Originally I had read this stock was developed for/with the Marine Corps so they could update their rifles. Lots of people are using it on carbines with great results but I have not heard anything regarding whether the Marine Corps is going live with it throughout the FMF.
Does anyone have any news/updates specifically and only about what the Marine Corps plans are regarding this stock?
EDIT - I am looking for updates on the disposition of procurement of the VLTOR A5 for the FMF. I am not interested in the history of the USMC, how many weapons are in service, or any other bullshit.
Have you ever served in the Marine Corps? Not implying anything by that, I’m genuinely curious.
The Marine Corps is the cheapest bunch of SOBs in the entire US Government. For our first 100 years of existence we actually returned part of our budget back to the treasury at the end of the fiscal year. We’ve stolen plywood to build official USMC buildings on US Naval bases (See First to Fight by Gen Krulak)
The benefits to the A5 system compared to the cost of retrofitting at 200,000 M16A2s and A4s currently in service aren’t worth the trouble. It may have been considered, but I doubt it ever had any serious chance of widespread implementation.
Armorers won’t even get rid of shitty 1980s magazines with shitty followers and bent feedlips. I’m sure more than a few people have seen senior SNCOs bending feedlips with a Gerber to get their mags to function.
About this time last year, there was an RFI or RFP out. The gist was that the Corps was looking to see about kitting out 5000 M16A4s with a collapsable stock.
The whole thing appears to be setup for testing, but not much beyond that, at this point. I’m practically giddy, anticipating the howls of apoplexy…
Example: Every single buttnugget in a drillmaster billet, or SNCO with some scintilla of perceived power or subject-matter expertise in that arena, is going to be flinging brickbats at the idea, as if the Corps hasn’t kept neutered or otherwise M1s, M14s and the like around for color-guards and other frippery, and as if the dudes in the UK weren’t able to do drill with a bullpup rifle.
I’ve been meaning to poke somebody’s shoulder about this, too…
I’ll play your little game: Why DO you need a dictionary…?
Seriously, one might notice that the trend is vocabulary = verbal tire-iron whenever I end up yammering on about somebody’s truly stupid reasons for liking/disliking something.
In this case, however, the guy that actually brought up f**king close-order drill as a viable reason to stick with a fixed stock across the board in a room full of gunfighters got called a “symbolism-over-substance ass bandit.” The tsunami of idiocy was so overwhelming that I couldn’t come up with any 4+ syllable words quickly enough to let him know where he stood.
Anyhow, I told myself I was gonna pay closer attention to what status of the A5 stock + A2/A4 I could, and it turns out that I haven’t followed through with that.
I keep spreading this around. Not sure if it’s authorized for the USMC, but I doubt its a big deal for it to be accepted as it’s TACOM approved and readily availible.
The “Collapsible Stock Kits” are AAL now for the M16A2/A4. You can order them and have them installed by you direct support maintenance unit/BSB. BSN pricing is around $100 for the whole kit.
The kit is basicly a M-4 receiver extension and stock, carbine buffer spring and a “H-6” buffer. They are not VLTOR A5’s. I believe that they are also authorized for branches other than the Army, but I’m not posative.
Info added
PS 703
JUN 11
Hybrid Buttstock Authorized
A new hybrid buttstock kit is now available for the M16-series rifle. You couldn’t get away with it before, but now it’s authorized. It reduces the length of the weapon for improved flexibility in confined spaces or close combat. The new buttstock is also more ergonomically friendly. Order the buttstock kit with NSN 1005-01-569-6938. It’s authorized by CTA.
Support will install the buttstock following the instructions in WPs 0021 and 0025 in TM 9-1005-319-23&P. They need to pay special attention to Step 13 in WP 0025-8, which gives the correct torque for the buttstock’s round plain nut. Armorers need to keep the old buttstock. When an M16 is turned in, it must be returned to its original configuration, which means the old buttstock must be put back on.
The original article in PS Mag had an error in the art work. It looked like a UBR, but they have since published a correction.
From another tread on LF:
Originally posted by Armtech:
The M16 Series Rifle Sliding Buttstock Conversion Kit consists of all standard M4/M4A1 NSN parts EXCEPT for the H6 Buffer Assembly. The H6 Buffer Assembly contains “6” tungsten buffer weights. The buffer body also has a different part number, but I think that is only because it has an H6 marking. DMR-This reduction in parts to stock just about insures the VLTOR A5 won’t get approved.-DMR
Originally posted by Armtech:
Robert, No problem. I found some more info while keeping my desk chair from floating away…
The H6 Buffer weighs the same as the standard M16A2 Buffer (0.32 lbs.). For those with DTIC access https://www.dtic.mil/DOAC/home.search, there are a few test reports that discuss this configuration. Do a search for “m16 upper hybrid.” The Endurance and Temperature Test results document nearly 200,000 rounds fired.
For the LOGI’s:
1005-01-569-6938 Stock Gun (Collapsible for M16A2/A4) $117
SOS SMS, SCMC 9M, ARC -X, RC-F, CIIC -7, AAC-D, UI-EA
I’m gonna tell all the other mods you guys are picking on me…
DMR, I remember that…I think we had recent opportunity to snipe at somebody here, because he was more concerned with the fact he thought it looked “gay” on a gun with a 20" barrel, vice being concerned as to whether or not it allowed the gun to be fit the user without impacting reliability; form over function BS like that. Hell, if anything, that’d be a goad for the Corps to adopt a similar system, from a “Wellllll, the Aaaaaaaaarmyyyyy did it…!” perspective. Gotta keep up with the Jonses, and all.
Euro, I think we’ve seen the same video:
“What if I were to tell you…Devil Dog ooh-rah semper fi yut-yut?”
“I don’t understand a single word you’re saying! Are you retarded?”
Butt nugget (noun)
Any unwanted chunky debris hanging within the recess of one’s butt. Butt nuggets normally require a concentrated effort in order to remove them, such as but not limited to: heavy wiping with toilet paper, or hot water and soap.
