what model is this ?

[peabody]

i sure wish i had a picture.



friend of mine, who was in vietnam, as a fuel suppy driver, was telling me about his rifle,

he says it had a short barrel, approx ? 15'' inches ? [best he can remember]
A1 upper of course, and a A1 stock, time line around 69-70

what model would that be ? its so hard to pinpoint these rifles i hear about, because they dont remember the details very much,

i asked if the handguards went plum to the front sight, he said no,
so that scratches out a 605,

he said they gave his unit, shorter weapons , because they drove trucks.

whats your thoughts ?

peabody

[USAFCATM]

Well, all rifles are going to have stocks that go out to the front sight but clear out to the end of the muzzle (or very close to it) is another thing and if that's what you meant, then no, it doesn't sound like a 605. Could have been an XM-177E2 though. The barrel was 11.5" long and the moderator (may be confused as part of the barrel length) was what, another 4.5" long making for a 15" barrel length including the moderator. I see a lot of folks here on the range that we train and go down range with be it an A2 or M4 but just because they are qualified or in the AOR doesn't make them experts or savy enough to say what the barrel length is with or without the compensator.

[peabody]

Well, all rifles are going to have stocks that go out to the front sight but clear out to the end of the muzzle (or very close to it) is another thing and if that's what you meant, then no, it doesn't sound like a 605. Could have been an XM-177E2 though. The barrel was 11.5" long and the moderator (may be confused as part of the barrel length) was what, another 4.5" long making for a 15" barrel length including the moderator. I see a lot of folks here on the range that we train and go down range with be it an A2 or M4 but just because they are qualified or in the AOR doesn't make them experts or savy enough to say what the barrel length is with or without the compensator.

sadly, i am guilty too.
too many years have passed, i was very young and dumb.
im thinking your right, from what my friend tells me, he's adding the moderator to the barrel length.
just like me , i only remember a few details. 5-6 years ago, i got my bushy in a farm trade, that night i'm looking at it, i was stumped? how do you open this up ?
now here i am, almost 40 years later trying to learn about them.
youth is wasted on the young.ha.

[torquemada055]

Go here, http://98.196.65.94/retroblackrifle/index.html
You can see all the various models through the developmental stages of the M16/AR15 system.

[hypersport750]

Could be the rare 651/652 models, 14.5 inch barrel uppers with a A1 fixed stock.

[scottryan]

Could be the rare 651/652 models, 14.5 inch barrel uppers with a A1 fixed stock.

No, these were for commerical / export sales and I doubt a support soldier would be issued one of these. No record has ever surface of these two models being purchased by the US military. Also, the skinny 14.5 inch barrel came out after 1971 so this would also not be correct for the time period of this matter.

I also think a XM177 series gun would be not be issued to a support soldier but anything is possible I guess.

[hypersport750]

No, these were for commerical / export sales and I doubt a support soldier would be issued one of these. No record has ever surface of these two models being purchased by the US military. Also, the skinny 14.5 inch barrel came out after 1971 so this would also not be correct for the time period of this matter.

I also think a XM177 series gun would be not be issued to a support soldier but anything is possible I guess.

Your right about that, was thinking of some of these period pics. Could have they been like these?

[jtb0311]

Maybe it was am XM-177/E2 upper on a regular A1 lower. I've seen a fair number of pics of franken carbines from that time period.

See above.

[FMJ52]

Possibly one like in the upper left of this picture?