Summary and Key Points: The M16 rifle, designed by Eugene Stoner and adopted by the U.S. military in the 1960s, has remained a staple due to its reliability, modularity, and effectiveness.

In theory, the M16 rifle could have solved all of these shortcomings. Compared with the M14, the M16 carried more rounds in a more lightweight and lower-recoiling platform—6.37 lbs.