Mistake in the US Army Fact File for the M16?!!!

[Spartan198]

Accuracy is enhanced by incorporating an improved muzzle compensator, three-round burst control, and a heavier barrel; and by using the heavier NATO-standard ammunition, which is also fired by the squad automatic weapon. The M-16A3 is identical to the M-16A2 but has a removable carrying handle that is mounted on a Picatinny Rail (for better mounting of optics) and is without burst control. The M-16A4 is identical to the M-16A2 except for the removable carrying handle and Picatinny Rail.
http://www.army.mil/factfiles/equipment/individual/m16.html

Now, first off, I have no idea if this is really an official US Army document or not, but if it is, I'm shocked that it they'd make a mistake like that. The majority of sources I've seen on the M16A3 states that it's fully automatic but otherwise identical (including the fixed carry handle) to the A2.

[Gunmaster45]

Wow, epic fail. I don't think that is a legitamite site.

[MT2008]

Wow, epic fail. I don't think that is a legitamite site.

Army.mil is the U.S. Army's official site.

[Gunmaster45]

Then the guys who made that page weren't legit (maybe the site admins. aren't up on their firearms, we should message them). I looked at the page so quickly, I didn't even check that, duh, it was made by the US Army :eek:

[AdAstra2009]

world.guns.ru also makes the same mistake about the M16A3.

http://world.guns.ru/assault/as18-e.htm

[Gunmaster45]

At least IMFDb doesn't. :D

[Spartan198]

It also cracks me up how most of the men/women in pics holding weapons on the thing are Marines, not soldiers... :eek:

[AdAstra2009]

Someone should also send an Email of correction to world guns.

Does anyone have a source that the M16A3 is simply the M16A2 with full auto?

[Excalibur]

There doesnt seem to be a direct contact information for the website itself

[Spartan198]

I found a "contact us" link at the bottom of the page and sent them the following email.
Hello,

I'm contacting you in response to a possible mistake in the fact file page for the M16 rifle.

It states that "the M-16A3 is identical to the M-16A2 but has a removable carrying handle that is mounted on a Picatinny Rail (for better mounting of optics) and is without burst control".

Now, I'm not in the Army, but I'm a fan of the AR-15/M16 family and just about everything I've read and seen about the A3 model has told me that it has the same fixed carry handle as the A2, not the removable one of the M4/M4A1 and M16A4.

I don't have any official photographs or documentation to prove my claim, but I humbly request that you seek confirmation from the Army in an effort to clear up any confusion and correct any possible mistakes in this excellent article.

Thank you.
I'll let you guys know how they respond (that is, *if* they respond...).

[Excalibur]

When I clicked on the contact us part, it lead me to a recruitment page

[Spartan198]

I clicked on "contact us", then scrolled down to the bottom of the page to "I am having a problem or issue that is not listed above".