Frag Out! Magazine
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non-AR platforms often mimic his solutions. Despite the 20-inch barrel, the base M16A1 is incredibly light, well-bal- anced, and highly accurate for a ser- vice rifle. It deserves a spot in your safe.. Availability: The Export M16s Several years ago, a large batch of M16 rifles hit Polish comemrcial market, likely sourced from Malaysia (some claimed Israel). These were predominantly from the "9 million se- ries," manufactured by Colt through- out the 1970s for export under FMS. Crucially, the magazine wells lacked the "Property of US Government" en- graving. Side Note: "Proper" US Government -marked M16s are nearly impossible to obtain, as they were neither export- ed nor sold commercially; they are re- portedly destroyed after service. The few that enter the civilian market are heavily used war trophies—collector gold that commands astronomical prices. The initial shipment into Poland was huge; you can still find the last piec- es available for sale. These rifles are externally hammered—sometimes "refurbished" with sloppy black paint. Legit M16A1s were not black! If it was regular paint, no problem; but some were "restored" with electro- coating, covering the interior of the upper and lower receiver, and even, unbelievably, the chamber. Whoever did that should never touch a firearm again. Early buyers had their pick, finding unused "mint condition" rifles—likely stored inventory. I bought one such rifle. It's a safe queen, almost too nice to shoot. That's why... wait for it. The majority were heavily used ex- ternally, but internally—BCGs, and bores—were nearly pristine. Rumor suggests they came from guard units: carried much, shot little. As the better ones sold (dozens became awesome XM177E1 clones), the price of the remaining, rougher rifles held firm. Then, in May 2025, a new shipment of roughly 600 M16s arrived from Malaysia, also allegedly from guard units. No mint rifles this time, but many were minimally used—like the one pictured. Many more were heav- ily worn, dinged, and scraped. Half were "junkers," but again, only exter- nally. Internally, the triggers, safeties, and barrels all looked excellent. I used the importer's courtesy to select a rifle. I now own a second M16. The first will become a pre- served safe queen. The second, in slightly rougher condition, will be a shooter and a project gun. I plan to turn it into an early M16, eventual- ly equipped with an M203 grenade launcher—maybe even a non-airsoft, single-shot 12-gauge version of the M203. We shall see. Regardless of condition, the rifles cost around $1,000. Each includes an original, practically new Colt bayonet (no sheath) and a plastic 30-round magazine. Out of 300 rifles we inspected: 10% were in the condition I bought; 40% were used but decent, with minor plastic damage; the remaining 50% were heavily worn or "junker" status— but that's only external appearance. These rough ones can be revitalized, a topic for another story. Collector Note: A few beat-up exam- ples had unique markings: the Colt logo and M16 stamping were closer to the middle of the magwell, with the 'A1' stamped vertically. One was stamped "AR15 Colt 713"—a rare find, though the rifle was extremely worn. FIREARMS