The Game-changer...
In the aftermath of World War II, the U.S. Military was desperately in search of a serviceman rifle that could put rounds on target at extreme distances, just as the M1 Garand did during the war. In 1958, Eugene Stoner, the head engineer at the small arms engineering company- ArmaLite, came up with the company’s fifteenth rifle project: the AR-15. Soon after the rifle’s birth, the U.S. Military adopted the AR-15 in a fully automatic version known as the M16. The M16 allowed soldiers to shoot at a rate of 900 rounds per minute with just one trigger pull, whereas the AR-15 only discharged one round for every pull of the trigger. ArmaLite soon decided to designate the AR-15 available on the civilian market as a sporting rifle and proclaimed the M16 strictly for military use. Today the AR-15 is the most popular rifle in the U.S., and is merely a symbol of our country’s fight for freedom.
Just before the Vietnam War, ArmaLite released its fifteenth weapon project that could shoot a high volume of rounds on accurately on target at extremes distances. This rifle is known today as the AR-15; ArmaLite Rifle- project 15. Eugene Stoner’s invention combined the design of the company’s AR-10 platform, which composed an upper and lower receiver, with the idea of a smaller caliber,such of the AR-5. The AR-15 is a versatile weapon system that combines lightweight, shooting distance, and accuracy, along with a smaller, but lethal round. A few years after its release, Colt firearms manufacturing bought the rights to the AR-15 platform due to financial issues that ArmaLite was going through. The rifle was then adopted by the United States Military as the M16; the fully automatic version of the AR-15. The M16 made its debut in the Vietnam War and eventually proved its success throughout the years to come.
Just before the Vietnam War, ArmaLite released its fifteenth weapon project that could shoot a high volume of rounds on accurately on target at extremes distances. This rifle is known today as the AR-15; ArmaLite Rifle- project 15. Eugene Stoner’s invention combined the design of the company’s AR-10 platform, which composed an upper and lower receiver, with the idea of a smaller caliber,such of the AR-5. The AR-15 is a versatile weapon system that combines lightweight, shooting distance, and accuracy, along with a smaller, but lethal round. A few years after its release, Colt firearms manufacturing bought the rights to the AR-15 platform due to financial issues that ArmaLite was going through. The rifle was then adopted by the United States Military as the M16; the fully automatic version of the AR-15. The M16 made its debut in the Vietnam War and eventually proved its success throughout the years to come.
Gas-Operating Systems:
direct impingement & short-stroke piston
The AR-15 is a rifle that functions from a rotating bolt that is powered by a direct-impingement gas operating system. The exhaust gas from a discharged round channels back through a pressurized gas tube that rotates the bolt carrier back in the cocked position while simultaneously ejecting the empty cartridge and picking up a new round from the magazine. Today many AR-15 manufacturers produce these rifles to function with a short stroke piston instead of the direct-impingement gas system. Each of these operating systems has their own advantages and disadvantages that come down to personal preference. The direct-impingement gas system can over overheat the rifle during continuous rapid fire. This is because of the constant heat exhaust gas running through the rifle. This can also often times lead to excessive carbon build-up which will ultimately prevent the rifle from cycling correctly, thus jamming the gun. On the contrary, short-stroke piston systems reduce heat and carbon build-up by limiting the surface area of the exhaust gas. Unfortunately these operating systems are more susceptible to mechanical malfunction due to the wear and tear of moving parts. Besides the pros and cons of the different gas-operating systems, it all comes down to personal choice...