TECHNICAL EXPLODED VIEW BY ANGUS K. McCLELLAN, Assistant Editor Maiello 0 ArmaLite M-15 A2 Carbine he pursuit of a lightweight, shoot, Air Force Gen. Curtis LeMay duced AR-15-style rifles in the late “small-caliber, high- found favor with the rifle and suc- 1980s, and in 1994 Mark Westrom T velocity”(SCHV) military cessfully pushed for its adoption bought the company, purchased rifle led to the creation of the in 1962. Orders from the Navy and the ArmaLite trademark in 1995 McClellan 0 selective-fire AR-15 by the Army soon followed. and continued production of AR- ArmaLite Division under the Fairch- Colt’s AR-15, designated the style firearms under the ArmaLite, ild Engine and Airplane Corp. in M16, became standard-issue by Inc., name. Today it offers a variety the late 1950s. The rifle was based 1969, and Colt’s went on to produce of AR-style semi-automatic rifles. Carter on Eugene Stoner’s AR-10, intro- semi-automatic-only versions of the Although these AR-15 clones 0 duced by ArmaLite in 1956. AR-15 for police and civilians up look like military M16s, including Fairchild, facing financial trou- through today. the controls and M4-style buttstock ble and assuming the AR-15 was ArmaLite went through a series seen here, they generally do not unmarketable, sold the rights of of ownership and management fall under National Firearms Act Gilbert the design to Colt’s Manufacturing changes in the decades following regulations. They are incapable of 0 Co. in 1959, with Fairchild receiv- Colt’s acquisition. After the expi- full-automatic or “burst” fire, and ing a small royalty in future sales. ration of patents on Stoner’s gas most barrels are at least 16" long. Early AR-15s were thus marked system in 1977, other companies Fieldstrip and reassembly is “Colt Armalite AR15 Cal. .223.” started manufacturing AR-style the same for all gas-impingement Sheetz 0 In the famous July 4th watermelon semi-automatics. Eagle Arms pro- AR-15 clones. FIELDSTRIP Keefe Depress the magazine release but- Remove the charging handle by drop- (30) 90 degrees (Fig. 3) and pull it from 0 ton (70), remove the magazine, pull the ping it through the recesses in the the carrier. Extract the bolt (Fig. 4). charging handle (25) to the rear and upper receiver. Push the extractor pin (37) out of release it to visually inspect the cham- Depress the buffer retainer (81) to the bolt (Fig. 5), but be careful with the ber and ensure the rifle is unloaded. release the buffer (42) and buffer spring small extractor spring (35) and extractor Press the takedown pin (77) and (41). Pull the buffer and spring from the spring insert (34). Some easily fall from pivot pin (61) from left to right, then pull receiver extension tube (43). the extractor (36) and can be lost. Reas- them out as far as they go to separate Pull the firing pin retaining pin (29) sembly is in reverse order. the upper (106) and lower (62) receivers. from the bolt carrier (Fig. 2). Up-end the Note: The accompanying diagram is Pull the charging handle to the bolt carrier and let the firing pin (26) fall a representation of typical AR-15-style rear and pull the bolt carrier (31) from the bolt carrier. Push the bolt (33) rifle parts, as the shapes of some parts group from the upper receiver (Fig. 1). into the carrier, then rotate the cam pin may vary slightly from model to model. 1. 2. 5. File Name:___________________ Proof Number________ 3. 4. WWW .AMERICANRIFLEMAN .ORG AR Proof 4 1 3 5 6 13 22 7 14 8 15 9 16 10 17 2 18 12 23 11 24 25 21 26 20 83 27 19 82 28 84 85 29 92 93 86 30 91 87 31 94 96 88 95 97 89 90 37 38 99 32 33 39 109 34 98 110 35 100 36 106 40 111 81 51 41 108 80 52 107 43 53 101 54 102 105 42 55 103 56 104 46 57 44 79 78 47 58 45 77 76 59 75 60 61 68 63 62 74 48 64 50 73 69 49 72 67 65 71 70 66 PARTS LEGEND 1. HANDGUARD , FREE FLOAT 29. FIRING PIN RETAINING PIN 58. MAGAZINE CATC H 86. REAR SIG H T BALL BEARING 2. HANDGUARD , FREE FLOAT 30. CAM PIN 59. PIVOT PIN DETENT 87. REAR SIG H T APERTURE 3. HANDGUARD CAP 31. BOLT CARRIER 60. PIVOT PIN SPRING 88. REAR SIG H T FLAT SPRING 4. GAS TUBE 32. BOLT GAS RINGS 61. PIVOT PIN 89. REAR SIG H T BALL BEARING 5. SLIP RING RETAINING RING 33. BOLT 62. LOWER RECEIVER 90. REAR SIG H T INDEX SPRING 6. SLIP RING SPRING 34. EXTRACTOR SPRING INSERT 63. DISCONNECTOR SPRING 91. REAR SIG H T WINDAGE K NOB 7. SLIP RING 35. EXTRACTOR SPRING 64. DISCONNECTOR 92. INDEX SCREW 8. INDEXING PIN 36. EXTRACTOR 65. TRIGGER 93. REAR SIG H T ELEVATION INDEX 9. BARREL EXTENSION 37. EXTRACTOR PIN 66. TRIGGER SPRING 94. ELEVATION K NOB 10. BARREL NUT 38. EXTRACTOR ROLL PIN 67. TRIGGER GUARD ASSEMBLY 95. REAR SIG H T ELEVATION 11. FLAS H SUPPRESSOR 39. EJECTOR SPRING 68. TRIGGER GUARD PIN SPRING 12. PEEL WAS H ER 40. EJECTOR 69. MAGAZINE CATC H SPRING 96. BALL BEARING 13. FRONT SIG H T POST 41. BUFFER SPRING 70. MAGAZINE RELEASE BUTTON 97. ELEVATION INDEX SPRING 14. FRONT SIG H T DETENT 42. BUFFER 71. HAMMER PIN , TRIGGER PIN 98. FORWARD ASSIST PLUNGER 15. FRONT SIG H T DETENT SPRING 43. RECEIVER EXTENSION TUBE 72. PISTOL GRIP SCREW 99. REAR SIG H T ELEVATION 16. GAS TUBE ROLL PIN 44. RECEIVER EXTENSION NUT 73. LOC K WAS H ER SPRING PIN 17. FRONT SIG H T BASE 45. BUTTSTOC K COLLAR TUBE LOC K 74. PISTOL GRIP 100. FORWARD ASSIST SPRING PIN 18. BARREL SUBASSEMBLY 46. BUTTSTOC K SLIDE LOC K PIN 75. SAFETY DETENT SPRING 101. INTEGRAL BRASS DEFLECTOR 19. FRONT SLING SWIVEL RIVET 47. LOC K PIN SPRING 76. SAFETY DETENT 102. EJECTION PORT COVER 20. FRONT SLING SWIVEL 48. TELESTOC K LATC H 77. TA K EDOWN PIN SPRING 21. FRONT SIG H T TAPER PINS 49. LOC K PIN NUT 78. TA K EDOWN PIN DETENT 103. EJECTION PORT COVER 22. CH ARGING H ANDLE LATC H PIN 50. ROLL PIN 79. TA K EDOWN PIN SPRING 104. PIN RETAINING RING 23. CH ARGING H ANDLE LATC H 51. HAMMER 80. BUFFER RETAINER SPRING 105. EJECTION PORT COVER PIN 24. CH ARGING H ANDLE LATC H 52. HAMMER SPRING 81. BUFFER RETAINER 106. UPPER RECEIVER SPRING 53. SAFETY SELECTOR LEVER 82. REAR SIG H T WINDAGE 107. FORWARD ASSIST SPRING 25. CH ARGING H ANDLE 54. BOLT CATC H K NOB PIN 108. FORWARD ASSIST PAWL 26. FIRING PIN 55. BOLT CATC H PIN 83. REAR SIG H T WINDAGE SCREW 109. PAWL DETENT 27. KEY SCREWS 56. BOLT CATC H PLUNGER 84. REAR SIG H T BASE 110. PAWL SPRING 28. BOLT CARRIER K EY 57. BOLT CATC H SPRING 85. REAR SIG H T H ELICAL SPRING 111. PAWL SPRING PIN AMERICAN RIFLEMAN.