AR-15 (Colt)
The AR-15 is a lightweight, 5.56 mm, magazine-fed, semi-automatic
rifle, with a rotating-lock bolt, actuated by direct impingement gas operation
or long/short stroke piston operation. It is manufactured with the extensive use
of aluminum alloys and synthetic materials.
The AR-15 was first built by ArmaLite as a selective fire rifle for the United States Armed Forces. Because of financial problems, ArmaLite sold
the AR-15 design to Colt. The select-fire AR-15 entered the US
military system as the M16 rifle. Colt then marketed the Colt AR-15
as a semi-automatic version of the M16 rifle for
civilian sales in 1963.
Although the name "AR-15" remains a Colt registered trademark, variants of the
firearm are independently made, modified and sold under various names by
multiple manufacturers.
rifle, with a rotating-lock bolt, actuated by direct impingement gas operation
or long/short stroke piston operation. It is manufactured with the extensive use
of aluminum alloys and synthetic materials.
The AR-15 was first built by ArmaLite as a selective fire rifle for the United States Armed Forces. Because of financial problems, ArmaLite sold
the AR-15 design to Colt. The select-fire AR-15 entered the US
military system as the M16 rifle. Colt then marketed the Colt AR-15
as a semi-automatic version of the M16 rifle for
civilian sales in 1963.
Although the name "AR-15" remains a Colt registered trademark, variants of the
firearm are independently made, modified and sold under various names by
multiple manufacturers.
Bolt action is a type of firearm action in which the weapon's bolt is operated manually by the opening and
closing of the breech (barrel) with a small handle, most commonly placed
on the right-hand side of the weapon (for right-handed users). As the handle is
operated, the bolt is unlocked, the breech is opened, the spent cartridge case is withdrawn and ejected, the
firing pin is cocked (this occurs either on the opening or closing of the bolt,
depending on design), and finally a new round/cartridge (if available) is placed
into the breech and the bolt closed. Bolt action firearms are most often rifles, but there are some bolt-action shotguns and a few handguns as well.
Examples of this system date as
far back as the early 19th century, notably in the Dreyse
needle gun. From the late 19th century, all the
way through both World Wars, the bolt-action rifle was the standard infantry
firearm for most of the world's militaries.
In military and law enforcement use, the bolt action has been mostly replaced
by semi-automatic and selective fire weapons, though the bolt action
remains the dominant design in dedicated sniper rifles. Bolt action firearms are still
very popular for hunting and target shooting. Compared to most other manually
operated firearm actions, it offers an excellent balance of strength (allowing
powerful chamberings), ruggedness, reliability, and potential accuracy, all with
light weight and low cost. The major disadvantage is a marginally lower
practical rate of fire than other manual repeating firearms, such as lever-action and pump-action, and a far lower practical rate of
fire than semi-automatic weapons, but this is not an
important factor in many types of hunting and target shooting.
closing of the breech (barrel) with a small handle, most commonly placed
on the right-hand side of the weapon (for right-handed users). As the handle is
operated, the bolt is unlocked, the breech is opened, the spent cartridge case is withdrawn and ejected, the
firing pin is cocked (this occurs either on the opening or closing of the bolt,
depending on design), and finally a new round/cartridge (if available) is placed
into the breech and the bolt closed. Bolt action firearms are most often rifles, but there are some bolt-action shotguns and a few handguns as well.
Examples of this system date as
far back as the early 19th century, notably in the Dreyse
needle gun. From the late 19th century, all the
way through both World Wars, the bolt-action rifle was the standard infantry
firearm for most of the world's militaries.
In military and law enforcement use, the bolt action has been mostly replaced
by semi-automatic and selective fire weapons, though the bolt action
remains the dominant design in dedicated sniper rifles. Bolt action firearms are still
very popular for hunting and target shooting. Compared to most other manually
operated firearm actions, it offers an excellent balance of strength (allowing
powerful chamberings), ruggedness, reliability, and potential accuracy, all with
light weight and low cost. The major disadvantage is a marginally lower
practical rate of fire than other manual repeating firearms, such as lever-action and pump-action, and a far lower practical rate of
fire than semi-automatic weapons, but this is not an
important factor in many types of hunting and target shooting.