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"From Hartford to Vietnam" is available here for preorder:

Or you can find it bundled with "Tiger Stripe: The Vietnam Camouflage Story" on Kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/tiger-stripe?ref=3b3v8y

The Model 703 was an experimental project at Colt which they envisioned being adopted as the M16A2 - although that clearly did not happen. It was essentially an adaptation of an AK-style long stroke gas piston to an AR lower, in response to complaints that the AK was more reliable in Vietnam than the M16. The first prototypes were made circa 1967/68, at the height of doubt over the M16's viability. At least three were made, but it never did go into serial production. Before Colt was able to get the design to the point of submitting it to the Army, the issues with the M16 had been mostly solved.

Thanks to the Institute of Military Technology for allowing me to have access to these prototypes and bring them to you! Check them out at:

http://www.instmiltech.com

Files

Colt's Vietnam Prototype AK/M16 Hybrid: the Model 703 (Ad-free)

"From Hartford to Vietnam" is available here for preorder: https://www.headstamppublishing.com/hartford-to-vietnam Or you can find it bundled with "Tiger Stripe: The Vietnam Camouflage Story" on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/tiger-stripe?ref=3b3v8y The Model 703 was an experimental project at Colt which they envisioned being adopted as the M16A2 - although that clearly did not happen. It was essentially an adaptation of an AK-style long stroke gas piston to an AR lower, in response to complaints that the AK was more reliable in Vietnam than the M16. The first prototypes were made circa 1967/68, at the height of doubt over the M16's viability. At least three were made, but it never did go into serial production. Before Colt was able to get the design to the point of submitting it to the Army, the issues with the M16 had been mostly solved. Thanks to the Institute of Military Technology for allowing me to have access to these prototypes and bring them to you! Check them out at: http://www.instmiltech.com The best firearms reference books: https://www.headstamppublishing.com http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons http://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.forgottenweapons.com

Comments

SomeMI_Guy

My Christmas wish is that PSA announces this as an H&R retro series upper.

luke

ad free?

Dana Arbeit

I would like to see commercial availability of this upper. Is this not essentially what the AR-180/AR-18 did? I remember reading a LA Times article in the late 60s about an Army? study about costs of M16s versus AR-18(potentially the M-18?) that said the AR-18 could be mass produced for substantially less than mass produced M-16s. Oh well, another great "what if" of history. Thanks for bringing an "Unknown Weapon" to light on "Forgotten Weapons".

Guido S

nice. colts original *cough*416

Guido S

a cross 4way selector with the burst is sort of stupid.

luke

The nearly two minutes of ad for the book?

Forgotten Weapons

My standard is that I will leave in promotion for things that I am making myself, but not outside sponsorships and not YouTube ads.

luke

That seems pretty fair, is it listed somewhere on the page and I missed it? If not I feel like it should be known. Thank you for clearing that up keep up the good work

Old n Grey Gunner

Write something up and send it to him snail mail.