I think adjustable sights with a bullet tip was a bad idea. On one hand it sounds cool but its kinda a wolf in sheeps clothing because if you pop out the trench and all your bullets are in your magazine its pretty hard to adjust your sights. I think having no intermediate barrier to adjustment also has its adva tages and disadgantages. Someone else could adjust them. People do funny things fidgeting without noticing esspeically if youre mega stressed in a war. Or you hand it to someone who hasnt handled guns and theyre jjst lesrning and you want them to twist things and click the switches etc. You could mayne bump your own sight adjustment without noticing. The problem with not having fast adjustment is your enemy does and if they can quick adjust theyre on target on you while youre figeting with a bullet trying to adjust your windage. On the flip side if your sights are only adjustable with a bullet tip then you cam hamd the gun empty to someone thats never held one and they can do anything to it except throw your sights out of wack. I like.the idea i just dont think i like the execution. I think about maybe a pushbutton release like the mag release which frees the sight adjustment but then i also think about those videos where people are shooting at a bad guy in a war or conflicts etc and their fingers get shot off. You could tournequet up and keep going for a while but its foing to be harder to do combination lever depressing and sight adjusting. If half your finfers get blown off ans you need to correct for 400m windage and elivation with a numb arm and you have to get a bullet putnof a magazine and play games while the bullets are still flying by its not going to be fun man. Ill really be wishin I had quick adjust with no bullets required or buttons to press.
I was in the 101st when we turned in the A1s for A2s. Right away, it just felt "right". That uniform, LBE and M203 really took me back! Eight years as a grunt, I never had a problem with this weapon. Thanks for the nostalgia feels!
I was in the 101st as well and this was my exact same rifle with the 203. I honestly didn't want any other rifle at the time. Most other units in the 101st had m4's. Brings back memories
You got to remember how advanced the M16A2/203 combination was for its time. It was a light mortar in effect. The French still used rifle grenades on the FAMAS. The Brits and Aussies had the M79 blooper with only the SAS and Commandos getting the M203. The M203 turned the rifleman into a light mortar man. The Andy McNab book Bravo Two Zero described the M203 being used to devastating effect.
For some reason the M203 was more accurate or seemed to be. When the m-4 came out. I hit every target I shot at including 300 meters. Until I ran out bullets with the 3 round option. I did know how I was going to use it on the 2 way range after that. I never shoot for numbers. I shot for practice.
Navy SEAL Chuck Pfarrer wrote about carrying a CAR 15 wiht m203 in Beirut (early 80s) and killing many enemy with it. He used beehive rounds for the 203 that were loaded with flechette darts.
The A1 looked drastically better, plus it's iconic due to the Vietnam War. The rifle itself is full of triangles, e.g., the front sight, the butt stock, the forward assist, the top of the carry handle, to name a few. So the original smooth triangular hand guards fit in with that aesthetic. The round, ribbed hand guards of the A2 look out of place.
We had a lefty with us. After a qualification shoot on the range he'd have blood running down his right cheek and a lot of little crescent shaped cuts. It depended on the size of the shooter and their head position, but with him the ejected case had flipped 180 degrees when it reached his cheek so the hot open end hit skin first.
I love this new running trend that Micah just totally smokes the course of fire whenever he's on the show. Ultra instinct cameraman should be a trope at this point.
I was issued a brand new M16A2 when I got sent back to the states from Germany in 1991. I absolutely loved that weapon and it never let me down. Over 15 years ago, I bought a DPMS M16A2 clone and have a lot of fun with it. I'm 54 years old and can still use the iron sights to smoke woodchucks and coyotes with it no problem out past 300 meters. The 20" barrel and 55 grain ballistic tip hunting rounds really do a number on the varmints I hit with it.
Thanks for the Jarhead respect- I’m an infantry Cold War Corps vet who trained with and loved shooting the A2 M203. As a lefty, the “butterfly sights” seemed to always work well with my left eye dominance aim. The fact that I was an 0341 made it even more fun as explosions were just up my alley. Love the Woodlands by the way.
Had the same MOS in the Army. Called 11C mortars. Mostly worked on the M-30, 107mm mortar. Called the four-deuce, heavy mortar. I don't know if the Marines used that heavy mortar. The four-deuce is from the inch measurement of the bore being 4.2".
@@whomagoose6897 When I served in the 80’s, Weapons Company had 81mm. mortars and Rifle Company’s had a Weapons Platoon (that I served in) that deployed the 60mm.
Extra comment for 17:00. It was reported that troops commonly used the A1 pronged flash hider to break straps on supplies, using the rifle as a pry bar, bending the barrel more often.
Soldiers who did those things were lack of disciplines. The US had a conscription military in the Vietnam era. It's not weapon's problem. I wish they kept the A1 profile barrel but using the 1/7 twist rifling. Nevertheless, I've got a Colt A2 HBAR.
Only thing I seent it used on was on cases of C rats, you slip the strap twixt the prongs and sorta roll the rifle lengthwise to break the strap, like opening a spam can. Breaking that band wasn't going to bend the barrel. While I've seen A1s with bent barrels, I never saw one used as a pry bar, they tended to get bent when 200+ pounds of trooper & gear landed on them.
Carried this bad boy through the Guatemalan jungle on a rescue op back in ‘87. Managed to rescue the hostage but we were relentlessly hunted through the foliage during exfil and unfortunately not everyone made it to the choppa.
None of the hostages were rescued they were all executed, Anna was apart of the guerilla rebels not a hostage, it's obvious you weren't the sexual tyrannosaurus that survived the encounter with the yautja hunter
Damn good Dad Advice. "Nostalgia" is definitely the word of choice for guys like us; growing up in the 90's, the M-16A2 and Woodland BDU's where exactly what I thought when I thought about soldiers as a kid.
Having flashbacks to my days in the Corps. (1986-1990) Same kit and for some reason, I was given the only M16 A1 in the entire company. Used it during my last, and best, training evolution with 2nd SF BTN, 19th SF Group out of Camp Dawson! (What a great bunch of men those Green Berets were) We did so much shooting and demo for 3 weeks that I am certain I left 40% of my hearing down there! Great stuff fellas-as always! Semper Fi
Not surprising on the A1, in Army basic training at Ft Leonardwood in 2001 I was using an A1 that had been retrofitted to an A2. It was an H&R reciever, which I later found out was manufactured from 68-71. Most of the company had H&R and GM roll marks, with only a few getting Colt rifles. We were all convinced the Colt ones were better, but now I'm pretty sure they were all cobbled together and barely functional.
Nostalgia is an understatement. During my Cold War era service, this was the weapon I carried as I also styled the Woodland Camo. You nailed it my friend. Thanks for the video and rekindling some long stored memories.
This is great, when I first joined the Navy the M16 and M203 I carried was so "cool". I had no idea what the future held as a young 17 yr old first learning how to do work. I am so happy I stuck it out for over 20 years and to see how we advanced and became even better over time. Your content rocks and this video really had me reminiscing about the good ole days (Pre 9-11-2001), thanks. EDIT: Here's a small piece of information a lot of folks don't think is true... Doing shipboard search and seizure training on the LHDs with some Marines, certain Sailors would use the full auto spec of the M16 and the Marines would always beg us to shoot it off the elevator or fantail whenever they could get a chance because they were only issued the burst rifles. Again, those were the days!
I am once again asking Garand Thumb to host an annual week long SERE course so we can become deadly. Edit: thanks for interacting and helping the algorithm. I have zero intentions of talking to a prior service recruiter. The VA already pays me every month.
The M16A2 was what I had, when I wasn't carrying an M9 Beretta behind a desk. I picked up my own A2 a few years ago, using it in NRA highpower and CMP matches. Woodland camo is still the best, a massive improvement over the OD 'pajamas' that they replaced. The lightweight woodland wore out pretty fast, though.
Well with any camo it depends on your environment. That said, acu was probably the stupidest move by the army and there's a lot to choose from. Im personally fond of multicam since it's what I wore and oddly enough it blends in really well where I live too.
man.. bad company show would be crazy. stealing gold in a modern warzone with your buddies who all decide to go with it, could be legit. the guy who mentioned gen kill is right
Having served from 1986 to 2016, this was my favorite weapons platform (minus the 203). I got Marie, a brand new M16A2, before going to Iraq my second time around, and she was a tack driver. I qualified expert with her every time, and even hit 40 out of 40 a couple times. I remember her fondly and hope she is hanging off the back of some extremely hot IDF soldier as we speak. As far as I'm concerned, that's what happens to good rifles when they're decommissioned by the US government. Fairwell, old friend. And Thank You, Granand Thumb, for taking me back to my youth. Those uniforms, the gear, the shooting from the hip... dude! You had me literally busting up laughing.
Garand Thumb was always a great channel...but the comedy you guys have added really transforms this into a whole other beast. Reminds me of the knuckleheads(I was one also) that I served with. Godspeed fellas!
Super fun watching this! My dad was in the marines in the 80’s. His company at 29 palms was actually one of the first to be given the A2. He always talks about how he preferred the a1 guard for it’s triangle shape
We didn't mind the new handguard shape, it was the least concern. We loved the heavier barrel and that the A2 actually felt like a WEAPON, not a toy. Plus, you could plink all the day long and hit 500. So damn easy with that rifle. USMC; 81-87.
In 1991 I was issued an M16A2 that was cleaned and scrubbed by a green nylon brush so much that the only parts that were black was the furniture. Every metal part was "in the white," but it shot expert for me, and I LOVED IT. I had no issues with it at all. I loved the spring noise of the buttstock and it's low recoil, and of course it's cool carry-handle looks. Still love it.
Micah's training has really paid off, and is very capable with anything you hande him. Charlie is no slacker either, even though he acts goofy, but when it comes down to it, both are excellent shots!
I was USAF Security Police and once they had been issued to me, I preferred both the "Ranger" & tac vests. I was issued my first tac-vest in 1992-93 at RAF Upper Heyford, and never willingly went back to the ALICE harness or magazine pouches. I bought my second tac-vest at Incirlik AB Turkey 1994, and wore that one until I was discharged in 1997.
@@MichaelSmith-kr9qw As a former USAF Security Policeman, I was issued OG-107s in BMT back in 1987. I didn't get my first set of BDUs until I got to my first duty assignment, Clark AB Phillipines in 1988.
Qualified with the A1 on Parris Island in 1985. Got the A2 on Okinawa and loved that weapon. Especially the rear sight. Went from sharpshooter to expert.
Bill Drill came from Bill Wilson (of Wilson Combat) when he shot IPSC. The idea of the Bill Drill was to test the shooter's ability to track their front sight during recoil. The shooter would fire a shot, watch their front sight lift up and to the right during recoil (for a 1911), and if they were doing everything correct, they'd watch their front sight fall back into the rear notch and they would discharge another round, for a total of six times. Six was chosen to allow revolver shooters the ability to do this as well.
@@paleoph6168 the A3 literally looks like an A2 but fall auto? iirc video games get it wrong when they put A3's in with flat top uppers and railed handguards.
That camo and rifle brings back lots of memories. I was in the Army as an 11B when the transition from A1 to A2 took place and was issued a new rifle. Was also in Berlin when the wall came down. I had no problems with the A2, the 3 shot burst was MEH. But the overall experience with and without the M203 was good overall. I prefer its longer range legs over the A1. The burst mode was really a problem during urban ops or in an ambush. Made having a M249 and M60 important to have in a squad.
I mean the burst mode was meant to be a downgrade. The amount of ammo wasted in Vietnam was astonishing, and 20 round magazines didn't seem to prevent spray and prey, so the 3 round burst was to limit cowboys dumping 30 round every time a leaf moves.
@@Sun-Tzu- no the problem was the 3 round burst itself was several parts and more stuff to screw up. Not to mention you'd pull the hammer on a 3 round burst and get only one round. Real soldiers fire on semi regardless. Only Air Force clowns would use full auto.
@@donkeydonkey8681 The A2 also has the weird distinction of having the only non-resetting burst mode on a gun. So if you fired only 1 shot, the next trigger pull could only fire a maximum of 2 shots.
In the 90s my dad used to pick up VHS videos from yard sales that were 'clean' for my eight year old self to watch. He eventually came across some actual training videos made in this style, so this is actually a real blast to watch at my advanced age of 38 & after serving a stint as a CCT. Love you Garand, keep doing God's work ;)
The first time I saw that particular rifle with the grenade launcher was December of 2001 after the infamous 9-11 attack. I was transferring to another flight and I saw two soldiers and their commanding officer talking about something, what caught my eyes were the soldier carrying the M16A2 with M203. I thought "damn that a cool gun", it's nice to see this firearm once again.
Dude, the absolute quality of how Garand Thumbs content has evolved over the years continues to blow me away. Just when you think it's perfected, it gets better.
My Dad was in the Marines in the late 80s early 90s. He dreams of being able to get this gun again. I would love to be able to get him one eventually. You know what they say, “The most dangerous weapon in the world is a Marine and his rifle.”
Micah, you are much improved since your first shots on the channel. Congrats on working and getting better dude! I'm quite impressed with how you've stepped it up lately. Just wanted to say that it's noticed by us watching!!
Let me tell ya, that Flack vest saved my back from countless "Service related Injuries" as a Filed Radio operator. Learned real quick that you rig the ALICE Webbing OVER the vest and it becomes one unit that was like living in a turtle shell. Made that PRC-77 feel like a HS back pack.
The sight that was attached to the carry handle was called the quadrant sight. Nobody used it except at the range. It seemed to get in the way and be more of a hassle than anything else.
I didn't find the A2 that bad. Basically an A1 with a less fragile barrel, and the run out of ammo fast setting replaced with a run out of ammo a bit slower setting. By far my favorite feature was the comically anti climatic boop the 203 made the first time i shot it, but really it never gets old.
I don't quite get burst setting, just use semi if you aren't trying to run out of ammo ASAP. Rapid semi would probably be more accurate than burst at the same rate if fire anyways
The A2 was my USMC basic training rifle in summer of 1985. Brand spanking new, we had to clean the preservative off to use them. I was not shooter before then, scored very high expert , only dropping some 5 to 4 hits at 500 yards. The elevation knob adjustment was spot on as we moved back on the firing line.
i too trained with the A2 in Parris Island in 94. Like you, I was no shooter, I had no experience with any firearms and also scored high expert, 241 out of 250 with 3 saved rounds that i didn't get to fire and get added to the score due to the guys in the pits being slow on my target. Even dropped the spotter from my target at 500 yds with one of those rounds. My word as a Marine, Devil Dog. Windage, elevation, breath control, center the arc on target and fire at the bottom of the arc makes 500 with the A2 a breeze. The smell of freshly fired gunpowder at 0430 was a beautiful thing, lol.
I went through Parris Island in '87, and we also had the A2 - of course by then, they were well-used, LOL. It was a very accurate rifle once you got your dope set right. I wasn't a "shooter" and I even scored low/mid-expert out of Recruit Training (~225?) and every other time except one - when I finally found out I needed glasses, LOL.....
@@Ezees23 Luckily, somehow, I scored expert every time, low/mid more often than high expert, it came down to time of year(winter/summer=less glare from sun/more glare from sun). Though I will add that when I got to fleet, they changed the scoring system, then I always scored 41 or higher. My MOS didn't rate qualification with a sidearm as a standard but I did always want to give it a try even though I would have never been issued one.
I went in 09, we were issued some of them A2s I bet, with the original iron sights. The black on some were faded to a purple color , or down to the bare metal. I think they moved to the A4s some few years after.
I find it odd how my entire infantry company was deployed with no leaf sights for our M203s. We were expected to just kind of figure it out. Which we did.
Always shot high Expert with my A2 in the Marine Corps. Can't say I appreciated the added weight of the M203 in TBS. Great video! Brings back a lot of fond memories.
I carried the M-16A2 for over a decade in the Marine Corps and was a little north of pissed when they took it from me and gave me a M-4. It was smooth, accurate, and reliable. I can honestly say I had never had an issue with mine, and like most Marines, I beat the living snot out of it. Sling wise I used a SAW sling and paracord. Made it really comfortable to hump around.
Ohhh the memories. Turned in an A1 for brand spanky new A2 and fell in love. Got a promotion and an M203. I started my career in the Reagan-Bush arms race. We got so many goodies so fast it made your head spin. SAWs. HumVs. Kevlars. The Soviets finally folded. Always felt like we missed an opportunity there.
@@Slimpicken The carry handle is a trap. But in seriousness, you carrying your rifle by the carry handle is you carrying a stick that you can't even fight with. You have to move it, change your hands, then bring it to a fighting position before you are anything other than a target.
I really like the energy of this video. The aesthetic of the gun in the desert and the slick shades he wears under the helmet while gruffly barking out orders. Attention to detail for the weapon present as ever. The bit about Stoner's reaction at the end was food for thought, the designer was in tune with how soldiers behave when combat draws near.
I loved the M16A2. It was the first M16 I ever fired. I didn't get to use the M203 until I got to my unit in Korea and there it was on an M4. I really miss wearing the BDUs. Nothing better than a set of summer-weight BDU's and jungle boots.
Sure there was. Summer weight jungle fatigues and jungle boots. Maybe it was the material weight, maybe it was lighter colors (no blacks and browns absorbing more sunshine) but it was definitely cooler in the heat, IMO) Still summer weights were drastic improvement. We wore them all year round with poly's underneath in the winter. If you got the heavy weights wet, they stayed wet for weeks.
So much nostalgia! The hanging chin straps though...I find myself muttering curses and incoherent "John Wayne" comparisons mixed with vague extremely violent threats. I can feel my face getting red and my palms sweating as the rage slowly builds as I watch. Thank you so much for this!
If you ever used the M16A1 as your service rifle you would understand why the A2 was a VAST improvement. We had to use the A1 for the training lanes we ran and the A1 LOVES to jam.....
Old rifles and machine guns and especially old magazines jam much more, all things being equal. So everyone thinks the new thing was designed better, even if it is pretty much the same.
Our M-60s loved to jam. Yes I said M60s. And we took care of them better than anyone. There were a few that we would send for replacement or refurbishment that they’d send right back as bad as ever in that regard. The 249s were just as bad 5 years old as these 10-15 year old refurbished M60s, mind you. So I’m not making a general statement about M60s. But that’s my exact point. When the 240Bs came in in the middle of my 8 years in service, it was like somebody invented the medium machine gun. It was like they said we didn’t need to shine out boots anymore. I’m sure the soldiers getting issued the M16A2s for the first time felt the same. I won’t compare that to the introduction of the M60 or the M16. Those were two extremes which each go to show that major designs differences really do matter.
Fun fact, in Modern Warfare (the OG MW, not the remake), there is a full auto M16A3 on thr mission where you're clearing the city with War Pig. All the other M16s in the campaign were burst fire only. That's where my love for the platform came from tbh
All call of duties with an M16 have a 3 round burst in the multiplayer but in the campaign it's full auto with one exception that being call of duty black ops 2 I think don't quote me
Honestly I think that's the only mission where you can equip the M16, the rest of the rifles were M4s. The M16 in multiplayer however was burst only and busted.
I carried this when I was in Ranger Batt. (1/75) back in 94-96. And I was happy to be assigned it, at first, but that's right we were getting the M4, SOCOM did, the rest of the Army later. It was heavy and long and whenever you fired rounds from the m203 if you didn't release the tube immediately the round would swell causing it to become stuck. Anyways, great video
@@skepticalbadger Most likely the flat top/removable carrying handle isn’t relevant for the designation. But sometimes it is considered that the A3 has a removable carrying handle.
I wish you would have covered the changes in the ammunition in the mid-80s (moving from the M193 to the M885 for better LMG performance and the need for new barrels with a different twist), which I thought was another reason for the change to the A2 at the time.
Actually, that's a separate change. Basically, NATO wanted to standardize the 5.56 round and the Soviets were also developing body armour which could stop lead core/ball ammunition. The Belgians responded with SS109, a 62 grain steel core round that could penetrate Soviet body(and resisted wind better than the older and lighter 55 grain round that Stoner had developed). It needed a barrel with a different twist to fly accurately so twist rate in the a2 barrels were also changed from 1 in 7 to 1 in 12, but it wasn't a part of the a2 program. The a2's changes were mainly based in wanting to improve on the a1. The heavier barrel was better at resisting warping, meaning accuracy could be retained after long firefights and the weight assisted in managing recoil as a bonus. The rounded handguard was more comfortable to grip, much more resistant to melting and heat than the a1 handguard and symmetrical so it was easier to produce and the iron sights were better for long range shooting. To us in modern day who grew up on Call of duty, 3 round burst seems dumb, but at the time it made perfect sense. The US had just adopted the M249 which could throw down automatic fire like no man's business and burst firing was already how soldiers maintained accuracy in automatic fire over long distances so the actual firepower of a platoon hadn't changed that much. You had an LMG for a large amount of firepower and then burst rifles for additional firepower if need be. It's only when the issue of urban warfare came up that short, light, automatic weapons became a necessity which led to the M4 and even still, US soldiers held their own in several wars using the M16a2 and M16a4. Not to mention, both rifles were incredibly accurate in semi-automatic fire which is what most engagements typically revolve around.
Solid rifle. Right out of Army 11M school, my first duty assignment was to (then) West Germany. The first time qualifying on the impeccably manicured German 300m range, I hit 40/40. In the right hands, the 62 grain green tips could regularly hit 500m targets.
Regularly hit, and do little damage to them. My company got a bunch of SS109 Greentips 62gr rounds that they issued to us. Shooting very thin enemies without body armor is absolutely NOT the strong suit of that round/bullet, at ANY range. Very accurate in the right twist rate though, you're absolutely right. I shot service rifle comps with an A2 and a Canadian C7 rifle upper, and the 62 worked great for those. Shot a 445 29x at Ft Lewis on a windy and rainy day with that.
@@grimreminder5038 yeah it's not something anyone would really notice unless they looked for it or was a complete nitpicker, I've been watching that movie religiously since my dad showed me it when I was like 8 and I didn't notice until I watched something on the guns used when I was like 20 lol
@@nigeldean3726 You're not kidding, even the search engine was a bit mixed up when I browsed for the exact model used, M16/AR-15/SP1, bless Predator Hunting Grounds' heart by going with the M16 as well
The 2 point sling was my favorite. You can loop both ends to the butt and let the rifle hang like it would with a 3 point without it snagging on your gear. It was a lot smoother to sight in quickly. I learned that sling trick from a Recon Marine. I never liked the 3 point slings that we got later during GWOT. The M-16 A4 was just heavier and too much gadget on that thing especially with the ACOG. If I had to choose between the 2 I’d roll with an A2 with some mods instead.
Eugene didn't hate the adjustable sights. Army wanted completely non-adjustable ones for M16A1, but Eugene managed to convince them to put one that is difficult to adjust as a compromise.
As I recall from his interview, the Army board was filled with combat vets from Europe/Pacific who said "nervous fingers like pushing buttons and twisting nobs."
A lot of psychological lessons were learned during WWII. One most notably that an ordinary person really does not want to shoot to kill another person, even if they are "the enemy". Since the late 1940s, the US Army then went on a 40 year campaign to train soldiers to shoot to kill without thinking about it at all. I didn't join the military until the early 2000s, but I meet the occasional person from the 1970s and 1980s military and they definitely are from a different era. That's pretty much what I spent my weekends researching on weekends while at university. Reading about lessons learned during WWII, psychological warfare and its use throughout history. That last one is pretty bad if you look into what the Romans encountered during their conquests, it makes modern psyops seem like pussy play. Cold War doctrine and of course modern use of nuclear weapons. Be lucky that you didn't have to grow up during the Cold War. It was pretty shitty.
The story of the government profile barrel is always entertaining. If I recall, Lt. Col Lutz said that the USMC was trying to make the whole barrel heavier all the way through in order to go along with the marksmanship focus of the rear sight, but he fought it off and got the compromise to only be on the front part of the barrel to solve the "bending" issue.
They had to keep 'er skinny under the handguards to mount the M203. There was Colt's H-Bar civie model profile barrel, which was from the attempts to make an LMG outta the A1, that was full honkin' diameter all the way. And yeah it weighed a ton.
@@faryldaryl3975 It does weigh a ton I have one and the accurcy is amazing. I put a full scope and the top rail with a bipod and everything just because it was already so heavy that I just decided to go all in.
As someone who carried the A2/203 for a year and a half in iraq... it really was just pure awesome... pain to lug all the extra weight but it was just *chefs kiss*
Nostalgia! My first duty station was in Germany, 87 to 89. First weapon, M16A2/M203. Worked my way up to gunner and commander of M2A2 Bradley's but back in Germany we had the old school rifles and first gen Bradleys and of course all that sweet sweet LBE gear shown on this vid. And so much mud. So much mud....
Carried this and a sidearm through Kosovo and Iraq. Loved the recoil reduction, Willy Pete star cluster 40mm clears hallways you haven't even seen yet. Useful when they keep making you clear it alone.
I liked my M-16A2. I liked the M-203 underneath. I could fire anti-armor, HE, & my Uber fav; the shotgun rd. The armorers cautioned us not to fire to many of them, they weren’t good for the rifling, but I remember we had a lot of them for my unit in Berlin, they would be deadly in the short range house-to house fighting we’d be involved in…
M-16A2 actually had SIX (6) different trigger pulls! This was because each 3 round burst only covered 180 degrees of the cam. The cam had two sets of 3 sear surfaces for a total of 6 discrete trigger pulls when on semi-automatic.
Always impressed with Mika and his speedy boy shooting. Always a fantastic video from the team, love to see admin playing with the other kids in the neighborhood 😊
I have an M16a1 and a Carbine length A2. I love them both, but I do think that A2 sights are a vast improvement, but I love the A1's weight for a 20" barrel. This video was really fun. Thanks!
@@klausb1758 My A2 Carbine is a RRA police trade-in with a really heavy profile barrel. I have a video about it on my channel. ua-cam.com/video/25gRslszgvk/v-deo.html
The problem is the exact gun i want i cant find so im goimg to have to go the hard way and buy a cheap ass shed and use it to excersize my 2nd amendment the way the founding fathers intended
Well, I carried the M16/M203 combo for a couple of years. The best I can say about lugging it wround every day was that it was an improvement over lugging around the M60. Then I became an NCO, and got to pass the M203 on to someone else, and just carry the M16.
I was in the Marines when we went from the A1 to the A2, my rifle range scores improved greatly after the change so I was a fan. After I joined the Guard in 01 I was surprised that they were still using the A2.
@@roofuz3820 They also issued them to pretty much anyone they didn't expect would actually have to use it. Just about everyone in the air force was still training with M16's when I joined in 2006, and by training I mean qualify and never touch it again until it's time re-qualify of course 🤣. It wasn't until 2010 when I finally got a chance to shoot an M4, I think by that point most of the M16's in service were so worn out that they pretty much had no other choice but to finally make that transition.
Went into the army in 97. Went through Basic at Jackson. The way we treated our A2's and their performance made me not trust ARs for the longest time. They kept failing and now I realize, they were fairly ancient, lacked proper maintenance and I was just stupid. Modern ARs are pretty amazing. I will always love AKs though for their beauty. I will say, as far as my shooting with the A2...I'd never shot a gun before basic and it was so easy to learn on. It has no recoil and the peephole sight worked for me. I found the 40 target course to be rather easy with it.
Last rifle I was issued (sans M203) back in the late-80s. Some nice improvements over the A1 I was issued before (although some head-scratching changes as well). Either way, it inspires some serious nostalgia.
My first experience with any AR style rifle was with a rented Armalite A2 pattern rifle. I had shot AKs and lots of lever guns and shotguns. It was my first peep sight. We set up soda cans at 50 yards and it was like shooting a laser beam. I have never felt more confident with anything before or since.
Fond memories of woodland camo, m203's, sewn on insignia and patches. Funny memory. I was running a m203 practice range I was about 22 years old. A kid. After everyone cycled through and left except for a couple buddies, we took the left over training rounds and fired them straight up. I don't know why we thought it was a good idea. We did know they would come down.
I recently got a Goat Gun and tried to model it after the M16A3/M203 that I served with in NMCB1 during the early 00s. My son (turning 12 on Friday) was interested and I told him about how much I loved it. Since he shows an interest in firearms and constantly takes his nerf guns (and sometimes my furnature) apart I am going to make sure he sees this video.
Hey buddy, i just wanted to thank you for making amazing content, you and admin have legitimately been putting out some of the most interesting material on UA-cam recently
I remember when I first got assigned one. It was AWESOME. Especially firing illum flares, using a buddy team approach, given the mountains of boxes of illum rounds some staff nerd over supplied us with
Went to basic in 1987. When I got to permanent party I was issued an M16A1 with an M203 mounted under it. Shitty trigger, shitty sights. I never missed a 300 yard target at qualification. Always made expert. I thought I was a badass.
I was issued this weapon back in 07-11 while I was serving in the Army. I was heartbroken after I turned it in since I had such a sentimental attachment to the weapon especially after deployment. Crazy considering I was a desk jockey and was given this but I loved qualifying with it and using the M203. Maybe I'll get a M16A2 tattoo one day.
@@eijijivjiv No legal way to my knowledge. On the other hand they give them away to enemies by the truckload when fleeing middle east nations like Afghanist@n.
I had an A2 with irons in Boot Camp and a literally brand new, fresh out of the box, still covered in lube A4 with an ACOG (or "RCO" as we called it for whatever reason) in MCT. I was right on the cusp of the change. Left for Boot in January of 2009.
I love how Micah is often played off as a joke and comedic relief when he's really a phenomenal shooter
I came here to comment this. He’s like one of the best shooters out of all of them I’ve noticed through a bunch of videos
"MICAH!! YOU RAT!"
I do enjoy in his role as a shooter and a comedian.
Literally the best one out there.
Isn't that the point... Tarantino humor
Ever since Mike started leaning in on his (and Micah’s and Admin’s) personality more his already great content level has gone through the damn roof
So you like him acting like an ass-clown?
They are the Top Gear of the gun world.
I think adjustable sights with a bullet tip was a bad idea. On one hand it sounds cool but its kinda a wolf in sheeps clothing because if you pop out the trench and all your bullets are in your magazine its pretty hard to adjust your sights. I think having no intermediate barrier to adjustment also has its adva tages and disadgantages. Someone else could adjust them. People do funny things fidgeting without noticing esspeically if youre mega stressed in a war. Or you hand it to someone who hasnt handled guns and theyre jjst lesrning and you want them to twist things and click the switches etc. You could mayne bump your own sight adjustment without noticing. The problem with not having fast adjustment is your enemy does and if they can quick adjust theyre on target on you while youre figeting with a bullet trying to adjust your windage. On the flip side if your sights are only adjustable with a bullet tip then you cam hamd the gun empty to someone thats never held one and they can do anything to it except throw your sights out of wack. I like.the idea i just dont think i like the execution. I think about maybe a pushbutton release like the mag release which frees the sight adjustment but then i also think about those videos where people are shooting at a bad guy in a war or conflicts etc and their fingers get shot off. You could tournequet up and keep going for a while but its foing to be harder to do combination lever depressing and sight adjusting. If half your finfers get blown off ans you need to correct for 400m windage and elivation with a numb arm and you have to get a bullet putnof a magazine and play games while the bullets are still flying by its not going to be fun man. Ill really be wishin I had quick adjust with no bullets required or buttons to press.
I was in the 101st when we turned in the A1s for A2s. Right away, it just felt "right". That uniform, LBE and M203 really took me back! Eight years as a grunt, I never had a problem with this weapon. Thanks for the nostalgia feels!
Thank you sir for your service! ♥🙂
I was in the 101st as well and this was my exact same rifle with the 203. I honestly didn't want any other rifle at the time. Most other units in the 101st had m4's. Brings back memories
101st Abn? Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. 2-Bn/327th Infantry Regiment. Alpha Company mortar Platoon. 1979 to 1981.
@Whomagoose I got a t-shirt and a coffee cup haha. 326 engineer bt 2001-2005
Thank you for your service! i can feel this nostalgia too
You got to remember how advanced the M16A2/203 combination was for its time. It was a light mortar in effect. The French still used rifle grenades on the FAMAS. The Brits and Aussies had the M79 blooper with only the SAS and Commandos getting the M203. The M203 turned the rifleman into a light mortar man. The Andy McNab book Bravo Two Zero described the M203 being used to devastating effect.
Pretty much everything McNab said in his book has been discredited by other SAS guys, including his RSM…vehemently.
I rather carry rifle grenades on my person than that piece of shit on my rifle
For some reason the M203 was more accurate or seemed to be. When the m-4 came out. I hit every target I shot at including 300 meters. Until I ran out bullets with the 3 round option. I did know how I was going to use it on the 2 way range after that. I never shoot for numbers. I shot for practice.
Navy SEAL Chuck Pfarrer wrote about carrying a CAR 15 wiht m203 in Beirut (early 80s) and killing many enemy with it. He used beehive rounds for the 203 that were loaded with flechette darts.
I loved my A2. Plenty of accuracy. As a Marine, we still had M79s in my armory in '97 and still used them. We never could get enough M203s.
I'm glad we can all appreciate the absolutely peak aesthetic of the A2. The heat guard in particular is one of my favourite looks on a rifle ever.
A true icon
That 203 is ribbed for your pleasure, and the commies.
Aesthetic value is absolute peak
Very true. Wish it was on more rifles than just the m16 but that would probably bring down the cool points too.
The A1 looked drastically better, plus it's iconic due to the Vietnam War. The rifle itself is full of triangles, e.g., the front sight, the butt stock, the forward assist, the top of the carry handle, to name a few. So the original smooth triangular hand guards fit in with that aesthetic. The round, ribbed hand guards of the A2 look out of place.
Well as a left handed Marine the change from the A1 to the A2 was a God sent... The simple brass deflector meant the world to me.😂
That brass deflector added a lot of entertainment at the range too. Flinging hot brass down shirt collars and the back of web belts on your neighbor.
Meanwhile
C7
We had a lefty with us. After a qualification shoot on the range he'd have blood running down his right cheek and a lot of little crescent shaped cuts. It depended on the size of the shooter and their head position, but with him the ejected case had flipped 180 degrees when it reached his cheek so the hot open end hit skin first.
Wrong handed.
lefties get so little consideration in guns and all kinds of other things and we love it when its there.
I love this new running trend that Micah just totally smokes the course of fire whenever he's on the show. Ultra instinct cameraman should be a trope at this point.
Point and click, be it a camera or a rifle
@@arghanothername I have never meet a really good news/sports photographer/videographer who could not shoot better than your average person.
I was issued a brand new M16A2 when I got sent back to the states from Germany in 1991. I absolutely loved that weapon and it never let me down. Over 15 years ago, I bought a DPMS M16A2 clone and have a lot of fun with it. I'm 54 years old and can still use the iron sights to smoke woodchucks and coyotes with it no problem out past 300 meters. The 20" barrel and 55 grain ballistic tip hunting rounds really do a number on the varmints I hit with it.
55 grain varmint bullets throough a 1:7 twist rifle?
I love seeing how good micha has gotten over the years. Dudes solid.
Routinely outshoots Mike, and guests 😅
Way better than a LOT of Marines I served with for sure.
they tried to nerf him with the vest but he still clapped cheeks
Because of his doofus character I sometimes forget how good Charlie is. He consistently outclasses them both
Im super impressed
Ditching the woodland camo was a greater crime than going into Iraq
The UCP uniform and it's effects on our society
Facts
Imagine a Russian saying something similar, but on Ukraine instead of Iraq.
Based fact
All hail God's Flannel!!
Thanks for the Jarhead respect- I’m an infantry Cold War Corps vet who trained with and loved shooting the A2 M203. As a lefty, the “butterfly sights” seemed to always work well with my left eye dominance aim. The fact that I was an 0341 made it even more fun as explosions were just up my alley. Love the Woodlands by the way.
Had the same MOS in the Army. Called 11C mortars. Mostly worked on the M-30, 107mm mortar. Called the four-deuce, heavy mortar. I don't know if the Marines used that heavy mortar. The four-deuce is from the inch measurement of the bore being 4.2".
@@whomagoose6897 When I served in the 80’s, Weapons Company had 81mm. mortars and Rifle Company’s had a Weapons Platoon (that I served in) that deployed the 60mm.
Extra comment for 17:00. It was reported that troops commonly used the A1 pronged flash hider to break straps on supplies, using the rifle as a pry bar, bending the barrel more often.
Soldiers who did those things were lack of disciplines. The US had a conscription military in the Vietnam era. It's not weapon's problem. I wish they kept the A1 profile barrel but using the 1/7 twist rifling. Nevertheless, I've got a Colt A2 HBAR.
Only thing I seent it used on was on cases of C rats, you slip the strap twixt the prongs and sorta roll the rifle lengthwise to break the strap, like opening a spam can. Breaking that band wasn't going to bend the barrel. While I've seen A1s with bent barrels, I never saw one used as a pry bar, they tended to get bent when 200+ pounds of trooper & gear landed on them.
Carried this bad boy through the Guatemalan jungle on a rescue op back in ‘87.
Managed to rescue the hostage but we were relentlessly hunted through the foliage during exfil and unfortunately not everyone made it to the choppa.
ua-cam.com/video/YWdD206eSv0/v-deo.html
relevant
dutch?
And your OBVIOUS, testosterone-enfused motto was: "If it bleeds, we can kill it!" *smirk😏
I mean you can still say I deadlifted a truck for a confirmed kill
None of the hostages were rescued they were all executed, Anna was apart of the guerilla rebels not a hostage, it's obvious you weren't the sexual tyrannosaurus that survived the encounter with the yautja hunter
Damn good Dad Advice.
"Nostalgia" is definitely the word of choice for guys like us; growing up in the 90's, the M-16A2 and Woodland BDU's where exactly what I thought when I thought about soldiers as a kid.
As a zoomer, I was desert digi and M16A4s
I was issued a M16A2 in the mid 80’s in the Marines. Robustly built rifle if you ask me.
Thank you for your service!
20" barrel
Nobody asked bro
❤ from Cleveland
@@misterbaker9728 I did
@@tinybatmanname9476only from the prone and you don’t notice much after awhile.
Having flashbacks to my days in the Corps. (1986-1990) Same kit and for some reason, I was given the only M16 A1 in the entire company. Used it during my last, and best, training evolution with 2nd SF BTN, 19th SF Group out of Camp Dawson! (What a great bunch of men those Green Berets were) We did so much shooting and demo for 3 weeks that I am certain I left 40% of my hearing down there! Great stuff fellas-as always! Semper Fi
Not surprising on the A1, in Army basic training at Ft Leonardwood in 2001 I was using an A1 that had been retrofitted to an A2. It was an H&R reciever, which I later found out was manufactured from 68-71. Most of the company had H&R and GM roll marks, with only a few getting Colt rifles. We were all convinced the Colt ones were better, but now I'm pretty sure they were all cobbled together and barely functional.
That's American logistics right there
An M16a2 with an M203 is a work of art.
Absolutely gorgeous.
Such an icon
M16A2s and M4A1s with M203 are legit sex appeal
Every unit I went to, I always got the M203.
add the beaten look of exposed aluminum. MMmmm. Chef's kiss.
Nostalgia is an understatement. During my Cold War era service, this was the weapon I carried as I also styled the Woodland Camo. You nailed it my friend. Thanks for the video and rekindling some long stored memories.
This is great, when I first joined the Navy the M16 and M203 I carried was so "cool". I had no idea what the future held as a young 17 yr old first learning how to do work. I am so happy I stuck it out for over 20 years and to see how we advanced and became even better over time. Your content rocks and this video really had me reminiscing about the good ole days (Pre 9-11-2001), thanks. EDIT: Here's a small piece of information a lot of folks don't think is true... Doing shipboard search and seizure training on the LHDs with some Marines, certain Sailors would use the full auto spec of the M16 and the Marines would always beg us to shoot it off the elevator or fantail whenever they could get a chance because they were only issued the burst rifles. Again, those were the days!
Thank you sir for your service. :)
I'm starting to think Micah is like retired Delta and he just ain't telling nobody 😂😂😂
I am once again asking Garand Thumb to host an annual week long SERE course so we can become deadly.
Edit: thanks for interacting and helping the algorithm. I have zero intentions of talking to a prior service recruiter. The VA already pays me every month.
How about a weekly annual long SERE course so we can be peek deadly
…in the mountains
Think most of that stuff is classified (the advanced stuff ofc)
Are u gonna pay?
the vast majority of people who watch GT (including myself) would die if we did a SERE course.
Mika has improved soo much in his firearms handling since day one to now. It's astounding
Seriously. That guy slays.
Interesting fact- there's actually no definitive proof that he has ever existed.
Well that kind of happens when you train everyday with experts. XD
@@impracticaltactics how so?
He's almost as good as you now, right?
The M16A2 was what I had, when I wasn't carrying an M9 Beretta behind a desk. I picked up my own A2 a few years ago, using it in NRA highpower and CMP matches. Woodland camo is still the best, a massive improvement over the OD 'pajamas' that they replaced. The lightweight woodland wore out pretty fast, though.
but OD is so aesthetic...
Well with any camo it depends on your environment. That said, acu was probably the stupidest move by the army and there's a lot to choose from. Im personally fond of multicam since it's what I wore and oddly enough it blends in really well where I live too.
"The M16A2 was what i had, when i wasn't carrying an M9 Berreta behind a desk" reminded me of the "i own a musket for home defense..."
@@sussyman9034 why
he's just talking about the rifle he used when he served, and is talking about how he wasn't always out on the field with a rifle.
M9 sucks too.
Can see these guys being the cast for a bad company show.
I can see it. How would a Bad Company show handle combat, though?
Damn, we need a Bad Company 3
@@scowler7200 Basically just watch Generation Kill and you have your answer.
man.. bad company show would be crazy. stealing gold in a modern warzone with your buddies who all decide to go with it, could be legit. the guy who mentioned gen kill is right
Having served from 1986 to 2016, this was my favorite weapons platform (minus the 203). I got Marie, a brand new M16A2, before going to Iraq my second time around, and she was a tack driver. I qualified expert with her every time, and even hit 40 out of 40 a couple times. I remember her fondly and hope she is hanging off the back of some extremely hot IDF soldier as we speak. As far as I'm concerned, that's what happens to good rifles when they're decommissioned by the US government. Fairwell, old friend.
And Thank You, Granand Thumb, for taking me back to my youth. Those uniforms, the gear, the shooting from the hip... dude! You had me literally busting up laughing.
Thank you sir for your service.
I used this gun back in 2007-8, in Call of Duty. In my experience it’s okay
Will a dummy-thick Ukrainian Jewess suffice?
My man fell for the old Jewish e girl psyop. RIP
@@johndoe8559
Hey, it's his dick.
Garand Thumb was always a great channel...but the comedy you guys have added really transforms this into a whole other beast. Reminds me of the knuckleheads(I was one also) that I served with. Godspeed fellas!
Super fun watching this! My dad was in the marines in the 80’s. His company at 29 palms was actually one of the first to be given the A2. He always talks about how he preferred the a1 guard for it’s triangle shape
I agree about the hand guards. The triangle one laid flatter in the support hand. I'll also add that the 3round burst feature was totally unnecessary.
@@johnrolston4986 I vaguely remember that. 2/1 transitioned from the A1 to the A2 in 1985.
We didn't mind the new handguard shape, it was the least concern.
We loved the heavier barrel and that the A2 actually felt like a WEAPON, not a toy.
Plus, you could plink all the day long and hit 500. So damn easy with that rifle.
USMC; 81-87.
JD, USMC 81 - 87 also.
The triangle shape was definitely more ergo. I think they switched to the circular a2 style for ease of production.
In 1991 I was issued an M16A2 that was cleaned and scrubbed by a green nylon brush so much that the only parts that were black was the furniture. Every metal part was "in the white," but it shot expert for me, and I LOVED IT. I had no issues with it at all.
I loved the spring noise of the buttstock and it's low recoil, and of course it's cool carry-handle looks. Still love it.
It's not a handle!
I remember the spring noise and the feel of it on your cheek. I love the A2!
Micah's training has really paid off, and is very capable with anything you hande him. Charlie is no slacker either, even though he acts goofy, but when it comes down to it, both are excellent shots!
The woodland camo BDU and PASGT gear with the Alice pack were peak military aesthetic
I’ve got an old picture of my dad on a training exercise wearing that exact set up. It’s a super cool look.
Agreed.
@@OrtadragoonX LOL Your Dad !!!! I can vividly remember wearing that set up everyday for 8 years...Watch who ya call old LOL !!!
I was USAF Security Police and once they had been issued to me, I preferred both the "Ranger" & tac vests.
I was issued my first tac-vest in 1992-93 at RAF Upper Heyford, and never willingly went back to the ALICE harness or magazine pouches. I bought my second tac-vest at Incirlik AB Turkey 1994, and wore that one until I was discharged in 1997.
@@MichaelSmith-kr9qw As a former USAF Security Policeman, I was issued OG-107s in BMT back in 1987. I didn't get my first set of BDUs until I got to my first duty assignment, Clark AB Phillipines in 1988.
Carried it since 1985 up until 2009. Through two combat tours, it served extremely well.
How many rag heads did you dye red?
Qualified with the A1 on Parris Island in 1985. Got the A2 on Okinawa and loved that weapon. Especially the rear sight. Went from sharpshooter to expert.
What's yalls opinions on the A4? Anything you'd improve if you could?
Damn no way what’s your gamertag
@@spiired6469 Mine? It's not. It's got Boeing in the name...lol
Carried it in the early 90’s. Accurate and reliable weapon. Loved it. Woodland camo was the best. Nostalgia!
Bill Drill came from Bill Wilson (of Wilson Combat) when he shot IPSC. The idea of the Bill Drill was to test the shooter's ability to track their front sight during recoil. The shooter would fire a shot, watch their front sight lift up and to the right during recoil (for a 1911), and if they were doing everything correct, they'd watch their front sight fall back into the rear notch and they would discharge another round, for a total of six times. Six was chosen to allow revolver shooters the ability to do this as well.
And……
@@youwebz and what
It might be the worst upgrade, but it's such a vibe that you can't deny its sex appeal.
Still should've gone with the M16A3.
@@paleoph6168 the A3 literally looks like an A2 but fall auto? iirc video games get it wrong when they put A3's in with flat top uppers and railed handguards.
@@paleoph6168 A3 is just an a2 they slapped a full auto Trigger group into lmao
@@paleoph6168 Bruh
Yes. Major sexy
That camo and rifle brings back lots of memories. I was in the Army as an 11B when the transition from A1 to A2 took place and was issued a new rifle. Was also in Berlin when the wall came down. I had no problems with the A2, the 3 shot burst was MEH. But the overall experience with and without the M203 was good overall. I prefer its longer range legs over the A1. The burst mode was really a problem during urban ops or in an ambush. Made having a M249 and M60 important to have in a squad.
I mean the burst mode was meant to be a downgrade. The amount of ammo wasted in Vietnam was astonishing, and 20 round magazines didn't seem to prevent spray and prey, so the 3 round burst was to limit cowboys dumping 30 round every time a leaf moves.
@@Sun-Tzu- still, better training may have been a better solution than cucking the M16
@@Sun-Tzu- no the problem was the 3 round burst itself was several parts and more stuff to screw up. Not to mention you'd pull the hammer on a 3 round burst and get only one round. Real soldiers fire on semi regardless. Only Air Force clowns would use full auto.
@@xraystudios3693 Training's expensive, and often impossible when you're using conscripts.
@@donkeydonkey8681 The A2 also has the weird distinction of having the only non-resetting burst mode on a gun. So if you fired only 1 shot, the next trigger pull could only fire a maximum of 2 shots.
In the 90s my dad used to pick up VHS videos from yard sales that were 'clean' for my eight year old self to watch. He eventually came across some actual training videos made in this style, so this is actually a real blast to watch at my advanced age of 38 & after serving a stint as a CCT. Love you Garand, keep doing God's work ;)
big thank you to the entire team for all the work that goes into writing, filming and editing these videos,
The first time I saw that particular rifle with the grenade launcher was December of 2001 after the infamous 9-11 attack. I was transferring to another flight and I saw two soldiers and their commanding officer talking about something, what caught my eyes were the soldier carrying the M16A2 with M203. I thought "damn that a cool gun", it's nice to see this firearm once again.
Make ordinance great again
Dude, the absolute quality of how Garand Thumbs content has evolved over the years continues to blow me away. Just when you think it's perfected, it gets better.
This. The videos are absolutely amazing honestly. The actual content and the videography are unmatched.
My Dad was in the Marines in the late 80s early 90s. He dreams of being able to get this gun again. I would love to be able to get him one eventually. You know what they say, “The most dangerous weapon in the world is a Marine and his rifle.”
Lee Harvey Oswald would agree
My grandpa left his M16 for the Koreas to fight over.
Micah, you are much improved since your first shots on the channel. Congrats on working and getting better dude! I'm quite impressed with how you've stepped it up lately. Just wanted to say that it's noticed by us watching!!
Yeah that Mozambique drill was so clean from his first one.
@@DaHkIpEnCaNaDiAn So much better. It's cool to see someone go from average/new to rather excellent over several months.
Yeah, it's crazy how much Micah's shooting has improved. He's turning into a monster!
Let me tell ya, that Flack vest saved my back from countless "Service related Injuries" as a Filed Radio operator. Learned real quick that you rig the ALICE Webbing OVER the vest and it becomes one unit that was like living in a turtle shell. Made that PRC-77 feel like a HS back pack.
The vest should have been issued with an extender for the web belt (to fit over the vest).
@@18S_TD Lmaoo.
Bet it makes a comfy pillow too...
Prc
The sight that was attached to the carry handle was called the quadrant sight. Nobody used it except at the range. It seemed to get in the way and be more of a hassle than anything else.
Always stayed in the arms room. Was able to hit a doorknob a ~250 pretty consistently with just the leaf sight.
I didn't find the A2 that bad. Basically an A1 with a less fragile barrel, and the run out of ammo fast setting replaced with a run out of ammo a bit slower setting. By far my favorite feature was the comically anti climatic boop the 203 made the first time i shot it, but really it never gets old.
I don't quite get burst setting, just use semi if you aren't trying to run out of ammo ASAP. Rapid semi would probably be more accurate than burst at the same rate if fire anyways
The A2 was my USMC basic training rifle in summer of 1985. Brand spanking new, we had to clean the preservative off to use them. I was not shooter before then, scored very high expert , only dropping some 5 to 4 hits at 500 yards. The elevation knob adjustment was spot on as we moved back on the firing line.
i too trained with the A2 in Parris Island in 94. Like you, I was no shooter, I had no experience with any firearms and also scored high expert, 241 out of 250 with 3 saved rounds that i didn't get to fire and get added to the score due to the guys in the pits being slow on my target. Even dropped the spotter from my target at 500 yds with one of those rounds. My word as a Marine, Devil Dog. Windage, elevation, breath control, center the arc on target and fire at the bottom of the arc makes 500 with the A2 a breeze. The smell of freshly fired gunpowder at 0430 was a beautiful thing, lol.
I went through Parris Island in '87, and we also had the A2 - of course by then, they were well-used, LOL. It was a very accurate rifle once you got your dope set right. I wasn't a "shooter" and I even scored low/mid-expert out of Recruit Training (~225?) and every other time except one - when I finally found out I needed glasses, LOL.....
@@Ezees23 Luckily, somehow, I scored expert every time, low/mid more often than high expert, it came down to time of year(winter/summer=less glare from sun/more glare from sun). Though I will add that when I got to fleet, they changed the scoring system, then I always scored 41 or higher. My MOS didn't rate qualification with a sidearm as a standard but I did always want to give it a try even though I would have never been issued one.
I went in 09, we were issued some of them A2s I bet, with the original iron sights. The black on some were faded to a purple color , or down to the bare metal. I think they moved to the A4s some few years after.
I love how each person is so nice to each other about how they did on the drills truly feels like such a fun friend group.
I find it odd how my entire infantry company was deployed with no leaf sights for our M203s. We were expected to just kind of figure it out. Which we did.
Improvise, adapt, overcome.
@@thesmartestmanintheworld2653 Yeah their trajectories are shockingly easy to predict even without leaf sights. So we figured them out quick.
The ol pretend it's a tater gun tactic?
Meanwhile our M320 grenade launchers come with a laser rangefinder and make it stupid simple to aim it. And we’re field artillery
@@Cadian045 Well this was 14 years ago so that was probably a factor.
Some of your best work. Love you guys to death. Award winning combination of humor, history, and technical expertise.
2:12 That Woodland BDU with the M16 - especially the A2/m203 variant - is the most iconic setup.
Always shot high Expert with my A2 in the Marine Corps. Can't say I appreciated the added weight of the M203 in TBS. Great video! Brings back a lot of fond memories.
It's nice to have the grenade launcher handy all the time, but after a while a standalone seems like a much better idea.
When I went through boot camp in the Marine Corps we had A2’s, and marched past first phase companies with A4. I shot on irons though boiii
@@1990Co My boot camp A2 was all silver. No finish whatsoever. It shot wonderfully, though.
@@gtopp9619 nice. Slapping the hand guards off during drill is pretty boot to talk about now, but definitley sick in boot camp
I carried the M-16A2 for over a decade in the Marine Corps and was a little north of pissed when they took it from me and gave me a M-4. It was smooth, accurate, and reliable. I can honestly say I had never had an issue with mine, and like most Marines, I beat the living snot out of it. Sling wise I used a SAW sling and paracord. Made it really comfortable to hump around.
If you don’t want an M4, I’ll take it off your hands. Lol
Did load up crayons in m203 launcher
Ohhh the memories. Turned in an A1 for brand spanky new A2 and fell in love. Got a promotion and an M203. I started my career in the Reagan-Bush arms race. We got so many goodies so fast it made your head spin. SAWs. HumVs. Kevlars. The Soviets finally folded. Always felt like we missed an opportunity there.
It's funny how they tried to look dorky but woodland is so cool they look like action heroes anyways
I love this video. The M16A2, Admin, M81, Garand Thumb. M203... It doesn't get much better. I liked that little "Executive Outcomes" throwback too.
Brings back memories of 1986.
And don't you ever use that carry handle as a carry handle.
May i ask why ?
@@Slimpickenlose zero
@@Slimpicken Because the Drill Instructor will PT you until you die.
@@Slimpicken The carry handle is a trap.
But in seriousness, you carrying your rifle by the carry handle is you carrying a stick that you can't even fight with. You have to move it, change your hands, then bring it to a fighting position before you are anything other than a target.
@@ekscalybur So why was it even designed that way???
I really like the energy of this video. The aesthetic of the gun in the desert and the slick shades he wears under the helmet while gruffly barking out orders. Attention to detail for the weapon present as ever. The bit about Stoner's reaction at the end was food for thought, the designer was in tune with how soldiers behave when combat draws near.
That woodland camo stance is impeccable. M85 is true drip.
I loved the M16A2. It was the first M16 I ever fired. I didn't get to use the M203 until I got to my unit in Korea and there it was on an M4.
I really miss wearing the BDUs.
Nothing better than a set of summer-weight BDU's and jungle boots.
Sure there was. Summer weight jungle fatigues and jungle boots. Maybe it was the material weight, maybe it was lighter colors (no blacks and browns absorbing more sunshine) but it was definitely cooler in the heat, IMO) Still summer weights were drastic improvement. We wore them all year round with poly's underneath in the winter. If you got the heavy weights wet, they stayed wet for weeks.
So much nostalgia! The hanging chin straps though...I find myself muttering curses and incoherent "John Wayne" comparisons mixed with vague extremely violent threats. I can feel my face getting red and my palms sweating as the rage slowly builds as I watch. Thank you so much for this!
As a 68W I agree. Too many helmet falling forward. Thank God for the ACH.
Virtue signal received bro. You are a true meal team 6 member.
Facts. I got my shit jacked up a few times by my Sgt for my chin straps 😂
That heat shield + m203 is just the most beautiful thing I ever did see.
If you ever used the M16A1 as your service rifle you would understand why the A2 was a VAST improvement. We had to use the A1 for the training lanes we ran and the A1 LOVES to jam.....
Tell us more
@@nah6430 We used to pour bottles of Break Free into the receivers to keep them from jamming.
Old rifles and machine guns and especially old magazines jam much more, all things being equal. So everyone thinks the new thing was designed better, even if it is pretty much the same.
@@user-wi3yx3gy2o LOL this was in 1985 at Ft Knox..
Our M-60s loved to jam. Yes I said M60s. And we took care of them better than anyone. There were a few that we would send for replacement or refurbishment that they’d send right back as bad as ever in that regard. The 249s were just as bad 5 years old as these 10-15 year old refurbished M60s, mind you. So I’m not making a general statement about M60s. But that’s my exact point. When the 240Bs came in in the middle of my 8 years in service, it was like somebody invented the medium machine gun. It was like they said we didn’t need to shine out boots anymore. I’m sure the soldiers getting issued the M16A2s for the first time felt the same. I won’t compare that to the introduction of the M60 or the M16. Those were two extremes which each go to show that major designs differences really do matter.
Fun fact, in Modern Warfare (the OG MW, not the remake), there is a full auto M16A3 on thr mission where you're clearing the city with War Pig. All the other M16s in the campaign were burst fire only. That's where my love for the platform came from tbh
The first Black ops has a full auto with scope and nade launcher m16 in the first mission.
@@idontwanttoputmyname403 that's the M16A1
All call of duties with an M16 have a 3 round burst in the multiplayer but in the campaign it's full auto with one exception that being call of duty black ops 2 I think don't quote me
Honestly I think that's the only mission where you can equip the M16, the rest of the rifles were M4s. The M16 in multiplayer however was burst only and busted.
@@RosaRodriguez-nc1ku In campaign the M16 was full auto. In zombies it was burst only unless you pack a punched it.
I carried this when I was in Ranger Batt. (1/75) back in 94-96. And I was happy to be assigned it, at first, but that's right we were getting the M4, SOCOM did, the rest of the Army later. It was heavy and long and whenever you fired rounds from the m203 if you didn't release the tube immediately the round would swell causing it to become stuck. Anyways, great video
I'm really a nerd about differences in weapons, fascinating seeing the difference between the A1 and A2. I'd love to see the A3 and A4 too
A3 is just a A4 with full auto iirc
@@lil__boi3027 It's an A2 or an A4 with full auto, technically. The flat top is not relevant to the designation.
A1 is just the A3 with a slanted or 20rd mag(can’t remember), and with a leather hand guard, and no forward assist
A3 is just an A2 w/ A1 FCG
@@skepticalbadger Most likely the flat top/removable carrying handle isn’t relevant for the designation. But sometimes it is considered that the A3 has a removable carrying handle.
I wish you would have covered the changes in the ammunition in the mid-80s (moving from the M193 to the M885 for better LMG performance and the need for new barrels with a different twist), which I thought was another reason for the change to the A2 at the time.
Actually, that's a separate change. Basically, NATO wanted to standardize the 5.56 round and the Soviets were also developing body armour which could stop lead core/ball ammunition.
The Belgians responded with SS109, a 62 grain steel core round that could penetrate Soviet body(and resisted wind better than the older and lighter 55 grain round that Stoner had developed). It needed a barrel with a different twist to fly accurately so twist rate in the a2 barrels were also changed from 1 in 7 to 1 in 12, but it wasn't a part of the a2 program.
The a2's changes were mainly based in wanting to improve on the a1. The heavier barrel was better at resisting warping, meaning accuracy could be retained after long firefights and the weight assisted in managing recoil as a bonus. The rounded handguard was more comfortable to grip, much more resistant to melting and heat than the a1 handguard and symmetrical so it was easier to produce and the iron sights were better for long range shooting.
To us in modern day who grew up on Call of duty, 3 round burst seems dumb, but at the time it made perfect sense.
The US had just adopted the M249 which could throw down automatic fire like no man's business and burst firing was already how soldiers maintained accuracy in automatic fire over long distances so the actual firepower of a platoon hadn't changed that much. You had an LMG for a large amount of firepower and then burst rifles for additional firepower if need be. It's only when the issue of urban warfare came up that short, light, automatic weapons became a necessity which led to the M4 and even still, US soldiers held their own in several wars using the M16a2 and M16a4. Not to mention, both rifles were incredibly accurate in semi-automatic fire which is what most engagements typically revolve around.
Solid rifle. Right out of Army 11M school, my first duty assignment was to (then) West Germany. The first time qualifying on the impeccably manicured German 300m range, I hit 40/40.
In the right hands, the 62 grain green tips could regularly hit 500m targets.
Regularly hit, and do little damage to them. My company got a bunch of SS109 Greentips 62gr rounds that they issued to us. Shooting very thin enemies without body armor is absolutely NOT the strong suit of that round/bullet, at ANY range. Very accurate in the right twist rate though, you're absolutely right. I shot service rifle comps with an A2 and a Canadian C7 rifle upper, and the 62 worked great for those. Shot a 445 29x at Ft Lewis on a windy and rainy day with that.
The A2's just aesthetic as Hell, the only rifle to be a hair above Schwarzenegger in terms of 80s iconic. Glad they co-starred in Predator
Arnies m16 wasn't an a2
@@nigeldean3726 True, but damn they look similar, did not expect that out of a 'My little Armalite'
@@grimreminder5038 yeah it's not something anyone would really notice unless they looked for it or was a complete nitpicker, I've been watching that movie religiously since my dad showed me it when I was like 8 and I didn't notice until I watched something on the guns used when I was like 20 lol
@@nigeldean3726 You're not kidding, even the search engine was a bit mixed up when I browsed for the exact model used, M16/AR-15/SP1, bless Predator Hunting Grounds' heart by going with the M16 as well
@@grimreminder5038 yeah I've never played HG but they clearly love the franchise, they've made that game pretty cool
God I love the new style, he went from 1 min of action and the rest just talking. To absolutely crushing it with comedy, edits, and an enjoyable cast.
I cannot stand the admin guy. I love me some Garand thumb but cannot watch the masked moron. Just too much cringe for me.
I liked it more with just talking
I always skipped the action, gimme the nerdy stuff
Personally I enjoy both styles
The 2 point sling was my favorite. You can loop both ends to the butt and let the rifle hang like it would with a 3 point without it snagging on your gear. It was a lot smoother to sight in quickly. I learned that sling trick from a Recon Marine. I never liked the 3 point slings that we got later during GWOT. The M-16 A4 was just heavier and too much gadget on that thing especially with the ACOG. If I had to choose between the 2 I’d roll with an A2 with some mods instead.
Eugene didn't hate the adjustable sights. Army wanted completely non-adjustable ones for M16A1, but Eugene managed to convince them to put one that is difficult to adjust as a compromise.
As I recall from his interview, the Army board was filled with combat vets from Europe/Pacific who said "nervous fingers like pushing buttons and twisting nobs."
@@Thrainite ye so fuck with the safety a bunch, not your sights lol. Some would argue the forward assist is a similar feature 😂
Mika is on point with his shots this one…
Adjustable flip sights are the best, most adjustable sights are uncomfortable and unreliable in my opinion
A lot of psychological lessons were learned during WWII. One most notably that an ordinary person really does not want to shoot to kill another person, even if they are "the enemy". Since the late 1940s, the US Army then went on a 40 year campaign to train soldiers to shoot to kill without thinking about it at all. I didn't join the military until the early 2000s, but I meet the occasional person from the 1970s and 1980s military and they definitely are from a different era. That's pretty much what I spent my weekends researching on weekends while at university. Reading about lessons learned during WWII, psychological warfare and its use throughout history. That last one is pretty bad if you look into what the Romans encountered during their conquests, it makes modern psyops seem like pussy play. Cold War doctrine and of course modern use of nuclear weapons. Be lucky that you didn't have to grow up during the Cold War. It was pretty shitty.
The story of the government profile barrel is always entertaining. If I recall, Lt. Col Lutz said that the USMC was trying to make the whole barrel heavier all the way through in order to go along with the marksmanship focus of the rear sight, but he fought it off and got the compromise to only be on the front part of the barrel to solve the "bending" issue.
They had to keep 'er skinny under the handguards to mount the M203. There was Colt's H-Bar civie model profile barrel, which was from the attempts to make an LMG outta the A1, that was full honkin' diameter all the way. And yeah it weighed a ton.
@@faryldaryl3975 It does weigh a ton I have one and the accurcy is amazing. I put a full scope and the top rail with a bipod and everything just because it was already so heavy that I just decided to go all in.
As someone who carried the A2/203 for a year and a half in iraq... it really was just pure awesome... pain to lug all the extra weight but it was just *chefs kiss*
Nostalgia! My first duty station was in Germany, 87 to 89. First weapon, M16A2/M203. Worked my way up to gunner and commander of M2A2 Bradley's but back in Germany we had the old school rifles and first gen Bradleys and of course all that sweet sweet LBE gear shown on this vid. And so much mud. So much mud....
Carried this and a sidearm through Kosovo and Iraq. Loved the recoil reduction, Willy Pete star cluster 40mm clears hallways you haven't even seen yet. Useful when they keep making you clear it alone.
It's so sweet... Garand thumb letting his little brother do a video with him lol. And in dads old uniforms lmao. Love the lords flannel
I liked my M-16A2. I liked the M-203 underneath. I could fire anti-armor, HE, & my Uber fav; the shotgun rd. The armorers cautioned us not to fire to many of them, they weren’t good for the rifling, but I remember we had a lot of them for my unit in Berlin, they would be deadly in the short range house-to house fighting we’d be involved in…
M-16A2 actually had SIX (6) different trigger pulls! This was because each 3 round burst only covered 180 degrees of the cam. The cam had two sets of 3 sear surfaces for a total of 6 discrete trigger pulls when on semi-automatic.
Junk weapon.
@@charleswest6372 You probably think ARs are an objectively bad platform.
Always impressed with Mika and his speedy boy shooting. Always a fantastic video from the team, love to see admin playing with the other kids in the neighborhood 😊
Same, he fuckin swept the floor with these two guys. I was like, "so wait - who's the gun expert supposed to be again.....?" lol
I have an M16a1 and a Carbine length A2. I love them both, but I do think that A2 sights are a vast improvement, but I love the A1's weight for a 20" barrel. This video was really fun. Thanks!
Is your A2 carbine a pencil barrel?
@@klausb1758 My A2 Carbine is a RRA police trade-in with a really heavy profile barrel. I have a video about it on my channel. ua-cam.com/video/25gRslszgvk/v-deo.html
The problem is the exact gun i want i cant find so im goimg to have to go the hard way and buy a cheap ass shed and use it to excersize my 2nd amendment the way the founding fathers intended
"Kill commis for mommy" should honestly be on a T-shirt
It's on a patch you can buy
Bcm. I have it!
Better dead than Red.
Looking at the world right now the most of them are in the US
i had a t-shirt that said that in 1985
Well, I carried the M16/M203 combo for a couple of years. The best I can say about lugging it wround every day was that it was an improvement over lugging around the M60. Then I became an NCO, and got to pass the M203 on to someone else, and just carry the M16.
I was in the Marines when we went from the A1 to the A2, my rifle range scores improved greatly after the change so I was a fan. After I joined the Guard in 01 I was surprised that they were still using the A2.
Army reserves/guard used these for a lot longer than that. I deployed with one in '09. We called them muskets.
Same here and the same time frame. The A2 was a much easier rifle to shoot more accurately. Also jamming when from common to rare.
@@KombatStar18 I been meaning to tell you something. Your mom lied, I'm not really your grandad, I'm actually your dad. Don't tell anyone.
@@roofuz3820 They also issued them to pretty much anyone they didn't expect would actually have to use it. Just about everyone in the air force was still training with M16's when I joined in 2006, and by training I mean qualify and never touch it again until it's time re-qualify of course 🤣. It wasn't until 2010 when I finally got a chance to shoot an M4, I think by that point most of the M16's in service were so worn out that they pretty much had no other choice but to finally make that transition.
@@rovers141 I joined the same year. I went to Ft. Benning and trained with M4's then later went reserves and was issued an A2 lmao.
Went into the army in 97. Went through Basic at Jackson. The way we treated our A2's and their performance made me not trust ARs for the longest time. They kept failing and now I realize, they were fairly ancient, lacked proper maintenance and I was just stupid.
Modern ARs are pretty amazing. I will always love AKs though for their beauty.
I will say, as far as my shooting with the A2...I'd never shot a gun before basic and it was so easy to learn on. It has no recoil and the peephole sight worked for me. I found the 40 target course to be rather easy with it.
Gotta say Garand daddy nailed the vibe with this one. The launcher with the heat shroud, and the shades especially. Just goes hard af.
This literally took me back to my time in the corps. This is now officially my fav video from you guys.
In Delta Force: Black Hawk Down, this was my favorite weapon for most missions given in the campaign.
Ahhh, a fellow Novalogic game enjoyer 👏🏼👏🏼
SAMEEE
Yep.
Bu-du-boom!
Bu-du-boom!
Bu-du-boom!
The sound of the burst fire m16 in that game is ingrained in my memories.
"We've got explosions!"
Last rifle I was issued (sans M203) back in the late-80s. Some nice improvements over the A1 I was issued before (although some head-scratching changes as well).
Either way, it inspires some serious nostalgia.
Dude Micah was freaking dialed in on this range day.
I really need to get one of these things huh
Micah basically won all the challenges this time. He's a super sweat.
My first experience with any AR style rifle was with a rented Armalite A2 pattern rifle. I had shot AKs and lots of lever guns and shotguns. It was my first peep sight. We set up soda cans at 50 yards and it was like shooting a laser beam. I have never felt more confident with anything before or since.
Carried both in times of war and peace, I liked the A2, my entire squad of 12 men had M203, they called us the mortar plt.
Who could authorize that many launchers handed out? Wasn't it normally one or two per squad?
Fond memories of woodland camo, m203's, sewn on insignia and patches. Funny memory. I was running a m203 practice range I was about 22 years old. A kid. After everyone cycled through and left except for a couple buddies, we took the left over training rounds and fired them straight up. I don't know why we thought it was a good idea. We did know they would come down.
As a 22 year old I think your brain took another decade to develop lmao
I recently got a Goat Gun and tried to model it after the M16A3/M203 that I served with in NMCB1 during the early 00s. My son (turning 12 on Friday) was interested and I told him about how much I loved it. Since he shows an interest in firearms and constantly takes his nerf guns (and sometimes my furnature) apart I am going to make sure he sees this video.
Hey buddy, i just wanted to thank you for making amazing content, you and admin have legitimately been putting out some of the most interesting material on UA-cam recently
As a Marine, the M16 A2 holds a special place in my cold heart
I remember when I first got assigned one. It was AWESOME. Especially firing illum flares, using a buddy team approach, given the mountains of boxes of illum rounds some staff nerd over supplied us with
My favorite review yet! The 80’s music killed it, now do one for the MP5 and the drills are reenactment from 80’s/90’s movies 🔥
Went to basic in 1987. When I got to permanent party I was issued an M16A1 with an M203 mounted under it. Shitty trigger, shitty sights. I never missed a 300 yard target at qualification. Always made expert. I thought I was a badass.
And of course our camo was the sexiest camo. Best ever was plain OD green. OD GREEN NEVER GOES OUT OF STYLE!!!
It's cool to see old army training videos come to light
I was issued this weapon back in 07-11 while I was serving in the Army. I was heartbroken after I turned it in since I had such a sentimental attachment to the weapon especially after deployment. Crazy considering I was a desk jockey and was given this but I loved qualifying with it and using the M203. Maybe I'll get a M16A2 tattoo one day.
thank you for your service
Is their anyway you can keep a rifle after deployment just curious?
@@eijijivjiv that sort of thing stopped after WW2 as far as I know.
@@eijijivjiv No legal way to my knowledge. On the other hand they give them away to enemies by the truckload when fleeing middle east nations like Afghanist@n.
I had an A2 with irons in Boot Camp and a literally brand new, fresh out of the box, still covered in lube A4 with an ACOG (or "RCO" as we called it for whatever reason) in MCT. I was right on the cusp of the change. Left for Boot in January of 2009.
Damnit! 9:37 I was waiting for the grenade bearer to trip and spill the bucket o' nades.