Over time, the AR-15 has become a highly modular weapons system capable of being outfitted with various accessories to suit operator taste. This includes forward vertical grips, optics, bipods and the like. Its design has made it a highly accurate firearm and many users enjoy its lightweight nature and resilient body construction. Despite the AR-15's external likeness to the military-minded M16, the M16 makes use of semi-automatic fire, three-round burst capability and a full-automatic fire mode as well as the 5.56mm NATO standard cartridge through STANAG-type magazines. As such, the internal hammer and trigger systems are unique to each respective form and internal components of the AR-15 and M16 are not interchangeable for rather obvious reasons - one being to limit the ease of adapting the AR-15 to full-automatic fire in the civilian market.
The AR-15 has been further evolved to become the M4 Carbine, the CAR-15, the SR-47, the C7, the T65 and the Bushmaster C4. The M4 Carbine is a shortened version of the M16 assault rifle, intended for close-quarters battle (CQB) and has seen extensive service in the ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq following the events of September 11th. The M4 appeared in US military service beginning in 1994. The CAR-15 is of similar form and function and appeared in 1968 and includes the shorter 11.5-inch barreled Colt Commando series. The SR-47 was a proposed assault rifle design put forward by the Knight Armament Company for possible acceptance by US SOCOM. It was never formally accepted into service nor serial production. The C7 became the standard Canadian Army service rifle in 1984 and was based on the M16A2 assault rifle model with changes to suit Canadian requirements. The T65 became a locally-produced Taiwanese version of the M16, beginning service in 1976. The Bushmaster M4 Carbine was based highly on the AR-15 and eventually went on to stock the inventories of some 60 countries worldwide in civilian, police and military forms.
Direct AR-15 variants are numerous and include the experimental XM16E1, the whole M16 family line, the CAR-15 family (carbine, heavy assault rifle and submachine gun types), the experimental XM177 series, the experimental XM4 Carbine and the aforementioned M4 Carbine line. Various civilian and specialized government models have also existed to date making the AR-15 one of the most successful rifle designs of its time.
The first widely-accepted AR-15 sales were made to Malaysia who acquired the type in number in late 1959. From there, Colt managed to secure more sales (including the lucrative U.S. military M16 contract) which solidified the AR-15 legacy in firearms lore. The system has also proven quote popular in its many forms and guises on the civilian market (where legally available) and has been featured in hunting outings and competitive shooting displays. Police and security forces also took to ownership of the type.
Over time, the AR-15 system - in one form or another - has been produced by a myriad of companies beyond the standard ArmaLite brand. These include American Spirit Arms, Bushmaster Firearms International, C3 Defense, Charles Daily Firearms, Colt, Daniel Defense, DPMS Panther Arms, High Standard Mfg Co, Les Baer, Lewis Machine and Tool Company, LWRC International, Olympic Arms, Remington, Rock River Arms, Sabre Defense, Smith & Wesson, Stag Arms, Ruger, Ruger and Company and Wilson Combat. As Colt maintains the "AR-15" trademark, other manufacturers of the rifle apply their own company model designations to their respective end products.
The "AR-15" designation simply comes from the abbreviated "ArmaLite" name, the "15" being nothing more than the company-assigned model number.
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