ArmaLite AR-18

ArmaLite AR-18
Production information
Country of origin	United States
Manufacturer(s)	ArmaLite Howa Machinery Company Sterling Armament Company
Designer(s)	Eugene Stoner Arthur Miller George Sullivan Charles Dorchester
Production began	1969
Production ended	1985
Technical specifications
Weapon type	Assault rifle
Caliber	5.56x45mm NATO
Action	Gas operated, Rotating bolt Short Stroke Piston
Length	38 in (970 mm)
Barrel length	18.25 in (464 mm) (6-groove rifling)
Weight	6.7 lb (3.0 kg) (empty) 7.18 lb (3.3 kg) (loaded w/20 rd. magazine)
Feed system	20, 30, or 40-round box magazine
Cyclic rate	750 round/min

The ArmaLite AR-18 is an assault rifle chambered for 5.56x45mm NATO ammunition. The AR-18 was designed by Arthur Miller, George Sullivan, and Charles Dorchester at ArmaLite in 1963 as an improved 5.56 mm caliber alternative to ArmaLite's previous AR-15 design, for which production rights had been sold to Colt Manufacturing Company. ArmaLite's interest in the design waned when the Colt AR-15 was selected for production by the US Army as the M16.

Overview

The AR-18 was a gas-operated, selective-fire rifle using a rotating bolt. The upper/lower receiver is made from pressed steel as the bolt/bolt carrier, runners were machined to ease production.

Unlike the AR-15 that it is often compared to, the AR-18 has a short stroke piston mechanism, which has been credited with greatly increasing the reliability of the weapon. However, despite it being a mechanical improvement on the AR-15 platform, the timing of its creation set it to be finalized one year before the M16 was adopted into the US military, and so it was passed over. As a result it was sold to other countries, typically ones with less abundant money resources, where it had more success, but never on the same level of the AR-15. Its most notable user became the Provisional Irish Republican Army during the Troubles in Northern Ireland becoming iconic and synonymous within the scope of the conflict.

Gallery

AR18 walkaround.

AR18 manual.

AR18K carbine.

Eden Pastora with AR18.

SBS trooper on RTK Marine JetRaider with AR18.

Paratrooper testing AR18 with scope.

AR18 operation schematic 1.

AR18 gas piston schematic.

AR18 operation schematic 2.

AR18 bolt schematic.

AR18 upper receiver schematic.

AR18 hammer/auto sear schematic.

AR18 trunnion and bolt hold open schematic.

AR18 selector schematic.

AR18 operation schematic 1.

AR18 operation schematic 2.

AR18 handguard schematic.

AR18 stock schematic 1.

AR18 stock schematic 2.

AR18 stock hinge schematic.

AR18 hinge lock schematic.

AR18 magazine schematic.

Japanese AR18 trial rifle 1.

Japanese AR18 trial rifle 2.

References

• [1]
• [2]

See also

• AR-10
• AR-15
• Armalite AR-16