At a glance
- Manufacturer
- Multiple manufacturers; ArmaLite design lineage
- Firearm type
- Rifle
- Action
- Gas-operated semi-automatic family; exact operating system varies by design
- Chamberings
- Many chamberings; 5.56×45 mm / .223 Remington are common but not universal
- Introduced
- Design lineage developed in the 1950s; civilian pattern expanded later
- Status
- Current family
- Record scope
- Family-level record only. Do not use this page as a specification for a particular manufacturer or legal configuration.
What it is
“AR-15” is used in public conversation for a broad family of civilian semi-automatic rifles based on the ArmaLite design lineage. The name can describe a pattern rather than one current make and model.
Development and history
ArmaLite developed the original design in the 1950s. Later commercial manufacturers produced many configurations for sport, hunting, training, and lawful defensive use. The military M16 and M4 are related but are not interchangeable with every civilian AR-15 specification.
Why it matters
This page is deliberately a family record. The database must keep manufacturer, action, chambering, barrel, receiver, and legal-context facts attached to the exact variant instead of presenting one universal “AR-15 specification.”
Safety and owner resources
Use the manufacturer manual for the exact rifle and follow current federal, state, and local rules. The platform’s modularity makes variant identification especially important.
