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The ArmaLite division of the Fairchild
Engine and Airplane Corporation, Costa Mesa, CA was established in 1954 for the
sole purpose of developing military firearms using the latest in plastics and
non-ferrous materials. It's team who oversaw drafting work had been the key
developers of the AR-15.
The AR-15, designed around a slightly enlarged version of the .222 case firing a
55gr projectile at 3300fps, and weighing in at 6.7 lbs, took some of the best
features from earlier designs:
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locking system similar to Johnson
Automatic Rifle
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gas system from Swedish Ljungman
AG42B
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in-line stock to help with
manageability during auto fire
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hinged upper/lower from FN-FAL
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rear sight in carry handle like
British EM2
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ejector port cover from MP44
Project SALVO, a number of studies
conducted by the Operations Research Office at John Hopkins University and
supported by several contractors chose the AR-15 as the best small caliber
weapon and it was adopted as the M16. The AR-15 had met all the CONARC
requirements, and AR-15 production could be highly automated, making it
inexpensive to manufacture. It's 5.56mm cartridge fired a small 55gr bullet at
nearly 3000fps, and it was accurate and effective to 350 yards. The small
cartridge combined with the buffer system and inline stock made it far more
controllable in automatic fire than the M14.
The early Colt AR-15, their magazines,
and their operators manuals were marked with ArmaLite’s name. Colt’s retained
the AR-15 designation on commercial rifles. To this day Colt’s has a model
designation with the letters AR, which stands for “ArmaLite”.
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