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ArmaLite AR-18: Difference between revisions

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A Sterling AR18 was used by Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Termiator.
[[File:Armalite-AR18.jpg|thumb|right|400px|ArmaLite AR-18 – 5.56x45mm]]
[[File:AR-18.jpg|thumb|right|400px|ArmaLite AR-18 with 30-round magazine – 5.56x45mm]]
[[File:Sterling AR-18 Folded.JPG|300px|thumb|right|400px|ArmaLite AR-18 fitted with scope with stock folded – 5.56x45mm]]
[[File:Sterling AR-18.jpg|300px|thumb|right|400px|ArmaLite AR-18 with scope and sling fitted – 5.56x45mm]]
The '''AR-18''' is an American assault rifle developed in the early 1960s as a low-cost alternative to the [[AR-15]] (a design originally from ArmaLite but later sold to Colt) and was produced by ArmaLite in the U.S. and manufactured via contract by Sterling of England and Howa of Japan. The AR-18 is a 5.56x45mm select-fire assault rifle that used simple stampings for ease of manufacture. The semi-automatic civilian version of the rifle is called the '''AR-180'''.
 
Hoping to capture the third-world market as an alternative to the more expensive M16 assault rifle, ArmaLite was set for a disappointment when the U.S. Government commissioned, bought, and then ''gave away'' hundreds of thousands of M16s during the course of the 1960s and 1970s (to stem the tide of Communists arming "their side" with free weapons). ArmaLite discontinued AR-18 production in the late 1970s. Although never adopted officially by any armed forces, it did somewhat serve as a testbed for weapons such as the Sterling SAR-87, [[SA80]], [[SR 88]], [[H&K G36]] etc. The AR-18 was notoriously supplied underground to the Irish Republican Army hence the ''ArmaLite and Ballot Box strategy'' and remains an enduring symbol of the 1970s and 1980s period of The Troubles.
 
The AR-18/180 uses a proprietary magazine that looks similar to the AR-15/M16 [[STANAG]] magazine, but isn't interchangeable with it; the different magazines have their cut-out (to catch the magazine well) located on different sides. A skilled armorer however could potentially modify one magazine to fit in the other.
 
==Specifications==
(1963-1980)
 
* '''Type:''' Assault Rifle
* '''Caliber:''' 5.56x45mm NATO
* '''Weight:''' {{convert|kg|3}}
* '''Length:''' {{convert|mm|970}}
* '''Barrel length:''' {{convert|mm|464}}
* '''Feed System:''' 20-, 30- or 40-round box magazine (AR-18), {{STANAG}} (AR-180B)
* '''Fire Modes:''' Semi-Auto/Full-Auto
 
-----
{{Gun Title}}
===Film===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; background-color:#ffffff"
|-
! width="300"| Title
! width="150"| Actor
! width="200"| Character
! width="300"| Note
! width="50"| Date
|-
|''[[Silver Streak]]'' || [[Ray Walston]] ||  Edgar Whiney |||| 1976
|-
|''[[Silver Streak]]'' || [[Stefan Gierasch]] ||  Johnson |||| 1976
|-
|''[[Silver Streak]]''||[[Gene Wilder]]||George Caldwell||||1976
|-
|''[[Silver Streak]]''||[[Patrick McGoohan]]||Roger Devereau||||1976
|-
|''[[The Enforcer]]'' ||  ||  || ||1976
|-
|''[[The Spy Who Loved Me]]'' ||  || KGB Assassins || ||1977
|-
|''[[Sorcerer]]'' ||  || Venezuelan soldiers |||| 1977
|-
|''[[Gauntlet, The|The Gauntlet]]'' || || Phoenix Police || ||1977
|-
|''[[Stingray (AKA: Abigail Wanted)]]'' || [[Sherry Jackson]] || Abigail Bratowski |||| 1978
|-
| ''[[Good Guys Wear Black]]'' || [[Soon-Tek Oh]] || Mhin Van Thieu || || 1978
|-
| ''[[Good Guys Wear Black]]'' || || The Black Tigers || || 1978
|-
|''[[An Eye for an Eye (1981)|An Eye for an Eye]]'' || || SWAT officers || || 1981
|-
| ''[[Stripes (1981)|Stripes]]'' || || Capt. Hollister || Extended cut ||1981
|-
| ''[[Harry's Game]]'' ||[[Derek Thompson]] || Billy Downes || ||1982
|-
| ''[[Octopussy]]'' || || South American soldiers || ||1983
|-
|''[[Terminator|The Terminator]]'' || [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] || Terminator |||| 1984
|-
| ''[[Ninja III: The Domination]]'' || [[Jordan Bennett]] || Officer Billy Secord || || 1984
|-
| ''[[Hold-Up]]'' || || Montreal SWAT || || 1985
|-
| rowspan=2|''[[Water (1985)]]'' || [[Bill Bailey]] || Major Hollister || rowspan=2|AR-180 || rowspan=2|1985
|-
| || US soldiers
|-
|''[[Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, The|The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!]]'' ||||||terrorists|| 1988
|-
|''[[In the Name of the Father]]'' || || IRA member |||| 1993
|-
| ''[[Bad Blood]]'' || || || Seen in Chang's headquarters and in gun dealer's car; with M16-style buttstock || 1994
|-
| rowspan=3|''[[Original Gangstas]]'' || [[Fred Williamson]] || John Bookman || rowspan=2| || rowspan=3|1996
|-
| [[Godfrey]] || Marcus
|-
| [[Tim Rhoze]] || Blood || With sniper scope
|-
|''[[The Last Train]]'' || [[Treva Etienne]] || Ark Tribesman |||| 1999
|-
|''[[Shergar]]'' || [[Andrew Connolly]] || Concannon |||| 1999
|-
| ''[[Innocent Voices]]'' || || Salvadoran Army soldiers || || 2004
|-
|''[[Serenity]]'' || [[Nathan Fillion]] || Mal Reynolds |||| 2005
|-
|''[[Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia]]'' ||  || Colombian Rogue Unit soldier |||| 2009
|-
|''[[Guard, The (2011)|The Guard]]''|| || ||||2011
|-
|''[[Get the Gringo]]'' || [[Mel Gibson]] || The Gringo ||With scope|| 2012
|-
|''[[Daylight's End]]''||||survivor||||2016
|-
| rowspan=2|''[[The Foreigner (2017)|The Foreigner]]'' || [[Jackie Chan]] || Ngoc Minh Quan || With stock removed and improvised suppressor ||rowspan=2|2017
|-
| ||IRA members ||
|-
|-
|}
 
=== Television ===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; background-color:#ffffff"
|-
! width="200"| Show Title
! width="150"| Actor
! width="150"| Character
! width="200"| Note / Episode
! width="100"| Air Date
|-
|''[[S.W.A.T. (1975)|S.W.A.T.]]'' || [[Christopher George]] || Mr. Bravo |||| 1975-1976
|-
|''[[S.W.A.T. (1975)|S.W.A.T.]]'' || [[James Coleman]] || Officer T.J. McCabe |||| 1975-1976
|-
|''[[S.W.A.T. (1975)|S.W.A.T.]]'' || [[Mark Shera]] || Officer Dominic Luca |||| 1975-1976
|-
|''[[The Professionals]]'' || [[Lewis Collins]] || Bodie |||| 1977-1983
|-
|''[[A-Team, The|The A-Team]]'' || [[Ismael Carlo]] || Salvador |||| 1983-1988
|-
|}
 
===Anime===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; background-color:#ffffff"
|-
! width="275"| Film/Series Title
! width="275"| Character
! width="300"| Notation
! width="100"| Date
|-
|''[[Blue Exorcist]]''|| Konekomaru || Howa AR-18, with wood stock ||2011
|-
| ''[[Upotte!!]]'' || Ichihachi || Howa AR-18 || 2012
|-
|}
 
===Video Games===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; background-color:#ffffff"
|-
! width="250"| Game Title
! width="150"| Appears as
! width="250"| Mods
! width="250"| Notation
! width="100"|  Release Date
|-
| ''[[World of Guns: Gun Disassembly]]'' || Armalite AR-18 || Aimpoint sight, classic AR-18 scope and bayonet || || 2014
|-
| ''[[Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades]]'' || || || Rifle || 2016
|-
|''[[Ghost Recon Breakpoint]] || || || || 2019
|-
|}
 
==ArmaLite AR-18/AR-180 Carbine==
[[File:AR-18 Shorty AS033.jpg|thumb|right|400px|ArmaLite AR-18 Carbine (serial number AS033) – 5.56x45mm. This gun was manufactured by Sterling, and is marked with "AR-18S" on the receiver. Note the straight charging handle and slightly longer barrel compared to A5689 below.]]
[[File:AR-18 Carbine A5689.jpg|thumb|right|400px|ArmaLite AR-18 Carbine (serial number A5689) with ArmaLite 2.75x20mm scope – 5.56x45mm. This gun was manufactured by ArmaLite; ''Small Arms Review'' stated that A5689 was the model that was intended as the "standard production style". Note the standard charging handle and slightly shorter barrel compared to AS033.]]
[[File:AR-18 Carbine.jpg|thumb|right|400px|ArmaLite AR-18 Carbine (serial number 014) – 5.56x45mm NATO]]
[[File:AR-18 Shorty.jpeg|thumb|right|400px|ArmaLite AR-18 Carbine (serial number 021, nicknamed "Shorty") - 5.56x45mm NATO]]
 
AR-18 and AR-180 Carbines, sometimes named "Shorty" (either as a nickname, or as an additional "S" marking on the gun that stands for "Shorty"), are very rare production variants of the ArmaLite AR-18 featuring shortened barrels, short handguards, front grips, and conical flash hiders. Rarely observed and poorly documented, there are apparently a few different production variations of the AR-18/180 Carbine based on their production site, as different AR-18/180 Carbines observed on the internet seem to each feature their own assortment of components. There are also many prototype variations of the AR-18/180 Carbine with their own components, some of which lack front grips.
 
===Film===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; background-color:#ffffff"
|-
! width="300"| Title
! width="150"| Actor
! width="200"| Character
! width="300"| Note
! width="50"| Date
|-
|''[[For Your Eyes Only]]'' || [[Michael Gothard]] || Emil Locque || ||1981
|-
| ''[[Club Paradise]]'' || || soldier || AR-18S with conical flash suppressor and carry handle || 1986
|-
|''[[Tomorrow Never Dies]]'' || [[Pierce Brosnan]] || James Bond || AR-180 Carbine model, customized into a "folding" rifle ||1997
|}
 
=== Television ===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; background-color:#ffffff"
|-
! width="200"| Show Title
! width="150"| Actor
! width="150"| Character
! width="200"| Note / Episode
! width="100"| Air Date
|-
|''[[The Professionals]]'' || [[Lewis Collins]] || Bodie |||| 1977-1983
|-
|}
 
===Video Games===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; background-color:#ffffff"
|-
! width="250"| Game Title
! width="150"| Appears as
! width="250"| Mods
! width="250"| Notation
! width="100"| Release Date
|-
| ''[[Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades]]'' || || || Model without front grip, and serial number 021 models available || 2016
|-
|}
{{Clear}}
 
==ArmaLite AR-180B==
[[File:AR180B.jpg|thumb|right|400px|ArmaLite AR-180B – 5.56x45mm]]
Between 2001 and 2007, ArmaLite Inc. manufactured the modernized civilian AR-180B, with a new polymer lower receiver that accepts the vastly more common AR-15/M16 [[STANAG]] magazines. It also lacked a side-folding stock (though it can be modified with aftermarket parts to have one).
 
===Film===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; background-color:#ffffff"
|-
! width="200"| Title
! width="150"| Actor
! width="200"| Character
! width="150"| Note
! width="50"| Date
|-
|''[[Wanted]]'' || ||  |||| 2008
|}
{{Clear}}
 
==Brownells BRN-180==
[[File:BRN-180S 300 BLK.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Brownells BRN-180S 300 BLK (mounted on BRN-180 Forged Lower) - .300 Blackout]]
 
In 2019, Brownells, Inc released a new, modern version of the AR-18 upper receiver known as the BRN-180, utilizing an updated short-stroke piston system found on the AR-18. The BRN-180 is compatible with most common AR-15 lower receivers and can be fired with the stock folded, unlike a standard AR-15.
 
===Video Games===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; background-color:#ffffff"
|-
! width="250"| Game Title
! width="150"| Appears as
! width="250"| Mods
! width="250"| Notation
! width="100"|  Release Date
|-
| ''[[Ready Or Not (VG)]]'' || ARN-18 || || BRN-180S 300 BLK || 2021
|-
|}
{{Clear}}
 
= See Also =
* [[ArmaLite]] - A list of all firearms manufactured by ArmaLite.
* [[Howa]] - A list of all firearms manufactured by Howa.


[[Category:Gun]]
[[Category:Gun]]
[[Category:Rifle]]
[[Category:Assault Rifle]]

Latest revision as of 00:48, 16 December 2023

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ArmaLite AR-18 – 5.56x45mm
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ArmaLite AR-18 with 30-round magazine – 5.56x45mm
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
ArmaLite AR-18 fitted with scope with stock folded – 5.56x45mm
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
ArmaLite AR-18 with scope and sling fitted – 5.56x45mm

The AR-18 is an American assault rifle developed in the early 1960s as a low-cost alternative to the AR-15 (a design originally from ArmaLite but later sold to Colt) and was produced by ArmaLite in the U.S. and manufactured via contract by Sterling of England and Howa of Japan. The AR-18 is a 5.56x45mm select-fire assault rifle that used simple stampings for ease of manufacture. The semi-automatic civilian version of the rifle is called the AR-180.

Hoping to capture the third-world market as an alternative to the more expensive M16 assault rifle, ArmaLite was set for a disappointment when the U.S. Government commissioned, bought, and then gave away hundreds of thousands of M16s during the course of the 1960s and 1970s (to stem the tide of Communists arming "their side" with free weapons). ArmaLite discontinued AR-18 production in the late 1970s. Although never adopted officially by any armed forces, it did somewhat serve as a testbed for weapons such as the Sterling SAR-87, SA80, SR 88, H&K G36 etc. The AR-18 was notoriously supplied underground to the Irish Republican Army hence the ArmaLite and Ballot Box strategy and remains an enduring symbol of the 1970s and 1980s period of The Troubles.

The AR-18/180 uses a proprietary magazine that looks similar to the AR-15/M16 STANAG magazine, but isn't interchangeable with it; the different magazines have their cut-out (to catch the magazine well) located on different sides. A skilled armorer however could potentially modify one magazine to fit in the other.

Specifications

(1963-1980)

  • Type: Assault Rifle
  • Caliber: 5.56x45mm NATO
  • Weight: 6.6 lbs (3 kg)
  • Length: 38.2 in (97 cm)
  • Barrel length: 18.3 in (46.4 cm)
  • Feed System: 20-, 30- or 40-round box magazine (AR-18), STANAG Magazines (AR-180B)
  • Fire Modes: Semi-Auto/Full-Auto

The ArmaLite AR-18 and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:

Film

Title Actor Character Note Date
Silver Streak Ray Walston Edgar Whiney 1976
Silver Streak Stefan Gierasch Johnson 1976
Silver Streak Gene Wilder George Caldwell 1976
Silver Streak Patrick McGoohan Roger Devereau 1976
The Enforcer 1976
The Spy Who Loved Me KGB Assassins 1977
Sorcerer Venezuelan soldiers 1977
The Gauntlet Phoenix Police 1977
Stingray (AKA: Abigail Wanted) Sherry Jackson Abigail Bratowski 1978
Good Guys Wear Black Soon-Tek Oh Mhin Van Thieu 1978
Good Guys Wear Black The Black Tigers 1978
An Eye for an Eye SWAT officers 1981
Stripes Capt. Hollister Extended cut 1981
Harry's Game Derek Thompson Billy Downes 1982
Octopussy South American soldiers 1983
The Terminator Arnold Schwarzenegger Terminator 1984
Ninja III: The Domination Jordan Bennett Officer Billy Secord 1984
Hold-Up Montreal SWAT 1985
Water (1985) Bill Bailey Major Hollister AR-180 1985
US soldiers
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! terrorists 1988
In the Name of the Father IRA member 1993
Bad Blood Seen in Chang's headquarters and in gun dealer's car; with M16-style buttstock 1994
Original Gangstas Fred Williamson John Bookman 1996
Godfrey Marcus
Tim Rhoze Blood With sniper scope
The Last Train Treva Etienne Ark Tribesman 1999
Shergar Andrew Connolly Concannon 1999
Innocent Voices Salvadoran Army soldiers 2004
Serenity Nathan Fillion Mal Reynolds 2005
Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia Colombian Rogue Unit soldier 2009
The Guard 2011
Get the Gringo Mel Gibson The Gringo With scope 2012
Daylight's End survivor 2016
The Foreigner Jackie Chan Ngoc Minh Quan With stock removed and improvised suppressor 2017
IRA members

Television

Show Title Actor Character Note / Episode Air Date
S.W.A.T. Christopher George Mr. Bravo 1975-1976
S.W.A.T. James Coleman Officer T.J. McCabe 1975-1976
S.W.A.T. Mark Shera Officer Dominic Luca 1975-1976
The Professionals Lewis Collins Bodie 1977-1983
The A-Team Ismael Carlo Salvador 1983-1988

Anime

Film/Series Title Character Notation Date
Blue Exorcist Konekomaru Howa AR-18, with wood stock 2011
Upotte!! Ichihachi Howa AR-18 2012

Video Games

Game Title Appears as Mods Notation Release Date
World of Guns: Gun Disassembly Armalite AR-18 Aimpoint sight, classic AR-18 scope and bayonet 2014
Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades Rifle 2016
Ghost Recon Breakpoint 2019

ArmaLite AR-18/AR-180 Carbine

Error creating thumbnail: File missing
ArmaLite AR-18 Carbine (serial number AS033) – 5.56x45mm. This gun was manufactured by Sterling, and is marked with "AR-18S" on the receiver. Note the straight charging handle and slightly longer barrel compared to A5689 below.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
ArmaLite AR-18 Carbine (serial number A5689) with ArmaLite 2.75x20mm scope – 5.56x45mm. This gun was manufactured by ArmaLite; Small Arms Review stated that A5689 was the model that was intended as the "standard production style". Note the standard charging handle and slightly shorter barrel compared to AS033.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
ArmaLite AR-18 Carbine (serial number 014) – 5.56x45mm NATO
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
ArmaLite AR-18 Carbine (serial number 021, nicknamed "Shorty") - 5.56x45mm NATO

AR-18 and AR-180 Carbines, sometimes named "Shorty" (either as a nickname, or as an additional "S" marking on the gun that stands for "Shorty"), are very rare production variants of the ArmaLite AR-18 featuring shortened barrels, short handguards, front grips, and conical flash hiders. Rarely observed and poorly documented, there are apparently a few different production variations of the AR-18/180 Carbine based on their production site, as different AR-18/180 Carbines observed on the internet seem to each feature their own assortment of components. There are also many prototype variations of the AR-18/180 Carbine with their own components, some of which lack front grips.

Film

Title Actor Character Note Date
For Your Eyes Only Michael Gothard Emil Locque 1981
Club Paradise soldier AR-18S with conical flash suppressor and carry handle 1986
Tomorrow Never Dies Pierce Brosnan James Bond AR-180 Carbine model, customized into a "folding" rifle 1997

Television

Show Title Actor Character Note / Episode Air Date
The Professionals Lewis Collins Bodie 1977-1983

Video Games

Game Title Appears as Mods Notation Release Date
Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades Model without front grip, and serial number 021 models available 2016


ArmaLite AR-180B

Error creating thumbnail: File missing
ArmaLite AR-180B – 5.56x45mm

Between 2001 and 2007, ArmaLite Inc. manufactured the modernized civilian AR-180B, with a new polymer lower receiver that accepts the vastly more common AR-15/M16 STANAG magazines. It also lacked a side-folding stock (though it can be modified with aftermarket parts to have one).

Film

Title Actor Character Note Date
Wanted 2008


Brownells BRN-180

Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Brownells BRN-180S 300 BLK (mounted on BRN-180 Forged Lower) - .300 Blackout

In 2019, Brownells, Inc released a new, modern version of the AR-18 upper receiver known as the BRN-180, utilizing an updated short-stroke piston system found on the AR-18. The BRN-180 is compatible with most common AR-15 lower receivers and can be fired with the stock folded, unlike a standard AR-15.

Video Games

Game Title Appears as Mods Notation Release Date
Ready Or Not (VG) ARN-18 BRN-180S 300 BLK 2021


See Also

  • ArmaLite - A list of all firearms manufactured by ArmaLite.
  • Howa - A list of all firearms manufactured by Howa.
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