re: #215 Shiplord Kirel, live from behind wingnut lines

Colt was responsible for series production from the beginning. Armalite was basically a development company with little production capacity. The jamming issues surfaced only after standardization as the M-16. This was largely the result of poor instruction and doctrine. At first the Army actually emphasised that the rifle needed less maintenance than the preceding M-14, leading to an assumption that cleaning could be neglected. In fact, the initial rifles were issued without cleaning kits. This had been based on Colt’s claim that the weapon was “self-cleaning” A change in the powder used also increased fouling. Subsequent versions had some improvements but the real solution to the jamming problem was better training in the maintenance of the rifle.

Initially manufacturing the rifle without a forward assist was a gross, unforgivable mistake because it compounded the maintenance problem by turning a slightly dirty rifle’s failure to completely chamber a round into a uncorrectable debacle at the exact moment that soldiers most desperately needed it to function. Something that should’ve been anticipated from the beginning.