Firms that produce weapons. Today we are starting a new series of publications dedicated to firms that have been producing and producing small arms. Naturally, their story will be told, but the main emphasis will be on what these firms are today. Individual samples that they produce will also be discussed, so that, dear readers of "VO", you will get an idea not only about the "corporate handwriting" of this or that manufacturer, but also get acquainted with the best samples of what they offer to the market … But we will start the story not with any specific company, but with the history of the AR-15 rifle, which has become a kind of benchmark for industrial production by arms firms in various countries of the world.
AR-10 rifle in modern design
Today, the AR-15 / M16 family of rifles includes both army automatic assault rifles and self-loading civilian rifles, and its representatives of all types and calibers are perhaps the most common in the world today. This is not surprising, because they are produced in hundreds of different versions. The range of caliber AR-15 rifles is just as huge and includes dozens of samples. At the same time, the design of the rifle is characterized by a high level of modularity, also incorporated into it with a large margin of safety. This makes it possible to use both pistol cartridges and powerful rifle cartridges in it. The largest manufacturer of rifles of this family and, at the same time, their consumer is, of course, the United States. But rifles and carbines of the AR-15 type are also produced by many other states. For example, their production has been established in Canada, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Czech Republic, China, Ukraine and even here in Russia, where, it would seem, there are quite enough of our own weapons.
The AR-10 automatic rifle, the direct predecessor of the AR-15, was already discussed at VO in the article "Armalight AR 10 automatic rifle, caliber 7, 62 mm" dated January 30, 2014, so it is hardly worth repeating everything about it was reported. It is only worth emphasizing that it "began" precisely as a rifle of the standard 7.62 mm caliber for the American army to replace the more traditional M-14 rifle.
But then it was decided to switch to the caliber 5, 56 mm, and it was then that Eugene Stoner, who became the head of the Armalite development team, made the AR-15. Moreover, he made from … "cubes", borrowing "ready-made parts" from a variety of rifles and collecting all the best of them together.
AR-10 rifle: gas tube and barrel pads. By the way, it is this thin gas outlet tube that is one of the highlights of the design and at the same time its plus and minus. Plus, because no piston is needed, no extra spring is needed, which simplifies the design. A downside, because during intense shooting, it becomes so hot that … it literally glows in the dark. At the same time, it can easily burst and then the rifle will fail. And cleaning it from soot is not easy at all!
In fact, the AR-15 rifle is the same AR-10 rifle, but with minor changes in design and adapted for 5, 56-mm cartridges. Initially, Amalite created the AR-15 as its own rifle for the US Army. Its development began in 1957 and a whole dramatic story is connected with its adoption by the American army, according to which you can even shoot a movie. The opponents of the rifle used the most dastardly tricks, but, as is very often the case, the necessity arising as a result of the war forced them, gritting their teeth, to agree that it should enter service. And first she went to aviation, since, apparently, communication with complex equipment makes people smarter, and then to the field troops … of the US allies of the South Vietnamese, whose low growth and weakness did not allow them to effectively operate with Garand and M-14 rifles … Well, and then the fact that the rifle is good reached all the other ranks of the American army. The unauthorized replacement of gunpowder in cartridges made by the manufacturer did not become an obstacle either. Yes, as a result, the rifle began to become covered with carbon deposits, it began to seize, but the designer was not to blame for this - it was just necessary to use the appropriate gunpowder and provide it with cleaning devices. And measures were immediately taken. For three years, from 1967 to 1970, cheap and "dirty" gunpowder was replaced by a "cleaner" one; urgently purchased cleaning kits; and the bore itself, the chamber and the bolt group began to chrome. Well, the troops began to implement a program to train soldiers in caring for the M16 rifle, and the instructions were issued in the form of vivid and memorable comics.
In a word, over time, all the difficulties were overcome, and the AR-15 rifle under the designation M-16 became the standard small arms of the US Army. At the same time, the designation "AR-15" has been preserved. It is a registered trademark owned by the American company Colt's Manufacturing Co, Inc. Only she can mark her rifles and carbines with them, but all other developed and produced samples based on her design should be called "AR-15 type", or "AR-15 style", that is, "AR-15 type rifle" or “AR-15 style rifle”. There are also samples "AR-15 / M16 type" or "M16 type". Moreover, they may differ in some way, in some details, but in all other respects they correspond to the basic model. The easiest way, for example, is to attach four Picattini strips to the forend at once and … you will have your own AR-15 rifle, if you only buy a license to manufacture it, of course. Or, on the contrary, all plastic parts can be turned into wooden parts, made of light wood, and sold, advertised as the most "non-aggressive rifle in the world!"
For the civilian arms market, the Colt company exhibited AR-15 / M16 rifles in 1963. They differ from the army M16 only in marking and in the absence of the ability to fire in a burst. However, it was only after the appearance of the M16A2 modification that this weapon gained popularity in the United States. We emphasize that any manufacturer is allowed to produce AR-15 / M16 rifles, since the US government bought the rights to their design from the Colt company and they are no longer protected by any patents, unlike the trademark.
There are many civilian versions of the M16 rifles. These and army caliber rifles chambered for 5, 56x45 (.223 Remington). Then rifles chambered for 5.6 mm.22LR rimfire. Moreover, the design of the rifle does not change at all, just special adapters are purchased for the bolt and barrel. Rifles are produced for … pistol cartridges 9x19 and 11, 43x23, that is, in fact, these are not even rifles, but submachine guns, deprived of the function of automatic fire, as well as versions chambered for FN 5, 7x28 and our Soviet cartridge 7, 62x25 TT - that's what miracles happen in the world!
However, this was not enough for the manufacturers. Rifles appeared chambered for 6.8 Remington SPC (6, 8x43) and 6.5 Grendel (6, 5x38), then under the old Soviet cartridges 7, 62x39 for the Kalashnikov assault rifle and.300 Whisper cartridges (7, 8x34). Finally, a version for the old American rifle cartridge 7, 62x51 appeared, that is, it became a return to the AR-10 model. And now there are rifles chambered for large caliber cartridges, which are designed specifically for this weapon:.450 Bushmaster (11, 4x43),.458 SOCOM (11, 6x40).499 LWR (12, 5x44) and even.50 Beowulf (12, 7x42). The bullets of these cartridges have a phenomenal stopping effect at small and medium firing distances, so they can be used for hunting medium game and even certain types of big game. There is also a huge selection of barrels for these rifles, which can be from 406 to 600 mm in length.
In addition, the barrels can have a standard, lightweight and heavy profile. Accordingly, the receiver can be equipped with either "Picatinny rails" or not. A large number of stock options for the AR-15 of all types are also produced, not only adjustable in length, but also with adjustable cheeks and butts, and even with built-in batteries for electronic sights and flashlights.
