The M16A4 is a badass rifle for many reasons…
It’s a really smooth shooter because it features that rifle-length gas system…
And in a world full of AR-15s that look like M4 clones (which are also cool), it’s nice to see something that looks cool, stands out from the crowd, and gives you that extra velocity from a 20-inch barrel…
Now sadly, as civilians in the US, we can’t really get our hands easily on select-fire M16s…
But luckily for us, we can still either pick up or build an M16A4 clone…
And in this post, I’m going to share with you my Top 7 List of the best M16A4 clones that are currently on the market…
In the end, you’ll have a good understanding of the options that are out there, and you should have all the information you need to determine which clone is going to work best for you…
Let’s get started!
Best M16A4 Clone – Top 7 List…
The best M16A4 clone is by far the FN M16 Military Collector Rifle. FN currently produces the M16A4 for the US Military, and this rifle is built to the exact same standard with the only exception being that it’s a semi-automatic rifle only…
The following will give more detail explaining why the FN M16 Military Collector Rifle is the best clone of the M16A4…
And I’ll also share with you several other fantastic options if you’re looking for a clone of the M16A4…
1. FN M16 Military Collector Rifle (My #1 Pick!)
As I mentioned above, the best M16A4 clone is, hands down, the FN M16 Military Collector Rifle, and there are a number of reasons why…
First of all, FN is the company that currently manufacturers M4s and M16s for the US Military, and this is essentially the same rifle as those being issued with one major difference… it’s a semi-automatic rifle rather than a select-fire rifle…
Other than that, everything about this rifle is exactly the same as the M16s you would find in a military armory, and all of the components meet or exceed military specifications…
FN is known for their barrels, and the barrel that you get with this rifle is extremely high quality. It’s made from 4140 Alloy steel, and it features a 1:7 twist rate, just as the actual M16A4 does. In addition to that, the bolt and carrier are High Pressure Tested and Magnetic Particle Inspected to ensure that the steel doesn’t have any cracks or weak spots that will create failures…
On top of that, with this rifle, you get a MaTech adjustable rear sight and a Knights Armament RAS quad rail which are both correct if you’re building a clone of the M16A4…
So like I said, there is no clone closer to the M16A4 than this rifle because it’s made by FN, and it’s built to the same standards and with the same materials. It even has a bar code on the right-hand side of the lower receiver just like the military rifles do! The ONLY difference is that is a semi-automatic rifle for the civilian market.
Click The Button Below To Learn More About The FN M16 Military Collector Rifle:
2. Colt AR15A4 .223 Rem/5.56 NATO 20-Inch Semi-Automatic Rifle
FN is not the only manufacturer that has supplied M16s and M4s to the US military. In fact, for a long time, it was Colt who held that illustrious military contract, and just like Colt’s LE6920 is a civilian version of the M4, the Colt AR15A4 is also an incredibly faithful and high-quality M16A4 clone…
Now the AR15A4 is a little bit more bare-bones than the FN clone, but it also comes in at a better price-point, and again, it also has Colt’s lineage of making M16s for the US Military just like the FN does…
With the AR15A4, you get a 20-inch chrome-lined barrel with a 1:7 twist rate, and all of the internal components meet or exceed military specifications…
You also get a standard M16A2 handguard, which I still think looks cool, but if you want to, you can replace it with the Knights Armament Quad Rail. Aside from that, you get a removable carry handle, and underneath is the optics rail that an M16A4 should have…
All in all, this rifle is very similar to the FN clone in how close it is to an actual M16A4 because both FN and Colt have made M16s for the US Military for a long time.
Click The Button Below To Learn More About The Colt AR15A4 .223 Rem/5.56 NATO 20-Inch Semi-Automatic Rifle:
3. STAG 15 Retro 20″ Rifle W/ Chrome Phosphate Barrel
Another fantastic civilian clone of the M16A4 is the Stag 15 Retro 20-inch Rifle. Now, Stag doesn’t have any military contracts as far as I’m aware, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t build extremely high-quality and reliable AR-15s…
In fact, I think you get a lot for your money when you go with a Stag 15, and their 20-inch Retro rifle is no different. For starters, with this rifle, you get a 20-inch chrome-lined barrel that is made from 4150 Chrome Moly Vanadium and has a 1/7 twist rate…
Aside from that, the bolt is made from Carpenter 158 steel and the carrier is built from 8620 steel and is also chrome-lined so it meets military specifications…
In fact, all the parts that come on this rifle meet mil-spec standards, and just as with the Colt AR15A4, it comes with A2 handguards which you can easily swap out for a Knights Armament Quad Rail if you want to, and a detachable carry handle, so you can easily mount an optic on the top rail…
All in all, the Stag 15 Retro is another high-quality option if you’re looking for a clone of the M16A4.
Click The Button Below To Learn More About The STAG 15 Retro 20″ Rifle W/ Chrome Phosphate Barrel:
4. M16A4 Clone PSA PA-15 20” Nitride Rifle-Length Classic AR-15 Rifle (Awesome Budget Option!)
Another fantastic option, especially if you’re looking for a clone of the M16A4 on a budget is the PSA PA-15 20” Nitride Rifle-Length Classic AR-15 Rifle…
This rifle features a 20-inch barrel that’s made from 4150 Chrome Moly Vanadium steel, has a 1/7 twist rate, and has a Nitride finish. Now the Nitride or Melonite finish is not Mil-Spec, but in many ways, it’s a better finish, and I don’t think that’s a negative for this rifle at all…
Now the Bolt that you get is made from Carpenter 158 steel and shot-peened (to harden the surface), and that is Mil-spec along with the 8620 steel carrier which is chrome-lined and has a properly staked gas key (so that it doesn’t come loose when you’re firing)…
Just as with many other rifles on this list, the PSA PA-15 comes with an A2 handguard and a detachable carry handle with an optic rail underneath. You can easily drop on a Knights Armament Quad Rail if you want to, and mount an optic of your choice…
All in all, this is a very well-built rifle that comes in at a more affordable price point than many other 20-inch AR-15s, and I think it makes for a fantastic M16A4 clone.
Click The Button Below To Learn More About The PSA PA-15 20” Nitride Rifle-Length Classic AR-15 Rifle:
M16A4 Clone Build Kits…
Another great option is to build your M16A4 clone from a ready-to-go kit, and to do that, the only additional part that you’re going to need is a quality AR-15 lower…
Now there are a ton of great lowers out there, but one that I think might go well with an M16 clone is the PSA Stealth Lower…
PSA Stealth Lower
I love the PSA Stealth Lower for a number of reasons, but it’s especially good for clone builds because it is ‘stealth’…
All that means is that it doesn’t have any logo on it, which is good because a flashy logo can distract from the aesthetic of your clone…
In addition to that, the PSA Stealth Lower is made from Forged 7075 T6 Aluminum (so it’s extremely strong), and it’s also pretty affordable.
Click The Button Below To Learn More About The PSA Stealth Lower:
5. PSA 20″ Rifle Length 5.56 NATO Nitride A2 Freedom Rifle Kit
This is an awesome kit from PSA because it allows you to build out your clone of the M16A4 with your own choice of lower…
Building out an AR-15 is a fun experience, but it’s also important for an AR owner because it teaches you how the rifle works, and how you can fix issues and/or replace parts when necessary…
Another benefit is that you can usually get these kits and a stripped lower for much less cost than a fully built factory rifle…
Now with this kit, you get some very high-quality components. The barrel is made from 4150 Chrome Moly Vanadium (so it’s a very strong barrel) and it has a 1/7 twist rate…
In addition to that, the bolt that you get is made from Carpenter 158 steel and shot-peened, and the carrier features a parkerized finish. The rest of the components are all of good quality, and overall, this is a fantastic option if you want to save some money and build your clone yourself.
Click The Button Below To Learn More About The PSA 20″ Rifle Length 5.56 NATO Nitride A2 Freedom Rifle Kit:
6. Del-Ton Pre-Ban Government Profile Rifle Kit
This kit from Del-Ton would be a great match with the PSA Stealth lower, and it would allow you to easily build an M16A4 clone VERY affordably…
Now, many of the components that you get in this kit are not going to be Mil-Spec, but that doesn’t mean that they’re bad or that they won’t work…
In general, Del-Ton builds pretty solid budget AR-15s. So if you choose to go with this kit, you’ll be able to build your clone from the ground up (which is always fun), and you’ll have a reliable M16A4 clone that will cost you a lot less than all of the complete rifle options.
Click The Button Below To Learn More About The Del-Ton Pre-Ban Government Profile Rifle Kit:
7. Mix And Match Your Choice Of Upper And Lower
Number 7 on my list is to share with you a few of the best uppers and a good quality lower that will allow you to create your own clone…
This is another way of getting some high-quality components into your M16A4 clone and saving some money at the same time!
M16A4 Clone Uppers…
1. Aero Precision AR15 20-Inch 5.56 Complete Upper Receiver
Aero Precision makes some extremely high-quality AR-15s and parts especially considering the amount of money that you pay for them, and this complete upper from Aero is perfect if you’re putting together an M16A4 Clone on a budget…
First of all, the barrel that you get with this upper is very high quality. It’s made from 4150 Chrome Moly Vanadium (which is probably the best barrel material that you can get), and it features a 1:7 twist rate just like a real M16A4…
On top of that, it comes with a detachable carry handle so you can easily mount an optic onto your rifle, and it comes with the classic M16A2 handguards which you can replace if you’d like to…
It does not come with a bolt carrier group or charging handle, but if you’re in need of a good BCG you can check out these, and a Mil-spec charging handle is extremely easy to find and affordable…
All in all, I love Aero Precision AR-15s, and this would make a wonderful upper for a clone of an M16A4.
Click The Button Below To Learn More About The Aero Precision AR15 20-Inch 5.56 Complete Upper Receiver:
2. Colt M16 R0901 5.56 Complete Upper Receiver
As I mentioned earlier, FN and Colt are two manufacturers that have actually produced M16s for the US Military, and this upper from Colt is about as correct as you can possibly get if you’re trying to clone an M16A4…
This Colt upper is completely mil-spec in terms of the materials used and the how it’s built, and if you go with the M16 handguard option, all you have to do is pin it onto a good mil-spec lower and you can have yourself a very accurate clone of the M16A4 at a lower price-point than you would by going with the complete FN or Colt rifles…
Overall, I think this is another fantastic option, and it definitely should be included in this list.
Click The Button Below To Learn More About The Colt M16 R0901 5.56 Complete Upper Receiver:
3. PSA 20″ CHF 1:7 A2 Rifle Length Premium Upper
Palmetto State Armory is usually known for their budget AR-15s and AR parts, but they actually have a premium line of ARs that are extremely high quality as well. And I think this CHF Premium A2 upper from PSA is another great option to consider if you’re putting together your own M16A4 clone…
Let me get right to the point, the barrel that you get with this upper is actually made by FN for PSA. We’ve already talked about how FN is the manufacturer that actually supplies M16A4s for the US Military, and with this upper, you’re getting the exact same barrel that goes into real M16A4s…
FN barrels are famous for their quality, and the barrel on this upper is cold hammer forged (CHF) which is a process that makes it incredibly strong (FN actually makes machine gun barrels for M240s using this process)…
In addition to the cold hammer forged barrel that you get with this upper, you also get a mil-spec upper receiver and A2 handguards. So overall, if you pin this upper onto a good mil-spec lower, you’ll have a great rifle that looks like an M16A4, and you’ll actually have the exact same barrel that is used in the real M16A4s (which is pretty cool).
Click The Button Below To Learn More About The PSA 20″ CHF 1:7 A2 Rifle Length Premium Upper:
4. Del-Ton Pre-Ban Government Profile Flat Top Upper (Awesome Budget Option!)
I introduced you to the Del-Ton complete rifle kit earlier in this list, but I wanted to make sure you were aware that you could just get the Del-Ton complete upper receiver as well…
This is another fantastic option for a clone of the M16A4 particularly if you’re on a budget. The barrel that you get with this upper is 20 inches long and it is constructed from Chrome Moly Vanadium (so it’s very strong)…
This twist rate on this upper’s barrel is 1/9 twist which is not correct for an actual M16A4 (it should be a 1:7 twist), but that’s not a change that anyone will be able to recognize when looking at your clone, and your rifle will still shoot accurately and reliably…
Aside from that though, this upper comes with a bolt carrier group that is High Pressure Tested (HPT) and Magnetic Particle Inspected (MPI) to ensure the steel is strong and doesn’t have any weak points, and it also comes with a Mil-spec charging handle and A2 handguards…
So this is another wonderful upper that will allow you to create a clone of the M16A4, and it’s an extremely affordable option as well.
Click The Button Below To Learn More About The Del-Ton Pre-Ban Government Profile Flat Top Upper:
M16A4 Clone Lower…
There are several fantastic complete lower receivers that you can use along with any of the uppers that I’ve listed above, but one that I particularly like is the PSA complete lower…
PSA AR15 Complete A2 Rifle Lower Receiver
This is a fantastic lower for an A4 clone because it already comes with the A2 stock that you need and the A2 grip…
It’s also a strong lower receiver that is made from 7075 T6 aluminum (which is mil-spec), and it comes with a mil-spec PSA trigger…
All you need to do is pin one of the upper that I mentioned earlier onto this lower, and you’ll have your own custom-built clone of the M16A4!
Click The Button Below To Learn More About The PSA AR15 Complete A2 Rifle Lower Receiver:
Leapers UTG AR15 A2 Fixed Stock Assembly
If you have an M4 lower that you’d like to use for your clone, it’s actually very easy to swap out the adjustable stock and buffer tube…
And the Leapers UTG A2 fixed stock is an excellent option to get the look that you need for a clone of the M16A4. I like the Leapers stock because it’s fairly affordable, and it’s also durable…
It also comes with the extension and recoil spring that you need for the A2 stock as well. So again, it’s a great option if you need to change out a collapsible stock on a lower with a full-length M16A2 stock.
Click The Button Below To Learn More About The Leapers UTG AR15 A2 Fixed Stock Assembly:
M16A4 Clone Rail – Knights Armament RAS
Many of the options I shared with you in this list of M16A4 clones come with A2 handguards, and if you want an updated clone of the M16A4, then the correct rail that you’ll need is the Knights Armament RAS rail…
It’s a very rugged rail, and it’ll give your clone that upgraded look that you might be going for…
It’ll also allow you to easily mount a vertical foregrip, a light, and a laser if those are accessories that you want to include in your clone.
Click The Button Below To Learn More About The Knights Armament RAS:
M16A4 Clone Optic – Trijicon ACOG 4×32 USMC Rifle Combat Optical Sight
The last piece of the puzzle when it comes to cloning the M16A4 is going to be the optic, and for that, you’re probably going to want to go with the Trijicon ACOG 4×32 USMC Rifle Combat Optical Sight…
This is the rock-solid scope that is used on the Marine Corps M16A4s, and it’s built to Trijicon’s extremely high standards with super clear glass, long eye relief, and a battery-less illuminated Chevron reticle…
It’s pricey, but it’s an amazing optic, and if accuracy is important to you for your clone of the M16A4, then this is the optic to go with…
(It’s a perfect match with the FN M16 Military Collector Rifle or The Colt AR15A4!)
Click The Button Below To Learn More About The Trijicon ACOG 4×32 USMC Rifle Combat Optical Sight: