ArmaLite AR-10
- Category
- Battle Rifle
- Barrel
- 508 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.31 kg
- Introduced
- 1956
About
What it is, and why it matters
The ArmaLite AR-10 is a 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifle designed by Eugene Stoner at the ArmaLite division of Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation in the mid-1950s. It pioneered a lightweight gas-operated, rotating-bolt design built around aluminum-alloy forged receivers, a phenolic composite stock and a straight-line barrel-to-stock layout that reduced muzzle climb during automatic fire. Though it lost the U.S. military rifle trials of 1956-1957, its layout and direct gas impingement system became the technical foundation for the later AR-15 and M16.
When ArmaLite presented the AR-10 to the U.S. Army in 1956 it was years ahead of competitors in weight and ergonomics, but a burst test-barrel failure and its late arrival in the trials doomed its chances against the M14. Eugene Stoner simply scaled the concept down to 5.56mm, creating the AR-15.
Most early production AR-10 rifles were built under license in the Netherlands by Artillerie-Inrichtingen (A.I.) after ArmaLite sold a manufacturing license in 1957. The platform is the direct ancestor of the AR-15/M16 family.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- ArmaLite
- Category
- Battle Rifle
- Country
- United States
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1956 to 1960
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 508 mm
- Overall length
- 1016 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.31 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Capacity
- 20
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Aluminum alloy
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Phenolic composite
- Finish
- Anodized
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 820 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 3347 J
- Effective range
- 600 m
- Rate of fire
- 700 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Direct gas impingement
Rotating bolt
Straight line stock
Integral carry handle
Bolt hold open
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 86 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 4.31 kg | 4.30 kg | Heavier than about 60% |
| Overall lengthAmong 85 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 1016 mm | 1025 mm | Shorter than about 60% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 87 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 508 mm | 458 mm | Longer than about 60% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 87 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 20 | 20 | Near the median |
Answers
Questions about the ArmaLite AR-10
How much does the ArmaLite AR-10 weigh?
The ArmaLite AR-10 weighs 4.31 kg (9.50 lb) empty.
What caliber is the ArmaLite AR-10?
The ArmaLite AR-10 is chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO.
How many rounds does the ArmaLite AR-10 hold?
The ArmaLite AR-10 holds 20 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the ArmaLite AR-10?
The ArmaLite AR-10 is 1016 mm (40.0 in) long overall, with a 508 mm (20.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the ArmaLite AR-10?
The ArmaLite AR-10 is made by ArmaLite (United States). It was designed by Eugene Stoner.
When was the ArmaLite AR-10 introduced?
The ArmaLite AR-10 was introduced in 1956 and discontinued in 1960.
How does the ArmaLite AR-10 operate?
The ArmaLite AR-10 uses a gas operated action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Portuguese Armed Forces
- 1960
- Sudanese Armed Forces
- 1958
Provenance
Confidence in this record
82%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/ar-10' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "ar-10", "name": "ArmaLite AR-10", "manufacturer": { "id": "armalite", "name": "ArmaLite", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1954, "website": "https://armalite.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": "US-based firearms manufacturer in Bryan, Texas. Originally founded in 1954 by George Sullivan as the light firearms division of Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation. Best known for developing the AR-15 platform under chief designer Eugene Stoner. Revived in 1996 and currently owned by Strategic Armory Corps.", "status": "active", "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": true, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:42", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:38", "version": "503417c9bae93d8a5e31f82fd1ac3105101d450da1a5245551cc6ddffa528358" }, "category": { "id": "battle-rifle", "name": "Battle Rifle", "description": "Selective-fire rifles chambered in full-power cartridges" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 1956, "barrel_length_mm": 508, "weight_empty_g": 4310, "action_type": "gas_operated"}