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Picture of Spieler
posted
I'm just back from a trip to Vietnam and stopped off at the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City where I spotted these four different AR15/M16s left in country after the US withdrawal. I thought some of you here would find the lower receiver markings interesting.



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People never lie so much as after a hunt, during a war, or before an election. - Otto von Bismarck
 
Posts: 2434 | Location: ATL South OTP | Registered: December 06, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Staring back
from the abyss
Picture of Gustofer
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Things like that always make me wonder about the guy they were issued to. Who was he and what happened to him?


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"Great danger lies in the notion that we can reason with evil." Doug Patton.
 
Posts: 20732 | Location: Montana | Registered: November 01, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Oriental Redneck
Picture of 12131
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His name is probably on The Wall. Frown


Q






 
Posts: 27820 | Location: TEXAS | Registered: September 04, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of m499
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No Mattel lowers?

Smile Big Grin Smile
 
Posts: 2706 | Location: OH, USA | Registered: January 30, 2001Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
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Thanks for taking time to photograph there and sharing.
 
Posts: 3395 | Location: MS | Registered: December 16, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
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quote:
Originally posted by Gustofer:
Things like that always make me wonder about the guy they were issued to. Who was he and what happened to him?


The last guy who carried it might not have been a USGI at all. Could have been a Republic of Vietnam (the South) soldier. After they surrendered the Vietcong took over everything not unlike what happened in Afghanistan.
 
Posts: 125 | Location: PRC - People Republic of California | Registered: July 15, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by Gabe123:
quote:
Originally posted by Gustofer:
Things like that always make me wonder about the guy they were issued to. Who was he and what happened to him?


The last guy who carried it might not have been a USGI at all. Could have been a Republic of Vietnam (the South) soldier. After they surrendered the Vietcong took over everything not unlike what happened in Afghanistan.


Which makes me wonder, 45-50 years from now, is Afghanistan going to be a vacation destination?


______________________________________________________________________
"When its time to shoot, shoot. Dont talk!"

“What the government is good at is collecting taxes, taking away your freedoms and killing people. It’s not good at much else.” —Author Tom Clancy
 
Posts: 8574 | Location: Attempting to keep the noise down around Midway Airport | Registered: February 14, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Fighting the good fight
Picture of RogueJSK
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quote:
Originally posted by CPD SIG:
Which makes me wonder, 45-50 years from now, is Afghanistan going to be a vacation destination?


Sure. Just like in Vietnam, there will be package deals where you can tour the Taliban caves, get your photo taken on a rusty MRAP, fire a magazine through a clapped-out M4, and wander through a museum with Engrish placards describing the triumph of the faithful freedom fighters over the decadent Western devils.
 
Posts: 33213 | Location: Northwest Arkansas | Registered: January 06, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Freethinker
Picture of sigfreund
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quote:
Originally posted by Gabe123:
The last guy who carried it might not have been a USGI at all.

That was my first thought.




6.4/93.6
“Cet animal est très méchant, quand on l’attaque il se défend.”
 
Posts: 47791 | Location: 10,150 Feet Above Sea Level in Colorado | Registered: April 04, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of Ace31
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At least the loss was most likely more honorable vs the loss in the Afghanistan pull out. Roll Eyes
 
Posts: 2195 | Location: Wherever the voices in my head tell me to go | Registered: April 08, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
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Thanks for sharing the information. I thought GM Corp. - General Motors only built cars/trucks -automotive parts?


HK firearms Collector
 
Posts: 524 | Location: The Golden State | Registered: December 05, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Fighting the good fight
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quote:
Originally posted by kobra:
Thanks for sharing the information. I thought GM Corp. - General Motors only built cars/trucks -automotive parts?


Nope. They've been making armaments since WW1, practically since GM's inception.


For small arms specifically, during WW2 they produced over 2.7 million M1 and M2 carbines, about 600k M3 SMGs, and over a million Browning M2 and M1919 MGs. Followed later during the Vietnam era by about 500k M16s.

But their production over the last century+ has also included a wide range of artillery guns, anti-aircraft guns, tanks, tank destroyers, APCs, AFVs, fighter planes, bombers, naval cannons, aircraft cannons, and more.

Not to mention ammunition, bombs, artillery shells, mortar shells, torpedoes, etc.
 
Posts: 33213 | Location: Northwest Arkansas | Registered: January 06, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Freethinker
Picture of sigfreund
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When North Vietnam stepped up their assault on the South after the US picked up our ball and went home despite being points ahead, the RVN begged for the support that the US had pledged to give if that happened. No aid was forthcoming. The reasons for the loss of those weapons to the Communists was every bit as bad as what happened in Afghanistan, if not worse—at least in principle, if not degree.

I recommend the book Black April: The Fall of South Vietnam, 1973-75 by George J. Veith.




6.4/93.6
“Cet animal est très méchant, quand on l’attaque il se défend.”
 
Posts: 47791 | Location: 10,150 Feet Above Sea Level in Colorado | Registered: April 04, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Frangas non Flectes
Picture of P220 Smudge
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quote:
Originally posted by RogueJSK:
For small arms specifically, during WW2 they produced over 2.7 million M1 and M2 carbines


Yep, the Inland Division. More M1 carbines produced than any other manufacturer, including all the M1A1's if memory serves. I have a '44 Inland.


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Carthago delenda est
 
Posts: 17763 | Location: Sonoran Desert | Registered: February 10, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Bodhisattva
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Dont forget Saginaw Steering Gear.
 
Posts: 11526 | Location: Michigan | Registered: July 01, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
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..nor forget GM's Guide Lamp Division.

https://www.americanrifleman.o...-motors-went-to-war/

Back when I had a little bit of grunt training in '78 my M16A1 was a Hydra-Matic made one.
 
Posts: 3439 | Location: Fairfax Co. VA | Registered: August 03, 2015Reply With QuoteReport This Post
The Unknown
Stuntman
Picture of bionic218
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On topic: That's an interesting pic. Which was the E1 again? The carbine? Or am I reading it wrong?

Off topic: Helped a farmer friend buy a M-1 Garand for an anniversary gift for her farmer husband. She was excited when she found out you could buy one made by International Harvester.
 
Posts: 10820 | Location: missouri | Registered: October 18, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Fighting the good fight
Picture of RogueJSK
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quote:
Originally posted by bionic218:
On topic: That's an interesting pic. Which was the E1 again? The carbine? Or am I reading it wrong?


Nope. Good eye. That's a XM16E1 lower.

The E1 was the experimental transitional model between the original M16 and the M16A1. It's where the forward assist was introduced.
 
Posts: 33213 | Location: Northwest Arkansas | Registered: January 06, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
The Unknown
Stuntman
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quote:
It's where the forward assist was introduced.


Ah, that makes sense. Thanks, Rogue.
 
Posts: 10820 | Location: missouri | Registered: October 18, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
goodheart
Picture of sjtill
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quote:
Yep, the Inland Division. More M1 carbines produced than any other manufacturer, including all the M1A1's if memory serves. I have a '44 Inland.


So do I.


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“ What all the wise men promised has not happened, and what all the damned fools said would happen has come to pass.”— Lord Melbourne
 
Posts: 18479 | Location: One hop from Paradise | Registered: July 27, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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