Background[]
The M16A2 is a select-fire rifle adopted by the United States Armed Forces in the early/mid 1980's. It is a developmental improvement of the M16A1 rifle with modifications better suited for modern combat. These improvements made the already well-liked platform more ergonomic, which in turn made it even more popular. The rifle has been almost entirely replaced by more modern adaptations of the AR platform, such as the M4 Carbine or M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle.
Improvements/changes[]
- A new adjustable rear sight to be dialed in for specific range settings between 300 and 800 meters
- Greater barrel thickness in front of the front sight post
- Modified flash suppressor
- Rounded front grip
- Symmetrical handguard
- Tapered handguard retention ring
- Improved and elongated buttstock
- Replaced fully-automatic fire mode with a three round burst mode for ammo conservation and greater accuracy
Jurassic Park[]
The M16A2 makes its only appearance in the first Jurassic Park film in the hands of Jurassic Park staff during the opening transfer sequence of The Big One. Considering the time the sequence takes place in relation to the adoption of the rifle, it is very likely that these rifles were purchased brand-new by InGen, most likely for general security purposes against either humans or small to medium sized dinosaurs. Considering the size and maneuverability of some species of dinosaurs kept of Isla Nublar, the rifle and it's intermediate cartridge may have proven ill-suited against larger or faster opponents. This may have been taken into account, however, as InGen also kept semi-automatic shotguns onsite, most likely loaded with buckshot or slugs.