In 1965 when the US intervened in San Domingo, military observers noted that the paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne were armed with a completely new gun made of light alloy and plastic. This was the M 16, a weapon developed by an aeronautical engineer based on the design of Eugene Stoner. It was subsequently used in Vietnam and it was there that it became world renowned. With a number of adaptations, more than ten million M 16s have been produced and it is in service in at least 80 countries. Packed with more than 200 full colour images and 200 black and white photos, this book is a comprehensive history of the development of this key weapon. It shows every conceivable version, variant and accessory of the weapon and even includes versions made under licence by other manufacturers.