Father of all ARs — The Original Full-Auto AR-10
Today, AR-platform rifles are hugely popular. Dozens of manufacturers sell AR-type rifles, in a wide variety of configurations and calibers. But before there were M16s and AR-15s, ArmaLite produced a 7.62×51 caliber rifle, the AR-10. Yes before there were millions of 5.56 black rifles, there was a .30-caliber big brother with reddish-brown furniture. Invented by Eugene (‘Gene’) Stoner for the Armalite company in the late 1950s, this is the father of all of today’s AR-platform rifles. Way ahead of its time, this remarkable, select-fire battle rifle weighed just 7.25 pounds as first developed.
If you’re curious about the AR-10, in this video, Jerry Miculek puts an original 1957-vintage AR-10 through its paces on the range. This extremely rare, early-production rifle was provided by Mr. Reed Knight and the Institute of Military Technology. (The gun in the video was actually produced in the Netherlands under license, see video at 4:40.) This AR-10 is the direct ancestor of the AR-15, M16, and many of the modern sporting rifles that we use today.
The AR-10 was slim and light, weighing in at around 7 pounds. Some folks might argue that the original “old-school” AR10 is actually better that some of today’s heavy, gadget-laden ARs. The AR-10’s charging “lever” was under the carry handle — that made it easier to manipulate with the gun raised in a firing position.
You’ll notice there is no “forward assist”. Inventor Gene Stoner did not believe a separate “bolt-pusher” was necessary. The forward assist was added to solve problems encountered in Viet Nam. Some critics say the forward assist “only takes a small problem and makes it a big problem.” For today’s competition ARs (that are never dragged through the mud) the forward assist probably is superfluous. It is rarely if ever needed.
Note also that the handguards are fairly slim and tapered. Today, six decades after the first AR-10 prototypes, we are now seeing these kind of slim handguards (made from aluminum or lightweight composites) used on “full race” ARs campaigned in 3-gun competition.
History of the AR-10
The AR-10 is a 7.62 mm battle rifle developed by Eugene Stoner in the late 1950s at ArmaLite, then a division of the Fairchild Aircraft Corporation. When first introduced in 1956, the AR-10 used an innovative straight-line barrel/stock design with phenolic composite and forged alloy parts resulting in a small arm significantly easier to control in automatic fire and over one pound lighter than other infantry rifles of the day. Over its production life, the original AR-10 was built in relatively small numbers, with fewer than 9,900 rifles assembled.In 1957, the basic AR-10 design was substantially modified by ArmaLite to accommodate the .223 Remington cartridge, and given the designation AR-15. ArmaLite licensed the AR-10 and AR-15 designs to Colt Firearms. The AR-15 eventually became the M16 rifle.
AR-10 photos from Arms Izarra, a Spanish company specializing in de-militarized, collectible firearms. Interestingly, this particular AR-10 was produced in the Netherlands under license.
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Tags: .308, 7.62x51, AR-10, AR10, Armalite, Battle Rifle, Jerry Miculke
We got a fair number of Dutch (Artillerie Einrichtigen) manufactured AR-10s into the UK in he 1980s. ‘Ours’ were semi-auto – not sure if they’d been made as such or been modified before sale by locking out the full-auto option. They sold quite cheaply here – £200 in ‘mint condition’ against £250 for a well-used FN FAL or £350 for an unissued FN Manufactured Bundeswehr G1 (FAL) with walnut furniture, and then M14s at £350-450. We got them fairly cheap because the UK allowed any semi-autos included selective fire designs and those modified from true selective operation at the time while the US BAFT classed them as machine-guns because of the original set-up. (M14 was the same – we could buy the ones banned to US civilians.) The 1988 Hungerford massacre with an AK changed all that and they were banned from 1st April 1989. I saw one in use on a range in north England over the winter of 88/89, the owner getting his last few outings in before either exporting the rifle / having it permanently ‘deactivated’ or handing it in to a police station. He was very angry, not too surprising. I had a good look at his AR-10 and he field stripped it for me. Foolishly, I turned the chance of a few shots (at 600 yards) down – a mistake I’ve regretted ever since. If he handed it over to the police in 1989 (as most semi-auto owners did) it was almost certainly destroyed – a sinful waste of a rare and historic artifact.
Licensed Armalite AR-10’s went into service in other parts of the world and did quite well. They were never found in the abundance of the FAL or G3.
As to the forward assist, superfluous at it may be, I still hit it reflexively every time I close the bolt a Matty Mattel.
I’ll also take the closed top receiver of the charging handle AR’s. I do not like a cloud balls of gas in my face while firing. Beads of silicon seal have given way to gas diverter charging handles for me.
Some things are good changes.
Nice!
That is a great looking battle rifle.
I’ll bet that was pretty snappy during select-fire at 7lbs.
Just great.
“This AR-10 is the direct ancestor of the AR-15, M16″.
Huh, I always thought the AR-10 came first.
Editor: The Ancestor does come first. You may be thinking of descendent.
How great it would have been , if the know-nothing politicians had kept their greedy little fingers off the AR-10 , and we would have had this weapon in the “Nam” , instead of that POS they stuck us with . Maybe there wouldn’t be 60,000 names on a “Wall” in the District of Corruption !
Anyone know where I can get a lower for one of these? I know there was a company that made replacement lowers at one time, that were semi-auto but they only made around 2000 of them. I have a Armalite that needs one due to the lower receiver being cut in half. Any leads will be greatly appreciated.
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