Born on the 4th of July

The intriguing story of the M16.

- Philip Schreier, Senior Curator, Nra Museums

Richard Boutelle (1898-1962) was a patriot.

He really didn't have a choice in the matter; he was born on the Fourth of July just days after Colonel Theodore Roosevelt had ascended to the summit of San Juan Hill in Cuba. As president of Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation and a World War II veteran, Boutelle hosted a yearly Fourth of July/birthday party at his estate in Hagerstown, Maryland.

As an ardent sportsman and shooting enthusiast, his Fourth of July parties were well known for their lavishness, celebrity attendees, and the time and ammo that was expended on his outdoor shooting range prior to a grand fireworks display at nightfall.

At the Fourth of July party held in 1960, the guests were honored to have in attendance the Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, General Curtis LeMay (1906 – 1990). Also in attendance that day was Eugene Stoner (1922-1997), a World War II USMC veteran, arms designer and engineer form ArmaLite Corporation, a division of Fairchild in Hollywood, California.

Boutelle introduced Stoner to LeMay, and the rest, as some are fond of saying, is history.

AR-15 SURGE

Stoner demonstrated and explained the features of his AR-15 rifle and let LeMay, an avid shooter himself, try a few magazines to see how he liked it. He didn't like it—he LOVED it.

LeMay was, to say the least, overtly enthusiastic about the rifle. It was just the type of gun the Air Force was looking for. Air Force security details wanted a lightweight rifle, and the M2 carbine was considered too underpowered to do the job. The M14, adopted in 1957, was far too heavy, officials thought. LeMay went head-over-heels for the futuristic looking, half plastic/fiberglass, half metal rifle that weighed almost 4 pounds less than an M14. It looked like it came straight from a Buck Rogers sci-fi film.