle, also designed by Mr. Stoner. The AR10 had been tested earlier by the Army and found unsatisfactory as a military weapon. The results of the test indicated that the AR15 should be considered as a potential replacement for the M14.”

NO MISTAKE SHOULD BE MADE:

The AR15 is a military weapon. It was designed for the military per their specifications. The purpose of the AR15 – no matter what it’s called – was to be, and still is, to kill people.