After World War II, the United States military started looking for a single automatic rifle to replace the M1 Garand, M1/M2 Carbines, M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle, M3 "Grease Gun" and Thompson submachine gun. 30 in (7.62 mm) caliber as "full sized" for the next 35 years. Largely in deference to tradition, this recommendation was ignored and the Army referred to the. Army 'Caliber Board' conducted firing tests at Aberdeen Proving Ground and recommended transitioning to smaller caliber rounds, mentioning in particular. See also: ArmaLite AR-10 and ArmaLite AR-15 6.7 Colt Model 655 and 656 "Sniper" variants.6.5 US Navy Mk 12 Special Purpose Rifle.Army selected the SIG MCX SPEAR as the winner of the Next Generation Squad Weapon Program to replace the M16/M4. The US military has largely replaced the M16 in frontline combat units with a shorter and lighter version, the M4 carbine. Total worldwide production of M16s is approximately 8 million, making it the most-produced firearm of its 5.56 mm caliber. The M16 has also been widely adopted by other armed forces around the world. It is equipped with a removable carrying handle and Picatinny rail for mounting optics and other ancillary devices. Adopted in July 1997, the M16A4 is the fourth generation of the M16 series. The M16A2 fires the improved 5.56×45mm (M855/SS109) cartridge and has a newer adjustable rear sight, case deflector, heavy barrel, improved handguard, pistol grip and buttstock, as well as a semi-auto and three-round burst fire selector. In 1983, the US Marine Corps adopted the M16A2 rifle and the US Army adopted it in 1986. The M16A1's modifications include a bolt-assist, chrome-plated bore and a 30-round magazine. In 1969, the M16A1 replaced the M14 rifle to become the US military's standard service rifle. In 1964, the M16 entered US military service and the following year was deployed for jungle warfare operations during the Vietnam War. The original M16 rifle was a 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-round magazine. The M16 rifle (officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of military rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military. “He’s my hero.See List of Colt AR-15 and M16 rifle variantsĨ.81 lb (4.00 kg) (loaded with 30 rounds and sling) “This table is to honor my brother,’ she says. In Janet’s eyes, Ralph Angstadt will forever remain the brother who grew up to proudly wear the uniform of his country. “When we’re having dinner,” he says, “we’re thinking of Ralph.” Thank you for your service and sacrifice.”Ĭurt Clauser, 82, who’s retired from Metropolitan Edison, says it’s comforting to have the white table in the kitchen. The youngest, Clauser said, is now in her 50s.Ī note from a jogger who ran a marathon in Angstadt’s honor reads: “It’s an honor and a pleasure to run for Lt. There’s also a photo of Angstadt’s wife and his three daughters who live in Texas. In addition to Clauser, the airman has an older brother, Mel Angstadt of Ruscombmanor Township. In the spirit of the season, Janet Clauser has added a ceramic Christmas tree with tiny lights, a framed portrait of Angstadt as a young airman and a photo of their parents, Paul and Anna Angstadt. It has all the items prescribed by military ritual, including a single red rose, a Bible and a candle symbolizing hope. Ralph Angstadt is situated a few feet from the table in Janet and Curt Clauser’s kitchen. The family held memorial services for Angstadt, a 1950 Oley High School graduate, at Friedens Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oley after he was declared KIA. In 1973, the Air Force reclassified Angstadt from missing in action (MIA) to killed in action (KIA). “You wonder, how can a plane with a crew of seven disappear without a trace?” Clauser says. The flight’s last location was about 55 miles north of the demilitarized zone separating North and South Vietnam.įlying conditions were poor amid heavy rain with low visibility, Air Force officials reported.Ĭlauser says officials told the family that they searched the area for seven days and found no wreckage of the plane or its crew of seven. “You never forget, he has a special place in my heart.”Īngstadt’s aircraft, a Grumman HU-16 Albatross seaplane, was on a mission over the Gulf of Tonkin when it was last heard from on Oct. “The sadness is still with me, especially around the holidays,” Clauser confided.
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