ArmaLite / Colt AR-15

History of the ArmaLite / Colt AR-15

ArmaLite / Colt AR-15 is one of the most popular automatic rifle systems in the world today. This genre is very popular in the United States, and its citizens enjoy gun-related freedoms that some other developed countries don't have. The AR-15 has proven to be a highly modular, accurate, and easy-to-use and maintain system that continues to grow in global reach.

There are currently hundreds of thousands of examples in circulation, and the type has continued to be produced since its introduction in 1958.

ArmaLite, founded in 1954 and later developed into a small arms systems developer, is based in Illinois. One of its key figures was the famous gunsmith Eugene Stoner (1922-1997), who in the eyes of many could claim to be as influential in the gun world as the great John Brown Ning comparable. Stoner became ArmaLite's chief engineer in 1954, and he put his immense talents to design some promising but unrealized small arms products. In 1955, Stoner developed the AR-10 rifle, a system chambered for the standard 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge, offering selective fire and relatively light construction - ideal for use in a military environment.

ArmaLite saw potential long-term revenue for the rifle in the U.S. military's hands and entered the fray with its AR-10 design to become the U.S. Army's next standard infantry rifle.

However, the type was rejected in favor of the T44 prototype (a safe approach in the eyes of the US Army), which eventually became the M14 rifle - an evolution of the WWII-era M1 Garand.

All is not lost on the future of the AR-10, however, as the U.S. Army continues to be interested in the AR-10 and requires some modifications to the basic design. One of the most important changes involves smaller chambers. 223 Remington Cartridge. The resulting rifle design was then named the "AR-15" and officially appeared in 1958.

Due to financial problems, ArmaLite was forced to sell its AR-10 and AR-15 designs to rival Colt, and Stoner himself eventually left ArmaLite in 1961. The AR-15 eventually entered the U.S. Army stockpile as the well-known "M16", and Colt also marketed the rifle as the "Colt AR-15" (the company's registered trademark), which was completed in 1963 as a semi-automatic rifle .

Externally, the AR-15 resembles much of the US Army's acclaimed M16 infantry rifle. The receiver (specifically consisting of the lower and upper parts) houses all the major internal working components, including the low-position magazine pusher, angled pistol grip and trigger group. The trigger is bent forward and protected by a thin ring guard. The pistol grip and magazine support the front and rear trigger systems, respectively.

The upper receiver assembly manages the ejection port and cocking mechanism - both located on the right side of the weapon. An optional carry handle is well integrated into the design and placed above the upper receiver. A front end covers the barrel assembly and protects the operator's hands from the hot barrel. The barrel juts out at the front end and is closed by a shocking muzzle brake. An adjustable triangular sight adorns the weapon behind the barrel but in front of the front end.

There is also an adjustable rear sight for precision shooting. A shoulder rest is attached to the rear of the receiver. The magazine feeder accepts different numbers of magazines - straight or curved.

The design also eventually accepts a variety of barrel lengths to meet the operator's specific needs, ranging from 6.5" to 24". The construction of the AR-15 is aluminum and plastic, so it's a controllable 5.5 to 8. 5 lb working weight.

As mentioned, the AR-15 was originally built for the . 223 Remton. The shooting action is a direct hit with a twist-lock bolt system. Direct impact means that the gas operating system can regenerate the gases escaping from the fired cartridge and direct them into the bolt holder to complete the firing action of the next available cartridge (if any).

Stoner proved to be a big proponent of direct shock systems associated with automatic firearms. The AR-15 was an air-cooled rifle system, and the operator ran the risk of overheating the barrel from multiple shots without stopping. The listed fully automatic rate of fire is about 800 rounds per minute (if applicable to specific AR-15 models).

Muzzle velocity is rated at 3,200 feet per second. Effective range is up to 550 yards on average, depending on shooting conditions.

AR-15 cartridge adaptation has since revolved around the . 45 ACP, 5.7x28mm, 6.5mm Grendel, 6.8mm Remington SPC and . 50 Beowulf with proper barrel, chamber pressurization and applicable modifications to Adapt to the capabilities of each cartridge.

Over time, the AR-15 has evolved into a highly modular weapon system that can be outfitted with a variety of accessories depending on the operator's preferences. This includes front vertical handles, optics, bipods, etc.

Its design makes it a highly accurate firearm, and many users appreciate its lightweight nature and durable frame construction. Although the AR-15 is physically similar to the military M16, the M16 features semi-automatic fire, three-round burst capability, and a fully automatic fire mode, and uses standard 5.56mm NATO cartridges via STANAG-style magazines.

As such, each form of internal hammer and trigger system is unique, and the internal components of the AR-15 and M16 are not interchangeable for fairly obvious reasons - one is to limit the AR-15's market for adaptation to civilian fully automatic fire.

AR-15 evolved into M4 carbine, CAR-15, SR-47, C7, T65 and Bushmaster C4. The M4 carbine is a shortened version of the M16 assault rifle, used in close quarter combat (CQB) and in service in the ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq after 9/11. The M4 entered service in the United States in 1994.

Similar in form and function, the CAR-15 was released in 1968 and included the Colt Commando line of shorter 11.5-inch barrels. The SR-47 is an assault rifle design proposed by the Knight Armament Company and may be adopted by SOCOM in the United States.

It was never officially commissioned or mass produced. The C7 became the standard service rifle of the Canadian Army in 1984, and it was based on the M16A2 assault rifle model modified to meet Canadian requirements. The T65 became the locally produced version of the M16 in Taiwan, which entered service in 1976.

The Bushmaster M4 carbine was largely based on the AR-15, and eventually carried stockpiles in about 60 countries around the world in civilian, police and military formats.

Numerous direct AR-15 variants, including the experimental XM16E1, the entire M16 series, the CAR-15 series (carbine, heavy assault rifle, and submachine gun types), the experimental XM177 series, the experimental XM4 carbine, and the aforementioned M4 Carbine line. Various civilian and specialized government models have also emerged to date, making the AR-15 one of the most successful rifle designs of its time.

The first widely accepted AR-15 was sold to Malaysia, which bought the model in bulk in late 1959. From there, Colt managed to secure further sales (including a lucrative U.S. military M16 contract), cementing the AR-15's legacy in weapons. Available in a variety of forms and configurations, the system is also popular in the civilian market (where legally available) and has been featured in hunting trips and shooting competitions.

Police and security forces have also taken over the genre.

Over time, AR-15 systems have been produced in one form or another by countless companies outside the standard ArmaLite brand. These include American Spirit Arms, Bushmaster Firearms International, C3 Defense, Charles Daily Firearms, Colt, Daniel Defense, DPMS Panther Arms, High Standard Mfg Co, Les Baer, ??Lewis Machine and Tool Company, LWRC International, Olympic Arms, Remington, Rock River Weapons, Sabre Defense, Smith & Wesson, Stag Arms, Ruger, Ruger and Company and Wilson Combat.

Since Colt retained the "AR-15" trademark, other rifle manufacturers applied their own company model names to their respective final products.

The name "AR-15" comes only from the abbreviation "ArmaLite", where "15" is nothing more than a company-assigned model number.

Specification

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

VARIANTS