In 1949, the US Air Force entered service with the M4 Survival Rifle, a small-bore collapsible rifle, offered as a hunting weapon and a means of self-defense for pilots in distress. In 1952, the pilots received a similar M6 Survival Weapon system. The development of the original idea was continued, and after a few years there was an order for the adoption of the MA-1 Survival Rifle rifle.
In the early fifties, by order of the US Air Force, a combined M6 shotgun was created, which had a smooth and rifled barrels. Depending on the type of game, the shot down pilot could use a.22 Hornet cartridge with a bullet or a shot M35 in.410 caliber. The gun could be folded and took up minimal space in the wearable emergency stock. The M6 Survival Weapon product differed from its predecessor in increased performance and other capabilities, but soon the army considered it necessary to create a new similar model.
One of the experienced ArmaLite MA-1 rifles
Just two years after the adoption of the M6 rifle, the Air Force ordered the development of a new survival weapon. The contract was awarded to the newly founded company ArmaLite, at that time a structural division of the aircraft manufacturer Fairchild Aircraft. The technical assignment for the new weapon was similar to the previous ones. The contractor had to create a lightweight and compact magazine rifle for the existing small-bore cartridge.
Initially, the project of a promising rifle received the working designation AR-5, which corresponded to the internal nomenclature of the developer company. Later, in 1956, according to the test results, the rifle was put into service, as a result of which it received a new name - MA-1 Survival Rifle ("MA-1 survival rifle").
Taking into account the basic requirements of the customer, ArmaLite engineers, led by Eugene Stoner, proposed a fairly simple rifle design. The AR-5 project involved a number of simple and familiar solutions, complemented by several new ideas. In particular, it was planned to make the rifle collapsible, which made it possible to reduce its dimensions in the transport position. In addition, the weapon had to have a special butt, which made it possible to do without separate bags or carrying cases.
Receiver and butt close-up
The ArmaLite AR-5 rifle had the simplest layout. In the center of the product was a compact receiver with a bolt group and a firing mechanism. Its front end had mounts for mounting the barrel, and a plastic butt was attached to it at the back. In the combat position, the rifle was quite large, but in the transport configuration it was compact and light.
Some of the main parts of the weapon were placed in a receiver with recognizable outer contours. It is interesting that later receivers of a similar shape were used in new projects by J. Stoner. The upper part of the box, made in the form of a cylinder of the required diameter, was intended to accommodate the shutter. In the right side of the cylinder there was a window for ejection of liners. Behind him, an L-shaped groove was provided for the bolt handle. A rectangular casing was attached to the bottom of the cylinder, the front part of which contained the receiving shaft of the store, and the rear part was intended for installing the parts of the firing mechanism.
To improve performance, it was proposed to use materials that are resistant to corrosion. The main parts of the weapon were made of stainless steel or aluminum, and the butt with the butt pad should be made of plastic and rubber.
Disassembled rifle
The rifle received a rifled barrel with a caliber of 5, 7 mm for a small-bore centerfire cartridge.22 Hornet (5, 7x35 mm R). The barrel had a length of 14 inches (355 mm) or 62 caliber. The thickness of the barrel walls decreased in the direction of the muzzle. In the muzzle of the barrel there was a collar with a front sight on the rack, the breech received a nut for fastening to the front of the receiver. To reduce the size and weight of the weapon, the barrel had no protection.
The AR-5 / MA-1 rifle received the simplest sliding bolt with rotation locking. The bolt group was made in the form of a cylindrical unit that freely moves inside the receiver. It was proposed to control the movement of the shutter using a curved handle at its rear. Before the shot, the barrel was locked using several lugs. Inside the shutter there were a movable striker and an extractor.
A simple trigger-type firing mechanism was used. Shooting control was carried out using a traditional trigger brought out under the receiver. Safety was ensured by a fuse that blocked the operation of the trigger. Its lever was brought out at the rear of the receiver, just above the top of the stock.
The rifle from ArmaLite was supposed to use the small bore.22 Hornet cartridge. For storing and supplying such ammunition to the weapon, a compact box magazine for four rounds was developed. The store was placed in the front receiving shaft and was fixed with a latch. It is curious that the control lever of the latter was located on the front of the protective bracket - just in front of the trigger.
Receiver and bolt, right side view
Of particular interest is a stock designed specifically for a survival rifle. For greater convenience in holding the weapon and shooting, it was proposed to use the traditional shape of the buttstock with a pistol protrusion on the neck. At the same time, Yu Stoner and colleagues envisaged several interesting innovations that simplified the transportation and storage of the rifle.
The plastic buttstock had a U-shaped front part of the neck that enclosed the receiver. A long screw, necessary for assembling the rifle before firing, passed through the inner channel of the neck. It was proposed to rotate this screw using a large cap placed under the pistol protrusion. A couple of large compartments were provided inside the butt. The first was made in the form of a tube and was distinguished by its great length. The second had increased dimensions, but went to a shallower depth. The first compartment was intended for storing the barrel, the second for the receiver with the magazine. Both compartments were covered with a removable rubber butt pad.
The low-power cartridge and limited firing characteristics made it possible to get by with the simplest sighting devices. An unregulated front sight was placed on the muzzle of the barrel. In the rear of the receiver there was a small upper ridge, inside which there was a rear sight with a ring.
Left view of the same units
The AR-5 / MA-1 rifle should have been stored disassembled. In this case, the barrel and receiver were located in a sealed butt. It is curious that a lightweight buttstock with large cavities filled with air had positive buoyancy and could float on the water. In addition, it protected metal parts from external influences.
When folded, the survival rifle was only 368 mm long with a height of no more than 150 mm and a width of several centimeters. The dimensions of the weapon in this state were determined solely by the dimensions of the butt. When assembled and ready to fire, the AR-5 was 806 mm long. The mass of the weapon, regardless of the current state, was only 1, 2 kg. A cartridge of medium power (muzzle energy no more than 1100 J) did not give a strong recoil, but it allowed shooting at small and medium game at distances up to 150 m.
Preparing for the hunt, the downed pilot had to remove the butt plate from the butt and remove the weapon assemblies from it. The receiver was inserted into the front slot of the butt and fixed in place with a screw passing through the neck. The barrel was connected to the box using a large union nut. After completing the assembly, the shooter could install the store, cock the weapon and fire a shot at the game.
Prototypes of the new air force rifle were manufactured and submitted for testing in 1955. They successfully coped with all the checks, as a result of which a new command order appeared the next year. A well-proven weapon was adopted by the US Air Force. The acceptance order also introduced a new official designation, the MA-1 Survival Rifle. In the near future, the first order for the mass production of rifles was to appear.
Rifle butt
The ArmaLite company began preparations for the release of new survival rifles, but the long-term preparatory work did not go. After the adoption of the MA-1 into service, it became clear that the air force simply did not have the financial ability to order a significant amount of new weapons. Responsible persons tried to find funding for such purchases, but did not succeed in doing so. As a result, a very strange situation developed. The survival rifle met all the requirements and was put into service, but the customer did not purchase a single serial product. This situation persisted for some time, after which the military department notified the developer of the rifle about the impossibility of signing a contract for the purchase of serial products.
According to some reports, the ArmaLite company by this time managed to draw up plans for the near future. According to them, the Pentagon was supposed to be the starting customer of the AR-5 / MA-1 rifle. Further, it was supposed to continue the production of weapons, but for other customers, including for entering the civilian market. However, the absence of the expected order of the military did not allow the fulfillment of all these plans. An interesting rifle at first failed to get into the military units, and then it failed to get to the counters.
The developers, not without reason, considered their survival rifle a successful example of small arms, designed to occupy a specific niche. However, the absence of a government order forced them to abandon a good project. Soon after the army finally abandoned the purchase of MA-1 serial rifles, ArmaLite found an elegant way out of the situation. On the basis of the existing product AR-5, a new sample of a different class was created.
Cavities in the butt: on the left for the barrel, on the right for the receiver
The rifle, originally intended for the US Air Force, has been significantly redesigned. While maintaining the basic layout solutions and some structural elements, the new weapon received automation, due to which it passed into the category of self-loading rifles. In 1958, a new rifle was introduced to the market under the commercial designation AR-7. Unlike its predecessor with manual reloading, the new rifle was able to go into production and remained in service for a long time. In addition, she even managed to get into service with one of the countries.
ArmaLite's special weapons could not reach mass production and use in the military. As a result, it has never been tested in real or close to real conditions. Taking into account the peculiarities of the operation of previous survival systems, it can be assumed that with the help of the MA-1, the downed pilot could successfully hunt small game and wait for rescuers with fewer problems. However, a low-power cartridge and manual reloading would hardly have helped the pilot to fight off the attacking enemy.
The AR-5 / MA-1 Survival Rifle was originally designed for use by pilots who have to wait for help. This requirement most noticeably influenced the design of the weapon, and also affected some of its characteristics. All the assigned engineering tasks were successfully solved, and the rifle was put into service. However, financial difficulties led to a specific ending. The order for the rifles was not followed, and the development company had to redesign the project taking into account the requirements of the civilian market. And the already redesigned version of the rifle was able not only to interest buyers, but also to reach full and long-term operation.
