Evolution of the M16 in Call of Duty

The iconic M16 assault rifle has been in more than a dozen Call of Duty games. Let's take a look back at how it's evolved over the series' history.


The M16 assault rifle is no stranger to the Call of Duty series. In this trip down memory lane, Richie Bracamonte takes you back through COD history to see it’s appearances and variants. From its early appearances in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, to Activision's latest entry Black Ops Cold War, the M16 has been in more than a dozen games.  

Through the decades, the in-game gun has kept up with its real-life counterparts. There have been updates from the base M16 such as the A1 and A4 variants. Although it’s known for accuracy, the M16 was mostly classified as an assault rifle until Black Ops Cold War, where it falls under the Tactical Rifle class. The M16 has gone back and forth between full auto and it’s infamous 3-round-burst firing style. While it makes little difference in COD’s story modes, this detail can change the entire meta of online gameplay. 

Today, the M16 stands tall as one of the most iconic guns in the Call of Duty series. It always features high accuracy, a fast fire rate and slew of attachments that help its range and precision. If you can handle its kick and line up your shots will enough, the M16 will do all the heavy lifting. If you enjoyed this evolution, leave a comment for what you’d like to see next time! 

Guns featured list: https://redventures-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/p/rbracamonte/ERBgHVejdfpAm6mhWKFoyS4BZBBvNE6Am0CstazTXmU7bg?e=GHoK13

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro
00:17 - Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
01:04 - Modern Warfare 2
01:27 - Black Ops 1
01:41 - Black Ops 1 Zombies
02:04 - Modern Warfare 3
02:29 - Black Ops 2
02:45 - Black Ops 2 Zombies
03:02 - Advanced Warfare
03:35 - Black Ops 3 Zombies
03:53 - Modern Warfare Remastered
04:19 - Black Ops 4
04:33 - Black Ops 4 Zombies
05:05 - Call of Duty Mobile
05:25 - Modern Warfare 2 Remastered
06:13 - Black Ops Cold War
07:00 - Black Ops Cold War Zombies