What are the M16A1 pistol grip holes for?

roybme

January 17, 2010 10:30

There is a small hole molded partially through the bottom front of each side of USGI M16A1 pistol grip. It looks as if it might take some kind of sling arrangement, but I have never see it used for anything, and of course it was discontinued in the A2. Anybody know what might have been the original purpose of this configuration?

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  mark christian

  January 17, 2010 11:27

  As originally designed by Armalite, the AR-15 used to pistol grip as an attachment point for the sling, there was no sling swivel on the butt stock. When Colt bought the rights to the rifle and began production as the Model 01 their first few rifles also used the same sling attachment point. When the AR-15 was submitted for military trials Uncle Sam did not like the pistol grip as the attachment point for the sling and insisted that a conventional swivel be added to the butt stock, which Colt did. The original AR-15 pistol grip design remained in use for many years after the sling swivel was added to the butt stock, but the swivel was not used or installed with the pistol grip after around 1960.

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