ArmaLite AR-10
ArmaLite · Battle Rifle · Discontinued · 1956
Also known as: AR-10, ArmaLite Model 10
Overview
The ArmaLite AR-10 is a 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifle designed by Eugene Stoner at the ArmaLite division of Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation in the mid-1950s. It pioneered a lightweight gas-operated, rotating-bolt design built around aluminum-alloy forged receivers, a phenolic composite stock and a straight-line barrel-to-stock layout that reduced muzzle climb during automatic fire. Though it lost the U.S. military rifle trials of 1956-1957, its layout and direct gas impingement system became the technical foundation for the later AR-15 and M16.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4310 g (152.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1016 mm (40.00") |
| Barrel Length | 508 mm (20.00") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 20 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 820 m/s (2690 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3347 J (2469 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 600 m (656 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 700 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 305 mm (12.01") |
| Frame Material | Aluminum Alloy |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Phenolic Composite |
| Finish | Anodized |
Calibers
- 7.62x51mm NATO · primary · 7.62 NATO — also known as .308 Winchester, 7.62mm NATO
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Fire Selector
- Features: Direct Gas Impingement, Rotating Bolt, Straight Line Stock, Integral Carry Handle, Bolt Hold Open
Variants
- ArmaLite AR-10 SuperSASS — Designated Marksman
Service history
Operators
- Portuguese Armed Forces · adopted 1960
- Sudanese Armed Forces · adopted 1958
Conflicts
- Portuguese Colonial War (1961-1974)
Production
Estimated total produced: 9,900 · Production years: 1956-1960
Approximately 9,900 original-pattern rifles built, the bulk by Artillerie-Inrichtingen in the Netherlands; ~2,500 went to Sudan and ~1,200 to Portugal. The AR-10 name was revived by a reorganized ArmaLite in the 1990s for a semi-automatic civilian/police line.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Eugene Stoner
Discontinued: 1960
Notes
Most early production AR-10 rifles were built under license in the Netherlands by Artillerie-Inrichtingen (A.I.) after ArmaLite sold a manufacturing license in 1957. The platform is the direct ancestor of the AR-15/M16 family.
Background
When ArmaLite presented the AR-10 to the U.S. Army in 1956 it was years ahead of competitors in weight and ergonomics, but a burst test-barrel failure and its late arrival in the trials doomed its chances against the M14. Eugene Stoner simply scaled the concept down to 5.56mm, creating the AR-15.