Armalite Rifle
An Armalite rifle is one of a series of rifles made by the ArmaLite company, or more generally a rifle based on one of their designs, such as the M-16 rifle. Eugene Stoner, Jacques Michault, Melvin Johnson, Robert Fremont and Jim Sullivan are some of the designers credited with their development.[1] In the United States, these rifles are generally known by their model numbers. The AR before the model number stands for "ArmaLite Rifle".[2]
1973 Colt AR-15 Sporter
AR-18
| Model number | Model name | Cartridges | Manufacturers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AR-5 | Aircrew survival weapon | .22 Hornet | ArmaLite | |
| AR-7 | Explorer | .22 Long Rifle | ArmaLite, Charter Arms, Henry Repeating Arms | |
| AR-10 | 7.62x51mm NATO, .308 Winchester | Fairchild ArmaLite, Artillerie Inrichtingen (AI) | ||
| AR-15 | Parasniper, Predator, Sporter | .223 Remington, 5.56 NATO | ArmaLite, Colt, Bushmaster, Rock River Arms, Stag Arms, DPMS Panther Arms, Olympic Arms, and others | semi-automatic, civilian-market version of the M-16; also known as "The Black Rifle" or "Bushmaster" |
| AR-16 | 7.62x51mm NATO | ArmaLite | ||
| M-16 | 5.56×45mm NATO | Colt Defense, Daewoo Precision Industries, FN Herstal, H & R Firearms, General Motors Hydramatic Division, Elisco, U.S. Ordnance | ||
| AR-18 | 5.56x45mm NATO | ArmaLite, Howa Machinery Company, Sterling Armaments Company | known as "The Widowmaker" in Northern Ireland | |
| AR-180 | 5.56x45mm NATO | Howa Machinery Company, Sterling Armaments Company | semi-automatic, civilian-market version of the AR-18 |
ArmaLite also manufactures other firearms, such as the AR-50 bolt-action rifle, and markets the Turkish made AR-24 pistol in the U.S.
In popular culture
- the Armalite and ballot box strategy was proposed by a faction of the Irish Republican Army. This meant continuing the armed struggle while participating in elections.[3]
- My little Armalite is an Irish Republican song associated with the Provisional Irish Republican Army.
- Armalite Rifle is a song by the Gang of Four from their first single and subsequent Yellow EP.
References
- ↑ "Armalite AR-10 Semi-Automatic Rifle". National Rifle Association. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
- ↑ William Harris. "Top 5 Most Popular Guns - and Why". How Stuff Works. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
- ↑ "Provisional IRA: War, ceasefire, endgame?". BBC. Retrieved March 13, 2014.