Armalite

Introduced to civilian buyers in 1964, the Armalite Rifle 15 Sporter and its offspring are now some of the most popular rifles in the United States and a potent symbol of what guns mean to tens of millions of Americans.

ArmaLite eventually sold the rights to Stoner’s AR-15 to the Colt Firearm Company; after a fair bit of rejection and political infighting, the U.S. military adopted the gun, rebranded the M16, as a standard weapon during the Vietnam War.

When Eugene Stoner, an ex-Marine and low-level engineer at Armalite, developed the AR-15 in the mid-1950s, he was simply trying to help his employer land a lucrative contract — the Army was eager to find a light, reliable, high-powered combat rifle.

The AR-15 — Armalite Rifle Model 15 — was different from other military rifles, which had always used big, heavy rounds.

Colt acquired the AR-15 patent and trademark from Armalite in 1959.