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Title:	RIFLE, ASSAULT -  U.S. ASSAULT RIFLE XM16E1 5.56MM SN# 050000
Maker/Manufacturer:	STONER, EUGENE
Date of Manufacture:	1963
Eminent Figure:	KENNEDY, JOHN F.
Catalog Number:	SPAR 3270
Measurements:	OL: 97.7CM 38 1/2" BL: 50.8CM 20"

Object Description:

U.S. ASSAULT RIFLE XM16E1 5.56MM SN# 050000
Manufactured by Colt, Hartford, Ct. - Special presentation XM16E1 assault rifle. Gold finish and black plastic stock and black sling. Weapon has forward assist. 85,000 manufactured under Contract "508" at a cost of $121.84 each. Weapon complete with 20-round detachable box magazine and in good condition. There is some belief that this weapon was intended for presentation to President John F. Kennedy.

Markings:
Magazine housing: COLT/AR15/PROPERTY/OF U.S. GOVT./XM16E1/CAL. 5.56MM/SERIAL 050000.
Frame: COLT'S PATENT FIREARMS MFG. CO./HARTFORD, CONN./U.S.A.

Weapon transferred to the Museum on 8 February 1966. At that time weapon was appraised at $250.00.

Army card #8986 - "Presentation weapon."

Weapon being held in picture by ATF Special Agent Allan Offringa. The ladies in the picture are from left to right: Nancy McCombs of the California State Department of Justice, Katherine Richert of the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, and Lily Hwa of the Houston Police Department. The Springfield Armory would like to specially thank Special Agent Offringa for all his assistance through the years.

Springfield Union, July 1, 1966 - "Business & Industry. Colt Firearms Div. Gets Recruits from Armory. Hartford Plant Said Capable Of Matching Job Skills Exactly.
Springfield Armory workers, apparently resigned to the projected closing of the installation by the Department of Defense, are responding in undisclosed numbers to a recruitment program at Colt's Firearms Division of Colt Industries, Hartford, Conn.
That word came Tuesday from Bruno Czech, personnel director of the firearms manufacturing concern, who said that recruitment for the Hartford plant from Greater Springfield in on the increase.
Workers Hired - Skilled and unskilled workers are being hired by Colt's which now has a training program in operation for the first time in its history.
The facility manufactures hand guns, shotguns, machine guns, the AR15 rifle and military pyrotechnics.
Czech said that although the firm is generally recognized as a military producer, more than 60 per cent of its sales are commercial.
Plans for an increase in military production of heavy weapons systems had in part resulted in an expected 30 per cent increase in employment by the end of the year, he said.
Armory Conference - 'When the proposed Armory closing was announced by Secretary MacNamera,' Czech said, 'we conferred with officials there pointing out that we desired capable workers and that if the closing became a reality, we would definitely offer positions in our plant.
;We offer residents of Greater Springfield transfers in exact skilled jobs with no relocation problems due to Rte. 91,' he said.
The plant in Hartford currently employs more than 1600 persons.
It is offering training courses in tool room procedures, cutting and grinding and machine operations to high school and Trade school graduates.
A recruiting program here one year ago for Colt's did not live up to its expectations, Czech said, but applications from Greater Springfield have been increasing recently.
Many Armory employees are now anxious to obtain employment elsewhere, he said."

HISTORICAL SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES:
1JUL64 - 30JUN65 - The Armory continued in support of the XM16E1 program. A report on the firing pin spring in connection with inadvertent fire was forwarded to Hq, Army Weapons Command as well as a report on a bullet seat study.
Frankford Arsenal placed a contract with Remington Arms for the design and fabrication of blank cartridges and attachments, with the Armory designated as the test agency for development acceptance. The first devices delivered were weak in the retaining members, and the resultant flash from the blank cartridge was considered excessive. The Armory returned the devices and, at the end of this period, was waiting for replacements to be tested."
1JUL65 - 30JUN66 - M16, XM16E1 (AR15) Rifles - Technical support and coordination continued to be furnished in this period. This included tests on neDevelopment acceptance testing of the blank-firing attachment and blank cartridge was resumed after selection of the new buffer.
Ruptured cartridge case extractors reworked from the standard NATO case extractor and a commercial type were furnished on a rush basis for expedited delivery to field troops."

Notes: "1964: The first M16 and XM16E1 rifles were delivered in the Spring. They were similar to the preceding AR-15, excepting that the butt and hand guard were blacked, the charging handle was changed to a T-bar, the firing pin was altered to minimize slam-firing tendencies, the flash suppressor was strengthened, and magazine bodies became alloy instead of steel. Marks included a Rampant Colt on the left side of the magazine housing ahead of COLT over AR-15. Then - in four lines - came the property mark, the calibre, the model, and the serial number....
1967: The XM16E1 was reclassified as 'M16A1' on 28 February. On 3 May, however, the Ichord Congressional Sub-Committee began its first deliberation into the controversy surrounding the rifle, reporting in October - oblivious of important details - that the entire programme had been mishandled by the army." - John Walter

References:
Kulek, Walt & Scott Duff. THE AR-15 COMPLETE OWNER'S GUIDE. Scott Duff Publications. Export, Pa. 2000.
Long, Duncan. THE COMPLETE AR-15/M16 SOURCEBOOK. Paladin Press. Boulder, Co. 1992.
Walter, John. RIFLES OF THE WORLD. Krause Publications. Iola. Wi.