M16 is the second automatic rifle equipped by the U.S. Army. It was installed in 1967 and was not replaced by the M4 carbine until the 1990s. Because of its excellent performance and the propaganda of the U.S. military, more than 100 countries have successively purchased or copied this weapon, which makes it very well-known. It can be said to be a world-famous gun on par with the AK-47 rifle.
As everyone knows, the M16 fires 5.56×45mm NATO rounds, but have you heard of the .45 caliber M16?
The weapon in the photo is called LaFrance M16K carbine, a product of the French company LaFrance (France), launched in 1982. At that time, the market for M16 rifles was actually saturated, and it was controlled by big guys such as Colt. If it was just a simple imitation, it would not be able to get much cake. Therefore, the French company intends to develop a compact weapon based on the M16 rifle to open up a new The market has won orders from law enforcement agencies and special forces in various European countries.
The biggest feature of M16K is its short length. The barrel length of the M16 rifle is 507mm, while the barrel length of the M16K is only 213mm. Although the accuracy and range are reduced, the portability of the weapon is improved, especially In urban anti-terrorism operations, special forces often have to perform tasks in narrow blocks, and the short M16K is suitable for such an environment.
The M16K that appeared in the movie "The Detective".
M16K also fired 5.56×45mm rifle ammunition, but as a close-range assault weapon, Frans thought the use of rifle ammunition was too wasteful, so later developed the M16K-45 carbine , Fired .45 ACP pistol rounds. In this way, not only is it more in line with the requirements of close combat, but the weight of the weapon is also reduced, making it more portable and reliable.
The military strength of the French company is still good. 99% of the parts of the gun are French assets. Only the 20-round/30-round magazine is imported from the United States Thompson, which can be used with Thompson submachine guns. Universal.
In addition, the M16K-45 can also use the 50 rounds and 100 rounds of the Thompson submachine gun, so its firepower can be very fierce and more durable than the genuine M16 rifle.
For example, in the movie "Police Story 3", Chen Jiaju (Jackie Chan) used a combination of M16K-45 carbine and 100 rounds of drums when he infiltrated General Guess the Base. Firepower beats the Burmese warlord and rescues his colleague Yang Jianhua (played by Michelle Yeoh).
In fact, there are countless derivative weapons developed based on the M16 rifle, but most of them are only in the imitation stage. It is very rare that the M16K carbine is so cleverly designed and has outstanding performance. , So it was favored by law enforcement agencies in France, the Netherlands and other countries, and it really made a lot of money for the French company.
