>>94816I've been told the story of the M16's initially single use magazines before, and I've heard it repeated from people I would consider reliable and knowledgeable on the subject, but with some cursory searching online, I've been unable to actually find anything to corroborate it. I've always taken it for granted that it's true, but I suppose the possibility is good that it actually isn't.
There are some myths about the M16 which don't quite die, such as the idea that the gun was made by Mattel (it wasn't), that Mattel made the original plastic furniture (they didn't).
What I could find which would argue against it would be that the original magazines issued in US service didn't tend to behave quite right out of the box, and would consistently be used loaded with just 18 rounds. These magazines had followers made out of aluminum, which you wouldn't see with later designs. This magazine was phased out eventually for a better one with a follower made out of plastic.
