Citations:black magic

(US military during the Vietnam War) an M16 rifle (1960s-1970s)

 * 2012, Gordon L. Rottman, Green Beret in Vietnam: 1957–73, Bloomsbury Publishing (ISBN 9781782000518)
 * The “black magic” had significant teething problems, but these were eventually resolved, and the XM16E1 was standardized as the M16A1 rifle on February 28, 1967. Improvements included a bolt forward assist device,
 * 2015, Eric Van Lustbader, Floating City: A Nicholas Linnear Novel, Simon and Schuster (ISBN 9781501106125), page 145:
 * The boat rolled deeply in the green and indigo swells. “We're almost there,” Abramanov said. Rock looked up from his methodical cleaning of a black magic—an M16A1 army rifle—[and] saw Abramanov hulking like a brown bear across the deck.



mentions

 * 1987, Shelby L. Stanton, Vietnam order of battle, Bookthrift Co
 * Black Magic Nickname for the M16A1 rifle
 * 2014, Tom Dalzell, Vietnam War Slang: A Dictionary on Historical Principles, Routledge (ISBN 9781317661870), page 13:
 * black magic noun the M-16 rifle, the standard rifle used by US troops in Vietnam after 1966 It was nicknamed “black magic” because it was made of black plastic and steel. — Barbara Schading, A Civilian's Guide to the U.S. Military [2006]