AR-15 Manuals
NOTE: MSN has changed the rules and won't allow the Manual Depot to be hosted here.
You can get AR-15 (and related equipment) manuals here:
Primary site is currently offline - standby for link to new site comming soon. Other locations for Manuals include: AR15.com BiggerHammer.net Some notes from Chuck & Jerry S. on the meaning of the Manual Numbers:
The majority of Army technical manuals (TM) are concerned with single pieces of equipment. (Example TM 9-1005-249-12.) The first number refers to the branch. (The number “9” means that it is an Ordnance branch document.) The second series of numbers refer to the subject type ("1005" is Small Arms). The third series refers to the particular piece of equipment or subject ("249" is for the M16 & M16A1). The four series on numbers refer to the level of maintenance which the manual is concerned with. With “10-12” being operator and organizational maintenance level, and with higher numbers concerned with a higher level, 20’s being direct support, 30’s being general support.
The "dash" in Army technical manuals (TMs) describes the level of maintenance. Made into two digits.
These are typically combined into large manuals covering a range of maintenance issues.
1 = Operator
2 = Unit (armorer in the case of weapons)
3 = Direct support maintenance. Typically a maintenance company supporting a brigade.
4 = General support maintenance. Typically a maintenance battalion supporting a Division or higher.
5 = Depot (or arsenal).
The P denotes a parts manual.
TM 9 - Is a Ordnance Manual
A -1005 (dash 1005) Is a small arms manual
A -10 (dash 10) is an operators manual.
A -12 (dash 12) would also include "armorer" level maintenance
A -13 all tasks up to Direct support maintenance and adding the &P would include all the parts listings.
Examples:
TM 9-1005-249-10 Operators Manual of the M16 and M16A1 rifle.
TM 9-1005-249-12 Operator's and Organizational Maintenance Manual - M16, M16A1
TM 9-1005-249-23&P covers the Unit and Direct support maintenance of the M16 and M16A1 rifle with the parts listing.
TM 9-1005-319-23&P does the same for the M16A2.
The current U.S. Army manual number system was started at the beginning of World War II. The primarily types of manuals became either FM’s (Field Manuals), or TM’s (Technical Manuals), later followed by a bewildering arrangement of lesser Prefixes like TC (Training Circulars). ST (Special Texts), FC (Field Circulars), just to name a few.
Field Manuals were usually numbered by a one to two digit number followed by a dash followed by a one to two digit number, like “FM 21-75”, with the first series on numbers being the subject classification of the manual and the second series being the particular manual.
Technical Manuals were numbered at first like FM’s, but because they were vastly more of them by the early 1960’s, they began to be changed to a more complex system.
