ArmaLite, or Armalite, is an American
small arms
A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions).
The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes c ...
engineering company, formed in the early 1950s, in
Hollywood, California
Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Columbia Pictures, ...
. Many of its products, as conceived by chief designer
Eugene Stoner
Eugene Morrison Stoner (November 22, 1922 – April 24, 1997) was an American firearms designer who is most associated with the development of the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle that was redesigned and modified by Colt's Patent Firearm Company (now known ...
, relied on unique foam-filled
fiberglass
Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass cloth ...
butt/stock furniture, and a composite barrel using a steel liner inside an aluminum sleeve, including the iconic
AR15
An AR-15-style rifle is any lightweight semi-automatic rifle based on the Colt AR-15 design. The original ArmaLite AR-15 is a scaled-down derivative of Eugene Stoner, Eugene Stoner's ArmaLite AR-10 design. The then Fairchild (aircraft manufactu ...
/
M16
The M16 rifle (officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of military rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military. The original M16 rifle was a 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-roun ...
family. While the original ArmaLite ceased business in the 1980s, the brand was revived in 1996, by Mark Westrom.
Originating as the light firearms division of
Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation
Fairchild was an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturer, aerospace manufacturing company based at various times in Farmingdale, New York; Hagerstown, Maryland; and San Antonio, Texas.
History
Early aircraft
The company was founded by ...
, ArmaLite was formally incorporated in 1954. Stoner's first design, the
AR-1 Parasniper (dating from 1952),
was relatively unsuccessful. However, in 1956, when ArmaLite competed in a contest for an aircrew survival rifle, its
AR-5
The ArmaLite AR-5 is a lightweight bolt-action takedown rifle chambered for the .22 Hornet cartridge and adopted as the MA-1 aircrew survival rifle by the United States Air Force. It was developed by ArmaLite, a division of Fairchild Engine and A ...
and
AR-7
The ArmaLite AR-7 Explorer is a semi-automatic firearm in .22 Long Rifle caliber, developed in 1959 from the Armalite AR-5, AR-5 that was adopted by the United States Air Force, U.S. Air Force as a pilot and aircrew survival weapon. The AR-7 was ...
designs were put into production and adopted by elements of the US military. The following year, ArmaLite also competed for the contract for a new main US combat rifle, in the NATO standard 7.62 mm caliber, with its
AR-10
The ArmaLite AR-10 is a 7.62×51mm NATO battle rifle designed by Eugene Stoner in the late 1950s and manufactured by ArmaLite (then a division of the Fairchild Aircraft Corporation). When first introduced in 1956, the AR-10 used an innovative co ...
. While that bid was unsuccessful, the rifle attracted the attention of both
Colt
Colt(s) or COLT may refer to:
*Colt (horse), an intact (uncastrated) male horse under four years of age
People
* Colt (given name)
*Colt (surname)
Places
*Colt, Arkansas, United States
*Colt, Louisiana, an unincorporated community, United States ...
and the Dutch company
Artillerie-Inrichtingen
Artillerie-Inrichtingen was a Dutch state-owned artillery, small arms, and munitions company which also produced machine tools and was founded in 1679 in Delft, Netherlands. The company was split in 1973 with its defense related businesses becomin ...
, both of which acquired licenses to manufacture the AR-10.
In 1962, Fairchild relinquished its interest in ArmaLite, which continued as an independent company.
The
AR-15
An AR-15-style rifle is any lightweight semi-automatic rifle based on the Colt AR-15 design. The original ArmaLite AR-15 is a scaled-down derivative of Eugene Stoner's ArmaLite AR-10 design. The then Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation d ...
, chambered for the new, lightweight, high velocity 5.56 mm round, included features of Stoner's previous designs. Under financial pressure, ArmaLite sold the entire rights to the AR-15 design to Colt, which quickly secured significant US military and law enforcement contracts for the weapon, beginning with the
USAF Security Forces
The United States Air Force Security Forces (SF) are the ground combat force and military police service of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. USAF Security Forces (SF) were formerly known as Military Police (MP), Air Police (AP), and Sec ...
(1962). A variant of the Colt product was adopted as the US Army's main combat rifle, from 1964, as the Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm,
M16
The M16 rifle (officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of military rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military. The original M16 rifle was a 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-roun ...
. By the 1980s, it had also been adopted by the militaries of many US allies, especially within
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
countries. The M16 remained the primary combat rifle of the US military until 2016. (It will reportedly be completely out of service by the mid-2030s.) Furthermore, its replacements have often been derivatives of the M16 (e.g. the
M4 carbine
The M4 carbine (officially Carbine, Caliber 5.56 mm, M4) is a 5.56×45mm NATO, gas-operated, magazine-fed carbine developed in the United States during the 1980s. It is a shortened version of the M16A2 assault rifle.
The M4 is extensively ...
), or other ArmaLite and/or Eugene Stoner designs (e.g.
M27–IAR).
ArmaLite had other brushes with success, especially with the
ArmaLite AR-18
The ArmaLite AR-18 is a gas-operated assault rifle chambered for 5.56×45mm NATO ammunition. The AR-18 was designed at ArmaLite in California by Arthur Miller, Eugene Stoner, George Sullivan, and Charles Dorchester in 1963 as an alternative ...
(also 5.56 mm). These were not enough to sustain the company, and it ceased operations in the early 1980s.
[Pikula, Sam (Major), ''The ArmaLite AR-10'', p. 92] The design rights and name were purchased in 1996 by Mark Westrom, who re-launched the company ArmaLite, Inc., now headquartered in
Geneseo, Illinois
Geneseo is a city in Henry County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,539. Geneseo is 20 miles east of the Quad Cities, at the intersection of Interstate 80, U.S. Route 6 and Illinois Route 82.
Geneseo is well k ...
.
In 2013, Westrom sold ArmaLite, Inc. to Strategic Armory Corps, which owns AWC Silencers, Surgeon Rifles, Nexus Ammo, and McMillan Firearms. Strategic Armory Corps was formed to acquire and combine market-leading companies within the firearms industry.
In 2014, 3-Gun Champion Tommy Thacker was appointed president. In 2015, ArmaLite introduced 18 new products, including AR-10 and M-15 platform firearms. In mid-2018, ArmaLite relocated to Phoenix, Arizona.
History
ArmaLite began as a small arms engineering concern founded by George Sullivan, the patent counsel for
Lockheed Corporation
The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace manufacturer. Lockheed was founded in 1926 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995. Its founder, Allan Lockheed, had earlier founded the similarly named but ot ...
, and funded by
Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation
Fairchild was an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturer, aerospace manufacturing company based at various times in Farmingdale, New York; Hagerstown, Maryland; and San Antonio, Texas.
History
Early aircraft
The company was founded by ...
.
[Pikula, Sam (Major), ''The ArmaLite AR-10'', pp. 23–26] After leasing a small machine shop at 6567 Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood, California, Sullivan hired several employees and began work on a prototype for a lightweight survival rifle for use by downed aircrew.
On October 1, 1954, the company was incorporated as the ArmaLite Corporation, becoming a subdivision of Fairchild.
With its limited capital and tiny machine shop, ArmaLite was never intended to be an arms manufacturer
but was instead focused on producing small arms concepts and designs to be sold or licensed to other manufacturers.
While testing the prototype of ArmaLite's survival rifle design at a local shooting range, Sullivan met
Eugene Stoner
Eugene Morrison Stoner (November 22, 1922 – April 24, 1997) was an American firearms designer who is most associated with the development of the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle that was redesigned and modified by Colt's Patent Firearm Company (now known ...
, a talented small arms inventor, whom Sullivan immediately hired to be ArmaLite's chief design engineer.
Stoner was a
Marine
Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean.
Marine or marines may refer to:
Ocean
* Maritime (disambiguation)
* Marine art
* Marine biology
* Marine debris
* Marine habitats
* Marine life
* Marine pollution
Military
* ...
in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
and an expert with small arms. Since the early 1950s, he had worked various jobs while building gun prototypes in his spare time. At the time, ArmaLite Inc. was a small organization. As late as 1956, it had only nine employees, including Stoner.
With Stoner as the chief design engineer, ArmaLite quickly released several innovative rifle ideas.
[Pikula, Sam (Major), ''The ArmaLite AR-10'', pp. 30-36] The first ArmaLite concept to be adopted for production was the
AR-5
The ArmaLite AR-5 is a lightweight bolt-action takedown rifle chambered for the .22 Hornet cartridge and adopted as the MA-1 aircrew survival rifle by the United States Air Force. It was developed by ArmaLite, a division of Fairchild Engine and A ...
, a survival rifle chambered for the
.22 Hornet cartridge. The AR-5 was adopted by the
U.S. Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
as the
MA-1 Survival Rifle
The ArmaLite AR-5 is a lightweight bolt-action takedown rifle chambered for the .22 Hornet cartridge and adopted as the MA-1 aircrew survival rifle by the United States Air Force. It was developed by ArmaLite, a division of Fairchild Engine and A ...
.
A civilian survival weapon, the AR-7, was later introduced, chambered in
.22 Long Rifle
The .22 Long Rifle or simply .22 LR or 22 (metric designation: 5.6×15mmR) is a long-established variety of .22 caliber rimfire ammunition originating from the United States. It is used in a wide range of rifles, pistols, revolvers, smo ...
. The semi-automatic AR-7, like the AR-5, could be disassembled, and the components stored in the buttstock. Primarily made of alloys, the AR-7 would float, whether assembled or stored, due to the design of the buttstock, filled with plastic foam. Several companies have produced the AR-7 and derivative models since their introduction in the late 1950s, including
Henry Repeating Arms
Henry Repeating Arms is a firearms manufacturing company. As of 2019, Henry Repeating Arms ranked in the top five of U.S. long gun manufacturers, and eighth overall in total firearms production, manufacturing over 300,000 firearms annually.
H ...
, of Bayonne, New Jersey.
ArmaLite spent most of its time and engineering effort in 1955 and 1956 developing the prototypes for what would become the
ArmaLite AR-10
The ArmaLite AR-10 is a 7.62×51mm NATO battle rifle designed by Eugene Stoner in the late 1950s and manufactured by ArmaLite (then a division of the Fairchild Aircraft Corporation). When first introduced in 1956, the AR-10 used an innovative c ...
. Based on Stoner's fourth prototype,
Springfield Armory
The Springfield Armory, more formally known as the United States Armory and Arsenal at Springfield located in the city of Springfield, Massachusetts, was the primary center for the manufacture of United States military firearms from 1777 until ...
tested two hand-built production AR-10s in late 1956 and again in 1957 as a possible replacement to the venerable yet outdated
M1 Garand
The M1 Garand or M1 rifleOfficially designated as U.S. rifle, caliber .30, M1, later simply called Rifle, Caliber .30, M1, also called US Rifle, Cal. .30, M1 is a semi-automatic rifle that was the service rifle of the U.S Army during World War ...
. The untested AR-10 faced competition from the two other significant rifle designs, the
Springfield Armory
The Springfield Armory, more formally known as the United States Armory and Arsenal at Springfield located in the city of Springfield, Massachusetts, was the primary center for the manufacture of United States military firearms from 1777 until ...
T-44
The T-44 is a medium tank first developed and produced near the end of World War II by the Soviet Union. It was the successor to the T-34, offering an improved ride and cross-country performance, along with much greater armor. Designed to be eq ...
, an updated M1 Garand design that became the
M14, and the T-48, a version of the famous
Belgian
Belgian may refer to:
* Something of, or related to, Belgium
* Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent
* Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German
*Ancient Belgian language, an extinct language ...
FN FAL
The FAL (a French acronym for (English: "Light Automatic Rifle")), is a battle rifle designed in Belgium by Dieudonné Saive and manufactured by FN Herstal (simply known as FN).
During the Cold War the FAL was adopted by many countries of th ...
rifle. The T-44 and the T-48 were several years more advanced than the AR-10 in development and trial testing; the T-44 had the additional advantage of being an in-house Springfield Armory design. The Army eventually selected the T-44 over both the AR-10 and the T-48.
ArmaLite continued to market the AR-10 based on a limited production of rifles at its Hollywood facility. These limited-production, virtually hand-built rifles are "Hollywood" model AR-10s. In 1957, Fairchild/ArmaLite sold a five-year manufacturing license for the AR-10 to the
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
arms manufacturer
Artillerie-Inrichtingen
Artillerie-Inrichtingen was a Dutch state-owned artillery, small arms, and munitions company which also produced machine tools and was founded in 1679 in Delft, Netherlands. The company was split in 1973 with its defense related businesses becomin ...
(AI). Converting the AR-10 engineering drawings to metric, AI found the Hollywood version of the AR-10 deficient in many respects and made many significant design and engineering changes in the AR-10 that continued throughout the production run in the Netherlands. Firearms historians have separated AR-10 production under the AI license into three identifiable versions of the AR-10: the "Sudanese" model, the "Transitional", and the "Portuguese" model AR-10. The Sudanese version derives its name from its sale to the government of
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
, which purchased approximately 2,500 AR-10 rifles, while the Transitional model incorporated additional design changes based on experience with the Sudanese model in the field. The final AI-produced AR-10, the Portuguese, was a product-improved variant sold to the
Portuguese Air Force
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 1 July
, equipment =
, equipment_label ...
for use by paratroopers.
[Pikula, Sam (Major), ''The ArmaLite AR-10'', p. 78] While AR-10 production at AI dwarfed that of ArmaLite's Hollywood shop, it was still limited, as sales to foreign armies proved elusive.
Guatemala
Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
,
Burma
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
,
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
,
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
and
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
all purchased AR-10 rifles for limited issue to their military forces,
[Pikula, Sam (Major), ''The ArmaLite AR-10'', p. 45][Pikula, Sam (Major), ''The ArmaLite AR-10'', p. 72,73] resulting in a total production of less than 10,000 AR-10 rifles in four years. ArmaLite never adopted AI's suggested design changes and product improvements.
Disappointed with AR-10 sales, Fairchild ArmaLite decided to terminate its association with AI and instead concentrate on producing a small-caliber version of the AR-10 to meet a requirement for the U.S. Air Force. Using the Hollywood-produced AR-10, the prototype was downsized in dimensions to accept the .223 Remington (5.56 mm) cartridge.
[Pikula, Sam (Major), ''The ArmaLite AR-10'', p. 88] This resulted in the
ArmaLite AR-15
The ArmaLite AR-15 is a select-fire, gas-operated, air-cooled, magazine-fed rifle manufactured in the United States between 1959 and 1964. Designed by American gun manufacturer ArmaLite in 1956, it was based on its AR-10 rifle. The ArmaLite ...
, designed by Eugene Stoner,
Jim Sullivan, and
Bob Fremont
Bob, BOB, or B.O.B. may refer to:
Places
*Mount Bob, New York, United States
*Bob Island, Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica
People, fictional characters, and named animals
*Bob (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
*Bob (surname) ...
, and chambered in 5.56 mm caliber.
ArmaLite also re-introduced the AR-10, this time using a design derived from the original Hollywood prototypes of 1956, and designated the AR-10A. Unable to produce either rifle in quantity, ArmaLite licensed both designs to
Colt
Colt(s) or COLT may refer to:
*Colt (horse), an intact (uncastrated) male horse under four years of age
People
* Colt (given name)
*Colt (surname)
Places
*Colt, Arkansas, United States
*Colt, Louisiana, an unincorporated community, United States ...
in early 1959. That same year, ArmaLite moved its corporate offices and engineering and production shop to new premises at 118 East 16th Street in Costa Mesa, California.
[Pikula, Sam (Major), ''The ArmaLite AR-10'', p. 90]
Frustrated by what it perceived as unnecessary production delays at AI and poor AR-10 sales, Fairchild decided not to renew Artillerie-Inrichtingen's license to produce the AR-10. In 1962, disappointed with ArmaLite's meager profits, primarily derived from licensing fees, Fairchild dissolved its association with ArmaLite.
With the AR-10 and AR-15 designs sold to Colt, ArmaLite was left without a viable major infantry arm to market to potential manufacturers and end users. ArmaLite developed a series of less expensive new rifle designs in 7.62 mm and 5.56 mm. The 7.62 mm NATO rifle was designated the
AR-16
The ArmaLite AR-18 is a gas-operated assault rifle chambered for 5.56×45mm NATO ammunition. The AR-18 was designed at ArmaLite in California by Arthur Miller, Eugene Stoner, George Sullivan, and Charles Dorchester in 1963 as an alternative t ...
. The AR-16 and the other newly designed ArmaLites utilized a more traditional gas piston design with stamped and welded steel construction in place of aluminum forgings. Due to the success of the FN FAL, H&K G3, and the US M14, the 7.62 mm AR-16 (not to be confused with the
M16
The M16 rifle (officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of military rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military. The original M16 rifle was a 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-roun ...
) was produced only in prototype quantities. ArmaLite also developed the AR-17, a 5.5-pound, two-shot autoloading shotgun based on the short-recoil principle with aluminum and plastic construction; ArmaLite only produced about 1,200.
In 1963, development began on the
AR-18
The ArmaLite AR-18 is a gas-operated assault rifle chambered for 5.56×45mm NATO ammunition. The AR-18 was designed at ArmaLite in California by Arthur Miller, Eugene Stoner, George Sullivan, and Charles Dorchester in 1963 as an alternative t ...
rifle, a "downsized" 5.56 mm AR-16 with a new gas system utilizing a short stroke gas piston instead of the Stoner direct gas impingement system used on the AR-10 and AR-15. Designed by Art Miller, ArmaLite accompanied the AR-18 with a semi-automatic version, the AR-180.
However, the sales success of the AR-15 worldwide to the U.S. military and other nations proved the undoing of the AR-18, and the latter failed to garner substantial orders. In response to criticism of the rifle's performance in trials by the military in the United States and Great Britain, ArmaLite made a few minor improvements to the original design but did little else. ArmaLite manufactured some AR-18 and AR-180 rifles at its Costa Mesa facility and later licensed production to Howa Machinery Co. in Japan. However, Japan prohibited the sale of military-style arms to combative nations. With the United States involved in the Vietnam War, production at the Howa plant was limited. ArmaLite then licensed production to Sterling Armaments in Dagenham, Great Britain. Sales remained modest. Today, the AR-180 is best known for its use by the
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army (IRA; ), also known as the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and informally as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary organisation that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland, facilitate Irish reun ...
in Ireland, who received small quantities of the rifle from black market sources. The AR-18 gas system and rotating bolt mechanism did serve as the basis for the current British small arms family, the
SA80
The SA80 (Small Arms for the 1980s) is a British family of 5.56×45mm NATO service weapons used by the British Army. The L85 Rifle variant has been the standard issue service rifle of the British Armed Forces since 1987, replacing the L1A1 Se ...
, which came from the
XL65, essentially an AR-18 in
bullpup
A bullpup firearm is one with its firing grip located in front of the Chamber (firearms), breech of the weapon, instead of behind it. This creates a weapon with a shorter overall length for a given barrel length, and one that is often lighter, ...
configuration. Other designs, such as the Singapore
SAR-80
The Singapore Assault Rifle 80 (SAR 80) is an indigenously built, conventional assault rifle from Singapore.
History and development
In the late 1960s, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) adopted the AR-15 as their main service rifle. Due to diffi ...
and German
G36, are based upon the AR-18.
A derivative of the AR-18 was the
AR-100 series. It came in four variants: the closed-bolt AR-101 assault rifle and AR-102 carbine, and the open-bolt fired AR-103 carbine and AR-104 light machine gun with ejecting magazines. ArmaLite intended the weapon to increase a squad's firepower and mobility. It was never adopted but led to the
Ultimax 100
The Ultimax 100 is a Singapore-made 5.56mm light machine gun, developed by the Chartered Industries of Singapore (CIS, now ST Kinetics) by a team of engineers under the guidance of American firearms designer L. James Sullivan. The weapon is extr ...
.
By the 1970s, ArmaLite had essentially stopped all new rifle development, and the company effectively ceased operations.
In 1983, ArmaLite was sold to the Elisco Tool Manufacturing Company of the Philippines. The AR-18 tooling at the Costa Mesa shop went to the Philippines. At the same time, some of the remaining ArmaLite employees acquired the remaining inventory of parts for the AR-17 and AR-18.
Elisco had planned to pitch the AR-18 as a replacement for the license-produced M16A1 then in service with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and such made several modifications to the design. Twenty (20) prototypes of four types (AR 101, AR 102, AR 103, AR 104) were built and underwent testing and evaluation. About 3,500 of these rifles, collectively designated the ''AR Series 100'' were approved for production. Production plans for the AR Series 100 would fail to push through as Elisco would dissolve and liquidate its assets in the late 1980s.
Resurrection of the ArmaLite brand
![Ar10t](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Ar10t.jpg)
After passing through a series of owners, Mark Westrom, a former U.S. Army ordnance officer and inventor of a 7.62 NATO sniper rifle based on Eugene Stoner's design concepts, purchased the ArmaLite brand name and rampant lion logo in 1996. The company resumed business as ArmaLite Inc. ArmaLite produced some AR-15 and AR-10-based rifles, as well as
.50 BMG rifles (the
AR-50), and a modified AR-180 named the AR-180B (discontinued in 2009). In the mid-2000s, ArmaLite announced that it was introducing a handgun line including the
AR-24 and AR-26 (both pistols also discontinued).
In 2013, Westrom sold ArmaLite, Inc. to
Strategic Armory Corps
ArmaLite, or Armalite, is an American small arms engineering company, formed in the early 1950s, in Hollywood, California. Many of its products, as conceived by chief designer Eugene Stoner, relied on unique foam-filled fiberglass butt/stock fur ...
, owner of
AWC Silencers AWC is a three letter acronym that may refer to:
Educational institutions
*Allegheny Wesleyan College, a private liberal arts college in Ohio
*Air War College, a part of Air University, at Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, Alabama
Military and Weap ...
,
Surgeon Rifles
In modern medicine, a surgeon is a medical professional who performs surgery. Although there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon usually is also a licensed physician or received the same medical training as ...
,
Nexus Ammo
NEXUS is a joint Canada Border Services Agency and U.S. Customs and Border Protection-operated Trusted Traveler and Border control#Expedited border controls, expedited border control program designed for pre-approved, low-risk travelers. Members ...
, and
McMillan Firearms
McMillan Firearms is an American arms manufacturer best known for the McMillan Tac-50, its .50 BMG long-range anti-materiel and sniper rifle. It also produces the McMillan Tac-338, McMillan Tac-300 and McMillan Tac-308 sniper rifles, the ALIAS R ...
. Strategic Armory Corps was formed to acquire and combine firearm companies.
Products
(1954–1983)
*
AR-1 "Parasniper", bolt-action rifle (1954 prototype, was not developed further)
*
AR-3
Arkansas's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Arkansas. The district covers Northwest Arkansas and takes in Fort Smith, Fayetteville, Springdale, and Bentonville.
The district is represented by Repub ...
,
7.62×51 mm NATO select-fire battle rifle (prototype, used as a test-bed for rifle design features)
*
AR-5
The ArmaLite AR-5 is a lightweight bolt-action takedown rifle chambered for the .22 Hornet cartridge and adopted as the MA-1 aircrew survival rifle by the United States Air Force. It was developed by ArmaLite, a division of Fairchild Engine and A ...
,
.22 Hornet bolt-action survival rifle (1954–1955), was submitted to replace the Air Force's standard survival rifle.
*
AR-7
The ArmaLite AR-7 Explorer is a semi-automatic firearm in .22 Long Rifle caliber, developed in 1959 from the Armalite AR-5, AR-5 that was adopted by the United States Air Force, U.S. Air Force as a pilot and aircrew survival weapon. The AR-7 was ...
"Explorer",
.22 LR
The .22 Long Rifle or simply .22 LR or 22 (metric designation: 5.6×15mmR) is a long-established variety of .22 caliber rimfire ammunition originating from the United States. It is used in a wide range of rifles, pistols, revolvers, smooth ...
semi-auto survival rifle
*
AR-9, semi-auto
12-gauge
The gauge (or commonly bore in British English) of a firearm is a unit of measurement used to express the inner diameter (bore diameter) of the barrel.
Gauge is determined from the weight of a solid sphere of lead that will fit the bore of the f ...
shotgun (1955 prototype, forerunner of the AR-17)
*
AR-10
The ArmaLite AR-10 is a 7.62×51mm NATO battle rifle designed by Eugene Stoner in the late 1950s and manufactured by ArmaLite (then a division of the Fairchild Aircraft Corporation). When first introduced in 1956, the AR-10 used an innovative co ...
, 7.62×51 mm NATO select-fire battle rifle (1955–1959)
*
AR-11,
.222 Remington
The .222 Remington or 5.7×43mm (C.I.P), also known as the triple deuce, triple two, and treble two, is a centerfire rifle cartridge. Introduced in 1950, it was the first commercial rimless .22 (5.56 mm) cartridge made in the United Stat ...
select-fire rifle (prototype, smaller version of the AR-3)
*
AR-12, 7.62×51 mm NATO select-fire battle rifle
*
AR-14,
.243 Winchester,
.308 Winchester
The .308 Winchester is a smokeless powder rimless bottlenecked rifle cartridge widely used for hunting, target shooting, police, military, and personal protection applications globally. It is similar but not identical to the 7.62×51mm NATO ...
, or
.358 Winchester
The .358 Winchester is a .35 caliber rifle cartridge based on a necked up .308 Winchester created by Winchester in 1955. The cartridge is also known in Europe as the 9.1x51mm.
History
This cartridge came over 30 years later than the .35 Whe ...
semi-auto sporting rifle (1956)
*
AR-15
An AR-15-style rifle is any lightweight semi-automatic rifle based on the Colt AR-15 design. The original ArmaLite AR-15 is a scaled-down derivative of Eugene Stoner's ArmaLite AR-10 design. The then Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation d ...
,
.223 Remington
The .223 Remington (designated as the 223 Remington by the SAAMI and 223 Rem by the CIP) is a rimless, bottlenecked rifle cartridge. It was developed in 1957 by Remington Arms and Fairchild Industries for the U.S. Continental Army Command ...
select-fire rifle (smaller version of the AR-10 and forerunner of the M16 rifle, made from 1956-1959)
*
AR-16
The ArmaLite AR-18 is a gas-operated assault rifle chambered for 5.56×45mm NATO ammunition. The AR-18 was designed at ArmaLite in California by Arthur Miller, Eugene Stoner, George Sullivan, and Charles Dorchester in 1963 as an alternative t ...
, 7.62×51 mm NATO select-fire battle rifle (1959–1960)
*
AR-17, semi-auto 12-gauge shotgun
*
AR-18
The ArmaLite AR-18 is a gas-operated assault rifle chambered for 5.56×45mm NATO ammunition. The AR-18 was designed at ArmaLite in California by Arthur Miller, Eugene Stoner, George Sullivan, and Charles Dorchester in 1963 as an alternative t ...
, .223 Remington select-fire rifle (smaller version of the AR-16, made 1962–1964)
*
AR-180
The ArmaLite AR-18 is a gas-operated assault rifle chambered for 5.56×45mm NATO ammunition. The AR-18 was designed at ArmaLite in California by Arthur Miller, Eugene Stoner, George Sullivan, and Charles Dorchester in 1963 as an alternative to ...
, .223 Remington semi-auto sporting rifle (civilian version of the AR-18)
(ArmaLite, Inc. 1996–present)
*
AR-10B, .308 Win semi-auto rifle (1994–Present)
*
AR-10A, .308 Win semi-auto rifle (2006–Present) (re-designed AR-10 - most parts are not compatible with AR-10B)
*
AR-10 SuperSASS AR-1 may refer to
* AR-1 (rocket engine)
* Arkansas's 1st congressional district
* Arkansas Highway 1
* An Acoustic Research corporation loudspeaker, famous as the first acoustic suspension speaker.
* The USS Medusa (AR-1), the first US Navy repair ...
, .308 Win semi-auto sniper system (2006–Present)
*
AR-19, 9mm pistol caliber carbine (20?-Present)
*
AR-20, .50 BMG single shot rifle (1998–1999)
*
AR-22
The Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-25, also known as the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME), is a liquid-fuel cryogenic rocket engine that was used on NASA's Space Shuttle and is currently used on the Space Launch System (SLS).
Designed and manufacture ...
, blank firing device for the Mk 19 40 mm grenade launcher (1998–2008)
*
AR-23, sub-caliber training device for the Mk 19 40 mm grenade launcher (1998–2008)
*
AR-24, 9 mm pistol (2006–2012)
*
AR-30, .308 Win, .338 Lapua Magnum, .300 WIN MAG bolt-action rifle (1999–2012)
*
AR-30A1, .300 WIN MAG, .338 Lapua Magnum bolt-action rifle (2013–present) (re-designed AR-30; most parts are not compatible with AR-30)
*
AR-31, .308 Win bolt-action rifle (2013–present)
*
AR-50, .50 BMG single-shot rifle (1998–present)
*
AR-180B
The ArmaLite AR-18 is a Gas-operated reloading, gas-operated assault rifle chambered for 5.56×45mm NATO ammunition. The AR-18 was designed at ArmaLite in California by Arthur Miller, Eugene Stoner, George Sullivan, and Charles Dorchester in 19 ...
, 5.56 mm semi-auto rifle (2001–2009)
* M-15, 5.56 mm semi-auto rifle (1994–present)
See also
*
List of ArmaLite rifles
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
*
List of modern armament manufacturers
The following list of modern armament manufacturers presents major companies producing modern weapons and munitions for military, paramilitary, government agency and civilian use. The companies are listed by their full name followed by the short ...
*
ArmaLite and ballot box strategy
References
Sources
*
* Pikula, Sam (Major), ''The ArmaLite AR-10'', Regnum Fund Press (1998),
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Armalite
Firearm manufacturers of the United States
Companies based in Henry County, Illinois