ArmaLite is introducing an all new M-15 line of rifles and pistols for 2015 according to the representatives I met at the recent NASGW Show. The new guns cover everything from tactical to competition with plenty of fun stuff in between.
While the guns are in the AR-style, these are a significant departure from the company’s traditional line up. Frankly, it looks like a major pivot on the part of ArmaLite. Let’s go over seven of the new guns right now…
ArmaLite is set to announce a new bolt action rifle similar to the company’s AR-30A1. The ArmaLite AR-31 is a short action rifle that will be initially offered in .308 Winchester. Depending on popularity, other calibers are a possibility.
A nice feature of the AR-31 is designed to accept AR-10B magazines, meaning that a wide variety of existing mags, from five to 25 rounds, are immediately ready to go with this rifle. I do not believe the Magpul Pmags will fit the AR-10B, but if someone could confirm or correct this information in the comments, I would appreciate it.
In keeping with the 2012 SHOT Show trend, I’ll be looking at ArmaLite‘s offering in the newer .300 BLK chambering. I got a chance to handle their new rifle at their booth, and I learned a few things along the way. Before getting into the details of the ArmaLite .300 BLK rifle, I thought it would be interesting to share a little history on the AR rifle platform that has become so popular.
ArmaLite was a subdivision of the Fairchild Engine & Airplane Corporation back in the 1950s. The founder was Lockheed corporate counsel George Sullivan, and the company’s first rifle designs were meant to be light survival rifles for downed pilots.