The Roles and Weapons with the Squad

[Ken White]

http://www.thegunzone.com/556dw.html

This particular item:

General Wheeler recommends:

1. In FY 1964, procure between 50,000 and 100,000 AR-15 rifles and use them to equip Air Assault, Special Forces, and Airborne units;

is very close to my recollection of the Recommendation that 82d Abn Div sent to DA. Only difference was the number of AR-15s to buy was 50K, period and they would be for special purpose units (type not specified) and the recommendation was to retain the M-14 in a shortened and lightened version for airborne units.

H&R and Springfield both made variants as the M14E1. This is an early one, the later models had an 18" or so barrel.