Who were the manufacturers of the M16A1 rifle ?

Question

I remember from basic training (1980) that Colt was the main manufacturer of the M16, but also some of the rifles were made by "Mattel" . thats the argument I have people saying Mattel never made M16 rifles , who is right ?

I clearly remember Mattel, stamped on the reciever, Just like the Colt , M16A1 , I hope my mind is not going (LOL)

Hmm ? Maybe it was the GM version I am confusing with the Mattel story,

Answer 1

The Mattel M-16's were very realistic looking toys.

Answer 2

Colt manufactured the AR-15s that were adopted by the miltary and given "M-16" status. Armalite was forced to relinquish the design to mother company Fairchild Aircraft (Gee, now you know where Stoner got the idea for all that plastic and aircraft grade aluminum.) who in turn sold the plans to Colt in 1960. Colt had all North America and Europe had FN making the gun (FN would later outbid Colt for the contract @ the mod 1990s). Armalit tried to make a comeback in the late 60s with the AR-18/AR-180 but it flopped in contrast to the AR-15 series. The M-16 is a great gun and so is the round! It was the government-NOT COLT-who screwed up by not following the hardchrome recommendation. ANYONE with a brain would hardchrome ANY barrel to guard it against corrosion. Sweden and Japan were doing this generations ago. The .223 came at the right time. If we were to always listen to the dinosaurs at Army Ordinance, we would have still had 45-70 black powder carbines!

Answer 3

Armalite Inc. created the M-16. Not Colt. Colt bought the rights to it while Armalite was in a financial crisis. The Army had no intention of accepting the M-16 but the Air Force loved it and over time they influenced the process enough to change minds and get it accepted.

The term "Mattel" was coined due to the fact that the original butt and forearms were made of cheap bakelite and then plastic.

Miketyson26

Answer 4

Colt got the military contract because those in power at the time was told that if Colt didn't get it, they would go out of business. So Colt got saved and our troops got a faulty designed, problem plagued, under powered POS called the M-16. The only thing they did good was waste ammo.
Mattel didn't make anything but toys, never real guns or gun parts.

Answer 5

the main companies that made the m16 was colt and armlite mattel never made real m16 rifles they made real looking toy rifles with that the troops in nam thought that the toy company was making the weapon

Answer 6

Mattell made a very realistic M-16 toy at the time and the troops
joked that theirs were made by them also since they had so much plastic, and malfunctions.

Answer 7

They absolutely exist. I was issued my first in Basic training. I noticed mine was different from the others? I had a brown stock and forearm. Everyone else had black stocks and forearm. Mine had a round front site circle instead of a pin. Didn't matter I qualified Expert with it. When I got to my permanent duty station I was issued the Colt. It was OK but not as accurate I was a Infantry Mortar man. My Gun tube was made by Whirlpool!

Answer 8

MATTEL never made the M16A1 rifle. Colt made it.

Answer 9

The "Mattel" reference originated from the troops in D'Nam who were first stuck with the "poodle shooters", having been forced to surrender their MUCH more effective, albiet heavier, 7,62 NATO M-14's, because the popguns LOOKED so much like toys! Any SERIOUS reference to the toymaker was, and is, complete CRAPOLA. (In true fact, many Marines and other grunts sent home to little brothers and dads for "Mattel" sticker decals off of toys as a JOKE to perpetuate this hilarity!)
Mattel Toys, Inc. NEVER manufactured REAL firearms of ANY sort, M-16's or otherwise!
The original design was the brain-child of a gent named Stoner, who was the chief designer at Armalite. Believe it or not, the first design, designated AR-10, was chambered for 7,62 NATO(.308 Win.) AND NEVER NEEDED A "FORWARD ASSIST" lever, OR a chromed chamber & barrel, and never suffered from the malfunctions of the first M-16's!
The 5,56 NATO(.223 Rem.) ammo was the stupid asininity of the "Great Gen." Westmoreland and his Yuppie Commandos, who came up with the erroneous idea of quantity over quality, or, a trooper could carry a lot more of smaller, lighter bullets, that would wound, rather than kill, which would tie up more personnel to tend to wounded than dead. This was one of the first major screw-ups that finally ended in the U.S.' first confirmed "Lost" war, and a completely erronrous assumption perpetuated to this day.
Colt obtained the original plans and licenses from Armalite in a contract deal with Armalite in production of the first U.S. contracts, as Armalite wasn't equipped to crank out the vast number ordered by Uncle Sam.

Answer 10

I remember Colts and Harrington & Richardsons ,Our drill sergeant insisted we get the HRs said the Colts were junk . Told the armoror to send them to the marines .