The M16 was first introduced in 1958 and was revolutionary for
its time as it was made of lightweight materials including
special aluminium and plastics, which had previously not been
used in mainstream weapons. It was first adopted by US Special
Forces and airborne troops in 1962 before it was issued to Army
and Marine units serving in the Vietnam War (1955-1975). Its use
spread throughout the following decades and a number of variants
including submachine and carbine versions were also fielded. It
was not only the rifle itself that proved revolutionary. The
5.56x45mm cartridge was also ground-breaking and was eventually
adopted as the standard NATO cartridge. As a result it is now
amongst the three most used combat cartridges in the world while
over 10 million M16s and variants have been produced making it
one of the most successful American handheld weapons in history
. But despite its undeniable success the M16 is not without its
detractors. Indeed, the "black rifle", as it is known, is one of
the most co