Flat top M16 in 1967? (not the Model 656)
 

Was looking into the weapons used by SOG after a discussion with someone about the latest CoD and after seeing a mention (but no shown proof) of a flat top M16-based sniper rifle with an M84 scope from an M1 Garand sniper rifle being used during one single operation in early 1967, I did some looking around and found this picture.

https://i.imgur.com/yCPU7Vp.jpg

It certainly matches the description I read. Anyone know anything about this particular rifle?

I don't think that this is a flat top as you can just about make out the front vertical post of the carry handle. To me it looks more like the scope is mounted offset on the left side of the carry handle. The detail is too low to be sure, but my suspicion would be that somebody has used the mount for a Starlight night vision sight and put a normal telescopic sight on it.

On a 2nd look, I don't think it is a Starlight mount as I think you can see through the hole in the carry handle where the clamp would be. I think the scope is off of an M1C so is probably a bodged version of that offset mount.

I also found this image that I believe may be the exact same guy and gun:
https://i.redd.it/b2vd8qehfw301.jpg
The description on the source reads "Sergeant First Class J.D. Bath takes aim with his flattop M16 atop SOG's Leghorn outpost." I don't think it is necessarily a flat top mod though, as at the very least you can see it has a rear sight which the scope is offset on the left side of. It is hard to tell if the rest of the handle is there as it is in line with the scope body, but as on the first image you can see the front of the carry handle and on this you can see the rear, I think it is a safe assumption that it is still there.

My guess would be that the mount has been bodged around an intact carry handle, either to keep from having to modify the gun irreparably or to keep the existing irons as a 2nd set of sights.

Have you seen this Arfcom topic yet: https://www.ar15.com/forums/ar-15/Co...r_/118-250684/

No, I hadn't. Thanks for pointing it out to me.

That's interesting about the 655 being a carbine, considering the 655 image we have here clearly isn't one.

http://www.imfdb.org/images/3/37/Colt_model_655.jpg

Pretty sure the person claiming the 655 was a carbine rather than a sniper is wrong. Their description of the "655 carbine" seems to match the 651. Lots of other places list the 655 as this sniper variant, including "The Black Rifle" book by R. Blake Stevens.