What Was Your Introductory Rifle In the Military? When & Where?

M16A1, Ft. Sill, OK ..... June, 1985.

I remember the forward assist was round .... it was, in general, in really rough shape.
 
Pretty much like most here

M16A1 in Basic and Infantry school Fort Benning GA. 1988
M16A2 my first unit 82nd Airborne Fort Bragg NC
M249 SAW 2 months later at Fort Bragg

I was mostly a SAW gunner for my 4 years in. I had a first generation SAW, a-lot of issues. The M249's of today look a-lot better and hopefully they worked out the bugs.
 
M16A2 w/ irons, MCRD San Diego, CA, 2010

Now I use an M4 w/ ACOG. It is a much nicer setup, and far easier for most people to rifle qual with. There are still a surprising amount of people that completely fail though.
 
>>Now I use an M4 w/ ACOG. It is a much nicer setup, and far easier for most people to rifle qual with.<<

Are you saying the ACOG is used on the range for qualification? If so, things have sure changed since I was a Gyrene!
 
When I was in boot, we used irons to qualify, but in the fleet we use ACOGs on the range. However, now even boots are being taught on ACOGs while at MCRD, so they don't even know how to use irons unless they learned somewhere else. I just recently qualified with my scoped M4, and getting expert is just cake if you have any sort of halfway decent shooting form. Like I said though, there are still a surprising amount of people that fail entirely.

I suppose I may also be somewhat biased as I shoot far more than just my military issue stuff and far more frequently than many of them do, being a gun guy and all. Many of these guys only fire a weapon of any sort once or twice a year when they qualify.
 
In OSUT, we had to qualify with iron sights, but before deployment, and every year since, we've qualified with an ACOG or M-68 depending on what the Soldier used. Qualify with what you shoot type of deal.
 
When range week comes around, the armory will actually loan out ACOGs for people to use, even if they don't have their very own issued one, so that qualification will be easier. I'm sure there are some units that may not have enough ACOGs for their shooters, so perhaps a few people still qualify with irons every once and a while.
 
Well, that shows you how out of touch I am! You have to remember, I go back to the M14 days of the early/mid '60's, and the ACOG wasn't even heard of! :cool:
 
I'm sure the Corps' shooting program won't be something that I keep track of after I'm out either. They could shorten the distances and start using red dots, and I would have no problem being blissfully clueless about it.
 
Fort Cambell KY, Served from 66-68. M14, M16, M60. Loved the M14 & M60, Carried the black stick in VN from May 67-68. Just give me a good bolt action Rem. 700 any day.
 
M14 in '66, basic training at Ft Lewis. Same in AIT at Ft Gordon and we still had M14s in the 82nd.

Got introduced to the M16a1 at Bragg when I got my orders for Vietnam, and the M16a1 w/the 101st in the RVN.

Joined the NG in '73, and the M16a1 then. Got the M14s back when I started competitive shooting for the Guard.

We got the 'A2's later in my Guard Career but my issue weapon as the M1911a1 then.
 
M16A1 Fort Leonard Wood MO 1978 BCT.

Later in BCT got to try the M60 (sweet)!

Always with iron sights (What's an ACOG?) :)
 
In basic training at Ft. Ord in 1977 my issue weapon was marked XM16-E1.

And would occasionally fire two rounds for one pull of the trigger when on semi. Made qualifying extra challenging when you only get to engage 32 of 40 targets in a stage...
 
M-16 A1 Ft. Benning, GA. 1979.
Not to hi-jack the thread but one of the other posters mentioned the manufacturer and it reminded me when I was a unit armorer. Some of our M2 50 cal's were made by the AC Spark Plug division of General Motors. Our 4.2" mortars (M30 Cannon) were made by Whirlpool. Just a few that I can remember. I just thought it was funny.
 
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