A carbine version of the T86 with shortened hand guard, gas cylinder and barrel was also available. If outfitted with the optional bipod and 100-round C-Mag drum magazine, the T86 could be utilized in-the-field as a squad support light machine gun.
The T86 was never accepted in large numbers by the Taiwanese military as fewer than 5,000 units were ever produced. Production spanned two short years from 2000 to 2002 (from 205th Armory of Combined Service Forces). However, the T86 served as a launch point for the new Taiwanese Army standard service rifle, the T91, which entered service in 2003 and has seen production reach over 140,000 units as of this writing (2013). The T91 makes good on the successful qualities of the T65 and T86 rifles while incorporating all-new qualities to follow tactical and production changes experienced elsewhere in the world. Overall, the T91 retains the same M16-style layout as its predecessors.
Beyond Taiwan, the only other global operator of the T86 is Jordan.
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