USAF finally phasing out S&W Model 15s.

[Spartan198]

Originally Posted by MT2008

On another note, I thought that the Air Force never adopted the XM16E1 (because they didn't want to pay the extra $$$$ for the forward assist)?

They didn't want to and that was their justification (they did at least agree to accept serrated bolt carriers which prevented the occasional smooth carrier from finding its way in an E1 or A1 and rendering the FA inoperable, though), but it's plausible to think some A1s and a few leftover E1s probably ended up forked off on them as a result of the transition to the A2 in the 80s. After all, those rifles were already paid for and thus not a threat to the F-22 and later F-35 programs. And the units that needed M4s and other more modern rifles likely got them on SOCOM's dime.

Personally, I have a hard time believing that deleting the FA saved any significant amount that wasn't then eaten up by manufacturing a whole separate rifle, but since when has military procurement ever operated on common sense?