H&R M16A1 Review: Retro Done Right

Helmet? Check. Lucky Strikes? Check. Ammo? Check. M16A1? Definitely Check.

Unless you clicked on this article by accident, you have been bitten by the retro bug or are retro-curious at the very least.

You are in luck, because today I hope to satisfy that burning question for all you Vietnam-era firearm enthusiasts — Is the Harrington & Richardson M16A1 reproduction any good?

 So strap in, show me your war face, and get ready as we dive into what makes this an awesome throwback gun.

Harrington & Richardson M16 Rifles

$1099

at Palmetto State Armory

Prices accurate at time of writing

$1099 at Palmetto State Armory

H&R M16A1 Specs & Features

Specs

• Caliber: 5.56 NATO
• Action: Semi-Auto, Direct-Impingement
• Capacity: 30
• Barrel Length: 20"
• Overall Length: 38.75"
• Twist Rate: 1:7 or 1:12
• Weight: 6.7 lbs
• Comes With: (1) H&R 30rd aluminum magazine, gun lock, owner’s manual

Features

• 4150 chrome moly vanadium steel barrel w/parkerized finish, chrome-lined
• Rifle-length gas system
• M16A1-style furniture with handguard heat shields
• 7075-T6 aluminum A1 upper and lower receivers

H&R M16A1 Backstory

The original Harrington & Richardson company was founded way back in 1871. In addition to numerous civilian firearms, they produced various military firearms, including M1 Garands, FALs, M14s, and 60s and 70s-era M16s.

H&R went defunct in 1986 and was promptly relaunched in 1991 as a new company called H&R 1871. The brand was eventually purchased by Marlin in 2000, followed by Remington in 2007. Following Remington’s bankruptcy in 2020, the brand was acquired by Palmetto State Armory’s parent holding company.

NoDak Spud founder Mike Wetteland was named CEO of H&R. NoDak Spud was well known for making specialized receivers for firearms, especially retro ones. With PSA’s production capacity and Wetteland’s knowledge, H&R launched their initial lineup of retro rifles, including the M16A1, in 2023.

Shooting the H&R M16A1: Accuracy & Reliability Analysis

What is better than a cool ass retro gun? A cool ass retro gun that runs well and shoots well. Luckily, the H&R M16A1 does both of those with relative ease.

Accuracy

I am not the world’s best shooter with iron sights, and being a 60s-era gun, the M16A1 isn’t free-floated. Given those variables, I wasn’t sure what to expect.

I ran a target out to 100 yards and threw on a 2x2” square of black tape on the target so that I’d have something to aim at. With the rifle resting on a set of Caldwell Deadshoot shooting bags, I got to work shooting some 5-shot groups.

To keep things real, these groups were shot in Vietnam (Texas) weather conditions. It was 95 degrees with 80% humidity and a 10-15 mph crosswind.

Since I wasn’t expecting much, the results were genuinely surprising. Take a look at the average group sizes below:

• Hornady Black 75gr BTHP: 1.64 MOA
• Hornady Black 62gr FMJ: 2.32 MOA
• Federal XM193 55gr FMJ: 2.55 MOA
• Federal M855 62gr Green Tip: 3.7 MOA
• AAC 55gr FMJ: 2.59 MOA

Are you kidding me? 1.6 MOA on a sub-optimal target with an M16A1? I honestly thought that was beyond my capability.

What is even crazier is that if you take away the flyer, I had 4 shots with the 75-grain ammo in about three-quarters of an inch. I’d say that is close enough for CIA, I mean government, work.

But speaking of flyers, I seemed to get exactly one bad flyer with almost every type of ammo. Not sure if this was me, the heat, the thin barrel profile, or all of the above.

Another thing to note was that there was a pretty noticeable point of impact shift when swapping between ammo types. I strongly recommend zeroing this rifle with the ammo you plan to shoot the most.

Outside of the green tip, which shoots like crap in every gun, the accuracy was good to great in my book. You could probably squeeze more accuracy out with an optic, but c’mon…most people will and should be running this gun with irons.

The guns are available with the original 1:12 barrel twist rate and the more modern 1:7 twist rate. For the love of god, do not buy the 1:12 twist unless you are a crazy purist. A 1:7 twist allows the gun to stabilize a much wider range of ammo, like the 75-grain Hornady Black.

Reliability

I ran a total of 600 rounds through this rifle. The majority of the ammo shot through this rifle was the AAC 55-grain FMJ stuff, with the other rounds used exclusively for accuracy testing.

Seven different magazine types were used to check for compatibility, all of which are listed below:

• H&R 30rd aluminum (OEM)
• OKAY Industries Surefeed 30rd
• Magpul PMAG Gen2 30rd
• Hexmag Series 2 30rd
• Daniel Defense 32rd
• Lancer L5 30rd
• Duramag steel straight 20rd

During testing, I only suffered a single stoppage. One round didn’t get picked up by the BCG when using the Daniel Defense magazine and AAC ammo. Every other time that magazine and ammo combo was used, it ran flawlessly.

Ergonomics: Fit & Feel

First off, this rifle is very faithful to the original M16A1.

The lower receiver is an actual A1 receiver, and not a disguised A2 receiver. The upper features the correct tear-drop forward assist and proper lack of a shell deflector. Even the H&R rollmark is era-correct.

M16A1 aesthetics are absolutely unmatched in my opinion. But all of that drip does come with some drawbacks.

I like the triangle handguard, but it isn’t the most ergonomic shape. The military switched away from it for a reason.

What they shouldn’t have switched was the stock. The original A1-length stock on this gun is far superior to the longer A2 stock, in my opinion. I also greatly prefer the A1 grip without the stupid nub over the A2 grip.

But my biggest complaint with the gun actually stems from the furniture. Not how it works, but the quality.

Sure, the original M16A1s were called “Mattel rifles,” but I’ve handled original GI furniture, and this stuff on the H&R feels like actual toy material compared to it.

The simple A1 sighting system is relatively easy to adjust, and the circle and aperture front sight has long been regarded as one of the best iron sights setups ever put on a fighting rifle.

I also enjoyed that the gun was nearly dead-on for windage out of the box. I only had to adjust the front post for elevation to achieve my desired zero.

The trigger is what you’d expect from a standard mil-spec trigger. There is a tiny bit of grit at the front, and it breaks right at 5 lbs even. Not amazing, not terrible.

My only other gripe is that one side of the front sight block appears to have been cast from a substandard mold. It looks kind of nasty on that left side, but it doesn’t affect function. The other side looks normal.

Handling

In the era of optics, lasers, rails, and all other manner of attachments, IT FELT SO GOOD to pick up an AR-15 with a full-length 20-inch barrel that didn’t weigh a metric ton.

There is quite a bit of barrel out front, but the profile is pretty thin, and the handguard weighs hardly anything. Most sources list the M16A1 at around 6.5 lbs, and this one tipped the scales at 6.7 lbs.

The rifle-length gas system helps deliver a soft recoil impulse. Tame recoil combined with good weight distribution makes this gun very easy to shoot offhand. I didn’t get tired at all when holding it up.

Keep It Simple Stupid, Back To The Basics, however you want to phrase it, I am down with it. The M16A1 feels great to shoot for what it is.

Improvements We’d Like To See

Furniture, furniture, furniture. If H&R could source some furniture that had a fit and feel closer to that of older GI stuff, it would elevate this gun to the next level.

I’d also like to see a bit more attention to detail in the QC department. While the front sight block casting on my example didn’t cause any issues, it is a bit of an eyesore compared to how good the rest of the gun looks.

Who Is It For?

This gun is for anyone with good taste. Jokes aside, the H&R M16A1 is perfect for the retro-AR or Vietnam-era enthusiast. If you have ever wanted an A1, it scratches that exact itch.

I feel like this gun would also be great for anyone looking to practice with iron sights. Load up some mags, crank some Creedence Clearwater Revival, and hit the range. With good ammo, this gun shoots well enough that it will definitely show any shooting errors on your part.

By The Numbers

Reliability: 9/10

Out of 600 rounds, I had a single stoppage where the round didn't get picked up out of the magazine. It could have been a one-off with some weak ammo, but it is worth noting.

Ergonomics: 6/10

This is a hard one to quantify since it is a faithful retro gun. I like the way the M16A1 feels, but the furniture is dated by today's standards. The gun is balanced well, and the core AR ergonomics are still there.

Accuracy: 8/10

I was able to pull 1.6-inch groups at 100 using standard irons. If you decided to mount an optic to this gun for whatever reason, you could possibly see MOA accuracy.

Customization: 8/10

The fixed carry handle and front sight block do impose some limitations for optics and handguards. No one should really be swapping anything out on this gun except for maybe a trigger or adding GI furniture. But if you really insist, the AR-15 aftermarket is huge.

Value: 7/10

At $1,100 to $1,300, these guns aren't cheap. When it comes to retro, you have to pay to play. But the value is there, since no one else is offering such faithful A1 clones at this price.

Overall: 8/10

Harrington & Richardson M16 Rifles

$1099

at Palmetto State Armory

Prices accurate at time of writing

$1099 at Palmetto State Armory

Upgrades & Accessories for the H&R M16A1

PMAGs are great and all, but cmon, you gotta respect the original vibes. The gray 30-round aluminum mags from Duramag work great and look the part.

Duramag Speed AR-15 Aluminum Magazine

$12

at GunMag Warehouse

Prices accurate at time of writing

$12 at GunMag Warehouse

Palmetto State Armory (see price)

GrabAGun (see price)

The old M1-style slings are very similar to early Vietnam War M16 slings. You can snag this solid repro off Amazon for cheap.

USGI Pattern Two-Point M1 Web Sling

$25

at Amazon

Prices accurate at time of writing

$25 at Amazon

If you can get past the tiny G printed on the side, the Geissele SSA-E is a great way to cheat and get an absolutely amazing trigger that still looks very similar to a mil-spec trigger.

Geissele Super Semi-Automatic Enhanced AR-15 Trigger

$219

at Sportsman's Outdoor Superstore

Prices accurate at time of writing

$219 at Sportsman's Outdoor Superstore

OpticsPlanet (see price)

Brownells (see price)

Primary Arms (see price)

How We Tested the H&R M16A1

I tested the H&R M16A1 over the course of 600 rounds using the following ammo:

• AAC 55gr FMJ
• Hornady Black 75gr BTHP
• Hornady Black 62gr FMJ
• Hornady Frontier 55gr FMJ
• Federal XM193 55gr FMJ
• Federal M855 62gr Green Tip

Seven different types of magazines were used to test overall mag compatibility.

Accuracy testing was conducted at 100 yards from a bench using Caldwell deadshot shooting bags for support. Shooting was done using standard iron sights on paper targets with a 2x2" black square as an aiming reference point.

The gun was cleaned and lubed once at the 400-round mark, just before accuracy testing.

Meet the Experts

This review was written by Pew Pew Tactical Editor & Senior Review Analyst Wyatt Sloan. Wyatt is an NRA-certified and USCCA-certified instructor, former competitive shooter, and an avid hunter.

He has previous experience as a home-based FFL and personally owns over 200 firearms — including Vietnam clone builds. He uses his experience across a wide variety of platforms to evaluate guns based on Pew Pew Tactical's testing protocols and editorial standards. 

Final Verdict on the H&R M16A1

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this rifle. It activated my lizard brain in almost all the right ways. It feels cool, is pretty much clone-correct, delivers surprisingly good accuracy, and runs well.

While it is pretty spendy, it checks almost all the boxes I am looking for in a gun like this. There isn’t much else on the market that delivers the same package at the same price.

What are your thoughts on the H&R M16A1? Do you enjoy retro guns? Sound off in the comments below! Looking for other guns in the same vein? Check out our article on the Best Retro Reproductions!