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The Assault Rifle or M16 or M16A2 if you really want to be specific is an available Tier 2 weapon in the Assault Rifle category. Created by the fictional "American Armory", it deals 33 damage per shot with the second highest rate of fire out of all the weapons (the highest goes to the SG-552 but not by very much.) It's magazine holds 50 rounds with a reserve of 360 for a total of 7 mags and one underloaded mag of 10 rounds. The M16 has the highest accuracy out of all the assault rifles with it's standing and crouching accuracy being extremely good, only being competed with the SG-552 (because it's just a scoped M16) and the SCAR (due to the three round burst.) It is Bill's preferred weapon (in lore since in gameplay he just picks up any assault rifle) due to it's service in the Vietnam War (not the A2 obviously.) In real life this is a three round burst rifle (more akin to the SCAR) instead of full auto (except on some models.) It's appearance in lore is that it was left behind by the Army and Law Enforcement.

For more simple terms:
In Game Name: Assault Rifle
Real Life Name: M16A2
Manufacturer: American Armory
Tier Type: 2
Damage: 33
DPS: 337.1
Mag Capacity: 50
Reserve Ammo: 360

The M16 is a very controversial weapon in Left 4 Dead 2 due to very shallow reasons in my opinion. The 2 major factors on why it's so controversial are it's stats and it's competition. Let's start of with the stats, the M16 deals 33 damage per bullet which makes it kill a common in 2 hits (sometimes more,) has a high rate of fire, low dps and a fast reload speed. Now that doesn't seem so bad but the AK which is a similar weapon can kill in one hit and has a much lower fire rate (we'll get to the AK, trust me). The M16 is known for running out of ammo constantly if the player using it has an itchy trigger finger and is probably going to run out of ammo when a tank spawns. It's damage are in competition with even the Tier 1 SMGs but in truth, I think it's stats are good already, 2 shots is more than enough and considering that it gibs unlike the SMG makes killing commons much easier. It's accuracy is extremely good with others needing to be crouched in order to achieve said accuracy. It's speed can be used in mowing down hordes fast and suppressing a special infected. With the penetration values in thought, the 2 shot kill can be safely ignored since it can kill fast.

Now for the competition, the M16 (and the rest of the assault rifles in general) have the unfortunate fate of sharing the same category as the AK, a gun known for being extremely powerful. The AK-47 is good yes, but it's stats are so overtuned to the point that it even beats the M60 to the point that comparing other Assault Rifles is basically a death sentence. But what most people don't know is that they all have weaknesses. If the M16's weakness is that it burns through ammo quickly, then the AK's is it's performance on the move. The AK is at it's most effective is if it is crouching where you are the most accurate, it's standing accuracy is serviceable but it's moving accuracy is what brings it down. Although comparable to it's AR brethren, the AK SHOULD NOT be used on the move since most of it's shots are bound to miss unlike it's competitors. The other ARs have weaknesses too: the SCAR's burst fire can lead it to miss and has a long reload animation and the SG-552 shares the same weakness with the M16 (although diluted due to the longer reload speed and fire rate drop when scoped).

A. Extremely Accurate
B. Fast Reload Speed
C. Adapts Easily To Any Situation
D. Generous Ammo Capacity and Reserve
E. Fairly Common
F. Good for Headhunting


A. Lowest Damage out of all the Tier 2s
B. Burns Through Ammo Fast
C. Unreliable on Expert
D. Low DPS

So, now that we are done with those 3, we can now get into some Tactics and Tips with the M16 so you won't always run out of ammo or be defenseless with it at times.

Basic Tips
1: Never Go Full Auto: it's not worth it and you'll run out of ammo fast
2: Carry a Good Side Arm: "Pistols don't win wars, but they save the lives of those who do." - Ahoy on the Beretta 92. Since the M16 runs out of ammo fast, it's recommended to take a good side arm. A Magnum or Melee is a good pick for a sidearm (Dual Pistols ain't
a bad choice either.)
3: Be ammo conscious: never dump mags, save your bullets for another time
4: Rack Up Headshots: if you can't find an SG-552, then use the M16 they're the same except one has a scope.


Burst Fire: The reason to why the M16A2 is burst in real life is because inexperienced troops tended to dump mags on full auto. Firing a burst of 3 to 5 shots is recommended for killing the lone commons while saving ammo. Bursting is also good for ranged operations like killing far commons or sniping a lone smoker. And don't worry, you can go full auto but only during hordes and tanks or in simpler terms "When you have a DAMN good reason" - US Army Ranger training

Save Your Rounds for another time: Less common but more effective strategy is using your secondary for the lone commons and some specials but use the M16 during times of chaos. You won't look cool, but the ammo economy might be glad. This strategy is effective on campaigns that have less ammo piles (Hard Rain comes to mind.)

Use it's Strengths To it's Biggest Advantage: The M16's strengths are valuable to your team, even the ones that some might consider a liability. It's high ROF and fast reload speed makes it effective as a support weapon against a tank where you can use it to deal more damage while your team reloads their slower guns. And don't sleep on that accuracy! Even on the move you are extremely accurate and can kill most things pretty fast. The M16 is the BEST gun for those who prefer a rush playstyle where it's not about racking kills but, taking risks and beating a campaign extremely fast.

The M16 is a jack of all trades weapon in the game where you can clear rooms and snipe a hunter or jockey pretty effortlessly. It will take some finessing with tanks, witches and chargers but it's doable. It's competitors can do the same but requires you to be in specific stances (crouching and others.) In short, the M16 is one of the most adaptable guns in the game with only a couple of downsides but will fit any situation if necessary.

The M16 is not a bad gun (if anything it's one of the best after probably the 4th or 5th), it all depends on how you use it. That notion extends to all the guns in the game where it all depends on the use. It's use as a jack of all trades gun is there but I feel that some won't really see it. It's not the best gun in the game (that goes to the Magnum) but it can be the best for you. So I hope this guide helped you understand the M16's pros, cons and tactics much better. I know this guide probably won't change the minds of some but I hope it helps with someone else. That's all from me, until next time farewell.


Addendum: I can't believe that there are genuine people who really thought this silly guide is good. I honestly thought that this silly guide in defense of the M16 would be seen as dumb but no. Y'all really liked it and honestly THANK YOU SO MUCH! This is my first guide and I'm glad that people really liked it =)