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Colt’s Submachine Guns – The M16’s Strange Offspring

Talyn

Talyn

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Big Army adopted the M16 in 1964. It seemed the perfect weapon with which to prosecute the rapidly-expanding war in Vietnam. However, after a few well-publicized failures, the future of Stoner’s zippy little Space Age rifle seemed to be in doubt.

Colt emergently chromed the bores and barrels, and Uncle Sam began teaching his troops proper gun maintenance. By the end of our involvement in the war, the M16A1 was a mature and effective weapon system. However, it wasn’t the perfect gun for all users.

It soon became obvious that there existed a need for a smaller, handier version of the already small and handy M16 rifle. In the past, this role would have been filled by M1 carbines or M3 Grease Guns. The intent was to contrive something lighter and more compact with which to equip aviators, dog handlers, Special Forces soldiers, and the like. The first proper Colt SMG prototype was the 607.

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Colt's Submachine Guns - The M16's Strange Offspring

Athlon Outdoors Exclusive Firearm Updates, Reviews & News
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A good friend of mine that special forces in Vietnam was issued 1 iirc. He was also a Purple Heart recipient at least once that I'm aware of. He told me he had to poke some of his organs back inside himself from multiple injuries of gunshots. Sadly his brother died flying a cobra attack helo. I don't remember the details. He joined to keep his brother out of the military, but his brother enlisted rather than being drafted. That was his only brother.
 
Took out a friend who had never shot, any machine guns. The colt was actually his favorite. Interestingly the Saint Victor Carbine and pistol works perfectly with the colt lower. The Colt SMG has a bunch of positives, the mags are easy to load, it is much more forgiving with “junk” or out of spec mags compared to a Sterling or Sten. The cyclic rate and impulse is easily controlled. Mine is a factory Colt SMG and is as reliable as a top.

 
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The Federal Bureau of Prisons used the Colt 9mm SMG a lot. Especially with max custody med trips at my institution (a High Security US Penitentiary) for several years until we phased them out for M4’s. As a Firearms and SORT member/instructor I had a ton of time.

The Colt SMG has been used by BOP since they came out in the early 80’s and are still currently used but many institurions that do not have SORT teams.

The Colt SMG was a very quirky firearm with several deficiencies. So much so SORT teams abandoned them and we utilized the HK MP5 and the Vikt was left for general issue (GMC Lexington Kentucky used Colt SMG’s in perimeter patrol trucks instead of M16’s due to the fear of a 5.56 round carrying to an adjacent multi million dollars horse ranch)

Anyway the issue I witnessed of the biggest on was magazines. If they were not downloaded from 32 to 30 rounds it was hard to seat so recommended tj turn sideways mag well towards your body then the tug method after the slap before turning upright. If not whem the mag hit the ground half the kive rounds were ejected upon impact in the ground

Second with the block for the smaller 9mm block pinned into the magazine well (the SMG was an afterthought and they simply converted a GAU type M16 to 9mm)
Thus they were not reliable with the majority of duty rounds. You were lucky to get through a whole magazine with Fed 9BP or others. Winchester Silvertip, 115 Ranger and they went through a phase in the late 90’s with that old PMC Starfire KHPnthat seemed better but not prone.

Now if hih just ran ball they ran fine but duty ammo it pushed the bulled into the case causing extreme setback.

And not a quirk but for those that didn’t now the SMG js blowback there is no gas tube or key on the bolt so it ran pretty clean it just had those quirks gaht didn’t make it great with full mags or duty rounds.

The HK MP5 was 10X the SMG
 
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Talyn said:
Big Army adopted the M16 in 1964. It seemed the perfect weapon with which to prosecute the rapidly-expanding war in Vietnam. However, after a few well-publicized failures, the future of Stoner’s zippy little Space Age rifle seemed to be in doubt.

Colt emergently chromed the bores and barrels, and Uncle Sam began teaching his troops proper gun maintenance. By the end of our involvement in the war, the M16A1 was a mature and effective weapon system. However, it wasn’t the perfect gun for all users.

It soon became obvious that there existed a need for a smaller, handier version of the already small and handy M16 rifle. In the past, this role would have been filled by M1 carbines or M3 Grease Guns. The intent was to contrive something lighter and more compact with which to equip aviators, dog handlers, Special Forces soldiers, and the like. The first proper Colt SMG prototype was the 607.

athlonoutdoors.com

Colt's Submachine Guns - The M16's Strange Offspring

Athlon Outdoors Exclusive Firearm Updates, Reviews & News
athlonoutdoors.com athlonoutdoors.com

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The Stubby M16 was designated GAU5 by the Air Force, the Army called it CAR15 during the Vietnam era. I was told they were adopted for aircrew survival gear, but we issued them to our K9 handlers in SEA. The shorter rifle made it easier to handle the dog without getting tangled up. I fired them and preferred it to a full size M16. Muzzle flash was intense. The muzzle brake made it pretty manageable.
 
HayesGreener said:
The Stubby M16 was designated GAU5 by the Air Force, the Army called it CAR15 during the Vietnam era. I was told they were adopted for aircrew survival gear, but we issued them to our K9 handlers in SEA. The shorter rifle made it easier to handle the dog without getting tangled up. I fired them and preferred it to a full size M16. Muzzle flash was intense. The muzzle brake made it pretty manageable.
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Also if not the USAF used the M16 and GAU5a both non A1 variants. The AF nebwr went with the A1 other than maybe some TACO’s stationed at Army bases.

The first standard issue with a forward assist with the AF wasn’t until the A2 transition in the early 1990’s.

In 1986 the GAU5A was issued (on nuke bases anyway) to Flight leaders and Chiefs, K9 troops and EST (AF SWAT)

Never saw any Colt SMG’s. Only saw MP5’s with some OP4 who used them for Giant Sword competition
 
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