Comments by "R" (@rdrrr) on "Does Russia’s Newest Combat Rifle Kinda Suck?" video.

@cas curse My understanding is the M16's feed issues were caused by poor-quality ammo and lack of cleaning kits issued (both genius decisions of the Army Ordnance Board). The actual rifle was always fine.
21
@devintaylor8608 A lot of Army bureaucrats hated the M16 and wanted it to fail (imagine how radical a polymer rifle with a non-reciprocating charging handle and a light, high-velocity cartridge seemed in the early 60s). They preferred the M14 with it's traditional design and wanted to "prove" the M16 was a bad design by forcing it to fail. And yes, soldiers definitely died because of the prejudices of old men in suits. That's government for you.
19
@michaelbaker8284 Apparently, you were expected to shoot precision rifles of the late 19th century supine. Just imagining that makes my neck hurt.
3
@DarkShroom I can't link URLs in YouTube comments, but google "M16 US army ordnance sabotage" and you'll find plenty of sources.
3
@Joshua Bressel Good point about the unchromed barrel and chamber, although the corrosion issues were certainly exacerbated by poor ammo and lack of cleaning kits. Makes sense that quality magazines fix most feed issues.
1