when was the first time you saw an ar15 or m-16?

[jkingrph]

Fall of 1963, I was a freshman in college and the Army had a display trying to recuit folks. I first got to shoot one in early 69 when in basic training at Lackland airplanless base. After shooting Remington 40x and Winchester Mod 52 rimfires while on ROTC rifle team, and my own Mod 70 Winchester those college years, it felt like a piece of s***. The day we had to "qualify" I wound up with about 15 extra holes in my target runing my nice group. It was a very cold and windy day as San Antonio sometimes gets.

A few months later when in OTS we had to qualify with the AF S&W Combat Masterpiece, I had been shooting a K-22 and K-38 for a number of years then so that was nothing new.

I qualified as expert with both and at the time that was the most meaningless "qualification" one could imagine. About 18 years later when I went back into active reserve the qualification with the M92 Beretta was much better. At least as officers we got to shoot live ammo, the enlisted folks had to use M-16's with some kind of lazer adapter.

 

[tpaw]

During my infantry training in 1967, then off to Vietnam.

 

[springfield30-06]

The first time that I saw and handled an M-16 in real life was basic training, 2000.

I've heard about the jamming problems and the small caliber not being enough (I am a big-bore type of guy myself) but I trust that rifle whole-heartidly. By the grace of God, I have never had to use one in anger.... but it is one of my favorite rifles.

I have many types of guns... like many of us on THR... including pistols, revolvers, semi-auto shotguns, pump shotguns, bolt action rifles, and semi-auto rifles.... and very proficient in each of them. But I know the M-16 / AR-15 platform and am more familiar with it than any of the other guns that I own.

I love that rifle and have left it with a friend for SD just in case a psycho that used to live in the area does actually go to her place and decide to use deadly force.

I have debated about what to leave with her, but this is the gun that she is most familiar with, combined with low recoil I think it is the best one at this point in time. I would rather that she had a 12 gauge, but she's never shot one. I'd like to snag a 20 gauge and take her out shooting with that to see how she likes it though...

 

[catfish101]

Too many years ago at basic. I can still take one apart and back together with my eyes closed.

Have to watch old habits. I shoot one not to long ago. I was changing the magazine in a hurry and hit my head with it. No helmet anymore.

 

[gbran]

1969, compliments of my uncle Sam.

 

[Wheeler44]

Last Saturday

 

[ZombieHunter]

I'd say 1993ish? I was somewhere around 4th grade...it was exciting to shoot

 

[rdoggsilva]

In 1967 in Vietnam. We were trained with the M1 in boot. Had to learn to handle the M16 before being shipped out. I also hated them.

 

[bpsig]

First time when I was 18 had to learn to shoot one. Last time about 5 seconds ago. I carry a m-4 or older a2 shorty one all time.. Even have a gm hydromatic division one sometimes.

 

[doc2rn]

1979 in Joe's cleaners on the rough side of Indy.

 

[hardbargin]

when was first time

i was introduced to the m-16 in basic training at ft. bragg, n.c. feb. 1969
used the m-14 but qualified with both.really was a pleasure to shoot after firing the m-14. by the way i qualified expert with both rifles.

 

[Hanzerik]

When I was a teenager I worked summers at a Boy Scout camp as Instructor/Range Safety. Had a Coast Guard guy bring in his weapons and he let us shoot them. That was when I learned I didn't like shotguns. He brought a few pistols, an M-16/AR-15, and a tactical shotgun.

This was back in 1985, and in SoCal, back in the good-ole-days.

 

[cdrt]

I remember seeing an AR in a gun store around 1967. The first time I saw an M16 was in Navy Boot Camp in 1970. They only had one (we fired M1s chambered for .308 for qual). I remember the officer showing us the M16 fired it at the berm and announced that it was mfg by "Mattie Mattel". Having read an article in the American Rifleman, I knew that Stoner had designed it and Colt was the lead mfg at that time, but in Boot Camp, you don't argue with LCDRs.

 

[ultradoc]

Boot camp for me. It was October 1983

 

[33-805]

1977

 

[highfive]

For me it was 1993 when I went for my basic training and the good part was i got to shoot it too M-16A-1

 

[Coyote3855]

Basic Training, Fort Lewis WA, 1969.

 

[esq_stu]

In Israel in 1995.

I saw 18-year-old girls carrying them. I fell in love (with the guns).

 

[justin 561]

My uncle when he was in training. (around 91)

 

[RenardSubtil]

Some old pic of my dad with a big cheesy grin to match the big oversized rifle he was carrying at some airforce base in Vietnam.

EDIT: My bad, read the OP...I'd say my first trip to Hong Kong, I was like 9 or so...airport security lugged them around and I remember my mom tellin' me not to stare lol! I mean geez, I was used to AMERICA (in the 80s) and the securiy guys were usually armed with a cup of coffee and a grin

 

[AlaskaErik]

Infantry Training School, just after qualifying with the M-14 in Marine basic training. The coolest part of ITS was all four platoons in our series shooting tracers at this hill just after sunset. Each platoon had about four people designated to shoot full auto while the rest of us were to shoot semi auto. I wasn't one of the four, but since it was getting dark and I looked just like the other 249 recruits I took matters into my own hands. Ammo was being handed out from the back of a truck and we just lined up for it. So I kept getting into line and accumulated quite the little stockpile. Then I borrowed spare mags from some of my fellow recruits and loaded them all up. After all 250 of us were proned out and the "Commence Firing" order was given, I opened up on full auto with everything I had. The DIs were never the wiser.

 

[Mike128]

Around 1984 at my local gunshop. They had three or four and I think one was full auto. I remember hearing the older men joking who would need to shoot that many times at a deer. There were also a bunch of other derogatory remarks about the rifle, cartridge, and full auto.

All the guns sat at there for a couple of years before they finally sold. I never had any interest in them until the AWB. As soon as it ended I bought two and I am planning on a Masada later.

 

[Seven High]

I saw my first M16 at Bitburg AB in W. Germany in 1965. They were replacing our worn out M2 carbines. I liked the M16 a while lot better. It was a lot more accurate than the M2s with their worn out barrels.

 

[Fred Fuller]

M-16, ROTC FTX in 1971... we were issued Garands but fam-fired the M-16 on this FTX.

lpl/nc

 

[duallydave]

A couple of friends have AR-15s, they have both had them since probably the early 80s. I really like the recoiless feature, they are fun to shoot with a scope.