ArmaLite AR-10A4
- Category
- Battle Rifle
- Barrel
- 406 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.08 kg
- Introduced
- 1996
About
What it is, and why it matters
The ArmaLite AR-10A4 is a modern semi-automatic battle rifle chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO (.308 Winchester), produced by the revived ArmaLite company. It pairs a forged flat-top upper receiver with a Picatinny rail and a six-position telescoping buttstock, configuring the full-power AR-10 platform as a compact CQB carbine analogous to the 5.56mm M4. It uses Eugene Stoner's direct impingement gas system and a 16-inch chrome-lined barrel with a 1:11.25-inch twist, and feeds from 20-round detachable box magazines.
The AR-10 lineage traces to Eugene Stoner, who designed the original AR-10 for ArmaLite (then a division of Fairchild) in the mid-1950s, pioneering the in-line stock, rotating bolt and direct impingement gas system later scaled down into the AR-15/M16. Fewer than 10,000 original AR-10s were built, including licensed Dutch production by Artillerie Inrichtingen from 1957 to 1961. In 1995 former Army Ordnance officer Mark Westrom bought the defunct ArmaLite brand and reintroduced the AR-10 as a .308 rifle, with the flat-top AR-10A4 emerging as the modern tactical-carbine configuration.
The A4 designation refers to the flat-top (A4-style) upper receiver. Carbine models use a 16-inch barrel and collapsible stock; National Match configurations use a 20-inch match barrel with fixed sights. Accuracy is typically cited at 1.5-2 MOA at 100 yards with match ammunition.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- ArmaLite
- Category
- Battle Rifle
- Country
- United States
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 1996
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 406 mm
- Overall length
- 991 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.08 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 20
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Aluminum
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Anodized
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Effective range
- 600 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.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Direct impingement gas system
Flat top upper receiver
Picatinny rail
Telescoping stock
Chrome lined barrel
Flash suppressor
Detachable front sight
Case deflector
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 | 4.08 kg | 4.30 kg | Lighter than about 70% |
| Overall lengthAmong 85 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 991 mm | 1025 mm | Shorter than about 70% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 87 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 406 mm | 458 mm | Shorter than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 87 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 20 | 20 | Near the median |
Answers
Questions about the ArmaLite AR-10A4
How much does the ArmaLite AR-10A4 weigh?
The ArmaLite AR-10A4 weighs 4.08 kg (9.00 lb) empty.
What caliber is the ArmaLite AR-10A4?
The ArmaLite AR-10A4 is chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO.
How many rounds does the ArmaLite AR-10A4 hold?
The ArmaLite AR-10A4 holds 20 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the ArmaLite AR-10A4?
The ArmaLite AR-10A4 is 991 mm (39.0 in) long overall, with a 406 mm (16.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the ArmaLite AR-10A4?
The ArmaLite AR-10A4 is made by ArmaLite (United States). It was designed by Mark Westrom (modern AR-10A4); platform derived from Eugene Stoner's original AR-10.
When was the ArmaLite AR-10A4 introduced?
The ArmaLite AR-10A4 was introduced in 1996.
How does the ArmaLite AR-10A4 operate?
The ArmaLite AR-10A4 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.
Provenance
Confidence in this record
74%
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/armalite-ar-10a4' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "armalite-ar-10a4", "name": "ArmaLite AR-10A4", "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": 1996, "barrel_length_mm": 406, "weight_empty_g": 4082, "action_type": "gas_operated"}