from arfcom
Frequently Asked Questions WHAT DOES THE "AR" IN AR-15, AR-180, OR AR-10 STAND FOR? There is a common misconception that AR stands for "ArmaLite Rifle." This is untrue. The AR-17, for instance, is a 12-gauge shotgun. Early designations like ArmaLite 10 were shortened to simply AR-10. The AR refers to ArmaLite. The ArmaLite Division of Fairchild developed the AR-15 in 1959. Fairchild licensed the rifle to the Colt's Patent Firearm Manufacturing Corporation, and Colt's assumed the AR-15 trademark. Early Colt rifles were marked "Colt ArmaLite 15." Even today, the designation to that Colt brand rifle refers, somewhat embarrassingly, to ArmaLite.




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