The rifle configurations of the 63A model had an improved charging handle mounted to the top of the receiver, replacing the original side mounted charging handle (the machine gun configurations used the same charging handle). Feedback from the field testing led to the improved Stoner 63A model, made in 1966. The Stoner 63 was fielded during the Vietnam War by the United States Marine Corps (who tested the assault rifle and magazine-fed LMG versions in 1967) and the Navy SEALs (who used the belt-fed machine gun and Commando derivative). Some "Dutch Pattern" Stoner 63s were also modified with MP40-like underfolding and later side-folding stocks. Survival Rifle: Similar to the assault rifle configuration, but has a cut-down pistol grip, folding stock, simplified sights, no handguard, shortened barrel and receiver, and a top-mounted cocking handle.It also had a bottom-mounted charging handle derived from the 63A rifle charging handle the right side-mounted charging handle was blocked by the right-side feeding ammo belts, so these weapons featured an extended 63A charging handle, and a large slot was cut into the handguard so that the charging handle can be pulled. Later models of the Commando version fed from the right and ejected to the left the original machine gun variations of the Stoner 63 awkwardly fed from the left and ejected to the left, which sometimes resulted in empty casings bouncing back into the action. Commando: Derived from the LMG configuration, with a shortened carbine-length but machine gun heavy profile barrel that had no carrying handle and featured grooves on it.Two additional configurations were used or tested by the US Military: Carbine: Same as assault rifle, but with folding buttstock and carbine barrel.Feeds from rifle magazines, firing from closed bolt. Assault Rifle: Basic component group with bottom-feeding magazine feed adapter, rifle-type iron sights, rifle barrel, rifle forearm, and buttstock.Feeds from belt boxes, firing from open bolt. Medium Machine Gun: Basic component group with belt feed, iron sights, machine gun barrel, carry handle, and tripod with cradle adaptor.Feeds from rifle magazines, firing from open bolt.
Light Machine Gun, Magazine-Fed (sometimes called "Automatic Rifle" configuration): Basic component group with top-feeding magazine feed adapter, offset iron sights, machine gun barrel, carry handle, machine gun forearm, bipod, and buttstock.Light Machine Gun, Belt Fed: Basic component group with belt feed, iron sights, machine gun barrel, carry handle, machine gun forearm, bipod, and buttstock.Fixed Machine Gun: Basic component group with belt feed, grip replaced with solenoid and trigger linkage, no iron sights, no buttstock, no carry handle, and machine gun barrel.The possible configurations for the Stoner 63 system, as described by the sales brochure, are the following: The caliber was changed to 5.56mm in the Stoner 63, first produced in 1963. Stoner modified the M69W design slightly and created the Stoner 62, still chambered in 7.62mm. It was named such because its designation is an ambigram, which appears the same when read upside down, symbolizing Stoner's concept of an invertible receiver that can support the bottom-loaded magazine feed and the top-loaded belt feed configurations. The first prototype of Stoner's design was the Stoner M69W, designed in 1962, chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO. Eugene Stoner conceived the idea of a system built around a common receiver that could be configured as a bottom-loading magazine-fed assault rifle, a top-loading magazine-fed light machine gun, or a top-loading belt-fed machine gun depending on what additional parts were fitted, and fitted with either a carbine barrel or full-length rifle barrel. It was produced by Cadillac Gage, now known as Textron. The Stoner 63 was a 5.56x45mm modular weapon system designed by Eugene Stoner, designer of the AR-15 rifle. Stoner 63A, Assault Rifle configuration (XM22E1) - 5.56x45mm
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