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82-509: The initial SAINT offering was an AR-15 style rifle with a 16-inch (410 mm) barrel and chambered in 5.56 NATO , introduced in November 2016. It was subsequently named the 2017 tactical gun of the year by American Rifleman magazine. In November 2017, a pistol version including a forearm brace was introduced. A pistol model chambered in .300 Blackout was added in April 2018. The rifle offering

164-544: A Monte Carlo stock instead of a pistol grip, which may allow it to be legally possessed in jurisdictions with assault weapon restrictions in place. It also uses a proprietary bolt carrier due to the angled buffer tube, and a proprietary fire control group that moves the trigger rearward. A few manufactures offer bolt action or pump action AR-15–style rifles incapable of semi-automatic fire. These are most commonly marketed in jurisdictions where ownership of semi-automatic centerfire rifles are heavily restricted, such as in

246-523: A blowback system of operation, offering more power than its .22 counterpart. Both the Model 1905 and Model 1907 saw limited military and police use. In 1883, two Danish inventors, Madsen and Rasmussen, began developing recoil-operated, self-loading firearm designs. By 1887, they had created a functional prototype, which was later designated the M1888 Forsøgsrekylgevær . This rifle underwent testing by

328-438: A category which includes AR-15–style rifles. According to a 2013 analysis by Mayors Against Illegal Guns , 14 out of 93 mass shootings involved high-capacity magazines or assault weapons . Nevertheless, AR-15–style rifles have played a prominent role in many high-profile mass shootings in the U.S. and have come to be widely characterized as the weapon of choice for perpetrators of these crimes. AR-15s or similar rifles were

410-489: A firearm with a barrel length of less than 16 inches (41 cm) and an overall length (OAL) of less than 26 inches (66 cm), that was not made from a rifle (including through modification), is not considered to be a short-barreled rifle . As the inclusion of a shoulder stock constitutes "intent to fire from the shoulder" and thus reclassifies the firearm as a rifle, many gun manufacturers offer AR-15–style "pistol" versions that are manufactured to be sold stockless or with

492-505: A law to ban semi-automatic center-fire rifles, magazines holding more than 10 rounds, and parts that can be used to assemble prohibited firearms . After the 2020 Nova Scotia attacks , the deadliest rampage by a single person in Canadian history, Canada banned a class of firearms, including the AR-15. Semi-automatic rifle A semi-automatic rifle is an auto-loading rifle that fires

574-448: A metal rod pushes against the bolt carrier, driven by a piston located just behind the barrel gas port. This piston design keeps the rifle cleaner by not exhausting in to the receiver. Other AR-15–style rifles feature redesigned gas systems so the rifle is "over-the-beach capable", allowing it fire safely as quickly as possible after being submerged in water. The original design features a free-floating firing pin . To theoretically reduce

656-524: A military force. In the final years of the 19th century and early 20th century, experiments and patents with gas-operated reloading were developed by Hiram Maxim and Richard Paulson as well a gas-operated conversion system from an American inventor named Henry Pitcher. Other designs also developed, such as the Cei-Rigotti in 1900. In 1906, Remington Arms introduced the " Remington Auto-loading Repeating Rifle ". Remington advertised this rifle, renamed

738-490: A new round using a gas-operated system. Designing a rifle that was practical in terms of effectiveness, reliability, and production was difficult, and it took fifteen years to perfect the M1 prototype model to meet all the U.S. Army specifications. The resulting Semi-Automatic, Caliber .30, M1 Rifle was patented by Garand in 1932, approved by the U.S. Army on January 9, 1936, and went into mass production in 1940. Thus, in 1936,

820-518: A pistol grip like the military versions, but as the pistol grip is generally removable, grips and stocks that comply with various restrictions are available. While AR-15–style rifles are banned in New York City , the FightLite SCR has been explicitly allowed, even though it accepts standard AR-15 upper receivers. The SCR lower receiver differs from the standard AR-15 lower receiver in that it uses

902-487: A self-loading mechanism makes self-loading rifles more expensive to manufacture and heavier than manually loaded rifles. The semi-automatic M1 Garand weighs about 410 grams (0.9 lb) more (around seven percent) than the manually loaded M1903 Springfield it replaced. American development of a self-loading infantry rifle began with the .276 Pedersen cartridge in recognition of the difficulties of producing reliable self-loading mechanisms for more powerful cartridges. Although

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984-458: A self-loading rifle, but this plan had to be discarded when the Second World War became imminent, shifting its emphasis to speeding up re-armament with existing weapons. In Springfield, Massachusetts , John Garand , a Canadian -born firearms designer, was tasked with designing a basic gas-actuated self-loading infantry rifle and carbine that would eject the spent cartridge and reload

1066-403: A single cartridge with each pull of the trigger . It uses part of the fired cartridge's energy to eject the case and automatically loads another cartridge into its chamber . This is in contrast to bolt-action or lever-action rifles, which will require the user to manually chamber a new round before they can fire again, and fully automatic rifles , which fire continuously while the trigger

1148-568: A single target multiple times rapidly or multiple targets rapidly, greatly increases the effectiveness of a firearm in most applications. Reloading is a downtime from shooting and is a time of vulnerability in hostile applications. Semi-automatic rifles require less frequent reloading than single shot rifles. Semi-automatic rifles can typically more than double the hits at close range and increase hits by about 50% at longer distances compared to manually loaded rifles. The added weight of springs and fittings in self-loading mechanisms, along with some of

1230-413: A stabilizing pistol brace. Once a firearm has been configured as a rifle, whether through modification or originally manufactured that way, it can't be converted back into a pistol. The lower receiver alone is legally defined as a firearm under United States federal law. However, the legality of this definition has been disputed in conflicting court rulings as to whether the AR-15 lower receiver matches

1312-405: A target and providing a large variety of customization ranging from scopes and muzzle devices, to different calibers. Semi-automatic fire greatly assists in maintaining one's sight picture, which is especially important when follow-up shots are required. Due to their demand, the manufacturers of semi-automatic firearms have greatly increased the effective firing distance of their products compared to

1394-414: Is attached to the upper receiver by two removable pins. Disassembly for cleaning or repair of malfunctions requires disengaging these pins from the upper receiver. Releasing the rear take-down pin allows the receiver to be opened by rotation around the forward pivot pin as a hinge . The upper receiver contains the bolt carrier assembly and is attached to the barrel assembly. Sights may be attached to

1476-421: Is held down. In 1883, Hiram Maxim patented a recoil-operated conversion of a Winchester rifle . Another of the first designs of a recoil-operated semi-automatic rifle is attributed to Ferdinand Mannlicher , who unveiled his design in 1885 based on work begun in 1883. Other non-gas operated semi-automatic models were the Model 85 and Mannlicher Models 91, 93 and 95 rifles. The designs never proceeded past

1558-584: Is most-commonly used to refer only to the civilian semi-automatic variants of the rifle which lack the fully automatic function. A common misconception is that "AR" is an abbreviation for " assault rifle " or " automatic rifle ", perhaps because of the weapon's inclusion in the Federal Assault Weapons Ban in 1994, or because the ArmaLite AR-15 was originally designed to replace the M14 rifle in

1640-417: Is used by both military and sporting AR-15–style rifles. As civilian ownership of AR-15–style rifles became sufficient to create a market for improvements, numerous manufacturers began producing aftermarket parts—including parts with features not found on basic AR-15 rifles, and individuals with basic mechanical aptitude can often substitute these pieces for original equipment without needing a gunsmith. Due to

1722-466: The .50 BMG Barrett M82 . Semi-automatic weapons use gas , blow-forward , blowback or recoil energy to eject spent cartridges after the round has moved down the barrel , to chamber a new cartridge from the weapon's magazine , and to reset the action . This enables another round to be fired once the trigger is depressed again. Semi-automatic rifles can be fed by an en-bloc clip , external magazine , or stripper clip . The self-loading design

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1804-514: The AK-47 , FN FAL and M16 limited the viability of widespread deployment of semi-automatic rifles. Gradually, military doctrine evolved to place less emphasis on individual marksmanship, as a large volume of fire was deemed more important – during World War II , American ground forces fired approximately 25,000 rounds for each enemy killed. In the Korean War , this number raised to 50,000, and in

1886-503: The Colt AR-15 design. The Colt model removed the selective fire feature of its predecessor, the original ArmaLite AR-15 , which is a scaled-down derivative of the AR-10 design (by Eugene Stoner ). It is closely related to the military M16 rifle . ArmaLite sold the patent and trademarks for both to Colt's Manufacturing Company in 1959 after the military rejected the design in favor of

1968-524: The Colt AR-15 . After Colt's patents expired in 1977, an active marketplace emerged for other manufacturers to produce and sell their own semi-automatic AR-15–style rifles. Some versions of the AR-15 were classified as " assault weapons " and banned under the Federal Assault Weapons Ban in 1994 within the United States . This act expired in 2004. In 2009, the term "modern sporting rifle"

2050-548: The Crandon shooting , according to Mother Jones ' s mass shooting database. Gun expert Dean Hazen and mass murder researcher Pete Blair think that mass shooters' gun choices have less to do with the AR-15's specific characteristics but rather with familiarity and a copycat effect . According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, there were an estimated 24.4 million AR-15s in private circulation in

2132-566: The Fusil Automatique Modele 1917 . It is a locked breech, gas-operated action which is similar in its mechanical principles to the subsequently manufactured American M1 Garand . The M1917 was fielded during the latter stages of World War I , where it did not receive a favorable reception among troops. However, its shortened and improved version, the Model 1918, was used more during the Moroccan Rif War from 1920 to 1926. Still,

2214-527: The M14 . After most of the patents for the Colt AR-15 expired in 1977, many firearm manufacturers began to produce copies of the rifle under various names. While the patents are expired, Colt has retained the trademark to the AR-15 name and is the sole manufacturer able to label their firearms as such. From 1994 to 2004, the Federal Assault Weapons Ban restricted the sale of the Colt AR-15 and some derivatives in

2296-713: The Port Arthur massacre , the worst single-person shooting incident in Australian history, the country enacted the National Firearms Agreement in 1996, restricting the private ownership of semi-automatic rifles, semi-automatic shotguns, and pump action shotguns. ( Category D ). As a result of the Christchurch mosque shootings with an AR-15 during Friday Prayer on March 15, 2019, the New Zealand government enacted

2378-510: The Vietnam War it became 200,000 rounds per enemy. The first fully automatic rifle to see widespread usage was the German StG 44 , which was reportedly well-liked by troops, as the 30-round selective fire rifle gave them much more flexibility than their service rifle , the bolt action Karabiner 98k . Ultimately, automatic rifles would become standard in military usage, as their firepower

2460-422: The Vietnam War . The AR-15 is closely related to the military M16 and M4 carbine rifles, which all share the same core design. Invented by infantry rifle designer Eugene Stoner in 1956 for use in the 7.62 NATO caliber ArmaLite AR-10 battle rifle , the design features a gas-operated , rotating bolt combined with an integral piston (instead of a conventional direct impingement , operating system), and

2542-458: The Winchester Model 63 replaced it. By the early 20th century, several manufacturers had introduced semi-automatic .22 rifles, including Winchester , Remington , Fabrique Nationale , and Savage Arms , all using the direct blowback system of operation. Winchester introduced a .351 Winchester Self-Loading semi-automatic rifle, the Model 1907, as an upgrade to the Model 1905, utilizing

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2624-499: The "Model 8" in 1911, as a sporting rifle. It was sold in Europe by FN Herstal as the "FN Browning 1900". The rifle is a locked breech, long recoil action designed by John Browning , and was offered in .25 , .30 , .32 , and .35 caliber models. It gained some popularity among civilians as well as some law enforcement officials who appreciated the combination of a semi-automatic action and relatively powerful rifle cartridges. In 1936,

2706-463: The 1990s, sales of AR-15–style rifles increased dramatically, partly as a result of the introduction of the flat top upper receiver (M4 variant) which allowed scopes and sighting devices to be easily mounted as well as new features such as free floating hand guards that increased accuracy. While only a handful of companies were manufacturing these rifles in 1994, by the 21st century the number of AR-15–style rifles had more than doubled. From 2000 to 2015,

2788-489: The 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge impose an overall length limit and diameter limits when adapting modules for other cartridges included in this list of AR platform cartridges . The same magazine in the lower receiver group may hold differing numbers of different cartridges. Most firearm-related homicides in the United States involve handguns . A 2019 Pew Research study found that 3% of US gun deaths were caused by rifles,

2870-480: The AR-15 safety is an improvement over traditional bolt action hunting rifles. Many states require hunters to use reduced-capacity magazines. If a hunter misses with a first shot, the self-loading feature enables rapid follow-up shots against dangerous animals like feral pigs or rapidly moving animals like jackrabbits . Hunters shooting larger game animals often use upper receivers and barrels adapted for larger cartridges or heavier bullets. Several states prohibit

2952-664: The American M1 Garand rifle became the first gas-operated semi-automatic rifle to be adopted by a country as their standard-issue service rifle . General George S. Patton described the M1 Garand as " the greatest battle implement ever devised. " It replaced the bolt-action M1903 Springfield and became the standard infantry rifle known as the Garand Rifle . During World War II , over 4,000,000 M1 rifles were manufactured. The Soviet AVS-36 , SVT-38, and SVT-40 , as well as

3034-437: The Colt AR-15 were slow, primarily due to its fixed sights and carry handle that made scopes difficult to mount and awkward to use. Military development of compact military AR-15 carbines encouraged production of a 16-inch (41 cm) barreled civilian SP1 carbine with a collapsible buttstock beginning in 1977. These carbines have become popular for police use in confined urban spaces, and the collapsible buttstock compensates for

3116-592: The Danish military, but it was ultimately rejected for military adoption. Following the unsuccessful trials, the inventors developed a new design, known as the M1896 Flaadens Rekylgevær . This model was also tested by the Danish military, and this time it was found to be reliable. As a result, 60 units were procured for the Danish Navy, making it one of the earliest semi-automatic rifles to be officially adopted by

3198-510: The German Gewehr 43 , were semi-automatic gas-operated rifles issued during World War II in relatively small numbers. In practice, they did not replace the bolt-action rifle as a standard infantry weapon of their respective nations— Germany produced 402,000 Gewehr 43 rifles, and over 14,000,000 of the Kar98k . Another gas-operated semi-automatic rifle developed toward the end of World War II

3280-483: The M1 Garand was ultimately adapted to fire the .30-06 Springfield cartridge at the insistence of General Douglas MacArthur , most subsequent self-loading rifles for infantry use have been chambered for less powerful cartridges to reduce weight, making the service rifles easier to carry. Target shooting has a long history, predating the firearm. As weapons that demanded user accuracy developed, so did their usage in competitions. Today, semi-automatic rifles are one of

3362-654: The Model 81 superseded the Model 8, and was offered in .300 Savage as well as the original Remington calibers. In 1908, General Manuel Mondragón patented the Mondragón rifle , designated the M1908. The rifle was used by Mexican forces in the Mexican Revolution , making Mexico the first nation to use a semi-automatic rifle in battle, in 1911. Shortly after the Mondragón rifle was produced, France had its own semi-automatic rifle,

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3444-515: The SAINT have also noted older variants with an enhanced M16 bolt carrier group and no sights. As of May 2020, there are 24 total variants listed on the Springfield Armory website: The following chamberings have been made available: Items in italics have been discontinued. AR-15 style rifle An AR-15–style rifle is a lightweight semi-automatic rifle based on or similar to

3526-465: The United Kingdom and Australia. The semi-automatic civilian AR-15 was introduced by Colt in 1963. The primary distinction between the civilian semi-automatic rifles and the military assault rifles is select fire . Military models are produced with multiple firing modes: semi-automatic fire, fully automatic fire mode and/or burst fire mode, in which the rifle fires several rounds in succession when

3608-513: The United States in 2020. According to a 2021 Georgetown University poll of gun owners in the US, 24.6 million persons have an AR-15 or a comparable firearm in their possession. On July 13, 2024, at a Trump rally in Butler , Pennsylvania , 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks used an AR-15–style rifle in a assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump . Following the use of a Colt AR-15 rifle in

3690-549: The United States, according to The New York Times ; the rifles have gained infamy due in part to their use in high-profile mass shootings . Promoted as "America's rifle" by the National Rifle Association of America , their popularity is partially attributable to active restrictions , or proposals to ban or restrict them. They are emblematic as being on the frontline of the debate over U.S. gun control . The "AR" in AR-15 stands for "ArmaLite Rifle", and "AR-15"

3772-517: The United States, although it did not affect rifles with fewer listed features. After the phrase " modern sporting rifles ", to be used synonymously with the AR-15 style, was coined in 2009 by the US National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), a firearms trade association, it was quickly adopted by much of the industry. Beginning in the 2010s, AR-15–style rifles became one of the "most beloved and most vilified rifles" in

3854-460: The additional auto-sear that holds it back until the bolt carrier group is fully in battery, when the automatic fire is selected. Using a portion of the select fire parts in a semi-automatic rifle will not enable a select fire option (this requires a registered part with the ATF ). Lower receivers that are select-fire are identified by a pinhole above the safety/mode selection switch. As designed by Colt,

3936-575: The additional thickness of body armor . The shorter barrel reduced bullet velocity by about five percent, and bullet energy by about 10%. The shorter barrel required moving the gas port closer to the chamber, exposing the self-loading system to higher pressures and temperatures which increased stress on moving parts like the bolt lugs and extractor. Although Colt offered a heavier 20-inch (51 cm) barrel for improved accuracy beginning in 1986, increased barrel weight may impair ergonomic balance; so shorter barrels have dominated recent rifle production. In

4018-512: The bolt-action Lebel Model 1886 rifle remained the standard French infantry rifle until being replaced in 1936 by the MAS-36 , another bolt action, despite the various semi-automatic rifles designed between 1918 and 1935. Other nations experimented with self-loading rifles during the interwar period, including the United Kingdom , which had intended to replace the bolt-action Lee–Enfield with

4100-445: The buffer system is wholly contained in the upper receiver, and therefore does not use the buffer tube, which allows for firing while the stock is in the folded position, or removal of the stock altogether. The standard design includes a gas block and tube to vent burnt powder gas back into the bolt carrier assembly where it expands in a variable volume chamber forcing the bolt open to eject the spent cartridge case. The buffer spring in

4182-470: The buttstock then pushes the bolt closed after picking up a new cartridge from the magazine. This Stoner bolt and carrier piston system has the disadvantage of venting un-burned smokeless powder residue into the receiver where it may ultimately accumulate in quantities causing malfunctions. Some AR-15–style rifles use an alternative short-stroke gas piston design borrowed from the ArmaLite AR-18 , where

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4264-543: The cartridge energy being used to reload, can give the advantage of reduced recoil . Reduced recoil helps keep the rifle on target for successive shots, improving overall accuracy. A self-loading mechanism, tuned for specific cartridge dimensions and power, may fail to reload dirty or bent cartridges that would otherwise fire. It can also struggle to extract low-power training cartridges or may be damaged by high-power rounds. Some rifles require lubricated cartridges, making them prone to collecting dirt. Reliability issues in

4346-710: The chest, neck, or face of a left handed shooter . When the M16A2 was adopted by the Army in 1986, it incorporated a built-in brass deflector to keep ejected cartridges from hitting the user. Most civilian variants also copy that feature. The modular design of AR-15–style rifles has encouraged several manufacturers to offer specialized parts including leftward ejecting upper receivers and left-handed bolts/bolt carriers for converting right-handed AR-15–style rifles for left-handed use. Ambidextrous lower receivers, magazine releases, and safety selectors have also been produced, allowing release of

4428-548: The conceptual/prototype stage due to issues inherent to the black powder used in their cartridges (based around the Austrian 11×58mmR M/77 ), such as insufficient velocity and excessive fouling . Automatic firearms would only become feasible after smokeless powder became widespread. Mannlicher designs served as a basis for several future weapons, such as Browning machine guns ( M1917 , M1919 , and M2 ). Mannlicher produced smokeless powder versions of his guns, beginning in

4510-401: The default direct impingement/internal-piston based operating system, as insufficient gas pressure or volume is produced by the round to cycle the action, or the simpler blowback system is sufficient and may allow removal of the rear buffer tube and spring. Some AR-15–style rifles limit use of detachable magazines to comply with state regulations. Nearly all versions of the civilian AR-15 have

4592-537: The early 1890s, until his death in 1904, . In 1903 and 1905, the Winchester Repeating Arms Company introduced the first low power blowback (shell operated) semi-automatic rimfire and centerfire rifles. The Winchester Model 1903 and Winchester Model 1905 operated on the principle of blowback to function semi-automatically. Designed by T.C. Johnson , the Model 1903 achieved commercial success and continued to be manufactured until 1932, when

4674-543: The legal definition set forth in 27 CFR § 479.11, with some lower courts disagreeing while a 2021 case from the Eighth Circuit found otherwise. While most earlier breech-loading rifles had a single receiver housing both the trigger and reloading mechanism, an innovative feature of the AR-15 was modular construction to simplify substitution of parts and avoid need for arsenal facilities for most repairs of malfunctioning military rifles. A distinctive two-part receiver

4756-629: The magazine from the left side, closing of the bolt from the right side, and operation of the safety from the right side, respectively. The AR-15 is nominally chambered in .223 Remington or 5.56×45mm NATO , with the .223 Wylde chamber allowing for the safe chambering of both, but many variants have been produced in different calibers such as .22 LR (sometimes referred to as an AR-22 ), 7.62×39mm , 9×19mm Parabellum , 6.5mm Grendel , and shotgun calibers. Some of these firearms chambered in smaller calibers such as 9mm or .22 utilize simple blowback or delayed blowback operating principles instead of

4838-424: The magazine well. Lower receivers may be bought "stripped"—a single solid part and legally a firearm in the United States, albeit nonfunctional, with no fire control group or lower parts kit installed. End users may install their own choice of fire control group and lower parts kit. The lower receiver holds the trigger assembly including the hammer , and is the attachment point for the buttstock . The lower receiver

4920-515: The mechanism can negate the advantage of faster firing , potentially lowering the rate of fire compared to manually loaded rifles if not designed for easy manual reloading. The United Kingdom regarded the reliable rate of fire from manually loaded rifles to be nearly as high as self-loading rifles as recently as World War II . Semi-automatic rifles are uniquely susceptible to slamfire malfunctions caused by abrupt cartridge acceleration during self-loading. Slamfire discharges are unlikely to hit

5002-827: The more prominent firearms in sport shooting . There are various types of sport shooting, ranging from rapid fire shooting; target shooting, which is predominantly accuracy based; and distance shooting. Shooting clubs in America became increasingly commonplace in the 1830s, and have since grown in popularity. Semi-automatic rifles are used in various sport shooting events, including target shooting and rapid-fire competitions, which has invited more people, specifically women and children, to compete as well. Semi-automatic rifles have grown in status among hunters. Some hunters use semi-automatic rifles, including AR-15 style models , citing their compact design and customisation options, effectively making it easier to traverse rugged terrain while tracking

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5084-562: The number of manufacturers of AR-15–style rifles increased from 29 to an estimated 500. AR-15–style rifles are now available in a wide range of configurations and calibers from a large number of manufacturers. These configurations range from standard full-sizes rifles with 20-inch (51 cm) barrels, to short carbine-length models with 16-inch (41 cm) barrels, adjustable length stocks and optical sights, to long range target models with 24-inch (61 cm) barrels, bipods and high-powered scopes. In September 2019, Colt Firearms announced it

5166-506: The pins supporting the semi-auto trigger and hammer in the lower receiver are larger than those used in the military rifle to prevent interchangeability between semi-automatic and select-fire components. The pivot pin may also be slightly larger in diameter. The first version produced for commercial sale by Colt was the SP1 model AR-15 Sporter in .223 Remington, with a 20-inch (51 cm) barrel and issued with five-round magazines. Initial sales of

5248-412: The primary weapons used in half of the 10 deadliest mass shootings in modern American history: the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting , the 2017 Las Vegas shooting , the 2017 Sutherland Springs church shooting , the 2018 Parkland high school shooting , and the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting . The first time wherein an AR-15–style rifle was used in a mass shooting was in 2007, during

5330-792: The rifles are owned in the United States. The National Shooting Sports Foundation estimated in 2016 that approximately 5 million to 10 million AR-15–style rifles existed in the U.S. within the broader total of the 300 million firearms owned by Americans. Many hunters prefer using AR-15–style rifles because of their versatility, accuracy, wide variety of available features, and wide variety of calibers (see below). Collapsible stocks are convenient for hunters who pack their rifles into remote hunting locations or for length of pull adjustments to fit any sized hunter. Construction with lightweight polymers and corrosion -resistant alloys makes these rifles preferred for hunting in moist environments with less concern about rusting or warping wood stocks. Positioning of

5412-402: The right shoulder while sighting with the right eye and using a finger of the right hand to pull the trigger. Right-side ejection is a disadvantage for the third of the population whose left eye is dominant , and for the tenth of the population who are left handed , because holding these rifles against their left shoulder for maximum accuracy may cause the rifle to eject hot spent cases toward

5494-455: The risk of slam-firing , the HK416 and its civilian variant MR556 feature a proprietary firing pin safety in the bolt. Such firing pin safeties may obstruct the upper from working with standard AR-15-type full height hammers located in the fire control group of the lower. Most rifles eject spent cartridges from the right side of the receiver away from right-handed shooters who place the butt against

5576-477: The same lower receiver. These upper receiver groups may have differing barrel lengths and sights and may fire different cartridges. A hunter with a single lower receiver might have one upper receiver with a .223 Remington barrel and telescopic sight for varmint hunting in the open country and another upper receiver with a .458 SOCOM barrel and iron sights for big-game hunting in brushy woodland. The dimensions of upper and lower receivers originally designed for

5658-424: The select fire components, several features were changed. Parts changed include the lower receiver, bolt carrier, hammer, trigger, disconnector, and safety/mode selector. The semi-automatic bolt carrier has a longer lightening slot to prevent the bolt's engagement with an automatic sear. Due to a decrease in mass, the buffer spring is heavier. On the select-fire version, the hammer has an extra spur which interacts with

5740-509: The target and may cause collateral damage . The time required for changing or reloading magazines can weaken the effectiveness of a rifle, as it imposes an effective duration limit on the continuous rate of fire of any rifle . High-capacity magazines increase the weight of the rifle and typically reduce feeding reliability due to the varying spring tension from a full to a nearly empty magazine. Detachable magazines in general are usually less durable than internal magazines. The complexity of

5822-510: The trigger is depressed. Most components are interchangeable between semi-auto and select fire rifles including magazines, sights, upper receiver, barrels and accessories. The military M4 carbine typically uses a 14.5-inch (37 cm) barrel. Civilian rifles commonly have 16-inch (41 cm) or longer barrels to comply with the National Firearms Act . To prevent a civilian semi-automatic AR-15 from being readily converted for use with

5904-553: The upper receiver or the barrel assembly. A handguard usually encloses the barrel and is attached to the upper receiver, and depending on the handguard, also attached to the barrel's gas block. AR-15–style rifles may have folding or collapsible stocks which reduce the overall length of the rifle when folded, although some designs of the stock folding device may not allow the firearm to be fired until unfolded, or only fire once until unfolded. A few manufacturers have made full upper receivers, or even "bufferless" bolt carrier systems where

5986-421: The use of .22 caliber cartridges like the .223 Remington on large game. Since the upper and lower receivers may be swapped between rifles, forensic firearm examination of bullets and spent cartridges may reveal distinguishing marks from the barrel and upper receiver group without identifying the lower receiver for which legal records may be available. An individual may use several upper receiver groups with

6068-459: The vast assortment of aftermarket parts and accessories available, AR-15–style rifles have also been referred to as "the Swiss Army knife of rifles", "Barbie Dolls for Guys", or "LEGOs for adults". These more or less interchangeable modules are a defining characteristic of AR-15–style rifles. The lower receiver includes the trigger guard in front of the detachable pistol grip , and behind

6150-457: Was a successor to earlier rifles that required manual cycling of the weapon after each shot, such as the bolt-action rifle or repeating rifles . The ability to automatically load the next round results in an increase in the rounds per minute the operator can fire. The main advantage of semi-automatic rifles is the ability to fire sequential shots in rapid succession without adjusting the aiming position to manually chamber cartridges . Engaging

6232-564: Was announced in January 2019. Models chambered for .308 Winchester were later announced; rifle in April 2019, and pistol in January 2020. In February 2019, Springfield Armory contrasted the SAINT, SAINT Victor, and SAINT Edge rifle offerings as follows: As of May 2020, the Springfield Armory website lists three different SAINT rifle offerings, each of which features an M-LOK handguard and M16 (non-enhanced) bolt carrier group; one has flip-up sights and two have an A2 (fixed front) sight. Users of

6314-589: Was coined by the National Shooting Sports Foundation for its survey that year as a marketing term used by the firearms industry to describe modular semi-automatic rifles including AR-15s. Today, nearly every major firearm manufacturer produces its own generic AR-15–style rifle. As Colt continues to own and use the AR-15 trademark for its line of AR-15 variants , other manufacturers must use their own model numbers and names to market their AR-15–style rifles for commercial sale. Under US law,

6396-441: Was discontinuing production of the AR-15 for the consumer market, citing "significant excess manufacturing capacity" across the industry and the company's "high-volume contracts" with military and police forces that were "absorbing all of Colt's manufacturing capacity for rifles". However, in 2020, Colt resumed production of the AR-15, following a surge in demand in the United States consumer market. Estimates vary as to how many of

6478-552: Was patented under U.S. patent 2,951,424 . A lighter weight selective fire variant of the AR-10 was designed in 1958 for military use and designated the ArmaLite model 15, or AR-15. Due to financial problems and limitations in terms of manpower and production capacity, ArmaLite sold the AR-15 and AR-10 designs and trademarks to Colt in 1959. In 1964, Colt began selling its own version with an improved semi-automatic design known as

6560-547: Was superior to that of a semi-automatic rifle. However, both semi-automatic and bolt action rifles are still widely used today in military service in specific roles, such as designated marksman rifles where the greater accuracy compared to automatic rifles is valued. Furthermore, to accommodate for this greater firepower, battle rifles were mostly replaced by assault rifles , whose lighter bullets allowed more ammunition to be carried at once. Where semi-automatic rifles continue to be used, they are usually in higher calibers, such as

6642-454: Was the SKS . Designed by Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov in 1945, it came equipped with a bayonet and could be loaded with ten rounds, using a stripper clip . It was the first widely issued rifle to use the 7.62×39mm cartridge. By the end of World War II, however, semi-automatic rifles had been largely superseded in military usage by their fully automatic and select-fire counterparts - weapons such as

6724-666: Was updated in July 2019 with an M-LOK compatible handguard and optional flip-up front sight, while a refreshed pistol debuted in October 2019. The SAINT Edge variant was introduced in mid-November 2017, featuring a modular trigger system, mid-sized charging handle , and muzzle brake . A year later, a pistol version of the Edge was added. Two additional Edge pistols with different braces were announced in January 2020. The mid-range SAINT Victor variant, in rifle, pistol, and short-barreled rifle offerings,

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