The Black Rifle: M16 Retrospective (Modern US Military Small Arms Series- Volume Three) (Hardcover)

~ R.Blake Stevens (Author), Edward C. Ezell (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

At the time of this writing, the 5.56mm NATO M16A2 rifle is heir to world wide acceptance after a quarter-century of US service, longer than any other US rifle in this century except the 1903 bolt-action Springfield. Its history has been far from one of calm acceptance. 416 pages, 441 illustrations and photos; printed endpapers, & deluxe hardcover with dust jacket.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Collector Grade Publications,Canada; 2nd edition (December 1992)
• ISBN-10: 0889351155
• ISBN-13: 978-0889351158
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #737,255 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Detailed account of the development of the M16 family, February 1, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Black Rifle: M16 Retrospective (Hardcover)

A truly detailed account of the development of the M16 family of weapons. This book answers the who, what, when, why, and how going into detailed descriptions not only of the mechanics, but the politics, and personalities as well. A very authoritative, interesting piece of work. The only downfall in my opinion is that at times it was just a little dry. (When going into the minute details of some of the tests I wasn't particularly interested in.)Engineers may well have found it very interesting. Colt currently trains police department armorers on the AR15/M16 family of weapons. The instructor for that course could enhance his knowledge tenfold by reading this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very technical book that tells the story, March 17, 2003

By	Kyle Lassiter "Therapist and Life Coach" (Colorado, United States) - See all my reviews

Mr. Steven's book tells the story of how this rifle was adopted and he goes into great detail. If you are uninterested in this level of detail perhaps this isn't the book for you. But for the enthusiast this is a four or five star book. It really depends on your level of interest.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book - but Amazon's price is outrageous, July 22, 2007

By	William Bradford (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This is definitely a book to have if you own an AR15-type rifle, but why is Amazon's listed price almost forty dollars more than the list price direct from the publisher?