In many scenes, the flat 'slab side' upper receiver of the original M16 (AR-15/SP1) rifle is seen. Some of them appear to be genuine civilian AR-15/SP1s and aren't seen fired full-auto. Instead, M16A1s seem to be used to depict full-auto fire. That is, until the Grenada sequence, when the Recon platoon's weapons are both M16A1s and M16 rifles, possibly AR-15/SP1's converted to fire full-auto, perhaps to to a lack of enough M16A1 rifles for those scenes.
What's the language limits of this site? Just to be sure.
Seen in the hands of several Recon Marines, used when a fully-automatic weapon is required early in the film, until Grenada when possibly all the weapons were converted to full-auto fire, perhaps do to a lack of M16A1s.
Used by Recon Marine Private Johansson "The Swede", Used inside an armored vehicle by the Cubans, and seen on the helicopter that picks up the Recon men after the operation is complete.