Interesting tid-bit on AR's

[AzRednek]

I assume most of you have heard the "gee it's swell it must be a Mattel" when speaking jokingly of the AR or M-16. I assume the phrase came from 60's Vietnam Nam young soldiers that grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons and Mattel commercials. . 

According to a die hard and I do mean die hard AR, M-16 collector and Class 3 dealer. After Colt bought rights from Armalite and being pressed to fill govt orders. Colt contracted with Mattel to manufacture the very early AR style handguards. According to my gun club member the Mattel handguards are rarer than rare as most were sent overseas. One must remove the handguards to see the very tiny Mattel insignia but according to the collector the easiest way to tell are the Mattel guard's interior are marked R and L. He went on to further explain Colt did not like Mattel's design and started building their own or contracting elsewhere. Something about the internal metal heat deflectors not having drain or ventilation holes on the bottom but did have the holes in the plastic portion. 

The collector brought in about 20 for the show n tell portion of our meeting. His buddy said it was less than half of his AR collection. The first one displayed was the early model adopted by Gen Curtis Lemay for the US Air Force. It was pre M-16 designation still referred to as AR-15. It did not have the forward assist. He claimed pressure from Army and Navy brass on the then Secretary of Defense Robt McNamara to insist the forward assist be added. The early model he showed us did not have the chromed chamber and the bolt carrier appeared to have been treated with black oxide or parkerized. It also did not have the hollowed out buttstock or butt plate door. Hard to belive that the AR design was supposed to be self cleaning. The rifles were not issued with cleaning kits as it was believed to be unnecessary. 

The collection was very interesting. The collector inherited his father's collection and class three business that started up in the late 50's. He also has a very unique collection of BAR's both US and post war FN models that I'd give my right nut for. He also mentioned selling off his last two serial numbered and NFA legal AR-15 auto sears. Claimed he got $10,200 each for just the part alone. He also has a small shop that's strictly mil-surp weapons. He does not have any NFA guns there but probably has an example of every 20th Century bolt action. His shop was broken into about a year From what I was told the thieves (likely illegals) only managed to get a few thousand rds of ammo. Haven't seen it since but have been told he really thinned out what he keeps there. My last visit he was pushing US Enfields and had at least 25 displayed telling me and my blind bud "plenty more where they came from". 

[ken98k]

To the best of my knowledge, Mattel never made rifles or part for m16 rifles.

M16s were occasionally called mattel rifles due to their similar looks to a toy mattel made in the 1960s.

[AzRednek]

Ken, I've never seen the Mattel mfd handguards but the collector telling us was very knowledgeable of the early AR's and M-16's. I'm just speculating but when Colt got the govt contract. I doubt if they had any manufacting tooling in place to work with anything plastic and likely outsourced it. 

[ken98k]

I'd have to to see one to believe it. 

[ken98k]

Also, I was just thinking about this and remembered that the handguards were not plastic at all, they were fiberglass!

[AzRednek]

Ken I did some net surfing looking for a picture or anything that might say yes or no. Best photo I found was obviously a Photo shopped receiver with a bold Mattel logo on the receiver. Found several claims of actually handling a Nam M-16 with Mattel stamped butt stocks. A bunch of double talk on Snopes. One paragraph confirming the Mattel hand guards and other paragraphs denying it. It's probably out there somewhere on the net saying T or F but with all the BS on the net. Like you, I now want to see it with my own eyes. 

Hopefully next time I see the collector I only know through the Arizona Arms assoc. If he's right he may have or know a way to document it one way or another. He did claim to have a connection with Colt's factory. His father worked briefly for Colt before they made the AR's. Can't recall either an uncle or cousin that worked for Colt until he retired in the 70's. I honestly don't believe I'll ever find it on the net. Way to many net experts with first hand knowledge that really don't know Jack other than what they read or were told by another so-called expert. 

My friend that was blinded in Nam can't recall ever seeing the Mattel logo. He arrived in Nam with a M-14 and a few weeks later his company were issued M-16's. He claimed he heard guys saying the "gee its swell" right away. He claimed they were told the 16's were self cleaning and his company also turned in their M-14 cleaning kits. If I not mistaken, he told me the only maintenance they were told to do. Was just an occasional drop of oil in the two holes in the bolt assy but only a single drop in each hole.

My bud claimed at first he was disappointed not being issued the new light weight rifle. Off subject (again) he carried what I think was named M-79, a rocket launcher he described operating like a single shot shotgun. Told me unlike the rest lacking confidence with their new M-16's. Said he had defensive rounds that launched a large charge of buckshot. Told me of getting his ass chewed by what he called a punk 90 day wonder for carrying more than two of the buck shot rounds and carrying his 45 with a round in the chamber. 

Anyhow as I do to often and wonder off subject. Guess we can agree to disagree until I find out if the Mattel hand guard is fact or myth. 

[ken98k]

Here's the only Mattel m-16 I've ever seen.

I have heard of builders engraving Mattel onto their rifles as a joke. My guess this only adds to the the legend.