M16 Assault Rifle in own Backyard!

Swing4TheRing

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Recently I built a new shed foundation along with a shed to sit atop of it so that I have a place to store some man items. We've also been redoing the backyard as it is a city lot and just seems to be filled with broken glass all over it, so we've been hand picking it as we go.

Well today I stumbled across the motherload of glass shards and as I began to dig down and pick them up 1 by 1, I noticed a trash bag. I thought to myself, oh great, someone filled this bag full of bottles and glass and dumbed it here.

As I continued to work my way around the bag to the point of being able to free it, I noticed it still had some weight to it and as I began to dig it out, I peeled back the plastic and my eyes must have popped out of my head.

I saw the butt end of the stock and initially thought it was a toy, but as we worked it out of the dirt, it was heavy duty and like nothing I've seen as a kid. Now I'm clearly not an expert on it, but I thought it was weird that it was clearly marked M16 Assault Rifle by the magazine insertion point.

Anyone confirm if this is legit or not? I did have the police come out and they took it downtown for a closer look with forensics being involved, so who knows... but what a night!
 

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Previous home-owners' ?
Wow! :cool:
If I found that, I would hope that I'd get it back from the police.
Looks like it was all there... with the barrel and forearm..?
Not that it would be safe, or be able to shoot it after being buried,
If it was a "full auto" you won't be seeing it back
Was there any serial numbers on it? or Manufactures name.....Colt ?
 
The markings looks funny. I've never seen an M16 style rifle that said M16 Assault Rifle. They normally have M16-A1 or A2 and the manufacturers name.
 
Volksman's right. In my 21 years in the military, I've never seen one say "assault rifle". And it's cast onto, not stamped into, the receiver. Doesn't look "right" at all. I wonder if it might have been a movie prop type "weapon".

Oh, and you won't see it again, at all. Once it's in police hands it's gone forever. Weapons do not get returned, they get destroyed.
I suggest you never turn in a found weapon , unless you have very good reason to believe it is a crime weapon.

Roger
 
From the photo the corrosion looks like zinc.
Probably a non-lethal stage prop.
 
there is a roll pin in it instead what I believe should be a solid push pin instead.. that would also make me think that it may be a toy and not the real thing
 
there is a roll pin in it instead what I believe should be a solid push pin instead.. that would also make me think that it may be a toy and not the real thing
our rifles, in that position.


If memory serves me, there was a roll pin in that position on or rifles.

Agree with the others though, never saw one with "Assault Rifle" on it!
 
Cool story. Must have been something worth looking into If the cops took it. Toy gun or prop would have likely been given back immediately... who knows though with all the laws and regulations
 
I'm going to say that it's not real. I've been around them for well over forty years and I've never seen a roll mark that says "assault rifle", the trigger pin in the pic is never a roll pin, and there's no pin visible where the hammer pin should be.
If you had better close-ups of the whole side of the receiver I'd bet that I could see other tell-tale signs that it's a prop or non-firing replica.

Still a cool find! It would have got my heart thumping. :yes:
 
I'm going to say that it's not real. I've been around them for well over forty years and I've never seen a roll mark that says "assault rifle", the trigger pin in the pic is never a roll pin, and there's no pin visible where the hammer pin should be.
If you had better close-ups of the whole side of the receiver I'd bet that I could see other tell-tale signs that it's a prop or non-firing replica.

Still a cool find! It would have got my heart thumping. :yes:

There is a push pin on those rifles, towards the rear of the trigger. It allows for the lower trigger guard to drop down and allow for firing the weapon with heavy gloves.

There should be a push pin to the rear of and slightly higher than the selector switch. Pop that and the upper and lower receivers can pivot relative to one another, allowing for the bolt carrier group and the charging handle to be removed.
 
My issue is with carrier handle that thing looks like a knife blade on top. Where is the rear site aperture.
 
There is a push pin on those rifles, towards the rear of the trigger. It allows for the lower trigger guard to drop down and allow for firing the weapon with heavy gloves.
True...on the vintage that that one is supposed to represent, but not on all of them these days. I've got two lower receivers that have oversized trigger guards as part of the forging, so they are not movable or replaceable.

Crusader Trigger Guard.jpg

If there were a picture of the other side of the receiver we could tell if it was a replica of an A1 or A2 by whether or not there is a forward assist.
 
Notice the difference in the roll pin in this pic and the roll pin the second pic of the found item..it has a hole in it and is not made to be removed for cleaning

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Sure is.. I found an old toy pistol many years ago and gave it to a friend's father.. he said he had one like it when he was a kid

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