This saw little use, but when they were asked to compete in a contest for an aircrew survival rifle, their AR-5 and AR-7 designs from 1956 saw production use.
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The untested AR-10 faced competition from the two other major rifle designs, the Springfield Armory T-44, an updated M1 Garand design that became the M14, and the T-48, a version of the famous Belgian FN FAL rifle.
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Based on Stoner's fourth prototype, two hand-built production AR-10s were tested by the Springfield Armory in late 1956 and again in 1957 as a possible replacement to the venerable yet outdated M1 Garand.
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The AR-7 and derivative models have been produced by several companies since introduction in the late 1950s, currently by Henry Repeating Arms, of Brooklyn, NY, and the rifle is still popular today.
Colt was the original producer of the M16 rifle, rights to which it purchased from designer ArmaLite, and today offers a complete “Family of Weapons” based around the derivative M4 Carbine, which includes a heavy barreled rifle (HBAR®), a carbine with sliding stock (M4 & ACC-M), a personal defense weapon with folding-collapsible buttstock (SCW), a piston carbine (APC), a Commando® M4 with a 10.5 in.
Soon after America's large-scale involvement in Vietnam commenced in 1965 the 5.56 mm ArmaLite AR-15 rifle, later standardised as the M16, was purchased in ever increasing numbers and by the late 1960s had displaced the 7.62 mm M14 in combat units.
The prototype of what would become the AR-7 was designed by Eugene Stoner at ArmaLite Inc., a division of Fairchild Aircraft.
He also plays bass in Armalite, a band fronted by Adam Goren whose debut album is available through No Idea Records.
Upper and lower receivers: The rifles were produced by the Army Marksmanship Unit (AMU) at Fort Benning, Georgia using either new semi-automatic ArmaLite lower receivers or existing Army M16A2 or A4 lower receivers previously supplied by either Colt or Fabrique Nationale de Herstal.