Heck, we did that with the curved ones too. When they let us! Training only, mind you. I've never heard a shot fired in anger (the marines that shot at us at Camp Roberts were in a good mood).

The curved magazines didn't function well at all in Vietnam. Follower got rusty, plus the ammo itself got all cruddy and the more that was in there, the worse. For that matter, it's considered wise in most of those long magazines NOT to charge them fully (spring gets weak, then you got mis-feeds). Nor did the whole Mattel-toy function well, which is why the foreward assist got added (among other changes.) Late in the day (80's, for me) you get more changes for such niceities as left-handed shooters (gotten a burn myself from ejected cases).

But the triangular forestock and long barrel jump out to anyone who has carried a '16 in peacetime or in war. It just ain't the same beast without those details. And you can see that open flash supressor in many of the pics and many good movies, as well (including, of course, ones that should have had the newer one...)

Message edited on: 09/12/2004 13:54