This Day in History: Watermelons Help Secure AR15 Military Order

[Sanders]

Were it not for the military's adoption of the AR15 as the M16, the gun designed by Eugene Stoner may have just been a footnote in American arms development. As is often the case, civilian interest in arms is driven by what the military is using. On July 4, 1960, when Air Force General Curtis LeMay attended a BBQ at a farm in Maryland owned by Dick Boutelle, President of Armalite Division, Fairchild Hiller Corporation, he unknowingly set in motion the steps necessary for the AR15 to become widely regarded as “America's Rifle.”

https://www.ammoland.com/2019/07/thi...#ixzz5t1rQRpls

[MrKalashnikov]

Some neat photos in that article. I'll bet Curtis LeMay would be surprised to know his melon-buster is still going strong today, albeit in a somewhat different configuration.

[44044]

Originally Posted by MrKalashnikov

Some neat photos in that article. I'll bet Curtis LeMay would be surprised to know his melon-buster is still going strong today, albeit in a somewhat different configuration.

Watermelons are good

Guns are bad...

[But Its A Dry Heat]

Should have gone with the FAL.

[Sanders]

Originally Posted by But Its A Dry Heat

Should have gone with the FAL.

You'll get no argument from me on that.

Someone should have pointed out to the good general that those were watermelons, not motivated enemies trying to kill him. While the .22 makes holes, the .308 caliber makes bigger holes - in one side and out the other, and can turn cover into concealment.

[But Its A Dry Heat]

Originally Posted by Sanders

You'll get no argument from me on that.

Someone should have pointed out to the good general that those were watermelons, not motivated enemies trying to kill him. While the .22 makes holes, the .308 caliber makes bigger holes - in one side and out the other, and can turn cover into concealment.

It would be a bitch to lug around enough ammo but if you hit something they would stay down and had a lot better track record. That was not the time to have an experimental weapon. jmo

[baboon]

Originally Posted by Sanders

You'll get no argument from me on that.

Someone should have pointed out to the good general that those were watermelons, not motivated enemies trying to kill him. While the .22 makes holes, the .308 caliber makes bigger holes - in one side and out the other, and can turn cover into concealment.

From hunting of game animals I generally found animals that the bullet stopped inside wether fragmented or retaining most of its weight killed the animals quicker. Personally I never thought pass threw bullets were effective in killing game.

I also believe the effects of hydrosatic shock is a great killer.

[4thIDvet]

. The Brass had told the men in the field that the rifles were self-cleaning (mistake number 1) and as such, were not issued with cleaning kits (mistake number 2). The third and final mistake that tipped the reliability of the M16 over the deep end was that the Brass had ordered ammunition with ball powder that was of a very dirty burning composition, and loaded to a higher pressure. The original AR15 was designed around the .223/5.56x45 cartridge that used tubular powder. All three of these factors gave the M16 the horrible reputation that they were branded with for the next decade.

https://guns.fandom.com/wiki/Eugene_Stoner

[44044]

I remember seeing men carrying them

wrapped in plastic in the field on the

CBS news...

[4thIDvet]

Originally Posted by 44044

I remember seeing men carrying them

wrapped in plastic in the field on the

CBS news...

44044 must have been moving somewhere and some pin head desk jockey told them to bag em?
Don't think they would be wanting to put them in plastic bags out in the bush? Without the cameras on em they would have used that plastic to keep themselves dry to hell with the weapon it will still work wet or dry.

[44044]

I figured that it was staged...

IIRC it was a ‘hit piece’ on how

unreliable the M-16 was...

It seems that Dan Rather was the

corespondent, IIRC...

A regular CBS Hit on everything

American

[flashy]

Seeded or seedless watermelon?

[Crusader30-06M1]

So spend a shitton developing the M14, adopt it, and 4-5 years later begin looking for something else? Sounds about right.

The AR platform obviously works, and is wildly successful, no argument there. Just seems to me, that from what I've read, guys in Vietnam loved the M14 much more than the M16, along with the designated marksmen thirty years later. Not saying the M14 was the answer, but I'm not sold on it being the AR15 platform either. Just some civilian rambling about a somewhat interesting/irritating topic.

[4thIDvet]

Originally Posted by Crusader30-06M1

So spend a shitton developing the M14, adopt it, and 4-5 years later begin looking for something else? Sounds about right.

The AR platform obviously works, and is wildly successful, no argument there. Just seems to me, that from what I've read, guys in Vietnam loved the M14 much more than the M16, along with the designated marksmen thirty years later. Not saying the M14 was the answer, but I'm not sold on it being the AR15 platform either. Just some civilian rambling about a somewhat interesting/irritating topic.

Colt was slick Crusader and the books won't tell yah this one. Yup the early Nam vets loved their M-14 and hated the 16 but Colt was slick.
Colt started massive production of the M-16 before they were even awarded the military contract. Toss a few bucks in the right hands show them the train load of M-16s ready to go and guess what?
They new DAMN well the weapon had flaws but who cares money talks nobody walks. Thank you Colt.

[Bluntforce]

Originally Posted by baboon

From hunting of game animals I generally found animals that the bullet stopped inside wether fragmented or retaining most of its weight killed the animals quicker. Personally I never thought pass threw bullets were effective in killing game.

I also believe the effects of hydrosatic shock is a great killer.

Probably explains why the Chink soldiers in North Korea took all those T-n-T hits with the M1 Carbine and did the Timex.