Questions you want answered.

Bob Noel said:
I'd still like to know what specific ball powder was so bad.

wrt jamming, the type of powder (stick vs ball) is way way down on the list of things that can cause an M16 to jam.
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There’s some good source content linked in the article below on the problems with the early M-16/XM16. There’s a section on powder implications.
www.pewpewtactical.com

How And Why The M16 Failed In Vietnam (And Is It Reliable Today?)

How bad was the M16 during the Vietnam War? And can you trust it (and the civilian AR-15 variants) today? We cover it all.
www.pewpewtactical.com www.pewpewtactical.com
 
What is the season for long pig?

When Nauga is working on his home built plane. The season is only for wounding, not killing!
 
TCABM said:
There’s some good source content linked in the article below on the problems with the early M-16/XM16. There’s a section on powder implications.
www.pewpewtactical.com

How And Why The M16 Failed In Vietnam (And Is It Reliable Today?)

How bad was the M16 during the Vietnam War? And can you trust it (and the civilian AR-15 variants) today? We cover it all.
www.pewpewtactical.com www.pewpewtactical.com
Click to expand...

thanks

my take away from the article is that the problem wasn't stick vs ball, but that particular powder (which happened to be stick) vs the other particular powder (which happened to be ball). Specifically, IMR 4475 vs WC 846.

another take away: many other problems with the M16 had nothing to do with the powder.
 
Bob Noel said:
thanks

my take away from the article is that the problem wasn't stick vs ball, but that particular powder (which happened to be stick) vs the other particular powder (which happened to be ball). Specifically, IMR 4475 vs WC 846. …
Click to expand...
Or, dig a bit deeper to find the underlying rifle design was built the around .223 cartridge and attendant pressures and performance. The 5.56 cartridge is a different, higher pressure beast the original design did not account for.

In short, it’s less the powder type than the effects of the powder used.
 
TCABM said:
...the underlying rifle design...
Click to expand...

Yes. The fundamental design was somewhat intolerant of variances in ammo, and the non-chromed bore and direct gas impingement action made it more susceptible to fouling and corrosion. It required more frequent cleaning than other weapons, and the thought that it was "self-cleaning" would be laughable if it hadn't resulted in a lot of dead soldiers.

For those reasons, I still disagree with @billsgs126 's suggestion that:
billsgs126 said:
The Soviets would IMHO have been better served by the M-16...
Click to expand...


Now despite all this discussion about M16 problems in Vietnam, I do like my AR15 a lot, but the modern AR15s are different beasts than those original '60s era M16s. I've run a variety of .223 and 5.56 from several manufacturers through my rifle and haven't had a jam yet.

I don't have an AK, but I do have an SKS and it performs just fine as well, at least when using the original fixed magazine. I once tried an aftermarket removeable magazine and had lots of jams, so I switched back to fixed.
 
Half Fast said:
Yes. The fundamental design was somewhat intolerant of variances in ammo, and the non-chromed bore and direct gas impingement action made it more susceptible to fouling and corrosion. It required more frequent cleaning than other weapons, and the thought that it was "self-cleaning" would be laughable if it hadn't resulted in a lot of dead soldiers.

For those reasons, I still disagree with @billsgs126 's suggestion that:



Now despite all this discussion about M16 problems in Vietnam, I do like my AR15 a lot, but the modern AR15s are different beasts than those original '60s era M16s. I've run a variety of .223 and 5.56 from several manufacturers through my rifle and haven't had a jam yet.

I don't have an AK, but I do have an SKS and it performs just fine as well, at least when using the original fixed magazine. I once tried an aftermarket removeable magazine and had lots of jams, so I switched back to fixed.
Click to expand...
I've never owned (or maintained) an AK, and IMHO the problems people whom I know have had with that platform come from the belief that the weapon never needs to be cleaned. I do own a Tula made SKS, with a hard rubber carrier stop from the guys in Jefferson City, MO. The fixed mag is great, and the 20 round fixed max works as flawlessly as the 10 round version. One issue with the AR platform is that literally anyone and their half-wit cousin can make the parts and assemble them, so there are great ones, awful ones, and lots in between.
 
Bob Noel said:
I'd still like to know what specific ball powder was so bad.

wrt jamming, the type of powder (stick vs ball) is way way down on the list of things that can cause an M16 to jam.
Click to expand...

I used to use a certain 40 caliber pistol round from Speer. I could shoot it all year long in a H&K and not have to clean it. And cleaning it took 5 minutes max. After a switch to a Federal ammo, I was lucky to get 2 boxes through it before it needed cleaning. And the cleaning took almost triple what the Speer required.
 
Bob Noel said:
thanks

my take away from the article is that the problem wasn't stick vs ball, but that particular powder (which happened to be stick) vs the other particular powder (which happened to be ball). Specifically, IMR 4475 vs WC 846.

another take away: many other problems with the M16 had nothing to do with the powder.
Click to expand...
It's a shame that Australian Doughnuts were not around back then. ;)
 
Why do people knock on a locked restroom door? If the door is locked, someone is probably in there. If nobody is in there and it’s locked, you’re not getting in anyway.

I always say “come on in” if someone knocks if I’m in there
 
Why do foolish people question the superiority of low wing aircraft to high wing aircraft?
 
AvNavCom said:
Has anyone used/owned an electric zero-turn mower? I need to get a mower to take care of about 1-1.5 acres of relatively flat grass (one small area with a probably 40-45 degree slope). I have an electric push mower that has done a fantastic job for smaller lawns, but this big one is sucking my soul (and time). I like electric for the quietness, low maintenance, and easy "fueling". Not thrilled with the wildly expensive price. On other hand, I can spend half as much on a gas zero-turn, or even less for a gas tractor type. Any recommendations?
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Not yet, but my neighbor has had one for a few years and does 2 acres with it. He's got the older Ryobi 42" with the dual grips instead of the steering wheel, and the lead-acid battery.

About a year ago, there was a fire sale on the lithium Ryobis at Home Depot because they wanted to get rid of them in stores and go to ship-to-home only. I think they sold the 54" for $299 and the 42" for $199. Needless to say, they didn't last long... I wish I'd been able to snatch one up in time.
 
Initial Fix said:
Why does buttered toast always fall butter side down???
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I read a physics paper on this subject in a college class. In short, the bread is unbalanced by the weight of the butter. So, if you use cream cheese you really have no chance.
 
If buttered toast always lands butter side down, and if a cat always lands on its feet, then strap a piece of buttered toast to the cat’s back butter side up.

Then push the cat off the counter. You’ll have a perpetual machine…


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Why do the good die young but pricks live forever
 
Half Fast said:
Yes. The fundamental design was somewhat intolerant of variances in ammo, and the non-chromed bore and direct gas impingement action made it more susceptible to fouling and corrosion. It required more frequent cleaning than other weapons, and the thought that it was "self-cleaning" would be laughable if it hadn't resulted in a lot of dead soldiers.

For those reasons, I still disagree with @billsgs126 's suggestion that:



Now despite all this discussion about M16 problems in Vietnam, I do like my AR15 a lot, but the modern AR15s are different beasts than those original '60s era M16s. I've run a variety of .223 and 5.56 from several manufacturers through my rifle and haven't had a jam yet.

I don't have an AK, but I do have an SKS and it performs just fine as well, at least when using the original fixed magazine. I once tried an aftermarket removeable magazine and had lots of jams, so I switched back to fixed.
Click to expand...
Whatever the issues were with the original M16, they seemed to have been worked out with the M16A1. I've been issued several, and never had a problem with any, save for the occasional need for a tap on the forward assist on a dirty weapon.

The A2, on the other hand, was a step in the wrong direction. Longer, heavier, and not truly fully automatic, just a three round burst that acted wonky if you didn't actually shoot three rounds in burst mode. I was out before the M4 was put in to service but I'd take one of those any day of the week over the other two.

I never got to play with an AK in the civilian world, but our arms room in Germany had a few, and we would take them to the range. They were fun to shoot, but but not as accurate, and not as easy to control in full auto. A buddy of mine who was a Marine during Desert Storm said they would collect AK's as they progressed, fire them until they quit, and use another AK instead of using their M16A2's. Partly so they didn't have to clean them, and partly because they hated their A2's that much.
 
Sac Arrow said:
Whatever the issues were with the original M16, they seemed to have been worked out with the M16A1. I've been issued several, and never had a problem with any, save for the occasional need for a tap on the forward assist on a dirty weapon.

The A2, on the other hand, was a step in the wrong direction. Longer, heavier, and not truly fully automatic, just a three round burst that acted wonky if you didn't actually shoot three rounds in burst mode. I was out before the M4 was put in to service but I'd take one of those any day of the week over the other two.

I never got to play with an AK in the civilian world, but our arms room in Germany had a few, and we would take them to the range. They were fun to shoot, but but not as accurate, and not as easy to control in full auto. A buddy of mine who was a Marine during Desert Storm said they would collect AK's as they progressed, fire them until they quit, and use another AK instead of using their M16A2's. Partly so they didn't have to clean them, and partly because they hated their A2's that much.
Click to expand...

A few years back I spoke with a guy at work who had used an M4 in Iraq. He didn't have any functionality complaints, but he did have a complaint about the lethality. The shorter barrel reduced muzzle velocity enough that the 5.56 rounds weren't as effective. He told me their allies shooting AK47s could get one-shot stops regularly, but with the M4s they often had to shoot 2 or 3 rounds.
 
Half Fast said:
A few years back I spoke with a guy at work who had used an M4 in Iraq. He didn't have any functionality complaints, but he did have a complaint about the lethality. The shorter barrel reduced muzzle velocity enough that the 5.56 rounds weren't as effective. He told me their allies shooting AK47s could get one-shot stops regularly, but with the M4s they often had to shoot 2 or 3 rounds.
Click to expand...

That’s a common complaint. Increased use of body armor likely played a role but the M855A1 round was supposed to address that.

One of my JTACs smoked a dude with one
well placed shot at 427 yards using an ACOG equipped M4 in Afghanistan. Sure, it’s an n of 1, but there was a company’s worth of witnesses in that firefight.
 
Half Fast said:
A few years back I spoke with a guy at work who had used an M4 in Iraq. He didn't have any functionality complaints, but he did have a complaint about the lethality. The shorter barrel reduced muzzle velocity enough that the 5.56 rounds weren't as effective. He told me their allies shooting AK47s could get one-shot stops regularly, but with the M4s they often had to shoot 2 or 3 rounds.
Click to expand...

there are some reasons why the Army is moving away from 5.56 nato... among them is that the enemy has figured out the effective range of the M16.
 
What is it with the Youtube and Facebook videos of someone taking a simple task and overcomplicating it so it takes 4x as long to accomplish but the outcome is the same?
 
The correct answer to a riddle engraved into the bathroom door of an old pool hall. I can personally vouch for it being there 40+ years, but it’s still an original wood floored drop pocket pool table billiards hall from the 1880’s with real Brunswick billiards, snooker, and 8 ball tables (ivory balls kept in a case behind the bar for the billiards one) that looks straight up out of western movie in a small town. So could have been there much longer. “If a chicken and a half laid an egg and a half, in a day and half.. how long would it take a monkey with a wooden leg to kick the seeds out of a pickle?”
 
Flatiowa said:
The correct answer to a riddle engraved into the bathroom door of an old pool hall. I can personally vouch for it being there 40+ years, but it’s still an original wood floored drop pocket pool table billiards hall from the 1880’s with real Brunswick billiards, snooker, and 8 ball tables (ivory balls kept in a case behind the bar for the billiards one) that looks straight up out of western movie in a small town. So could have been there much longer. “If a chicken and a half laid an egg and a half, in a day and half.. how long would it take a monkey with a wooden leg to kick the seeds out of a pickle?”
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Ask Mr. Owl.
 
I heard a similar one:

If your canoe flies over a doghouse and loses its right front tire, how many beans does it take to fix the toaster?
 
Half Fast said:
If car manufacturers can all agree on which pedal is the brake and which is the gas, why can't watchmakers agree on which button changes modes and which starts and stops the timer?
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but do car manufacturers agree? what about the tesla?
 
Half Fast said:
If car manufacturers can all agree on which pedal is the brake and which is the gas, why can't watchmakers agree on which button changes modes and which starts and stops the timer?
Click to expand...
Heck, Ford by itself can’t figure out which side to put the gas cap on, or whether the wiper controls are on the left or right side of the steering wheel.
 
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