Tales of the Gun - Season 1, Episode 28: M-16

Trailer

The M-16 is the most powerful assault rifle ever used in combat. But its significance goes beyond its unrivalled force. And its overwhelming efficiency as a killing machine has put it firmly in the spotlight of the ongoing debate over gun control. Gerald McRaney hosts this fascinating look at the weapon that has become the backbone of countless infantry forces worldwide. Learn of its unique origins as the only military rifle in the 200-year history of the Armory System designed by an outsider. In a rare, archival interview, the inventor, Eugene Stoner, talks about the hurdles he had to overcome to get the Army to try out his gun and the engineering difficulties he solved with its revolutionary design. Then, trace its bizarre evolution a complex and controversial saga of out-dated battle strategies, political infighting and well-meaning but disastrous improvements. From the drawing board to the world's battlefields, this is the explosive history of the deadliest gun ever made.

Genre: Biography, Documentary, History