Liberal Forum

Huey » 17 Aug 2026, 8:37 am » wrote: ↑

17 Aug 2026, 8:37 am

I Overview
The M16 rifle has a cyclic rate of fire between 700 and 950 rounds per minute, depending on the specific model and variant. [1, 2]


Rates of Fire Breakdown

• Cyclic Rate: 700 to 950 rounds per minute (the maximum speed it can cycle mechanically). [1]

• Semi-Automatic: 45 to 60 rounds per minute. [1]

• Sustained Rate: 12 to 15 rounds per minute (the safe rate to prevent overheating during continuous use). [1, 2, 3]

• Burst/Automatic Variant Differences:
  • M16A1: Fully automatic at roughly 700–800 rounds per minute.
  • M16A2 / M16A3: 3-round burst or full auto with a cyclic rate of 700–900 rounds per minute.
  • M16A4: 3-round burst with a cyclic rate around 700–950 rounds per minute. [1, 2, 3, 4]

AI

A standard civilian AR-15 is a semi-automatic rifle that fires one bullet per pull of the trigger. Its practical rapid-fire rate is about 45 to 60 rounds per minute (roughly 1 round per second depending on how fast the operator pulls the trigger), while its safe sustained rate for continuous use is 12 to 15 rounds per minute