M16A4 Magazine Loader And Accessories 

How do you choose an M16A4 mag charger for your ammo? What kind of accessories should you pick for the M16A4 in general? 

Is the M16A4 is as hard to maintain as they say? 

In general, a lot of things, both good and bad, has been said about M16 rifles, making them very controversial and yet, highly desirable by collectors, firearm connoisseurs and people deeply interested in the military history of the United States. 

Before we talk about why choosing an M16A4 mag speed loader and other materials is not as complicated as it sounds, let’s go through the most controversial facts about the M16A4 and M16s in general.  

The M16A4 gets dirty really fast

 One of the most common complaints about the M16A4 (as well as M16, M16A1, M16A2, M16A3) is that it’s far from the “perfect in any climate” rifle. Since it consists of several complicated parts, those parts lose their ability to function as soon as they come in contact with a little bit of dust or dirt. That vulnerability caused numerous deaths during the Vietnam War, when first M16 models were introduced to the American troops. 

People keep repeating that fact over and over, yet they omit several things: 

• Any rifle would be ruined if it’s not cleaned. You won’t find a rifle that wouldn’t lose its combat efficiency after a heavy rain or a sandstorm. The AK-47 was praised as a rifle that would remain deadly even when after years of lying in dust in rubble. Of course, people who said that, have never held or cleaned a rifle in their lives. So, the M16A4 being demanding in terms of cleaning and maintenance is nothing new. 
• The first M16s were pushed as “self-cleaning”. It’s not really known who started the rumor but at some point of introducing M16s to the troops, it was stated that this model doesn’t require maintenance and cleans itself. Maybe it was done because cleaning supplies were limited and someone in the team was afraid that M16s would be ultimately rejected due to their complexity. 
• Troops didn’t know how to take care of their rifles. The condition of the rifles found lying next to the killed soldiers was astonishingly bad. Such damage is caused not by a single patch of dirt but by weeks of neglect. As the investigation went on, it turned out that the American troops were simply not trained to clean their rifles. 

The M16A4 gets jammed all the time 

To continue with the “vulnerable to dirt” topic, it’s believed that a little bit of dirt is enough to get the M16A4 jammed, rendering it useless just when you need it most. 

It’s weird then that such a rifle is given out to spec ops and SWAT teams, isn’t it? 

Of course, once again, we have to remember about maintenance. The discipline of cleaning the M16A4 and taking care of it is firmly ingrained into each fighter’s mentality. It’s the weapon they rely on during various operations — how can they not maintain it properly? 

Naturally, there is some truth to the ‘jamming’ statement. Since M16A4 is designed to launch powder gasses into action almost immediately, its bolt area pays the price, getting covered with soot that then comes in contact with the lubricant and turns into a black goo. When operative have to work in the desert areas that have a lot of send and dust, it adds to this problem. Therefore, increased maintenance is the only way to keep the M16A4 battle-ready. This something all professionals know and accept. 

So, what can we say about these flaws? Before you start selecting a proper M16A4 speedloader and accessories, build a good cleaning kit, and keep a manual on cleaning M16A4 close at hand. 

What makes the M16A4 special? 

The M16A4 was officially introduced to the arsenal of the United States military in 1994. Compared to the M16A2, it got a collapsible buttstock and a Picatinny receiver mount for attaching various optics or devices meant to improve the user’s aiming . 

In contrast to other models, the M16A4 offered more configuration flexibility, allowing the soldiers to combine it with different accessories and increase its efficiency. Therefore, the M16A4 became used on the wider range of missions and got really popular in military. 

How to compare an M16A4 speed loader with other mag loaders?

We have already discussed the importance of building a good cleaning kit for your M16A4. But what about M16A4 mag loader boards and other accessories? 

• Like any rifle, the M16A4 benefits a lot from good magazines. Many M16A4 users prefer to use mags from military surplus but those are enough to cover basic necessities and not really handy for the long-time use. It’s suggested to look for 30-rounders that allow shooting from the cover or the prone position. Straight 20-round mags also go well with M16A4 and M16s in general, but they’re harder to find nowadays.    
• As for magazine loaders, mind that there is no such thing as a M16A4 mag charger that was developed specifically for the M16A4, ammo, crevices and all. However, the market offers a huge assortment of accessories that are compatible with all AR and M16 models, including the M16A4 — from mag loader boards to pump-action loaders. Compared to the latter, mag loader boards provide to be a better option for a M16A4 loader because you can use one loader board with all supported weapons. 

In the end, your choice of an M16A4 speedloader depends on your needs and the calibers you use. If you want to learn more about the preferences of rifle owners, you can check out M16A4 mag loader video reviews. They are widely available on YouTube, Instagram, and other sources that bring firearm fans together.