M14E2/M14A1 nonclementure

[Spartan198]

I don't buy it being confusing as a reason. Without going into an extensive list (though I can and will, if you want ), the same designation has often been applied to multiple different often unrelated pieces of equipment, be they weapons or whatever, used concurrently over the decades. For example, the M1 designation referred to a helmet, a rifle, a carbine, a simplified Thompson SMG variant, an 81mm mortar, a 57mm towed artillery piece, a 120mm anti-aircraft gun system, a flamethrower, a bazooka, and Athena knows what else. It wouldn't surprise me if the Army probably considered calling its members "M1 soldiers" at one point. Crap, looks like I went into that list after all. You're welcome. The practice continues even today, though not on as extensive a scale.

So I have a hard time believing that, in this one instance, any officials became confused between the M14A1 and M16A1 rifles.

There was also the M14 mine, the M14 grenade, the M16 and M16A1 mines, the M16 VADS, the M18 mine, the M18 grenade... Do I need to go on? Would you like me to go on? Being physically disabled means I tend to have a lot of free time.