Colt AR - 15 - wikipedia Colt AR - 15 This article is about the weapon produced by Colt. For other weapons colloquially referred to as `` AR - 15 '', see AR - 15 style rifle. For the select - fire rifle of a similar name, see ArmaLite AR - 15. For other uses, see AR - 15 ( disambiguation ). Colt AR - 15 A carbine variant of the Colt AR - 15 Type Semi-automatic rifle Place of origin United States Service history In service 1963 -- present Production history Designer Eugene Stoner, Jim Sullivan, Bob Fremont Manufacturer Colt Variants see List of Colt AR - 15 & M16 rifle variants Specifications Barrel length 20 inches ( 510 mm ) ( standard ) 16 inches ( 410 mm ) ( carbine ) 24 inches ( 610 mm ) ( target ) Cartridge. 223 Remington 5.56 × 45mm NATO Action Direct impingement Effective firing range ~ 550 metres ( 600 yd ) Feed system Issued with 5 -, 10 -, 20 - & 30 - round STANAG magazines Sights Fixed adjustable front and rear iron sights Detachable carrying handle with adjustable rear iron sight assembly Picatinny rails, which allows the use of various scopes and sighting devices The Colt AR - 15 is a lightweight, 5.56 × 45mm, magazine - fed, gas - operated semi-automatic rifle. It was designed to be manufactured with extensive use of aluminum alloys and synthetic materials. It is a semi-automatic version of the United States military M16 rifle. Colt 's Manufacturing Company currently uses the AR - 15 trademark for its line of semi-automatic AR - 15 rifles that are marketed to civilian and law - enforcement customers. Contents 1 History 2 Operating mechanism 3 Features 3.1 Upper receivers 3.2 Lower receivers 3.3 Sights 3.4 Muzzle devices 3.5 Magazines 4 AR - 15 style rifle 5 Port Arthur massacre 6 Gallery 7 See also 8 References 9 Bibliography 10 External links History For more a more detailed list of AR - 15 models, see List of Colt AR - 15 & M16 rifle variants § Colt civilian models. 1973 Colt AR - 15 SP1 rifle with `` slab side '' lower receiver ( lacking raised boss around magazine release button ) and original Colt 20 - round box magazine A Colt AR - 15 on display at the National Firearms Museum. This example is fitted with an early waffle - patterned 20 - round magazine. Colt started selling the semi-automatic version of the M16 rifle as the Colt AR - 15 in 1964. The first mass production version was the Colt AR - 15 Sporter, in. 223 Remington, with a 20 - inch barrel and issued with 5 - round magazines. Over the decades, Colt has made many different types of AR - 15 rifle and carbine models, including the AR - 15, AR - 15A2, AR - 15A3, AR - 15A4, and many other models. The AR - 15 is frequently the target of those advocating restricting access to guns in the United States. Although the sale of new AR - 15s was banned by the Federal Assault Weapons Ban from 1994 to 2004, Colt continued to sell legally compliant versions known collectively as `` Colt Sporters '' and `` Colt Match Target rifles '' during that period. Operating mechanism Diagram of an M16 rifle, firing U.S. Patent 2,951,424 describes the cycling mechanism used in the original AR - 15. The bolt carrier acts as a movable cylinder and the bolt itself acts as a stationary piston. This mechanism is often called `` direct gas impingement '' ( DGI ), although it differs from prior gas systems. Designer Eugene Stoner did not consider the AR - 15 to be a conventional direct impingement mechanism, but that is how it came to be characterized. Gas is tapped from the barrel as the bullet moves past a gas port located above the rifle 's front sight base. The gas expands into the port and down a gas tube, located above the barrel that runs from the front sight base into the AR - 15 's upper receiver. Here, the gas tube protrudes into a `` gas key '' ( bolt carrier key ), which accepts the gas and funnels it into the bolt carrier. At this point, the bolt is locked into the barrel extension by locking lugs, so the expanding gas forces the bolt carrier backward a short distance. As the bolt carrier moves toward the butt of the gun, the bolt cam pin, riding in a slot on the bolt carrier, forces the bolt to rotate and thus unlocks it from the barrel extension. Once the bolt is fully unlocked it begins its rearward movement along with the bolt carrier. The bolt 's rearward motion extracts the empty cartridge case from the chamber. As soon as the neck of the case clears the barrel extension, the bolt 's spring - loaded ejector forces it out the ejection port in the side of the upper receiver. Behind the bolt carrier is a plastic or metal buffer, which rests in line with a return spring. The buffer spring begins to push the bolt carrier and bolt back toward the chamber once it is compressed sufficiently. A groove machined into the upper receiver guides the bolt cam pin and prevents it and the bolt from rotating into a closed position. The bolt 's locking lugs push a fresh round from the magazine as the bolt moves forward. The round is guided by feed ramps into the chamber. As the bolt 's locking lugs move past the barrel extension, the cam pin twists into a pocket milled into the upper receiver. This twisting action follows the groove cut into the carrier and forces the bolt to twist and `` lock '' into the barrel extension. Features AR - 15A2 with the upper and lower receiver opened at the front hinge. The AR - 15A2 most distinctive ergonomic feature is the carrying handle and rear sight assembly on top of the receiver. Upper receivers The upper receiver incorporates the fore stock, the charging handle, the forward assist, the gas operating system, the barrel, the bolt and bolt carrier assembly. AR - 15s employ a modular design. Thus one upper receiver can quickly and easily be substituted for another. Upper receivers are available with barrels of different weights, lengths, calibers, and rail systems with various sights and accessories. The standard AR - 15 rifle uses a 20 '' barrel. Although, both shorter 16 '' carbine barrels and longer 24 '' target barrels are also available. Early models had barrels with a 1 : 12 rate of twist for the original 223 Remington, 55 grain ( 3.6 g ) bullets. Current models have barrels with a 1 : 9 or 1 : 7 twist rate for the 5.56 × 45mm NATO, 62 grain ( 4 g ) bullets. Lower receivers The lower receiver incorporates the magazine well, the pistol grip, the buttstock, the buffer and the buffer spring. The lower receiver also contains the trigger, disconnector, hammer and fire selector ( collectively known as the fire control group ). Full - sized rifles use a fixed buttstock, while carbines generally use an adjustable telescoping buttstock. The early commercial SP - 1 AR - 15s used a pair of. 250 '' diameter receiver push pins, identical to those found on the military rifles. In 1966 the company replaced the front pin with a paired nut and screw hinge using a. 315 '' diameter pin to prevent shooters from being able to change receivers with military rifles or competitor rifles without the use of an adapter. They resumed production with the smaller and standardized. 250 '' pin in the mid-1990s. Sights The AR - 15 's most distinctive ergonomic feature is the carrying handle and rear sight assembly on top of the receiver. This is a by - product of the original ArmaLite design, where the carry handle served to protect the charging handle. As the line of sight is 2.5 in ( 63.5 mm ) over the bore, the AR - 15 has an inherent parallax problem. At closer ranges ( typically inside 15 -- 20 meters ), the shooter must compensate by aiming high to place shots where desired. The standard AR - 15 rifle has a 500 mm ( 19.75 inches ) sight radius. The AR - 15 uses an L - type flip, aperture rear sight and it is adjustable with two settings, 0 to 300 meters and 300 to 400 meters. The front sight is a post adjustable for elevation. The rear sight can be adjusted for windage. The sights can be adjusted with a bullet tip or pointed tool. The AR - 15 can also mount a scope on the carrying handle. With the advent of the AR - 15A2, a new fully adjustable rear sight was added, allowing the rear sight to be dialed in for specific range settings between 300 and 800 meters and to allow windage adjustments without the need of a tool or cartridge. Current versions such as AR - 15A4 have a detachable carrying handle and use Picatinny rails, which allows for the use of various scopes and sighting devices. Muzzle devices Colt AR - 15 rifles most often have a barrel threaded in 1 ⁄ 2 `` - 28 threads to incorporate the use of a muzzle device such as a flash suppressor, sound suppressor or muzzle brake. The initial design, the `` duckbill, '' had three tines or prongs and was prone to breakage and getting entangled in vegetation. The design was later changed to close the end to avoid this problem. Eventually, on the A2 version of the rifle, the bottom port was closed to reduce muzzle climb and prevent dust from rising when the rifle was fired in the prone position. For these reasons, the US military declared this muzzle device a compensator, but it is more commonly known as the `` GI '', `` A2 '', or `` Birdcage '' muzzle device. The standard AR15 muzzle device conforms to the STANAG dimensional requirements for firing 22mm rifle grenades. Magazines The Colt AR - 15 uses 20 - or 30 - round staggered - column detachable box magazines. Low - capacity 5 - or 10 - round magazines are also available to comply with legal restrictions, for hunting, for benchrest shooting or where a larger magazine can be inconvenient. AR - 15 style rifle Main article : AR - 15 style rifle After Colt 's patents expired in 1977, other manufacturers began to copy the Colt AR - 15 rifle 's design. However, the term `` AR - 15 '' is a Colt registered trademark and Colt only uses the term to refer to its line of semi-automatic rifles. Therefore, other manufacturers began to market their generic AR - 15s under separate designations, although these are all frequently referred to as AR - 15s, as are some rifles and carbines that are not even based on the AR - 15 design. AR - 15 style rifles are available in a wide range of configurations and calibers from a large number of manufacturers. These configurations range from standard full - sizes rifles with 20 - inch barrels, to short carbine - length models with 16 - inch barrels, adjustable length stocks and optical sights, to long range target models with 24 - inch barrels, bipods and high - powered scopes. These rifles may also have short - stroke gas piston system, forgoing the direct gas system standard in AR - 15 rifles. These calibers include the 5.56 × 45mm NATO, 5.7 × 28mm, 6.8 mm Remington SPC,. 300 Blackout, 9 × 19mm Parabellum and. 458 SOCOM to name a few. Port Arthur massacre Following the use of a Colt AR - 15 in the Port Arthur massacre, the National Firearms Programme Implementation Act 1996 was enacted in Australia, restricting the private ownership of high capacity semi-automatic rifles. Gallery Complete AR - 15A2 rifle set with manual, 5.56 mm ammo and magazines AR - 15 cleaning kit stowed in buttstock See also ArmaLite AR - 15 Assault weapon Assault weapons legislation in the United States CAR - 15 Colt Automatic Rifle ( CAR ) List of Colt AR - 15 & M16 rifle variants Modern sporting rifle Roberti - Roos Assault Weapons Control Act of 1989 References Jump up ^ Zimba, Jeff. `` The Evolution of the Black Rifle ''. Small Arms Review. Retrieved 14 November 2017. As early as 1963, Colt started manufacturing this `` new '' rifle in semiautomatic only with the civilian population and the law enforcement community in mind. Sold as the AR - 15 Sporter it was virtually identical to the M16 with the exception of the fire control group. ^ Jump up to : Bob Hutton & Bob Forker ( October 1964 ). `` A Beautiful Marriage :. 223 Remington and Colt 's AR - 15 ' Sporter ' ''. Guns & Ammo. Jump up ^ Mann, Richard A. ( 30 April 2014 ). GunDigest Shooter 's Guide to the AR - 15. Iola, Wisconsin : Krause Publications. pp. 15 -- 16. ISBN 978 - 1 - 4402 - 3847 - 5. Jump up ^ Roane, Kit R. ( 1997 - 04 - 13 ). `` Shooting Holes in the Assault - Weapons Ban, One Rifle at a Time ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved 2018 - 04 - 10. Jump up ^ ' Gun Digest Guide to Customizing Your AR - 15 Jump up ^ Best AR - 15 Buyer 's Guide -- Step by Step to Choose Your First AR15 Jump up ^ Sweeney, Patrick ( 1 October 1999 ). Gunsmithing - Rifles. Iola, Wisconsin : Gun Digest Books. p. 290. ISBN 0 - 87341 - 665 - 1. Jump up ^ Ezell, Edward Clinton ( 1983 ). Small Arms of the World. New York : Stackpole Books. pp. 746 -- 762. ISBN 978 - 0 - 88029 - 601 - 4. Jump up ^ `` M16 5.56 mm Rifle ''. Archived from the original on June 16, 2011. Retrieved October 7, 2012... colt.com. Retrieved on 8 October 2011. Jump up ^ Operator 's Manual For M16, M16A1. Archive.org. Retrieved on 27 September 2011. Jump up ^ Venola, Richard ( 2005 ). `` What a Long Strange Trip It 's Been ''. Book of the AR - 15 1 ( 2 ) : 6 -- 18. Jump up ^ Wieland, Terry ( November 22, 2011 ). Gun Digest Book of Classic American Combat Rifles. Iola, Wisconsin : Krause Publications. p. 100. ISBN 978 - 1 - 4402 - 3017 - 2. Jump up ^ Steve Crawford ( 2003 ). Twenty First Century Small Arms : The World 's Great Infantry Weapons. Zenith Imprint. pp. 85 -- 86. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7603 - 1503 - 3. Retrieved May 28, 2013. Jump up ^ Zimba, Jeff ( November 26, 2014 ). `` The Evolution of the Black Rifle : 20 Years of Upgrades, Options, and Accessories ''. Prepper Press -- via Google Books. Jump up ^ Walker, Rob ( 2016 - 12 - 30 ). `` The Year in Nine Objects ''. The New Yorker. ISSN 0028 - 792X. Retrieved 2017 - 11 - 06. Jump up ^ U.S. Military Small Arms Ammunition Failures and Solutions, GK Roberts, NDIA Dallas, TX, May 21, 2008 `` Archived copy '' ( PDF ). Archived from the original ( PDF ) on June 28, 2011. Retrieved February 4, 2011. Jump up ^ Evolution of an AR Gear Guns & Ammo Archived September 15, 2011, at the Wayback Machine... Archives.gunsandammo.com ( August 29, 2011 ). Retrieved on 2011 - 09 - 27. Jump up ^ `` Firearms in Australia : a guide to electronic resources ''. aph.gov.au. Commonwealth of Australia. 9 August 2007. Retrieved 4 April 2015. Jump up ^ `` How Australia Passed Gun Control : The Port Arthur Massacre and Beyond ''. Foreign Affairs. October 13, 2017. Retrieved 18 February 2018. Jump up ^ Wahlquist, Calla ( 14 March 2016 ). `` It took one massacre : how Australia embraced gun control after Port Arthur ''. The Guardian. Bibliography Stevens, R. Blake and Edward C. Ezell. The Black Rifle M16 Retrospective. Enhanced second printing. Cobourg, Ontario, Canada : Collector Grade Publications Incorporated, 1994. ISBN 0 - 88935 - 115 - 5. Bartocci, Christopher R. Black Rifle II The M16 Into the 21st Century. Cobourg, Ontario, Canada : Collector Grade Publications Incorporated, 2004. ISBN 0 - 88935 - 348 - 4. External links Media related to AR - 15 at Wikimedia Commons ArmaLite AR - 10 derivatives Battle rifles Standard ArmaLite AR - 10 Heckler & Koch HK417 MPT - 76 Sniper rifles M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System Marine Scout Sniper Rifle Mk 12 Special Purpose Rifle SEAL Recon Rifle SR - 25 United States Marine Corps Squad Advanced Marksman Rifle United States Army Squad Designated Marksman Rifle Assault rifles Standard ArmaLite AR - 15 M16 rifle variants Colt Advanced Piston Carbine Colt ACR Colt Canada C7 Adcor A-556 Barrett REC7 Barrett M468 Heckler & Koch HK416 KH - 2002 Knight 's Armament Company SR - 47 LR - 300 LWRC M6 Norinco CQ PVAR Remington GPC Safir T - series SOCIMI AR - 831 T65 T86 T91 Carbines CAR - 15 M4 carbine Bushmaster M4 - type Carbine Close Quarters Battle Receiver CMMG Mk45 G13 carbine Olympic Arms OA - 93 SIG516 Special Operations Assault Rifle Submachine guns Colt 9mm SMG CAR - 15 Submachine Gun La France M16K Personal defense weapons Colt MARS AR - 57 AAC Honey Badger PDW GA Personal Defense Weapon Machine guns Colt Automatic Rifle Ares Shrike 5.56 M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle Semi-automatic rifles Centerfire Colt AR - 15 variants AR - 15 style rifle Bushmaster XM - 15 Heckler & Koch MR223 Heckler & Koch MR308 Ruger SR - 556 SIG MCX SIG Sauer SIG516 SIG Sauer SIGM400 Smith & Wesson M&P10 Smith & Wesson M&P15 CMMG Mk47 Mutant Rimfire Armi Jager AP - 74 Smith & Wesson M&P15 - 22 Shotguns Intrepid RAS - 12 Safir T - series UTAS XTR - 12 Pistols Carbon 15 Olympic Arms OA - 93 Other developments M231 Firing Port Weapon CM901 Daewoo K2 Colt 's Manufacturing Company Revolvers 19th Century M1860 Army M1851 Navy Dragoon Model 1855 M1861 Navy Paterson Pocket Percussion Walker Open Top Open Top Pocket Model House New Line Single Action Army Buntline M1877 M1878 M1889 M1892 20th Century Model 1905 New Police New Service Official Police Police Positive Police Positive Special Anaconda Cobra Detective Special Diamondback King Cobra Python Trooper Semi-automatic pistols M1911 Colt 2000 Ace Commander Delta Elite Double Eagle M1900 M1902 Model 1903 Pocket Hammer Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless Model 1908 Vest Pocket Officer 's ACP Woodsman SSP Mustang Rifles, PDWs, and Machine Guns OHWS SCAMP Burgess Lightning Carbine M1839 Carbine Revolving Rifle Ring Lever AR - 15 variants M1895 Colt - Browning machine gun M16 CAR - 15 M4 Carbine Colt Automatic Rifle C7 Advanced Colt Carbine - Monolithic ACR MARS 9mm SMG Cartridges Revolver. 32 Long Colt. 38 Short Colt. 38 Long Colt. 41 Long Colt. 44 Colt. 45 Colt Semi-automatic pistol. 25 ACP. 32 ACP. 380 ACP. 38 ACP. 45 ACP People Samuel Colt Elizabeth Jarvis Colt Richard Jarvis William Mason Charles Brinckerhoff Richards Related Colt Armory Colt Defense National Arms Company Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Colt_AR-15&oldid=843153659 '' Categories : ArmaLite AR - 10 derivatives 5.56 mm firearms Semi-automatic rifles Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Use mdy dates from April 2016 Commons category without a link on Wikidata Talk Variants Contents About Wikipedia Español 한국어 Português Edit links This page was last edited on 27 May 2018, at 07 : 27. 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Question: when was the ar 15 released to the public
Answer: 1964