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116-424: On 29 October 1941, U.S. Representative William H. Stevenson announced the construction of a powder and acid works to be built by Hercules Powder Company . On 19 November 1941, despite protests from those living on Sauk Prairie, President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized $ 65,000,000 to build the plant. By 1 March 1942, the farmers who lived there had left their farms. Construction of Badger Ordnance Works, as it

232-578: A "manual bolt closure," allowing a soldier to ram in a round if it failed to seat properly. The Air Force, which was buying the rifle, and the Marine Corps, which had tested it both objected to this addition, with the Air Force noting, "During three years of testing and operation of the AR-15 rifle under all types of conditions the Air Force has no record of malfunctions that could have been corrected by

348-521: A 30-round magazine, because of the adoption of a thicker barrel profile. The thicker barrel is more resistant to damage when handled roughly and is also slower to overheat during sustained fire. Unlike a traditional "bull" barrel that is thick its entire length, the M16A2's barrel is only thick forward of the handguards. The barrel profile under the handguards remained the same as the M16A1 for compatibility with

464-705: A Ball Powder for the rifles; however, it was not selected by the rifle manufacturers or the U.S. Army. Olin Corporation also had another, smaller, plant in East Alton, Illinois where it could make Ball Powder. It was believed that the East Alton plant would produce the Ball Powder necessary for the Vietnam War. However, when workers at the East Alton plant went on strike, the entire Vietnam operation

580-529: A La Crosse hospital on March 19, 1978, and was buried in Onalaska. William Stevenson was a son of Major John Stevenson and his wife Minnie. John Stevenson was described as an Indian scout and friend of general Charles King . William Stevenson married Lulu Bucklin of Onalaska in 1913. They had one daughter, Phyllis Belle, who survived them. [REDACTED]  This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of

696-533: A comic book-style operations manual. As a result, reliability problems were largely resolved and the M16A1 rifle achieved widespread acceptance by U.S. troops in Vietnam. In 1969, the M16A1 officially replaced the M14 rifle to become the U.S. military's standard service rifle . In 1970, the new WC 844 powder was introduced to reduce fouling. Colt, H&R, and GM Hydramatic Division manufactured M16A1 rifles during

812-425: A decade before World War II by DuPont and Hercules Powder Company had the rights to make it at Badger. E.C. Powder was used in hand grenades , tear gas canisters, and blank cartridges. Badger also produced acid and oleum which are necessary for the production of these forms of ammunition. The acid and oleum produced at Badger were used both on site and at other Army ammunition plants in the area. On 10 May 1943,

928-437: A few prairie remnants, some agricultural lands, and open grassy spaces around buildings maintained by grazing. Prairie restoration began in the 1970s and these areas were maintained by fire. Grazing ended in 2003 when demolition started, and the open areas are now growing up into shrubs such as autumn olive and honeysuckle. 32 areas within the plant are polluted with solvents, toxic metals and explosive wastes. Groundwater beneath

1044-554: A jam when his M16 was covered in mud after climbing out of a canal. The weapon was cleared and resumed firing with the next chambered round. Furthermore, the Marine Chief Warrant Officer responsible for weapons training and performance of the Third Battalion, Sixth Marines, reported that "We've had nil in the way of problems; we've had no issues", with his battalion 's 350 M16s and 700 M4s. The M16

1160-623: A landslide in the general election. He won a fourth term in 1946, winning another competitive primary, and another landslide general election. Stevenson ran for a fifth term in 1948. By then, the Wisconsin Progressive Party had disbanded and many of the voters and officials had chosen to return to the Republican Party. In the 1948 Republican primary, Stevenson faced his two-time Progressive rival from 1940 and 1942, Gardner Withrow. A third candidate also ran in

1276-436: A level of soldier confidence their weapon will not break or need repair. Both factors were attributed to high levels of soldiers performing their maintenance. 60 percent of M16 users offered recommendations for improvements. Requests included greater bullet lethality, newly built instead of rebuilt rifles, better-quality magazines, decreased weight, and a collapsible stock. Some users recommended shorter and lighter weapons such as

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1392-579: A manual bolt closing device." They also noted that the closure added weight and complexity, reducing the reliability of the weapon. Colonel Harold Yount, who managed the Army procurement, would later state the bolt closure was added after direction from senior leadership, rather than as a result of any complaint or test result, and testified about the reasons: "the M-1, the M-14, and the carbine had always had something for

1508-668: A more supportive ally for Roosevelt in the war. Stevenson prevailed in another close primary, receiving 53% of the vote to Walsh's 47%. In the general election, he faced a rematch with Progressive Gardner Withrow, who reiterated criticisms of Stevenson's past isolationist positions and fully endorsed the Roosevelt platform for domestic and foreign policy. Stevenson defeated Withrow again, slightly expanding his margin from 1940. Stevenson faced another primary challenge in 1944 from Joseph Walsh, and won another close victory. The Progressive Party ran no candidate that year, and Stevenson won

1624-594: A nuclear attack if it were to be reactivated. Therefore, Olin Corporation maintained Badger on stand-by status until the United States announced its intent to send troops to Vietnam. Before the Vietnam War began, the army was testing the new M16 rifle which used Ball Powder ammunition. DuPont and Olin Corporation each developed Ball Powder that was compatible with the M16 rifles used in the Vietnam War and were used interchangeably. Hercules Powder Company also developed

1740-730: A number of private wells near the Badger Army Ammunition Plant. DNT was found above the Wisconsin Enforcement Standard in three private wells and three other private wells had nitrates above the Wisconsin ES. As of 2021, regular groundwater monitoring found hazardous levels of contaminants located halfway between Baraboo and Prairie du Sac . Restoration Advisory Board members and the Town Administrator were displeased with

1856-402: A primary challenge against Gardner Withrow. Stevenson's attempted political comeback was fueled by stalwart Republican discontent over their progressive incumbent, Withrow. In the end, Stevenson fell just short of Withrow in his last election, receiving 48.7% to Withrow's 51.3%. Stevenson resumed his law practice, and moved to neighboring Onalaska, Wisconsin , in the late 1950s. He died at

1972-496: A rear sight that could be set for specific range settings and also served to protect the charging handle. The M16 carry handle also provided mounting groove interfaces and a hole at the bottom of the handle groove for mounting a Colt 3×20 telescopic sight featuring a Bullet Drop Compensation elevation adjustment knob for ranges from 100 to 500 yd (91 to 457 m). This concurs with the pre-M16A2 maximum effective range of 460 m (503 yd). The Colt 3×20 telescopic sight

2088-510: A rifle with a one turn in 7 in (1:177.8 mm or 32 calibers) twist barrel. NATO SS109 ball and L110 tracer bullets should only be used in emergency situations at ranges under 90 m (98 yd) with a one turn in 12 inches (1:304.8 mm or 54.8 calibers) twist, as this twist is insufficient to stabilize these projectiles. Weapons designed to adequately stabilize both the M193 or SS109 projectiles (like civilian market clones) usually have

2204-426: A single, powerful .30 caliber cartridge be developed, that could not only be used by the new automatic rifle but by the new general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) in concurrent development. This culminated in the development of the 7.62×51 mm NATO cartridge. The U.S. Army then began testing several rifles to replace the obsolete M1. Springfield Armory's T44E4 and heavier T44E5 were essentially updated versions of

2320-404: A six-groove, right-hand twist, one turn in 9 inches (1:228.6 mm or 41.1 calibers) or one turn in 8 inches (1:203.2 mm or 36.5 calibers) bore, although other and 1:7 inches twist rates are available as well. The (M16's) Stoner system provides a very symmetric design that allows straight-line movement of the operating components. This allows recoil forces to drive straight to

2436-533: A stoppage, while 80 percent of those that experienced a stoppage said it had little impact on their ability to clear the stoppage and re-engage their target. Half of the M16 users experienced failures in their magazines to feed. 83 percent (986 troops) did not need their rifles repaired while in the theater. 71 percent (843 troops) were confident in the M16's reliability, defined as a level of soldier confidence their weapon will fire without malfunction, and 72 percent (855 troops) were confident in its durability, defined as

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2552-559: A sudden heart attack, creating a vacancy in Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district . Despite being only six months into a two-year term, no special election was called to fill the seat for the remainder of the 76th Congress . In July 1940, Stevenson announced that he would seek the Republican nomination to succeed Griswold in the 3rd congressional district for the 77th Congress . In announcing his campaign, Stevenson came out against

2668-626: A third term as president represented a danger to American democracy. He advocated new tariffs to prop up the price of milk and butter for Wisconsin farm producers. Stevenson won the general election in another relatively close race, taking 46% of the vote to Withrow's 44%. During the first year of the 77th Congress , Stevenson continued to oppose new trade deals aimed at lowering tariff barriers. He also opposed Roosevelt's Lend-Lease act, though he supported other domestic military spending. One of his chief achievements in his congressional career occurred in these early months in office, when he secured

2784-597: A velocity over the speed of sound while matching or exceeding the wounding ability of the .30 carbine cartridge. This request ultimately resulted in the development of a scaled-down version of the Armalite AR-10 , named the ArmaLite AR-15 . The AR-15 was first revealed by Eugene Stoner at Fort Benning in May 1957. The AR-15 used .22-caliber bullets, which destabilized when they hit a human body, as opposed to

2900-561: A whole. The land uses include conservation, prairie and savanna restoration, agriculture, education and recreation. The Badger Reuse Plan established the need for a Badger Oversight and Management Board (BOMC), which meets bi-monthly to facilitate collaboration around the future uses of the Badger properties. Once the installation was declared excess to the Army's needs, the General Services Administration (GSA),

3016-442: Is a lightweight, 5.56 mm, air-cooled, gas-operated , magazine -fed assault rifle , with a rotating bolt . The M16's receivers are made of 7075 aluminum alloy , its barrel, bolt, and bolt carrier of steel, and its handguards, pistol grip, and buttstock of plastics. The M16 internal piston action was derived from the original ArmaLite AR-10 and ArmaLite AR-15 actions. This internal piston action system designed by Eugene Stoner

3132-737: Is bounded by Devil's Lake State Park and the Baraboo Hills to the north, the Town of Merrimac and the Wisconsin River to the east, the Town of Prairie du Sac to the south, and the Town of Sumpter and the Bluffview community to the west. Badger is located on the terminal moraine of the outwash plain of a glacier that stopped in the area during the Wisconsin Glaciation approximately 12,000 years ago. The bedrock in

3248-404: Is commonly called a direct impingement system, but it does not use a conventional direct impingement system. In U.S. patent 2,951,424 , the designer states: ″This invention is a true expanding gas system instead of the conventional impinging gas system.″ The gas system, bolt carrier, and bolt-locking design is ammunition specific, since it does not have an adjustable gas port or valve to adjust

3364-422: Is designated XM7 . In 1928, a U.S. Army 'Caliber Board' conducted firing tests at Aberdeen Proving Ground and recommended transitioning to smaller caliber rounds, mentioning, in particular .27 in (6.86 mm) caliber. Largely in deference to tradition, this recommendation was ignored and the Army referred to the .30 in (7.62 mm) caliber as "full-sized" for the next 35 years. After World War II,

3480-411: Is lighter and more compact than a gas-piston design. However, this design requires that combustion byproducts from the discharged cartridge be blown into the receiver as well. This accumulating carbon and vaporized metal build-up within the receiver and bolt carrier negatively affects reliability and necessitates more intensive maintenance on the part of the individual soldier. The channeling of gasses into

3596-403: Is that which would be measured if the rifle were fired suspended from strings, free to recoil. A rifle's perceived recoil is also dependent on many other factors which are not readily quantified. The M16's most distinctive ergonomic feature is the carrying handle and rear sight assembly on top of the receiver. This is a by-product of the original AR-10 design, where the carrying handle contained

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3712-426: Is the piston sleeve. While the M16 is commonly said to use a direct impingement system, this is wrong, and it is instead correct to say it uses an internal piston system. This system is however ammunition specific, since it does not have an adjustable gas port or valve to adjust the weapon to various propellant and projectile or barrel length specific pressure behavior. The M16 operating system designed by Stoner

3828-530: The 5.56×45 mm NATO cartridge has become not only the NATO standard but "the standard assault-rifle cartridge in much of the world." It also led to the development of small-caliber high-velocity service rifles by every major army in the world. It is a benchmark against which other assault rifles are judged. In July 1960, General Curtis LeMay was impressed by a demonstration of the ArmaLite AR-15. In

3944-528: The Advanced Research Projects Agency , sent 10 AR-15s to South Vietnam. The reception was enthusiastic, and in 1962 another 1,000 AR-15s were sent. United States Army Special Forces personnel filed battlefield reports lavishly praising the AR-15 and the stopping power of the 5.56 mm cartridge, and pressed for its adoption. The damage caused by the 5.56 mm bullet was originally believed to be caused by "tumbling" due to

4060-506: The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). The South Vietnam soldiers issued glowing reports of the weapon's reliability, recording zero broken parts while firing 80,000 rounds in one stage of testing, and requiring only two replacement parts for the 1,000 weapons over the entire course of testing. The report of the experiment recommended that the U.S. provide the AR-15 as the standard rifle of

4176-539: The Ho-Chunk Nation. In its mission statement, the BRC charged itself with the task of developing "a common vision for the reuse of the Badger property that can be meaningfully considered and realistically implemented by the appropriate local, state, and federal agencies." It sought to achieve a community-based consensus for use of the site. Early meetings were devoted to gathering and reviewing basic information about

4292-464: The M203 grenade launcher . Early model M16 barrels had a rifling twist of four grooves, right-hand twist , one turn in 14 inches (1:355.6 mm or 64 calibers) bore—as it was the same rifling as used by the .222 Remington sporting cartridge. After finding out that under unfavorable conditions, military bullets could yaw in flight at long ranges, the rifling was soon altered. Later M16 models and

4408-771: The M4 carbine . Some issues have been addressed with the issuing of the Improved STANAG magazine in March 2009, and the M855A1 Enhanced Performance Round in June 2010. In early 2010, two journalists from The New York Times spent three months with soldiers and Marines in Afghanistan. While there, they questioned around 100 infantry troops about the reliability of their M16 rifles, as well as

4524-530: The U.S. House of Representatives , representing Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district from 1941 to 1949. Earlier in his career, he served as district attorney of La Crosse County (1935–1941) and Richland County, Wisconsin (1925–1927). William Stevenson was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin , in September 1891. As a child, he moved with his family to La Crosse, Wisconsin , where he

4640-571: The U.S. Special Forces asked and was given permission, to make the AR-15 its standard weapon. Other users included Army Airborne units in Vietnam and some units affiliated with the Central Intelligence Agency . As more units adopted the AR-15, Secretary of the Army Cyrus Vance ordered an investigation into why the weapon had been rejected by the Army. The resulting report found that Army Materiel Command had rigged

4756-702: The US Army adopted it in 1986. The M16A2 fires the improved 5.56×45mm (M855/SS109) cartridge and has a newer adjustable rear sight, case deflector, heavy barrel, improved handguard , pistol grip, and buttstock , as well as a semi-auto and three-round burst fire selector. Adopted in July 1997, the M16A4 is the fourth generation of the M16 series. It is equipped with a removable carrying handle and quad Picatinny rail for mounting optics and other ancillary devices. The M16 has also been widely adopted by other armed forces around

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4872-474: The Washington Daily News broke the story. Eventually, the M16 became the target of a congressional investigation. The investigation found that: When these issues were addressed and corrected by the M16A1, the reliability problems decreased greatly. According to a 1968 Department of Army report, the M16A1 rifle achieved widespread acceptance by U.S. troops in Vietnam. "Most men armed with

4988-499: The .30 round, which typically passed through in a straight line. The smaller caliber meant that it could be controlled in autofire due to the reduced bolt thrust and free recoil impulse. Being almost one-third the weight of the .30 meant that the soldier could sustain fire for longer with the same load. Due to design innovations, the AR-15 could fire 600 to 700 rounds a minute with an extremely low jamming rate. Parts were stamped out, not hand-machined, so they could be mass-produced, and

5104-551: The AK-47, the [M1] carbine or a pistol." In March 1970, the "President's Blue Ribbon Defense Panel" concluded that the issuance of the M16 saved the lives of 20,000 U.S. servicemen during the Vietnam War, who would have otherwise died had the M14 remained in service. However, the M16 rifle's reputation has suffered as of 2011. Another underlying cause of the M16's jamming problem was identified by ordnance staff that discovered that Stoner and ammunition manufacturers had initially tested

5220-498: The AR-15 using DuPont IMR8208M extruded (stick) powder. Later ammunition manufacturers adopted the more readily available Olin Mathieson WC846 ball powder. The ball powder produced a longer peak chamber pressure with undesired timing effects. Upon firing, the cartridge case expands and seals the chamber ( obturation ). When the peak pressure starts to drop the cartridge case contracts and then can be extracted. With ball powder,

5336-536: The AR-15 was the superior weapon system and ordered a halt to M14 production. In late 1963, the Defense Department began mass procurement of rifles for the Air Force and special Army units. Secretary McNamara designated the Army as the procurer for the weapon with the Department, which allowed the Army ordnance establishment to modify the weapon as they wished. The first modification was the addition of

5452-613: The ARVN, but Admiral Harry Felt , then Commander in Chief of Pacific Forces, rejected the recommendations on the advice of the U.S. Army. Throughout 1962 and 1963, the U.S. military extensively tested the AR-15. Positive evaluations emphasized its lightness, "lethality", and reliability. However, the Army Materiel Command criticized its inaccuracy at longer ranges and lack of penetrating power at higher ranges. In early 1963,

5568-758: The Armory. In the end, the U.S. Army chose the T44, now named the M14 rifle , which was an improved M1 Garand with a 20-round magazine and automatic fire capability. The U.S. also adopted the M60 general-purpose machine gun (GPMG). Its NATO partners adopted the FN FAL and HK G3 rifles, as well as the FN MAG and Rheinmetall MG3 GPMGs. The first confrontations between the AK-47 and

5684-594: The Army and Colt worked to make modifications to the M4s and M16A4s to address the problems found. In tests conducted in 2005 and 2006 the Army found that on average, the new M4s and M16s fired approximately 5,000 rounds between stoppages. In December 2006, the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA) released a report on U.S. small arms in combat. The CNA conducted surveys on 2,608 troops returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan over

5800-434: The Army s inaction and attempted to lobby Congress for direct funding to create a public water system . Companies/Contractors Materials Other AAPs Associated with Badger Other Topics William H. Stevenson William Henry Stevenson (September 23, 1891 – March 19, 1978) was an American lawyer and Republican politician from La Crosse County, Wisconsin . He served four terms in

5916-506: The Army, Cyrus Vance, to test the M14, the AR-15, and the AK-47. The Army reported that only the M14 was suitable for service, but Vance wondered about the impartiality of those conducting the tests. He ordered the Army Inspector General to investigate the testing methods used; the inspector general confirmed that the testers were biased toward the M14. In January 1963, Secretary McNamara received reports that M14 production

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6032-519: The Badger property and its role – past, present, and future – in Sauk County's landscape, community, and economy. In the past, the Badger lands had been a place of division and conflict. The committee identified nine key values and detailed criteria for each value to guide consideration of future uses. The BRC chose one plan that best fit the parameters of the values out of 25 different proposals. The reuse plan calls for all 7,275 acres to be managed as

6148-518: The Democrats nominating the incumbent, Fred G. Silberschmidt, and the Progressives nominating Frank R. Schneider. All three candidates polled more than 5,000 votes in the general election; Stevenson won the race with 7,146. Stevenson won re-election in 1936 and 1938, defeating Frank Schneider again in both elections. On July 4, 1939, U.S. Representative Harry W. Griswold died of

6264-709: The M1 chambered for the new 7.62 mm round, while Fabrique Nationale submitted their FN FAL as the T48 . ArmaLite entered the competition late, hurriedly submitting several AR-10 prototype rifles in the fall of 1956 to the U.S. Army's Springfield Armory for testing. The AR-10 featured an innovative straight-line barrel/stock design, forged aluminum alloy receivers, and with phenolic composite stocks. It had rugged elevated sights, an oversized aluminum flash suppressor and recoil compensator , and an adjustable gas system. The final prototype featured an upper and lower receiver with

6380-551: The M14 came in the early part of the Vietnam War . Battlefield reports indicated that the M14 was uncontrollable in full-auto and that soldiers could not carry enough ammunition to maintain fire superiority over the AK-47. And, while the M2 carbine offered a high rate of fire, it was under-powered and ultimately outclassed by the AK-47. A replacement was needed: a medium between the traditional preference for high-powered rifles such as

6496-445: The M14, and the lightweight firepower of the M2 carbine. As a result, the Army was forced to reconsider a 1957 request by General Willard G. Wyman , commander of the U.S. Continental Army Command (CONARC) to develop a .223-inch caliber (5.56 mm) select-fire rifle weighing 6 lb (2.7 kg) when loaded with a 20-round magazine. The 5.56 mm round had to penetrate a standard U.S. helmet at 500 yards (460 meters) and retain

6612-573: The M14. However, advocates for the AR-15 gained the attention of Air Force Chief of Staff General Curtis LeMay . After testing the AR-15 with the ammunition manufactured by Remington that Armalite and Colt recommended, the Air Force declared that the AR-15 was its 'standard model' and ordered 8,500 rifles and 8.5 million rounds. Advocates for the AR-15 in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency acquired 1,000 Air Force AR-15s and shipped them to be tested by

6728-519: The M16 in Vietnam rated this rifle's performance high, however, many men entertained some misgivings about the M16's reliability. When asked what weapon they preferred to carry in combat, 85 percent indicated that they wanted either the M16 or its [smaller] carbine-length version, the XM177E2 ." Also, "the M14 was preferred by 15 percent, while less than one percent wished to carry either the Stoner rifle ,

6844-487: The M16A1 had an improved rifling with six grooves, right-hand twist, one turn in 12 inches (1:304.8 mm or 54.8 calibers) for increased accuracy and was optimized to adequately stabilize the M193 ball and M196 tracer bullets. M16A2 and current models are optimized for firing the heavier NATO SS109 ball and long L110 tracer bullets and have six grooves, right-hand twist, one turn in 7 in (1:177.8 mm or 32 calibers). M193 ball and M196 tracer bullets may be fired in

6960-651: The M4 carbine. The troops did not report reliability problems with their rifles. While only 100 troops were asked, they engaged in daily fighting in Marja , including at least a dozen intense engagements in Helmand Province , where the ground is covered in fine powdered sand (called "moon dust" by troops) that can stick to firearms. Weapons were often dusty, wet, and covered in mud. Intense firefights lasted hours with several magazines being expended. Only one soldier reported

7076-448: The Republican nomination for district attorney of La Crosse County, Wisconsin , challenging the incumbent Republican Rudolf M. Schlabach. The Republican primary was extremely close, with Schlabach ultimately prevailing by less than 100 votes. Schlabach went on to lose the general election to Democrat Fred G. Silberschmidt. Two years later, Stevenson ran again. This time, Stevenson faced attorney Thomas H. Skemp , who

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7192-467: The U.S. Army's order of 85,000 XM16E1s; and to appease General LeMay, the Air Force was granted an order for another 19,000 M16s. In March 1964, the M16 rifle went into production and the Army accepted delivery of the first batch of 2,129 rifles later that year, and an additional 57,240 rifles the following year. In 1964, the Army was informed that DuPont could not mass-produce the IMR 4475 stick powder to

7308-599: The United States Congress M16 rifle The M16 rifle (officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16 ) is a family of assault rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military . The original M16 rifle was a 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-round magazine. In 1964, the XM16E1 entered US military service as the M16 and in the following year

7424-417: The United States joining World War II , and endorsed the idea of a national highway system for employment and national defense purposes. In the Republican Party primary, Stevenson faced three other credible opponents, state senator Edward J. Roethe , La Crosse businessman Raymond C. Bice , and former Union Party gubernatorial candidate Joseph F. Walsh. Stevenson narrowly prevailed in

7540-631: The United States military started looking for a single automatic rifle to replace the M1 Garand , M1/M2 carbines , M1918 Browning automatic rifle , M3 "Grease Gun" and Thompson submachine gun . However, early experiments with select-fire versions of the M1 Garand proved disappointing. During the Korean War , the select-fire M2 carbine largely replaced the submachine gun in US service and became

7656-433: The Vietnam War. M16s were produced by Colt until the late 1980s when FN Herstal (FN USA) began to manufacture them. During the early part of its service, the M16 had a reputation for poor reliability and a malfunction rate of two per 1000 rounds fired. The M16's action works by passing high-pressure propellant gasses, tapped from the barrel, down a tube and into the carrier group within the upper receiver. The gas goes from

7772-501: The Vietnam War. The plant was initially laid away in 1977 and placed in stand-by status. In 1997, the U.S. Army declared Badger to be excess to its needs. Until 2004, Olin Corporation led the clean-up of Badger. In 2004, SpecPro, Inc., an 8(a) Certified Alaska Native Corporation (ANC) and subsidiary of the Bristol Bay Native Corporation , was awarded the contract to operate Badger, including all maintenance, demolition, and remediation activities. In 2012, Badger Technical Services, LLC became

7888-432: The area consists of quartzite , sandstone , shale , and limestone . Groundwater flow is influenced by the Baraboo Hills to the north and the Wisconsin River to the east. This area originally consisted of oak savanna and prairie habitat. After settlers populated the area, agriculture became predominant and few prairie and oak savanna remnants remained. Under Army management, the open spaces at Badger consisted of

8004-552: The bar, Stevenson returned to La Crosse and partnered for a year with J. E. Higbee. In 1920, he moved to Richland Center, Wisconsin , and partnered with Levi H. Bancroft , effectively taking over his private practice while Bancroft served as a Wisconsin circuit court judge. During those years, Stevenson also served as a court commissioner for the circuit court in Richland County, Wisconsin . After Bancroft left office, their partnership continued for three years. Stevenson made his first run for public office in 1924, when he

8120-468: The bolt carrier during operation increases the amount of heat that is deposited in the receiver while firing the M16 and causes the essential lubricant to be "burned off". This requires frequent and generous applications of appropriate lubricant. Lack of proper lubrication is the most common source of weapon stoppages or jams. The original M16 fared poorly in the jungles of Vietnam and was infamous for reliability problems in harsh environments. Max Hastings

8236-413: The bore also reduces muzzle rise, especially during automatic fire. Because recoil does not significantly shift the point of aim, faster follow-up shots are possible and user fatigue is reduced. In addition, current model M16 flash-suppressors also act as compensators to reduce recoil further. Notes: Free recoil is calculated by using the rifle weight, bullet weight, muzzle velocity, and charge weight. It

8352-415: The cartridge case was not contracted enough during extraction due to the longer peak pressure period. The ejector would then fail to extract the cartridge case, tearing through the case rim, and leaving an obturated case behind. After the introduction of the M4 carbine, it was found that the shorter barrel length of 14.5 inches also harms the reliability, as the gas port is located closer to the chamber than

8468-512: The charging handle was re-located from under the carrying handle like the AR-10, to the rear of the receiver), the newly redesigned rifle was renamed the Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16 . Inexplicably, the modification to the new M16 did not include a chrome-plated barrel. Meanwhile, the Army relented and recommended the adoption of the M16 for jungle warfare operations. However, the Army insisted on

8584-658: The creation of the Badger Army Ammunition Plant for his congressional district as part of the defense build-up. The character of his first term changed dramatically with the attack on Pearl Harbor . Stevenson joined other Wisconsin Republicans indicating that they would drop any remaining isolationist positions. Stevenson faced a primary challenge in 1942 from Joseph F. Walsh, who had also run in 1940. Walsh attacked Stevenson for his previous isolationist positions and indicated he would be

8700-517: The end, the facility's production lines included smokeless powder, acid, sulfuric acid, rocket propellant, and Ball Powder. During the 33 years it produced ammunition for World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, the Badger Army Ammunition Plant employed over 23,000 workers. During World War II, Badger was managed by Hercules Powder Company. It produced rocket propellant, smokeless powder, and E.C. powder. Smokeless powder had been patented

8816-879: The federal government's real estate manager, received applications from other federal agencies interested in acquiring the land. Six applicants with federal sponsorship were approved but only five have agreed to accept property. The Badger Army Information Repositories are located at the Sauk City Public Library , Ruth Culver Public Library , and at the Badger Army Ammunition Plant. The Badger Repositories include Army publications, RAB meeting minutes, groundwater monitoring data, and reports on remediation projects. The mailing address is: Badger Army Ammunition Plant, S7560 Highway 12, North Freedom, Wisconsin 53951. Originally over 10,000 acres in size, in 2004 Badger consisted of 7,275 acres of land in Sauk County . It

8932-716: The first train load of finished product left Badger; 60,000 pounds of smokeless powder was sent to the Twin Cities Ordnance Plant in Minnesota where it was used in M-1 rifle cartridges. After World War II, the facility was placed on stand-by and subsequently placed into excess federal property status. The Hercules Powder Company began the process of demolishing and burning contaminated buildings, scrapping equipment, and donating office furniture and supplies to area schools. This led to some difficulties when Badger

9048-471: The gas port of the standard length M16 rifle: 7.5 inches instead of 13 inches. This affects the M4's timing and increases the amount of stress and heat on the critical components, thereby reducing reliability. In a 2002 assessment, the USMC found that the M4 malfunctioned three times more often than the M16A4 (the M4 failed 186 times for 69,000 rounds fired, while the M16A4 failed 61 times). Thereafter,

9164-415: The gas tube, through the bolt carrier key, and into the inside of the carrier where it expands in a donut-shaped gas-piston cylinder. Because the bolt is prevented from moving forward by the barrel, the carrier is driven to the rear by the expanding gases and thus converts the energy of the gas to the movement of the rifle's parts. The back part of the bolt forms a piston head and the cavity in the bolt carrier

9280-708: The high school in Neillsville, Wisconsin , from 1914 to 1916. In 1916, Stevenson returned to school, entering the University of Wisconsin Law School . While attending law school, he taught class at Madison Central High School . He graduated from the University of Wisconsin and earned his LL.B. in 1919. He was also a member of the Phi Alpha Delta legal fraternity. After he was admitted to

9396-442: The inclusion of a forward assist to help push the bolt into battery if a cartridge failed to seat into the chamber. The Air Force, Colt, and Eugene Stoner believed that the addition of a forward assist was an unjustified expense. As a result, the design was split into two variants: the Air Force's M16 without the forward assist, and the XM16E1 with the forward assist for the other service branches. In November 1963, McNamara approved

9512-429: The length of World War II, a school, a recreation center, a child care facility, a hospital, cafeterias, and a transportation system. By December 1942, 24 miles (39 km) of standard gauge railroad were completed. Within the first ten months of construction, the first production area went into operation. The plans originally called for production lines to make smokeless powder, diphenylamine , and sulfuric acid . In

9628-431: The most widely used carbine variant. However, combat experience suggested that the .30 carbine round was underpowered. American weapons designers concluded that an intermediate round was necessary, and recommended a small-caliber, high-velocity cartridge. However, senior American commanders, having faced fanatical enemies and experienced major logistical problems during World War II and the Korean War , insisted that

9744-406: The now-familiar hinge and takedown pins, and the charging handle was on top of the receiver placed inside of the carry handle. For a 7.62 mm NATO rifle, the AR-10 was incredibly lightweight at only 6.85 lb (3.11 kg) empty. Initial comments by Springfield Armory test staff were favorable, and some testers commented that the AR-10 was the best lightweight automatic rifle ever tested by

9860-439: The only manufacturer of Ball Powder in the United States. Ball Powder, which was a trademarked name, had been introduced by Western Cartridge, a subsidiary of Olin Corporation, in 1933, but was not accepted by the U.S. Army until 1944. Ball Powder is a fine-grained, spherical gunpowder coated in graphite that is easy to store and transport in any climate and ideal for modern infantry small arms ammunition cartridges . Because

9976-482: The past 12 months. Only troops who had fired their weapons at enemy targets were allowed to participate. 1,188 troops were armed with M16A2 or A4 rifles, making up 46 percent of the survey. 75 percent of M16 users (891 troops) reported they were satisfied with the weapon. 60 percent (713 troops) were satisfied with handling qualities such as handguards, size, and weight. Of the 40 percent dissatisfied, most were with its size. Only 19 percent of M16 users (226 troops) reported

10092-488: The photographs remained classified into the 1980s. However, despite overwhelming evidence that the AR-15 could bring more firepower to bear than the M14, the Army opposed the adoption of the new rifle. U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara now had two conflicting views: the ARPA report favoring the AR-15 and the Army's position favoring the M14. Even President Kennedy expressed concern, so McNamara ordered Secretary of

10208-508: The plant is contaminated with cancer-causing chemicals, including carbon tetrachloride , trichloroethylene and dinitrotoluenes. An area known as the Propellant Burning Grounds is the source of a three-mile long plume of contaminated groundwater that has migrated offsite, polluting private drinking water wells in its path and flowing into the Wisconsin River . Since December 2003, dinitrotoluene (DNT) has been found in

10324-402: The previous tests, selecting tests that would favor the M14 and choosing match grade M14s to compete against AR-15s out of the box. At this point, the bureaucratic battle lines were well-defined, with the Army ordnance agencies opposed to the AR-15 and the Air Force and civilian leadership of the Defense Department in favor. In January 1963, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara concluded that

10440-524: The primary by a margin of just 274 votes over Roethe. His chief opponent in the general election was the Progressive Party nominee, former U.S. representative Gardner R. Withrow , but a Democratic candidate, George T. Doherty, was also in the race. In the general election, Stevenson attacked the New Deal of the Roosevelt administration and said that Roosevelt's decision to seek

10556-714: The primary, Carl Neprud, who had recently served as a technical advisor at the Bretton Woods Conference . Stevenson faced intense criticism for voting for a deep cut in farm benefits. Withrow also reiterated old criticisms of Stevenson over his pre-Pearl Harbor isolationist positions. Withrow defeated Stevenson in a close election, taking 41% to Stevenson's 38%. After leaving office, Stevenson returned to his law practice in La ;Crosse. In 1952, he attempted to reclaim his seat in Congress, launching

10672-405: The rear. Instead of connecting or other mechanical parts driving the system, high-pressure gas performs this function, reducing the weight of moving parts and the rifle as a whole. The M16 uses a "straight-line" recoil design, where the recoil spring is located in the stock directly behind the action, and serves the dual function of operating spring and recoil buffer. The stock being in line with

10788-406: The rifle was initially delivered without adequate cleaning kits or instructions because advertising from Colt asserted that the M16's materials made the weapon require little maintenance, leading to a misconception that it was capable of self-cleaning. Furthermore, cleaning was often conducted with improper equipment, such as insect repellent , water, and aircraft fuel, which induced further wear on

10904-400: The slow 1 turn in 14-inch (360 mm) rifling twist rate. However, any pointed lead core bullet will "tumble" after penetration into flesh, because the center of gravity is towards the rear of the bullet. The large wounds observed by soldiers in Vietnam were caused by bullet fragmentation created by a combination of the bullet's velocity and construction. These wounds were so devastating that

11020-497: The soldier to push on; that maybe this would be a comforting feeling to him or something." After modifications, the new redesigned rifle was subsequently adopted as the M16 Rifle: (The M16) was much lighter compared to the M14 it replaced, ultimately allowing soldiers to carry more ammunition. The air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed assault rifle was made of steel, aluminum alloy, and composite plastics, truly cutting-edge for

11136-673: The sole contractor at Badger. Demolition of the Army manufacturing infrastructure began in 2004 and is expected to be complete in 2014. In early 2000, the Sauk County Board of Supervisors acted to establish a locally driven reuse planning process with the assistance of then-U.S. Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin and funds provided by the U.S. Department of Labor , establishing the Badger Reuse Committee (BRC). The 21-member BRC included representatives from neighboring communities, local, state, and federal governments, and

11252-549: The specifications demanded by the M16. Therefore, Olin Mathieson Company provided a high-performance ball propellant . While the Olin WC 846 powder achieved the desired 3,300 ft (1,000 m) per second muzzle velocity, it produced much more fouling, which quickly jammed the M16's action (unless the rifle was cleaned well and often). In March 1965, the Army began to issue the XM16E1 to infantry units. However,

11368-441: The stock was plastic to reduce weight. In 1958, the Army's Combat Developments Experimentation Command ran experiments with small squads in combat situations using the M14, AR-15, and Winchester's Light Weight Military Rifle (WLWMR). The resulting study recommended adopting a lightweight rifle like the AR-15. In response, the Army declared that all rifles and machine guns should use the same ammunition and ordered full production of

11484-463: The summer of 1961, General LeMay was promoted to U.S. Air Force chief of staff and requested 80,000 AR-15s. However, General Maxwell D. Taylor , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , advised President John F. Kennedy that having two different calibers within the military system at the same time would be problematic and the request was rejected. In October 1961, William Godel, a senior man at

11600-416: The threat of a nuclear strike existed. Badger was important to the United States because of its location far from large cities, its water source, small reactivation costs, and the fact that it had the greatest ammunition manufacturing capabilities in the United States; Badger had the capability of producing most of the ammunition necessary for a land war. These qualities of Badger also made it a likely target of

11716-468: The time it took to build the Ball Powder plant at Badger was too long to enable any of the Ball Powder produced there to be used in the Korean War, it was put into storage and eventually used during the Vietnam War. During the Cold War years between the Korean War and the Vietnam War, Badger was held in stand-by status. It was believed that Badger would not be reactivated unless a war was imminent because

11832-459: The time. Designed with full and semi-automatic capabilities, the weapon initially did not respond well to wet and dirty conditions, sometimes even jamming in combat. After a few minor modifications, the weapon gained in popularity among troops on the battlefield. Despite its early failures the M16 proved to be a revolutionary design and stands as the longest continuously serving rifle in US military history. It has been adopted by many US allies and

11948-526: The weapon to various propellant and projectile or barrel length specific pressure behavior. The M16A1 was especially lightweight at 7.9 pounds (3.6 kg) with a loaded 30-round magazine. This was significantly less than the M14 that it replaced at 10.7 pounds (4.9 kg) with a loaded 20-round magazine. It is also lighter when compared to the AKM 's 8.3 pounds (3.8 kg) with a loaded 30-round magazine. The M16A2 weighs 8.8 lb (4.0 kg) loaded with

12064-506: The weapon. As a result, reports of stoppages in combat began to surface. The most severe problem was known as "failure to extract"—the spent cartridge case remained lodged in the chamber after the rifle was fired. Documented accounts of dead U.S. troops found next to disassembled rifles eventually led to a Congressional investigation: We left with 72 men in our platoon and came back with 19. ...Believe it or not, you know what killed most of us? Our own rifle. Practically every one of our dead

12180-629: The world. Total worldwide production of M16s is approximately 8 million, making it the most-produced firearm of its 5.56 mm caliber. The US military has largely replaced the M16 in frontline combat units with a shorter and lighter version, the M4 carbine . In April 2022, the U.S. Army selected the SIG MCX SPEAR as the winner of the Next Generation Squad Weapon Program to replace the M16/M4. The new rifle

12296-604: Was at the same time the head coach of the La ;Crosse Lagers football team. Despite Skemp's standing as a local celebrity, Stevenson prevailed in the primary by nearly a 2-to-1 margin. Earlier in 1934, the Wisconsin Progressive Party had been established, splitting from the Republican Party of Wisconsin . This resulted in a three-way race in the general election for district attorney, with

12412-465: Was deployed for jungle warfare operations during the Vietnam War . In 1969, the M16A1 replaced the M14 rifle to become the US military's standard service rifle. The M16A1 incorporated numerous modifications including a bolt-assist, chrome-plated bore, protective reinforcement around the magazine release, and revised flash hider. In 1983, the US Marine Corps adopted the M16A2 rifle, and

12528-553: Was elected district attorney of Richland County, Wisconsin . After his two year term, Stevenson formed a new law partnership with his former high school teacher A. H. Schubert, following the death of Schubert's previous partner. Initially, Stevenson split his time between an office in Richland Center and another in La Crosse, but Stevenson eventually relocated to La Crosse. In La Crosse, Stevenson resumed his political and civic activities. In 1932, he sought

12644-1027: Was factory adjusted to be parallax-free at 200 yd (183 m). In Delft, the Netherlands Artillerie-Inrichtingen produced a roughly similar 3×25 telescopic sight for the carrying handle mounting interfaces. The M16 elevated iron sight line has a 19.75 in (502 mm) sight radius. As the M16 series rear sight, front sight and sighting in targets designs were modified over time and non-iron sight (optical) aiming devices and new service ammunition were introduced zeroing procedures changed. The standard pre-M16A2 "Daylight Sight System" uses an AR-15-style L-type flip, two aperture rear sight featuring two combat settings: short-range 0 to 300 m (0 to 328 yd) and long-range 300 to 400 m (328 to 437 yd), marked 'L'. The pre-M16A2 "Daylight Sight System" short-range and long-range zeros are 250 and 375 m (273 and 410 yd) with M193 ammunition. The rear sight features

12760-424: Was found with his (M16) torn down next to him where he had been trying to fix it. In February 1967, the improved XM16E1 was standardized as the M16A1. The new rifle had a chrome-plated chamber and bore to eliminate corrosion and stuck cartridges, and other minor modifications. New cleaning kits, powder solvents, and lubricants were also issued. Intensive training programs in weapons cleaning were instituted including

12876-400: Was insufficient to meet the needs of the armed forces and ordered a halt to M14 production. At the time, the AR-15 was the only rifle that could fulfill a requirement of a "universal" infantry weapon for issue to all services. McNamara ordered its adoption, despite receiving reports of several deficiencies, most notably the lack of a chrome-plated chamber. After modifications (most notably,

12992-546: Was known in World War II, began in March 1942. Before the works were built, a 75,000 foot fence was erected around approximately 7,500 acres (30 km) of the 10,500 acres (42 km) acquired by the U.S. Army. When the plant was finished, it contained smokeless powder and rocket grain production facilities, housing for 12,000 construction workers and their families for six months, housing for 4,000-8,000 production workers and their families for

13108-556: Was put into jeopardy. Therefore, Badger was reactivated on January 3, 1966, and Olin Corporation prepared to make what would be millions of pounds of ammunition before propellant production ended in 1975. By September 1966, Badger was producing and shipping oleum, a highly concentrated sulfuric acid, to the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant near Chicago, Illinois , in addition to using it locally. Olin Corporation continued to maintain Badger on stand-by status after

13224-552: Was raised and educated. He graduated from La Crosse Central High School and went on to attend La Crosse Normal School (now University of Wisconsin–La Crosse ), where he graduated in 1912. While attending the normal school, he helped organize the Union Free High School in Holmen, Wisconsin , and after graduating he taught at that school for two years. He subsequently worked as principal of

13340-517: Was reactivated for the Korean War. In 1951, during the Korean War, Olin Industries was awarded the contract to manage Badger; the company continued to operate Badger until 2004. To get the plant into operational shape, Olin replaced machinery, office furniture and supplies, and added building production areas and capabilities such as the Ball Powder plant. At that time, Olin Industries was

13456-465: Was very critical of the M16's general field issue in Vietnam just as grievous design flaws were becoming apparent. He further states that the Shooting Times experienced repeated malfunctions with a test M16 and assumed these would be corrected before military use, but they were not. Many marines and soldiers were so angry with the reliability problems they began writing home and on 26 March 1967,

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