The ArmaLite AR-18 is a gas-fired assault rifle chambered
for 5.56×45mm NATO ammunition. The AR-18 was designed at ArmaLite in California
by Arthur Miller, Eugene Stoner, George Sullivan and Charles Dorchester in 1963
as an alternative to the Colt AR-15 design, a variant of which had just been
selected by the US military M16. A semi-automatic version known as the AR-180
was later produced for the civilian market. While the AR-18 was never adopted
as the standard service rifle of either nation, its production license was sold
to companies in Japan and the United Kingdom, and is said to have replaced many
of the latter's weapons. As influenced by the British. SA80, Singapore's SAR-80
and SR-88, American adaptive combat rifle, Belgian FN F2000, Japanese Hova Type
89 and German Heckler & Koch G36.
Type |
Assault rifle (AR-18) |
Place of origin |
United States |
ARMALITE AR-18 Rifle Cartridge Capacity
- This rifle comes with cartridges 5.56×45mm NATO
ARMALITE AR-18 Rifle Specifications
Mass |
6.7 lb (3.0 kg) (empty) 7.18 lb (3.3 kg) (loaded w/20 rd. magazine) |
Length |
38 in (970 mm) |
Barrel length |
18.25 in (464 mm) (6-groove rifling) |
ARMALITE AR-18 Rifle History
Designer |
Arthur Miller |
Designed |
1963 |
Manufacturer |
ArmaLite (U.S.) HOWA Machinery Co. (Japan) Sterling Armaments Company. (UK) |
Produced |
1969–1985 |
No. built |
1,171 (AR-18) 21,478 (AR-180) |
Variants |
AR-18K AR-18S AR-180 AR-180B |
ARMALITE AR-18 Rifle Service History
In service |
1963-present |
Used by |
Botswana, Malaysia, Eswatini. Etc |
Wars |
Communist insurgency in Malaysia Lebanese Civil War The Troubles |
ARMALITE AR-18 Rifle Design
Overall, the new AR-18 rifle is much more conventional than
previous ArmaLite designs, although it uses a relatively new stamped steel
construction from its predecessor, the AR-16. Despite being pioneered by the
Germans in weapons such as the MP 44 during WW2, and later adopted for the
Soviet AKM, the use of stamped and welded sheet metal components was still
uncommon in the manufacture of military rifles in the West in the early 1960s .
which had largely retained the use of traditional machine forgings up to that
time. Compared to the smooth lines of the AR-15, the AR-18 faced criticism over
its stamped and welded construction, which was markedly greater tolerance in
fitted parts.[15][16] However, the rifle was 460 m. Was. (500 yards) which
proved to be reliable and very accurate. Its simple construction promised to
significantly reduce production costs, and allowed it to be licensed-produced
locally on less advanced machinery, potentially reducing dependence on foreign
manufacturers.
Overall, the design is simple and effective with a few clever touches; For example the bolt guide rod assembly guides the bolt in the receiver, retaining the recoil springs and the rear end of the top handguard, as well as acting as a latch holding the upper and lower receivers together in the closed position . Is. The disassembly is somewhat similar to the AR-15, with the working parts used by the rifle being open on a hinge pin right next to the magazine.
Maybe You Like:
AAI ACR Rifle Cartridge, Specifications, History, Design and Manufacturer
AAC Honey Badger Rifle Cartridge, Specifications, History, Design and Manufacturer
ARMALITE AR-18 Rifle Design Highlight
Cartridge |
5.56×45mm NATO |
Action |
Short-stroke piston, rotating bolt |
Rate of fire |
750 rounds/min |
Muzzle velocity |
3,250 ft/s (991 m/s) |
Effective firing range |
- |
Feed system |
20, 30, or 40-round detachable box magazine, STANAG
magazines (AR-18B) |
Sights |
Iron sights or removable 3× scope |
ARMALITE AR-18 Rifle Price
ArmaLite AR-18 |
$2,013.64 (estimate value) |
ARMALITE AR-18 |
$2,799. (estimate value) |
ARMALITE AR-18 |
$3,360.09 (estimate value) |
ARMALITE AR-18 Rifle Price |
USD $29.00. (estimate value) |
AK-101 Rifle Price Unit cost |
Gov. price US$150–160 per unit in 2014 (estimate
value) |
When the AR-18 was designed, a plethora of different modes of gas and recoil operation existed in self-loading intermediate caliber rifles. Since then, self-loading intermediate caliber rifles have been switched to three modes of gas operation. These are: AR-15 style direct impingement, AK-style long stroke gas piston and the short-stroke gas system found in AR-18 rifles. While the AK and AR-15 are the first and second most commonly produced intermediate caliber rifles of all time, the AR-18 gas system is the ancestor of most short stroke gas systems found in selective fire military rifles. The AR-18 system is the basis for many rifles in major military service. Rifles that use a copy or derivative of the AR-18 gas system include: German HK G36, HK416, FN F2000, FN-SCAR, Steyr AUG, CZ805 BREN, Chinese CubeZ-95, Daewoo K1, HOWO Type 89, SAR Family of - 88, T-91 and British SA80 weapon systems.
Also Read:
AK-101 Rifle Cartridge, Specifications, History, Design and Manufacturer
9A-91 Rifle Cartridge, Specifications, History, Design and Manufacturer
AK 47 Rifle Cartridge, Specifications, History, Design and Manufacturer