The Armalite Ar-10: World's Finest Battle Rifle [first edition]

Deluxe First Edition, 2016 416 pages, 356 illustrations This is the most complete account of the history of the invention, development, manufacture, and use of the ArmaLite AR-10 rifle ever to appear in print. The road to the U.S.-built AR-10 is followed faithfully and meticulously, with descriptions and numerous illustrations of all the 'AR'-numbered designs-such as the "Para- Sniper", a lightweight, .308-caliber bolt-action spoiler fitted with a composite aluminum/stainless steel barrel and foam-filled fiberglass stock (the AR-1); a prospective survival rifle for the U.S. Air Force (the AR-5), and its civilian offshoot, the popular AR-7-through the series of one-off experimental prototypes that led to the 7.62mm NATO caliber ArmaLite AR-10B, a remarkable rifle in many ways. Five hand-produced examples of the AR-10B created a sensation in a number of successful military demonstrations, until coming face to face with the "NIH" factor (Not Invented Here) as espoused by Springfield Armory, where the AR-10 was subjected to a series of nefariously rigged trials before being dismissed as "Not Satisfactory as a Military Service Rifle". Further improvements and a new lease on life for the AR-10 in series production at the state-owned arsenal Artillerie-Inrichtingen in The Netherlands followed, with the potential world market carved into sales territories for the several arms merchants eager and willing to promote it. The book describes and illustrates all the different "country" and other military models of the AR-10 "family", which included scoped AR-10 sniper rifles and magazine- and belt-fed light machine guns, as well as the experimental carbine and sporting (semi¬auto-only) versions produced in Holland before program termination.