In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.

AR &The Army

mackcranemackcrane Member Posts: 1,869 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited January 2012 in General Discussion
Does the Army buy any brand of AR other than Colt?
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • gesshotsgesshots Member Posts: 15,678 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Maybe wrong, but didn't FN get the contract a few years ago?
    It's being willing. I found out early that most men, regardless of cause or need, aren't willing. They blink an eye or draw a breath before they pull the trigger. I won't. ~ J.B. Books
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • airbornerizzairbornerizz Member Posts: 674 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Haven't seen any FN's, just colt
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • SWAT 50SWAT 50 Member Posts: 4,074 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I heard they were going to the Plumcrazy lowers, so they can just shred them when they get unusable.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • airbornerizzairbornerizz Member Posts: 674 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Aren't they plastic?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • blackhawkwyblackhawkwy Member Posts: 9 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    The Army doesn't buy ARs just M16s or M4s. FN did get a contract to build M16A2s in the 90s. (Built the plant to make them in the US.) The Army refurbed alot of M16A1 lowers to A2 standard at Anniston and put A2 uppers on them. The M4s being purchased are Colt as far as I have seen.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • cce1302cce1302 Member Posts: 9,555 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Our M16A4s were FN at the units I was part of (USMC, not army)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • catpealer111catpealer111 Member Posts: 10,695
    edited November -1
    Everything I've seen in the AF are Colts, mainly M4s and M16A1s converted to A2 specks. On a side note, the rifle I had in basic was an original Armalite AR-15/M-16 that was converted twice, first to A1 then A2. It even retained it's smooth bolt, the forward assist was useless. That rifle was due for the scrap bin, mags and pins didn't stay in work a crap.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • TxsTxs Member Posts: 17,809 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Originally Colt was the sole manufacturer, but during the Vietnam era they subcontracted both H&R and GM HydraMatic to produce a limited run of M16A1's.

    Due to lower production costs, in the very late 80's Colt lost the contract to produce our military's M16A2's, A3's and A4's to FN.

    On down the road, as the M4 was being developed by Colt, the tech specs were wrongfully released to Bushmaster by the Navy and they produced a handful of M4's. This later led to Colt having a contractural lock on all M4 production for DoD which remains in effect today. Any other types which are seen in M4 configuration are military rebuilds using non-Colt lowers they had on hand.

    Around 3-4 years ago Sabre Defense won a DoD contract to produce a run of A3 and A4rifles for the Navy/Marines, but they later got themselves in a crack through illegal exportation of weapon components and were forced into bankruptcy.

    The bottom line is that only Colt, FN and Sabre Defense have ever been under DoD contract to produce M16 platform guns, with Colt produced guns far outnumbering the others.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • TxsTxs Member Posts: 17,809 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by catpealer111
    Everything I've seen in the AF are Colts....In the mid-70's I saw an M16 with original brown, bare fiberglass looking forend/stock still being used by trainees at Lackland. It still had a chromed bolt carrier and open flash supressor.

    LAFB is where their armorer's training school is located and they've always been known for continuously rebuilding rifles for non-critical use down there.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • A J ChristA J Christ Member Posts: 7,534 ✭
    edited November -1
    The M16A1 I carried around in Southeast Asia was not made by Colt. Hydramatic Division of GM, if my memory serves correctly.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • drobsdrobs Member Posts: 22,620 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    My Army Reserve unit had FN M16A2's during the 1990's.

    I seem to recall Bushmaster had an Army contract?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • TxsTxs Member Posts: 17,809 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by drobs
    I seem to recall Bushmaster had an Army contract?
    True, but this was done through error and they only ended up making a small number.

    This led to serious fallout due to DoD's unauthorized release of Colt's technical data package for that rifle to another manufacturer.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Sign In or Register to comment.