Stoner 63A Carbine: Difference between revisions

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[[Category:Weapons]]
[[Category:Weapons of Vietnam]]
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! rowspan=2 | [[Ammo]]  
! rowspan=2 | [[Ammo]]  
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|[[File:Flag_us_new.png|50px]]<br><strong>[[US]]</strong> || [[File:Stoner63 carbine.png|512px]]<br><b>[[Stoner 63A Carbine]]</b> || [[File:Weapon stoner63_c.svg|512px]] || [[File:Class_Assault.png|50px]] <b>[[Assault]]<br>[[File:Class_radioman.png|50px]]  <b>[[Radioman]]</b><br> || 30 / 90
|[[File:Flag_us_new.png|50px]]<br><strong>[[US]]</strong> || [[File:Stoner63 carbine.png|512px]]<br><b>[[Stoner 63A Carbine]]</b> || [[File:Weapon stoner63_c.svg|512px]] || [[File:Class_Assault.png|50px]] <b>[[Assault]]<br>[[File:Class_radioman.png|50px]]  <b>[[Radioman]]</b><br> || 30[[+1]] / 90
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! rowspan=2 | [[Bayonet]]   
! rowspan=2 | [[Bayonet]]   
! rowspan=2 | [[Rifle Grenades]]   
! rowspan=2 | [[Rifle Grenades]]   
! colspan=2 | Reload Speed
|-
|-
|33||×2.5 = 82.5||×1.2 = 39.6||×1.15 = 37.95||×0.8 = 26.4||×0.75 = 19.8||NO||NO  
! Partial!! Empty
|-
|33||×2.5 = 82.5||×1.2 = 39.6||×1.15 = 37.95||×0.8 = 26.4||×0.75 = 19.8||NO||NO||2.66 Seconds||3.233
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! rowspan=2 | Full name  
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! rowspan=2 | [[Place of Origin]]
! rowspan=2 | [[Place of Origin]]
! rowspan=2 | [[Date]]
! rowspan=2 | [[Date]]
! rowspan=2 | [[Armory]]
! rowspan=2 | [[Manufacturer]]  
! rowspan=2 | Barrel Length
! rowspan=2 | Barrel Length
! rowspan=2 | Total Length
! rowspan=2 | Total Length
! rowspan=2 | [[Weapon Script Name]]
! rowspan=2 | [[Weapon Script Name]]
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|Stoner 63A Carbine||5.56mm||USA||1963|| Cadillac Gage <br>Knight's Armament Company ||15.7 in (398.8 mm)||36.68 in (931.7 mm)||weapon_stoner63_c
|Stoner 63A Carbine||[[5.56mm]]||[[USA]]||1966|| Cadillac Gage <br>Knight's Armament Company ||15.7 in (398.8 mm)||36.68 in (931.7 mm)||weapon_stoner63_c
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The Stoner 63, designed by Eugene Stoner, is an innovative modular weapon system developed during the Vietnam War era. Its versatility allowed it to be configured as a rifle, carbine, light machine gun, or even a vehicle-mounted weapon. Its lightweight design and ability to quickly change configurations made it ideal for jungle warfare conditions in Vietnam, where mobility and adaptability were crucial. Despite its promising features, production and deployment were limited, and it didn't see widespread use due to various factors including cost and reliability issues. However, its legacy as a forward-thinking firearm design continues to influence modern small arms development.


=HISTORY=
'''The Stoner 63A Carbine''' is the carbine configuration of the U.S. 5.56×45mm [[Stoner 63]] modular weapon system designed by Eugene Stoner. It is best known for providing a shorter, handier Stoner 63A setup intended for roles where compactness and mobility matter, while retaining the system’s shared receiver and parts commonality with other configurations.
After leaving ArmaLite, Eugene Stoner, renowned for his military small arms designs, conceived a modular weapon system adaptable to multiple configurations. Collaborating with Cadillac Gage's Howard Carson in Costa Mesa, California, Stoner developed the system, which was built around a common receiver with interchangeable parts. The first prototype, the Stoner M69W, was completed in 1962, followed by the Stoner 62. The focus later shifted to the smaller 5.56×45mm cartridge, leading to the production of the Stoner 63 in 1963.
 
==HISTORY==
 
After leaving ArmaLite, Eugene Stoner developed a modular weapons system built around a common receiver with interchangeable components that could be reconfigured into multiple roles. Early prototypes were completed in 1962, and production Stoner 63 weapons in 5.56×45mm began in 1963, with Cadillac Gage as the manufacturer. U.S. testing found reliability and durability issues, leading to an improved production standard—**Stoner 63A**—introduced in 1966.


Despite initial interest and adoption by the U.S. Marines for trials, the Stoner 63 faced reliability issues in Army tests, leading to the improved Stoner 63A in 1966. Further enhancements were attempted in the XM207 variant from 1969 to 1971, including modifications to improve firing rates and structural integrity. However, the project was ultimately discontinued in 1971 after U.S. military priorities shifted following the Vietnam War withdrawal announcement.
The **carbine** configuration represented the system’s compact shoulder-fired setup, intended for users who needed a lighter, shorter weapon than the full rifle configuration. In Vietnam, the Stoner 63/63A family saw limited adoption rather than wide standardization, with Navy SEALs the most commonly documented combat users and the U.S. Marines conducting field trials in 1967. Despite favorable performance reports in certain roles, overall complexity, cost, and maintenance considerations limited broader issue, and the system was gradually replaced by later platforms over subsequent decades.


A small number of Stoner 63 and 63A units were used by U.S. Navy SEALs in Vietnam, but by the late 1980s, the system was phased out in favor of newer designs like the M249 SAW.
===Sources===
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoner_63 Stoner 63 | Wikipedia
* https://smallarmsreview.com/the-stoner-63as-earliest-days-in-combat/ “The Stoner 63A’s Earliest Days in Combat” | Small Arms Review
* https://www.forgottenweapons.com/stoner-63a-automatic-rifle-the-original-modular-weapon/ Stoner 63A (background and context) | Forgotten Weapons


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<gallery mode="packed" heights="400px">
<div class="mw-collapsible" style="border:1px solid #ccc; padding:5px; width:100%;">
  <div style="text-align:center; font-weight:bold;">Real-Life Photos</div>
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File:Stoner63ACarbine-left-KCB70-bayonet-scaled.jpg
File:Stoner63ACarbine-left-KCB70-bayonet-scaled.jpg
File:Stoner6333.jpg
File:Stoner6333.jpg
File:Stoner carbine.jpg
File:Stoner carbine.jpg
File:5o4endc38l0a1.jpg
File:5o4endc38l0a1.jpg|Navy SEALS X-Ray Platoon. Taken on a dock near Ben Tre in Southeast Vietnam. The SEAL in the center of the group, Lt. Michael Collins, is carrying a Stoner 63A1 Mk 23 Mod 0 Commando with a short 15.7 in (398.8 mm) barrel. Lt. Michael Collins, KIA March 4th, 1971. Photo credit: US Navy.
File:ElRvmps.jpeg
File:ElRvmps.jpeg
</gallery>
File:US-Marines-testing-Stoner-63-rifles-in-Vietnam.jpg|Marines testing the Stoner 63 rifle configuration on the DMZ in 1967. Allegedly nicknamed the “Johnny 7″ (after a popular toy gun that could transform into seven different weapons), the Stoner proved too complicated for wide issue and only saw service in the SAW-configuration with the Navy SEALs and Marine Force Recon. Photo credit: US Marine Corps
 
File:Navy-SEALs-Foxtrot-One-Team-Vietnam-1-1024x770.jpg|Navy SEALs of Foxtrot Platoon with their weapons, including multiple Stoner 63 rifles. (Photo: US Navy SEAL Museum)
File:1584800349 stoner-63-lmg-vietnam-greg-2.jpg
    </gallery>
  </div>
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Latest revision as of 08:07, 24 February 2026

Factions Weapon Icon Classes Ammo

US
Stoner 63A Carbine		 Assault
Radioman
 30+1 / 90
Damage Base Headshot × Chest × Stomach × Leg × Arm × Bayonet Rifle Grenades Reload Speed
Partial Empty
33 ×2.5 = 82.5 ×1.2 = 39.6 ×1.15 = 37.95 ×0.8 = 26.4 ×0.75 = 19.8 NO NO 2.66 Seconds 3.233
Designation Weapon Type Fire Modes Fire Rate Bullet Spread ° Range Modifier Muzzle Velocity Projectile weight Weight
XM23E1 Carbine Auto+Semi 750 RPM 7.81° & 1.75° ADS 0.935 991 m/s 12.3g (189.8gr) 3.52 kg (7.76 lbs)
Full name Caliber Place of Origin Date Manufacturer Barrel Length Total Length Weapon Script Name
Stoner 63A Carbine 5.56mm USA 1966 Cadillac Gage
Knight's Armament Company		 15.7 in (398.8 mm) 36.68 in (931.7 mm) weapon_stoner63_c


The Stoner 63A Carbine is the carbine configuration of the U.S. 5.56×45mm Stoner 63 modular weapon system designed by Eugene Stoner. It is best known for providing a shorter, handier Stoner 63A setup intended for roles where compactness and mobility matter, while retaining the system’s shared receiver and parts commonality with other configurations.

HISTORY

After leaving ArmaLite, Eugene Stoner developed a modular weapons system built around a common receiver with interchangeable components that could be reconfigured into multiple roles. Early prototypes were completed in 1962, and production Stoner 63 weapons in 5.56×45mm began in 1963, with Cadillac Gage as the manufacturer. U.S. testing found reliability and durability issues, leading to an improved production standard—**Stoner 63A**—introduced in 1966.

The **carbine** configuration represented the system’s compact shoulder-fired setup, intended for users who needed a lighter, shorter weapon than the full rifle configuration. In Vietnam, the Stoner 63/63A family saw limited adoption rather than wide standardization, with Navy SEALs the most commonly documented combat users and the U.S. Marines conducting field trials in 1967. Despite favorable performance reports in certain roles, overall complexity, cost, and maintenance considerations limited broader issue, and the system was gradually replaced by later platforms over subsequent decades.

Sources

Real-Life Photos
  • Navy SEALS X-Ray Platoon. Taken on a dock near Ben Tre in Southeast Vietnam. The SEAL in the center of the group, Lt. Michael Collins, is carrying a Stoner 63A1 Mk 23 Mod 0 Commando with a short 15.7 in (398.8 mm) barrel. Lt. Michael Collins, KIA March 4th, 1971. Photo credit: US Navy.
    Navy SEALS X-Ray Platoon. Taken on a dock near Ben Tre in Southeast Vietnam. The SEAL in the center of the group, Lt. Michael Collins, is carrying a Stoner 63A1 Mk 23 Mod 0 Commando with a short 15.7 in (398.8 mm) barrel. Lt. Michael Collins, KIA March 4th, 1971. Photo credit: US Navy.
  • Marines testing the Stoner 63 rifle configuration on the DMZ in 1967. Allegedly nicknamed the “Johnny 7″ (after a popular toy gun that could transform into seven different weapons), the Stoner proved too complicated for wide issue and only saw service in the SAW-configuration with the Navy SEALs and Marine Force Recon. Photo credit: US Marine Corps
    Marines testing the Stoner 63 rifle configuration on the DMZ in 1967. Allegedly nicknamed the “Johnny 7″ (after a popular toy gun that could transform into seven different weapons), the Stoner proved too complicated for wide issue and only saw service in the SAW-configuration with the Navy SEALs and Marine Force Recon. Photo credit: US Marine Corps
  • Navy SEALs of Foxtrot Platoon with their weapons, including multiple Stoner 63 rifles. (Photo: US Navy SEAL Museum)
    Navy SEALs of Foxtrot Platoon with their weapons, including multiple Stoner 63 rifles. (Photo: US Navy SEAL Museum)
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