Armalite

Armalite, often written ArmaLite, is an American firearms manufacturer known for its early development of the AR platform. The company was founded in 1954 by Eugene M. Stoner as a division of Fairchild Aircraft (later Fairchild Republic) and pursued the design of lightweight, gas-operated rifles using aluminum receivers. Its first notable rifle was the AR-10, a 7.62×51mm battle rifle introduced in the mid-1950s. The follow-up, the AR-15, was a smaller 5.56×45mm design that emphasized modularity, reduced weight, and a direct gas impingement operation.

In 1959, Fairchild sold the AR-15 design to Colt’s Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company. Colt marketed the design as the Colt AR-15 and, after military adoption, as the M16. The sale helped Colt become a major producer of the widely deployed platform, while Armalite retained other designs and continued licensing arrangements and development under different ownership over the years. The Armalite name has since been revived by several entities, with varying focuses on rifle design and production.

The AR-15 family remains the best-known Armalite legacy, influencing modern rifle ergonomics, modularity, and the use of lightweight materials in civilian, law enforcement, and military markets. The term AR, in popular usage, is often interpreted as “assault rifle,” though etymologically it originally referred to Armalite Rifle, the company’s designation for its early designs.

Armalite’s place in firearms history rests on its role in pioneering the modern lightweight rifle concept and spawning an enduring family of platforms that continue to shape contemporary small arms design.

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