Mattel M-16 Urban Myth Won't Die

[Gunplummer]

I never took notice, but why not? .50's made by AC Spark plug Division/ 4.2 Mortars made by Whirlpool/ Grease guns made by Guide Lamp Co. These were stamped/had plates on the receiver. Anything is possible with subbed out small parts.

I did notice that the right hand guard cost more than the left (The side that broke all the time) and it was a mirror image of the left.

 

[jmr40]

Mattel made a toy AR-15 during the 1960's that did look very realistic. This may be part of the myth.

John Wayne used one in the movie "The Green Berets". There is a scene where a soldier dies and they don't want to leave behind a usable weapon for the enemy to find. They use one of the toy guns as a prop. Wayne smashes it against a tree breaking it into tiny pieces.

I'm not computer savvy enough to find the clip and post it, but I've seen it before. I've seen the movie multiple times but never noticed a toy gun was used in that scene before someone on another gun forum pointed it out.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

I have heard that a subsidiary of Mattel was one of the many original contractors for some of the plastic furniture on the M-16's (and it makes sense if you think about it -molded plastic things is molded plastic things). Some GI probably saw "Mattel plastics corp." or some such thing on the inside of his handguards and the Barbigun myth was born.

Mattel is (or was) a contractor for M16 parts - I have first hand experience with this as my M16A1 that was issued for OSUT (Basic and MOS School rolled into one) had, you guessed it, a Mattel grip on it. Believe me, I was shocked when I saw this - but as long as the rounds hit what I aimed at, I didn't care too much in the long run.

I carried an M16 in Vietnam in 1968. It is correct that some of the plastic furniture on some of the rifles was molded by Mattel. Our early M16s were the ones prone to jamming, which gave rise to the use of the "Made by Mattel, it's swell" expression from their toy ads on the television around that era. It also led to some of us joking that we'd do better with a real rifle, and I suspect that led to the Internet myth that Mattel was making M16s.

 

[vito]

I had been trained with the M14, so when I got to Vietnam and was issued an M16 it FELT like a toy and could have been made by Mattel! But it did shoot like a real rifle. I will add that none of the females I ever met while in Vietnam looked anything like Barbie.

 

[Mike Irwin]

And apparently 16 year old threads won't die, either.

If anyone ever can come up with proof -- a signed contract, stamped parts, etc. -- please start a new thread.