Black Rifle : M16 Retrospective

A chilling study of small arms development and procurement in the post-Ordnance US small arms environment, wherein OSD 'whiz kids' arrogantly called the tune and shooting watermelons at a picnic passed for engineering development. Beginning with the Black Rifle's forebear the ArmaLite AR-10, through the small caliber/high velocity (SCHV) program at Aberdeen Proving Ground, the .22 Gustafson carbine, the .22/NATO T48 and the Springfield and Winchester .224 rifles, this is an in-depth examination of the many controversies surrounding the 5.56mm M16 'package' - where it came from; what it is; what it is not, and why.