The M231 Port Firing Weapon,During the 1970’s the US Army decided that it was about time for t
The M231 Port Firing Weapon,During the 1970’s the US Army decided that it was about time for the creation and adoption of a dedicated port firing weapon. Such a weapon could be mounted on special firing ports to fend off infantry assaults in close quarters. Originally crews of armored vehicles and mechanized infantry were issued World War II vintage M3 submachine guns, however the Army needed something newer and better. In 1974 Colt introduced a variant of the M-16 assault rifle called the XM231. The Army was impressed with the design, and gave Colt the go ahead to improve and perfect the weapon, which was adopted in 1979 as the M231 port firing weapon.The M231 was specifically made to be operated within the tight confines of a vehicle. It has no stock in the traditional sense, merely a buffer tube. Early examples featured a telescoping wire stock, but this feature was discontinued to discourage its use in lieu of standard issue rifles. Officially the Army mandated the M231 not be removed from the vehicle unless in an emergency. Its barrel is only 15.6 inches long and features a screw type locking mechanism to fasten it in place in a firing port. The M231 fires in fully automatic only. Original models had a lower firing rate of 200 rounds per minute to prevent overheating and conserve its 30 round magazine, however later models discontinued this feature, allowing it to fire around 1,100 - 1,200 rounds per minute. The M231 was first issued to crews of the M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle. Today Bradleys are still issued the M231 despite the fact that the firing ports on the vehicle have been reduced to two, located at the rear door of the vehicle. Regardless they are still commonly issued for emergency use and as handy self defense weapons. -- source link
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