Was the M16 good in Vietnam?
According to a 1968 Department of Army report, the M16A1 rifle achieved widespread acceptance by U.S. troops in Vietnam. “Most men armed with the M16 in Vietnam rated this rifle’s performance high, however, many men entertained some misgivings about the M16’s reliability.
Was the M14 reliable in Vietnam?
By 1970, only a handful of M14s remained in Vietnam. Flawed and designed for a war with the Soviet Union in Europe that never came, the M14 with its large 7.62 mm round was America’s last full-power, or “battle rifle,” before the age of “assault rifles,” such as the American M16 and Soviet AK-47.
Is M16 better than M14?
The M14 shoots 7.62×51 ammo and that is one of the primary points of contention when claiming the M16/AR15 is the better gun. On the other hand, the M16 (and its civilian version AR15) is more easily toted for long distances and, according to its many fans, is far more accurate at long range.
Was the M14 more reliable than the M16?
Some say the M14 is more durable, reliable, and lasts longer than the plastic and aluminum M16. The 1962 Hitch report directly contradicts this. The M16 (referred to as the AR-15 at the time as it was not adopted yet), is said to have double the barrel life of the M14.
What is the difference between M1 and M14?
Significant differences between the M1 Rifle and the M14 Rifle are that the M14 uses a larger detachable box magazine and is capable of automatic fire. The M14 has approximately 13\% less muzzle energy, but 30\% less free recoil energy, making it more comfortable to shoot for prolonged periods.
Would the M14 have been a good weapon to use in Vietnam?
If that were the case, the M14, another 7.62 × 51 mm weapon predating the M16 by about 15 years, would have fit all of these qualifications quite handily. This would have been the ideal weapon to have in Vietnam, especially since the soldiers trained with the M14 stateside in basic training.
Is the M16 better than the M14?
While I was a cadet at West Point, the M16 was entering U. S. military service in large numbers, particularly in Vietnam. I became a fan of the M16, but it was clear even then that the M16 had a number of performance limitations compared to the M14.
How did the M16 affect the Vietnam War?
The implementation of the M16 into the Vietnam war was a disaster. It is worth examining as a case study of how NOT to bring a new weapon into a war. They didn’t bring in a train-the-trainer team and have soldiers taught how to use it and let them practice under controlled conditions.
What kind of rifle did they use in Vietnam?
A Vietnam-era U.S. infantryman kneels behind an M14 rifle set up for prone firing with a bipod. It was glass-bedded into an M14E2 pistol grip stock with the front hand grip removed and a standard M14 buttplate fitted.