BY WILL DABBS, M.D.
Gene Stoner’s revolutionary lightweight gas-operated rifle almost became a footnote in the history of firearms. Were it not for a determined band of marketers, a hard charging Air Force general, and a certain sordid little war in Southeast Asia, the AR-15 and the M-16 it spawned might never have grown legs. However, the M-16 and subsequent M-4 went on to become the longest-serving combat rifle in American history.
The M-16 was a product of the Space Age. By combining materials science had drawn from the aviation industry and a novel small-caliber, high-velocity cartridge along with some truly world-class human engineering, Stoner and a few others designed the most modular and adaptable firearm in human history. The end result is a gun that can be configured for most any conceivable mission.