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The True Story Behind the Mattel M16 Rifle

I didnt have many toy guns.
Living in the woods, i got a BB gun and by 8 yrs old had a stevens .410, then a .22 to add then a Weatherby as i got to my teenage years. Shot animals for the table my whole childhood. Mom&Dad were quite well off, but dad was a woodsman and preferred fresh wildlife over the meat market . Longed for a “M16” watching all the 70’s-80’s war movies.
Wasnt 30 till I shot one. Dept of Defense wouldnt take me for my eyesight. Been AR15 obsessed since …
 
Dyno*don said:
As an armorer for an AIT infantry training company at Ft. Lewis (WA) I can honestly attest to the fact that there were in-service M16’s stamped prominently with “Mattel” on the receiver. These were issued every day for live fire training and marksmanship qualifications. These were NOT plastic toys. During my own personal boot camp I personally fired an M16 so stamped. Later, as supply sgt. for my USNG unit, my armorer also had these weapons in our inventory in our arms room.
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If the rumor has it the Mattel only made the fiberglass pieces why would Mattel be stamped on the receiver?
 
bangnburp said:
Good lord, if my parents had only bought me one back then. Alas all I had was a wood stock toy 1903 bolt action.
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I know that gun! I positively coveted that gun as a kid.

And they're still being made! And still available! Although, like everything else these days, at an absolutely eye-watering price. :eek: (Well, what do expect in a world where a 10c bottle of Testor PLA model enamel now costs $2 or more.)

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KillerFord1977 said:
I didnt have many toy guns.
Living in the woods, i got a BB gun and by 8 yrs old had a stevens .410, then a .22 to add then a Weatherby as i got to my teenage years. Shot animals for the table my whole childhood. Mom&Dad were quite well off, but dad was a woodsman and preferred fresh wildlife over the meat market . Longed for a “M16” watching all the 70’s-80’s war movies.
Wasnt 30 till I shot one. Dept of Defense wouldnt take me for my eyesight. Been AR15 obsessed since …
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Our stories are very different. I had a lot of cool toy guns as a kid, but we had no REAL guns in the house, and the only guns I'd ever shot when I went to USAF basic training were .22 bolt action single shots, particularly my Grandfather's Remington 41, which I got to shoot twice a year if I was lucky. I considered myself pretty good with it, and could drill tin cans and glass bottles as far as you could throw them at the trash dump that was our makeshift shooting range. I left for USAF Basic Training one week after I graduated High School, and five weeks later I fired the M16 for the first time. As mentioned above, it was my first centerfire rifle of any kind, but it was also my first time shooting "peep" sights and my first time shooting at 100 yards. (No wonder I didn't qualify!) A few weeks after that, in USAF Small Arms Marksmanship Tech School (still at Lackland), I celebrated my 18th birthday in the dorm's day room, and I have photos to prove it. By that time, we young 753X0 Jedis had pretty much mastered the M16 and the Smith M15, and had fired just about everything in the USAF small arms inventory for familiarity, including the Rem 870 20" combat shotgun (at skeet, no less!), XM148 40mm grenade launcher (how many here have ever even SEEN one of those, much less fired one?), 7.62 match grade (USAFPG) M1 Garands, M1911s, and Ruger Mark I match pistols, and had learned to strip and reassemble them all and do simple repairs and parts replacement. That Christmas (1972), my folks decided that I was now "officially trained" enough to be trusted to own an actual handgun. They got me a Tom Forrest 1911 build-it-yourself kit for $69.95 (which I knew enough to special-order with flat mainspring housing and long trigger) and I was off and running.

That summer of '72, even in the gawdawful San Antonio heat and humidity of Lackland, was one of the Very Best of My Life.
 
My Dad was a member of the National Guard, in Michigan. While he had completed his service we were frequently at the local Armory for various functions. On one occasion while at the Armory the armorer took us into the Armory to show us the new weapon, that lacked a wood stock and pointed out the made by Mattel marked on the stock. I saw it and remember it like it was yesterday. It was not marked on the receiver it was the butt stock. Just saying I saw it.
 
bubbaClyde said:
My Dad was a member of the National Guard, in Michigan. While he had completed his service we were frequently at the local Armory for various functions. On one occasion while at the Armory the armorer took us into the Armory to show us the new weapon, that lacked a wood stock and pointed out the made by Mattel marked on the stock. I saw it and remember it like it was yesterday. It was not marked on the receiver it was the butt stock. Just saying I saw it.
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Okay, HOW was it "marked on the stock"? Was it engraved? Molded into the plastic? Painted on? A sticker?

I don't doubt you saw it. I'm just asking for details on what "it" is. Thanks! ;)
 
rusro said:
I served in the ANG Ang my issue M-16a1 was made by Mattel. And it shot great!
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What unit? What state? I've never heard of ANY USAF or ANG or USAFR unit issuing M16A1s. It was always a mark of "Air Force Pride" that the USAF was the FIRST service to adopt the M16, and "we don't NEED no steenkeeng Forward Assist Assemblies!" ;) :LOL:

Again, I'm not claiming it never happened, I'm just saying I've never heard of it and am asking for more information. ;)
 
Cedric said:
My favorite toy gun was the battery operated M-14: https://www.ebay.com/itm/276245954723?hash=item40518ac0a3:g:0DwAAOSwtZhlfGTG&amdata=enc:AQAIAAAA4BVNJUm1yTMCX6PH/NDcy4x3IbX0YmSnC4JW3LW61U0g3nOIL5kyfJu/YUAW6lgK0Dq+anHxq9OMNprnE8oHmUBEfzM3Gap3cbyXuscaRnznKn0cOT6pDl0gQp1zcwbChCGrSX5AlK9lVCnNxY9z/inATReMDOV+Y9SWkBUgyKN2mgcTz7ddNWPoXtaIli1X5clweMwSsYG08VJAF0J5DdPNOEH+IV5wnUU+0UMAp7W/l0pwij+9cpARwwg6Tr8QG6PUv3+MKUX8//QAQy1AWz4wF98jvHhvvQYnQdtwj8VW|tkp:Bk9SR5i9mNqWYw

Ironically, we had M-14s when I was a cadet. Go figure.
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That was one of my favorites, too.

Thanks for the link. Hadn't been looking for them for a while now--at one point I thought it might be a fun project to get one of those and put a whole working Ruger 10/22 action in it, but never scored one.

That's the nicest one I've ever seen on eBay. Looks like everything still works, which is RARE for those. Usually anything battery-powered, the battery compartment is all icked out with corrosion and crap.
 
Snake45 said:
That was one of my favorites, too.

Thanks for the link. Hadn't been looking for them for a while now--at one point I thought it might be a fun project to get one of those and put a whole working Ruger 10/22 action in it, but never scored one.

That's the nicest one I've ever seen on eBay. Looks like everything still works, which is RARE for those. Usually anything battery-powered, the battery compartment is all icked out with corrosion and crap.
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And at $69 plus change it's a bargain compared to the Marauder.
 
papa said:
Snake45 , yes the one I posted about did have the pull down trigger guard so a roll of caps could be inserted. It also had 8 snap together bullets that you could load into the magazine and by manually pulling back on the slide handle , load a shell into the chamber.

This is what the bullets looked like ---> https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-johnny-eagle-toy-gun-rifle-2088120053
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That sounds like the Johnny Eagle Lieutenant M14. Never had one so I didn't know about the trigger guard/caps deal. Thanks for clearing that up! ;)
 
All I remember it was a circular stamp with "Mattel" in the middle and some other discription all around inside the circular edges, top and bottom. It was located on the lower reciever in front of the trigger assembly. I asked my Drill Sgt and he said it only had to do with the plastic parts of the lower reciever. Hand grip, etc. Saw something on line similar but can't fine it now. Will post if I find it. It might have been something Rambo posted eairlier but I think mine had the City and State inside the circle.
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