I fired one of these

eelgrass · Nov 1, 2023

First off, I've never been in the military. Secondly, I've lived in California my entire life.

Imagine my curiosity when my cousin showed up with a Vietnam era M16A1 and invited me to shoot it. He just got discharged from serving in Vietnam. I didn't ask him how he got it. The year was 1970. We lived out in the country on 3.5 acres. We shot a couple 20 round magazines and then went back into the house like nothing happened. About a half hour later a deputy sheriff drove by a couple times and stopped and knocked on the door. We told him we didn't see or hear anything.

He offered to sell it to me for $90. I couldn't afford it at the time so I declined. I'll never forget shooting it though.

MrShane · Nov 1, 2023

I shot one last fall, it was awesome!
Expensive, but awesome!!

middlefork · Nov 1, 2023

The ones I fired had a selector switch. There was a reason.

2lumpy · Nov 1, 2023

eelgrass said:
First off, I've never been in the military. Secondly, I've lived in California my entire life.

Imagine my curiosity when my cousin showed up with a Vietnam era M16A1 and invited me to shoot it. He just got discharged from serving in Vietnam. I didn't ask him how he got it. The year was 1970. We lived out in the country on 3.5 acres. We shot a couple 20 round magazines and then went back into the house like nothing happened. About a half hour later a deputy sheriff drove by a couple times and stopped and knocked on the door. We told him we didn't see or hear anything.

He offered to sell it to me for $90. I couldn't afford it at the time so I declined. I'll never forget shooting it though.

Every every once in a great while, I guy gets to do something where he can not, no matter how hard he try’s, wipe the silly grin off his face!

eelgrass · Nov 1, 2023

middlefork said:
The ones I fired had a selector switch. There was a reason.

True. Spray and pray didn't work out too well during the war.

MrShane · Nov 2, 2023

middlefork said:
The ones I fired had a selector switch. There was a reason.

The one I shot had it.
Saves ammo, but sometimes you just gotta go full auto!

eelgrass · Nov 2, 2023

MrShane said:
The one I shot had it.
Saves ammo, but sometimes you just gotta go full auto!

Sometimes, especially in the thick jungle, I imagine.

eelgrass · Nov 2, 2023

$90 might have been a good investment?

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DaveD · Nov 2, 2023

Guy I worked for in college was licensed. He had one of those along with a couple other fully auto. Ammo was a lot cheaper back then and he was buying so we had a blast shooting them every now and then. Hold low left and hold the trigger... very hard to hold on target on full auto.

Homer · Nov 2, 2023

eelgrass said:
$90 might have been a good investment?

Colt M16A1 Model 613 Factory Original 5.56mm Transferable Machine Gun M16 - Machine Guns at GunBroker.com : 1015977744

Buy Colt M16A1 Model 613 Factory Original 5.56mm Transferable Machine Gun M16 : GunBroker is the largest seller of Machine Guns Class 3 Firearms, NFA & Destructive Devices All: 1015977744

www.gunbroker.com

Only problem you’d have with that $90 m16…..would be the “transferable” part……contraband forever since it wasn’t made legal at the time your buddy “acquired” it….most likely…

eelgrass · Nov 2, 2023

Homer said:
Only problem you’d have with that $90 m16…..would be the “transferable” part……contraband forever since it wasn’t made legal at the time…..

Yeah, I knew that would be a cooler. Still be pretty cool to own now. I would will it to someone like you on the QT.

eelgrass · Nov 2, 2023

On the other hand, an unregistered nontransferable M16 might bring a premium if you can find someone to trust. Maybe not with all those AR-15's out there.

Buckfever34 · Nov 2, 2023

I’ve owned several different MGs over the years. The last Colt conversion I had I bought for $8500 and sold a few years lasted for $18k. It would be worth $35k now ??‍

eelgrass · Nov 2, 2023

middlefork said:
The ones I fired had a selector switch. There was a reason.

That was the beauty of the M16. Like a fine woman, she could go both ways.

yoteduster · Nov 2, 2023

Carried one for a little over fourteen months.. Used it often..after i got home in 68 I've never had the desire to carry one again

2lumpy · Nov 2, 2023

I asked my father in law what his preferred jungle weapon was in the Philippines.

He said a fully auto 12 gauge and a flame thrower.

I said, what about going door to door in a city.

He said, the same.

I guess you can move a lot of leafs and vines in the jungle, and a lot of brick and mortar in town, with double aught buck.