ArmaLite AR-15 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids ArmaLite AR-15 |
|
|---|---|
ArmaLite AR-15 with 25-round magazine
|
|
| Type | Assault rifle |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1962–1963 |
| Wars | Vietnam War Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation |
| Production history | |
| Designer |
|
| Designed | 1956 |
| Manufacturer |
|
| Produced | 1959–1964 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 6.55 lb (2.97 kg) with 20-round magazine |
| Length | 39 in (991 mm) |
| Barrel length | 20 in (508 mm) |
|
|
|
| Cartridge | .223 Remington |
| Action | Gas-operated, rotating bolt (direct expansion of gas on surfaces of bolt carrier) |
| Muzzle velocity | 3,300 ft/s (1,006 m/s) |
| Effective firing range | 500 yd (457 m) |
| Sights | Iron sights |
The ArmaLite AR-15 is a special type of rifle that was made in the United States. It was built between 1959 and 1964. This rifle can shoot in different ways, either one shot at a time or many shots very quickly. It uses gas from a fired bullet to load the next one, and it cools down using air. Bullets are fed into the rifle from a removable box called a magazine.
What is the ArmaLite AR-15?
The ArmaLite AR-15 was first designed by an American company called ArmaLite in 1956. It was based on an older rifle they made, the AR-10. The main idea behind the AR-15 was to create a very light rifle. It also used a new kind of small, light, and fast bullet. This design allowed soldiers to carry more ammunition with them.
From ArmaLite to Colt
In 1959, ArmaLite faced some money problems. They also didn't have enough people or factories to make many rifles. Because of this, ArmaLite sold the rights to the AR-15 design to another company, Colt.
Colt made some changes to the rifle. One big change was moving the part you pull to get the rifle ready to fire (called the charging handle). It was moved from under the carrying handle to the back of the rifle's main body. Colt then renamed the rifle the Colt 601. However, it still had ArmaLite's name on it because of agreements they had made.
Colt started selling this new rifle to different armies around the world. In January 1962, the U.S. military decided to use it. By December 1963, it was officially named the M16 rifle. Production and service for the M16 began in 1964.
The AR-15 Today
Even after the military adopted the M16, Colt kept using the AR-15 name. They used it for a line of rifles that could only shoot one bullet each time you pulled the trigger. These rifles were sold to regular people and police forces. The original ArmaLite AR-15 is like the "parent" rifle. Many other versions of the Colt AR-15 and M16 rifles were developed from its design.
See also
- List of ArmaLite rifles
- List of AR platform cartridges
