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Thread: .22 caliber M16 at Air Force basic training, 1972

  1. #1
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    .22 caliber M16 at Air Force basic training, 1972

    I was talking with my father over the weekend, and he mentioned using .22 caliber M16’s back in the early seventies, as part of basic training.

    He does remember they were ‘slick side,’ because he had to learn about the forward assist when his security team transitioned from Mini-14’s to AR’s in the early 90’s. He’s not a ‘gun nut,’ but enjoys firing his M1A and S&W 5906 about once a year. So, he’s not familiar with the GAU’s, etc, and was simply told that he was firing an M16.

    The .22 thing threw me off... Is anyone familiar with this?

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    Could have been an M16 with the USAF M261 .22 conversion kit installed:
    http://www.e-sarcoinc.com/u-s-air-fo...sion-unit.aspx

    Here's a good article: http://www.smallarmsreview.com/displ...darticles=3125

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    22 LR trainers/conversions existed way before the M16. I read (Have never been able to find again) through most of the original trials when the search for a smaller projectile was going on. One of the minimum requirements was to penetrate a helmet at X yards. The smallest projectile to achieve this would be proclaimed the winner.

    Well, a 19 caliber performed satisfactory and was a honest contender. It got knocked out of competition when the discussion of cleaning rods came up. 22 caliber rods already existed for the trainers. We can't be expected to replace all cleaning rods can we?!

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    That was easy. Thanks guys...

    Just ordered parts from sarco last week, wish I’d seen that.

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    I went through Lackland in 1975. We qualified with slick side M-16’s with green furniture and shooting 5.56. I remember the handguards were green that looked badly worn with brown underneath. Looked like Bakelite.

    Later on in the mid eighties, I left active duty and went to the Air National Guard. We were shooting .22s using the conversion kits and “thousand inch” targets. Twenty five yard range using miniature targets to simulate 100 yard targets. Supposedly due to funding and ammo shortages. We hated those conversions. CONSTANT malfunctions.

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    Went through Lackland in ‘85. Qualified with the .22 kits. Filthy, jammy things they were.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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    One thing to be aware of is that .22 LR twist rate is 1/16 so a 1/12 barrel should shoot better than a 1/7.

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    Seems like there wasn’t a lot of consistency from year to year, maybe dependent on future MOS? Can’t say we’ve talked a lot about the topic. I do know he also went through Lackland, just a year or less before you, firecop.

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    Quote Originally Posted by JediGuy View Post
    Seems like there wasn’t a lot of consistency from year to year, maybe dependent on future MOS? Can’t say we’ve talked a lot about the topic. I do know he also went through Lackland, just a year or less before you, firecop.
    In basic you shot what they handed you. Everyone in my flight got the same rifle. They never asked what our future AFSC was. It was the first time I had ever seen an M16. Didn’t even know what it was till they told me. I got yelled at for laughing while shooting. Every time I pulled the trigger I heard the loud “twang” in my ear from the recoil spring in the buttstock.

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    Quote Originally Posted by jdgiii View Post
    Went through Lackland in ‘85. Qualified with the .22 kits. Filthy, jammy things they were.
    That mirrors my experience in the summer of '83 (Medina Annex of Lackland AFB, if I remember correctly)
    In fact, I never fired a round of actual 5.56 ammo in 7 years.

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