ArmaLite AR-18
| ArmaLite AR-18 | |
|---|---|
|
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| general information | |
| Civil name: | AR-18 |
| Developer / Manufacturer: |
Armalite (USA), Howa Machinery Company (Japan) Sterling Armament Company (UK) |
| Manufacturer country: | United States, Japan, United Kingdom |
| Production time: | 1969 to 1979 |
| Weapon Category: | Machine carabiners |
| Furnishing | |
| Overall length: | 940 (with folded shaft 736) mm |
| Weight: (unloaded) | 3.17 kg |
| Barrel length : | 464 mm |
| Technical specifications | |
| Caliber : | 5.56 × 45 mm NATO |
| Possible magazine fillings : | 20, 30 or 40 cartridges |
| Ammunition supply : | Bar magazine |
| Number of trains : | 4th |
| Twist : | Right |
| Closure : | Turret lock |
| Charging principle: | Gas pressure charger |
| Lists on the subject | |
The Armalite AR-18 is an automatic rifle that was developed in the USA by the Armalite company .
technology
The rifle was created in 1963 as an inexpensive alternative to the Armalite AR-15 . The rights to the AR-15 had been sold to Colt ; the weapon was incorporated into the equipment of the United States Army as the M16 . The AR-18 used the same NATO ammunition, in contrast to the M16, modern alloys and forging technology were not used. Instead, the AR-18 could be produced with the less complex metal stamping technology, which simplified production and drastically reduced costs. The model also did not use the loading mechanism with the direct effect of gas pressure on the closure ( direct impingement ), but a conventional gas piston with a short stroke ( short-stroke piston) . Early versions of the M16 were due to Verschmauchungen in the weapon of stoppages plagued while the problem did not occur in this gun. It was also possible to reduce the size of the mechanism so that the recoil spring did not have to be shifted into the barrel of the weapon, as was the case with the M16. The shaft could therefore be folded down.
However, the sales expectations for ArmaLite were not fulfilled. The American military examined the weapon, but an order did not materialize. The model turned out to be robust, but did not convey a high-quality impression due to the manufacturing methods. Internationally, too, interest remained low, as the M16's huge production figures also saw its price drop. The manufacturing licenses were therefore sold abroad. But even those licensees achieved little success. Ultimately, only about 20,000 copies were made.
Northern Ireland
The weapon gained importance in Northern Ireland in the early 1970s. The Provisional Irish Republican Army arranged its network of sympathizers in the USA to procure modern ArmaLite rifles of the type AR-15 and AR-18. The IRA then smuggled these across the Atlantic and equipped some of their units with them. The losses of the British forces in Ulster then skyrocketed; the ArmaLite became a kind of symbol of the armed struggle of the IRA. Danny Morrison , one of the leaders of the Republican movement, put it in a speech:
Who here really believes we can win the war through the ballot box? But will anyone here object if, with a ballot paper in this hand and an Armalite in the other, we take power in Ireland?
- (in German: " Who of you really thinks that we can win the war with the ballot box? But would anyone here object if we, with the ballot in one hand and the Armalite in the other, win power in Ireland ? ") (At Ard Fheis der Sinn Féin , 1981)
Versions
- AR-18S : compact version with short barrel
- AR-180 : Semi-automatic rifle for the civilian market
- SAR-80 : Modified replica from Singapore
- SAR-87 : Likewise, only small numbers produced
literature
- Ian Hogg : Military Small Arms of the 20th Century . Arms & Armor Press, 1982, ISBN 0-910676-87-9 .
- Ed Moloney, A Secret History of the IRA , Penguin , 2003. ISBN 0-14-101041-X
Individual evidence
Web links
- www.weaponryonline.com: Armalite AR-18 (English)