ArmaLite
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ArmaLite, originally the ArmaLite Division of the Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation, is one of the most influential corporations in the history of 20th century small arms. Established October 1, 1954, ArmaLite is responsible for many of the infantry weapons in service worldwide today, including the M16 and M4 assault rifles.
Armalite is currently located in Geneseo, Illinois.
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[edit] History
ArmaLite's first success came shortly after it was founded with the introduction of the AR-5, a survival rifle chambered for the .22 Hornet cartridge. The AR-5 (AR stands for ArmaLite) was adopted by the U.S. Air Force as the MA-1 Survival Rifle.
A civilian survival weapon, the AR-7, was chambered in .22 Long Rifle. The semi-automatic AR-7 was noteworthy in that it 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, which was filled with plastic foam. The AR-7 and derivative models have been produced by several companies since introduction in the late 1950s, currently by Henry Repeating Arms; and the rifle is still popular today. It was also the rifle used by James Bond in From Russia with Love.
In 1954 Eugene Stoner became Chief Engineer at ArmaLite. Stoner was a Marine in World War II and an expert with small arms. His design for the AR-10 assault rifle was entered into the U.S. Army trials in 1955 as a possible replacement to the venerable yet outdated M1 Garand. It met stiff competition as it was pitted against the Springfield Armory T-44, an updated M1 Garand design that became the M14, and the T-48, a version of the famous Belgian FN FAL rifle. The AR-10 lost the trials to the T-44, largely due to the AR-10's unorthodox appearance and configuration. The superior T-48/FAL also lost, leading to the belief that Army Ordnance had selected the T-44 ahead of time.
The famous AR-15 rifle was developed as a subcaliber version of the AR-10 and intended as a replacement for the .30-caliber M1 Carbine, then used by officers, aircrews, vehicle crews and others for whom the full-power rifle was not appropriate. Both designs were licensed to Colt in early 1959. (For more information on the AR-15 see the M16 article.) The AR-15 was produced for law enforcement and sporting use, then was accepted (in a selective fire version) by the Air Force.
Defense Secretary Robert McNamara decided that the .223-caliber round fired by the Armalite would be more useful in combat, in the belief that a wounded enemy soldier would be aided by at least one and perhaps more of his fellow soldiers, taking them all out of action, whereas killing that same soldier would only remove him from combat. [citation needed] In addition, a larger volume of the smaller .223 caliber (5.56mm) ammunition could be carried for the same weight as a smaller volume of the larger .308 caliber (7.62mm) ammunition used by the M-14. He ordered that the M14 rifle be replaced by the M16, to the chagrin of American troops worldwide, who dubbed it the "Mighty Mattel" due to its plastic stocks and "toy store" appearance. The Mattel Toy Company brought out an advanced toy rifle which resembled the M16 and called it the "Mighty Mattel" -- there is dispute about whether the rifle or the toy was the first to bear the name. Ironically, the toy was used in the John Wayne movie The Green Berets in a scene where Wayne smashes a rifle against a tree.
The M16 was soon modified into the M16A1, the most obvious change being the addition of a mechanism to force the bolt closed when it jammed partway open, a common occurrence in early model M16 rifles when the rifle was dirty or the mechanism inadequately lubricated; and chroming the chamber and barrel to improve reliability. Soldiers in Vietnam learned to carry a bottle of gun oil in the strap of helmet or hat, where it could be grabbed in a hurry when needed. In addition, they would frequently carry an assembled cleaning rod taped to the forearm of the weapon, allowing it to be quickly accessed to clear stoppages. A failure to properly clean and maintain the rifles as a result of a lack of instruction was identified as the primary cause of stoppages. A decision by the US Military to change to a different type of powder in the 5.56mm round led to weapons requiring cleaning more often than US soldiers were used to under normal field conditions. Derogatory names given to the M16 include "Poodle Shooter" and "Jam-A-Matic."
The current-issue model is the M16A4 rifle and the M4 carbine; these have has different barrel and sight configurations, and use a round forearm derived from that used on the XM177E2 "Stubby" (also called the CAR-15). The AR-15 model and its derivatives, sold for sporting use, is semi-automatic, requiring a squeeze of the trigger for each round to be fired.
Soldiers returning from service in Iraq continue to complain about the M-16 and M4. Their complaints include the fact that the rifle attracts dirt like a magnet; and requires constant cleaning, essentially at every rest break, if soldiers expect it to function when needed. Complaints about the inadequacy of its 5.56mm NATO cartridge are also often heard.
Many firearms experts, notably the late U.S. Marine Corps Colonel Jeff Cooper, have called for new battle rifle tests to find a successor to the M-16 despite the cancellation of such a test program in 2005. It is interesting to note that as of June, 2006 the Army has quietly begun to issue M-14s chambered in 7.62 NATO as the squad-level full-auto weapon in lieu of the SAW that, like the M-16, is chambered for the 5.56 mm NATO round.
With both the AR-10 and AR-15 designs sold to Colt, ArmaLite was left without a viable product. So, in 1963, development began on the AR-18 assault rifle, an "improved" AR-15 with a new gas system that did not violate the Colt held patents. The AR-18 is an excellent rifle, but it did not gain any military support. It is most famous for being adopted by the IRA in Ireland, who dubbed the rifle "The Widowmaker". The AR-18 mechanism did serve as the basis for the current British small arms family, the SA80, which came from the XL65 which is essentially an AR-18 in bullpup configuration. Other designs, such as the Singapore SAR-80 and German G36, are based upon the AR-18.
ArmaLite has changed hands a number of times throughout its history and most recently was reorganized in 1995. Today, ArmaLite produces a number of AR-15 and AR-10 based rifles, as well as .50 BMG rifles.
Armalite recently joined Springfield, Inc. in opposing Gov. Rod Blagojevich's proposed assault weapons ban for Illinois.
[edit] Popular culture
- Gang of Four ArmaLite Rifle
- Irish Brigade Little ArmaLite'
- The Police, Invisible Sun: "I don't want to spend the rest of my life / Looking at the barrel of an Armalite"
- The Trader, one of the main characters from Deathlands, carries a battered ArmaLite.
- Fight Club: Narrator (AKA "Jack"):[Referring to himself in the 3rd Person while ranting at his boss]"...And this button-down, Oxford-cloth psycho might just snap, and then stalk from office to office with an Armalite AR-10 carbine gas-powered semi-automatic weapon, pumping round after round into colleagues and co-workers. This might be someone you've known for years. Someone very, very close to you."
- Johnny Clegg & Savuka, Woman Be My Country: "I no longer carry an Armalite."
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- McElrath, Daniel T.. "Golden Days At ArmaLite", American Rifleman, National Rifle Association of America, December 10, 2004. Retrieved on 2006-10-20. (in English)
