ArmaLite AR-5
- Category
- Rifle
- Barrel
- 356 mm
- Weight, empty
- 1.13 kg
- Introduced
- 1956
About
What it is, and why it matters
The ArmaLite AR-5 is a lightweight bolt-action takedown survival rifle chambered in .22 Hornet, designed by Eugene Stoner and adopted by the United States Air Force in 1956 as the MA-1 aircrew survival rifle. Built largely from aluminum alloy and fiberglass to minimize weight, the rifle could be field-stripped into its receiver, barrel, and magazine, all of which stowed inside its hollow buttstock. The resulting package was buoyant enough to float when dropped in water, making it well suited for stowage in cramped aircraft cockpits and ejection-seat survival kits.
The MA-1 adoption was a watershed for ArmaLite, establishing the young Costa Mesa company as a recognized firearms maker and paving the way for Eugene Stoner's later AR-10 and AR-15 designs.
Although adopted by the USAF, the AR-5 was never produced in significant quantity because the service had large stocks of existing M4 and M6 survival weapons. Its commercial descendant, the semi-automatic AR-7, became far more widespread.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- ArmaLite
- Category
- Rifle
- Country
- United States
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1956 to 1959
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 356 mm
- Overall length
- 787 mm
- Weight, empty
- 1.13 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Bolt action
- Firing mechanism
- Striker fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Capacity
- 4
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Aluminum alloy
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Fiberglass
- Finish
- Anodized
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 723 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 763 J
- Effective range
- 100 m
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.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Takedown design
Stows in buttstock- Floats in water
- Lightweight construction
Detachable box magazine
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 1,612 rifles | 1.13 kg | 3.50 kg | Among the lightest tenth |
| Overall lengthAmong 1,557 rifles | 787 mm | 1080 mm | Shorter than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 1,659 rifles | 356 mm | 584 mm | Shorter than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 1,611 rifles | 4 | 5 | Holds fewer rounds than about 60% |
Its place in the rankings
Answers
Questions about the ArmaLite AR-5
How much does the ArmaLite AR-5 weigh?
The ArmaLite AR-5 weighs 1.13 kg (2.49 lb) empty. It is the 8th lightest of 1,612 rifles in the catalogue.
What caliber is the ArmaLite AR-5?
The ArmaLite AR-5 is chambered in .22 Hornet.
How many rounds does the ArmaLite AR-5 hold?
The ArmaLite AR-5 holds 4 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the ArmaLite AR-5?
The ArmaLite AR-5 is 787 mm (31.0 in) long overall, with a 356 mm (14.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the ArmaLite AR-5?
The ArmaLite AR-5 is made by ArmaLite (United States). It was designed by Eugene Stoner.
When was the ArmaLite AR-5 introduced?
The ArmaLite AR-5 was introduced in 1956 and discontinued in 1959.
How does the ArmaLite AR-5 operate?
The ArmaLite AR-5 uses a bolt action, and its firing mechanism is striker 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
- United States Air Force
- 1956
Provenance
Confidence in this record
78%
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-5-survival-rifle' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "ar-5-survival-rifle", "name": "ArmaLite AR-5", "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": "rifle", "name": "Rifle", "description": "Long-barreled firearms designed for accurate shooting" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 1956, "barrel_length_mm": 356, "weight_empty_g": 1130, "action_type": "bolt_action"}