Quick History of the AR-15

The AR-15 platform is one of the most popular rifle systems in the world today.    The AR has proven to be a highly modular, accurate and easy-to-use system.  This platform is a favorite of militaries, civilians and law enforcement worldwide.

ArmaLite was founded in 1954 based out of Illinois and became a developer of small arms.  In 1955, Eugene Stoner developed the AR-10 rifle.  A system chambering the 7.62x51mm NATO round, offering selective fire and a relatively lightweight system that was highly suitable for military use.  ArmaLite was interested in gaining military contracts and entered the AR-10 into the competition.  The U.S. Army decided to go with the design that would become known as the M-14.
However, the U.S. Army was still interested in the AR-10 design and requested a few changes be made to the design.  One of the major design changes ArmaLite made was in the chambering.  ArmaLite decided to change the caliber from the 7.62x51mm to the lighter caliber of .223 Remington.  The revisions made in the design change resulted in a new model name, the AR-15 in 1958.

ArmaLite ran into financial problems and sold off the AR-10 and AR-15 designs to Colt.  Eugene Stoner left ArmaLite in 1961.  Colt was the owner of the design when the U.S. Army decided to bring it into inventory as the M-16.  In 1963, Colt sold the model as a semi-auto on the civilian market as the Colt AR-15.  Although the M-16 and AR-16 had similarities, the M-16 was chambered for the 5.56mm NATO cartridge, could be fired in semi-auto, three-round burst and full-auto.  The parts were not interchangeable between the AR-15 and the M-16 to prevent making the AR-15 a full-auto firearm.

Both the AR-15 and M-16 have evolved since they first hit the market.  They are both still in use with modifications in appearances and calibers.  The AR-15 has also become known as the M4, CAR-15 and Bushmaster C4 just to name a few.  Production of the AR-15 has increased over the years as well.  ArmaLite and Colt still produce the AR-15, there is also a large number of manufactures that produce this rifle system today.

There is a big misconception about the name of the AR-15.  Some people believe the “AR” stands for “assault rifle”.  The correct name of the AR-15 is ArmaLite 15.  AR is ArmaLite abbreviated and 15 is the model number designated by the company.

Concealed carry and the active shooter

There is a misconception by people who are ignorant to the responsibilities of concealed firearm permit holders.  Some people think that we are wannabe police officers, vigilantes or simply looking for a gunfight.  These couldn’t be further from what the true reality is.  The responsibility of the concealed firearm permit holder is to protect their lives and the lives of those they care for.  In some cases, the concealed firearm permit holder could be the Good Samaritan.  The CFP holder runs the risk of all the aftermath effects after the shot is fired.  Simply put, not many people will want to run the risk of this for themselves or their families.

Times are certainly different now than they were 20 years ago.   The world is a beautiful place with dangerous people.  Some of these people are mentally ill, driven by politically motives, disillusioned by religious extremists, pushed over the edge by their egos and some are just plain evil.  These people have taken to mass shootings and are commonly referred to as Active Shooters.  The anti-gun groups feel banning all guns will prevent this problem.  Those with common sense know that is not the case. 

Most of the active shooters have chosen to select venues that are gun free zones.  Another pathetic decision by the anti-gun groups!   Gun free zones are areas that have signs posted that give notice that firearms are not allowed on that property.  It can be shopping centers, houses of worship, movie theaters, office complexes, restaurants, schools and banks just to name a few.  Disagree with these?  Do some research and you will see these are the places the Active Shooters pick since there will be no one to shoot back.  The CFP holders know they cannot carry concealed in these locations, so they will leave their firearms at home or locked in their vehicles before they enter these places.

What happens when there is an Active Shooter on a rampage and you are in the area as an armed CFP holder?  Do you run towards the sounds of the gunfire with your firearm drawn? No, that would be suicide for you and mislead the first responders.  By running towards the sound of gunfire with your firearm drawn, witnesses will give your description to the 9-1-1 operator and the first responders will be looking for someone that matches your description.  This misidentification could divert tactics to the wrong location that will cost more innocent lives. 

One of the best lines of defense against an Active Shooter is to find a place where there is cover and to barricade in place if you cannot reach an exit to flee.  If barricade is the only option, try to get as many people in a safe location with you.  Do not fight or try to convince people to go with you.  A room with thick walls would be the ideal location.  If the walls are not thick, try to build a barrier at least 18” thick.  This will increase the chances of slowing down bullets and even stopping them, depending on what caliber the Active Shooter has chosen.  Books, printer paper and furniture will work just fine.  Push these objects against the walls and the door of the room you are in.  Be sure those with you keep their heads below the highest line of the improved barricade.

Once everyone is secured in the barricaded location, hopefully there are people with you that are online with 9-1-1 already, call 9-1-1 yourself.  Give the operator your location, the amount of people that are with you, identify yourself as a CFP holder and wait for the first responders.  If the gunshots are close to your location, tell everyone to remain silent, turn off their cell phones, those who are on the phone with 9-1-1 will need to be quite, still and below the line of cover.  If the Active Shooter shoots rounds outside your location, do not return fire.  Give the appearance there is no one inside.  If the Active Shooter tries to gain access inside your location, that is the time to come unconcealed and draw your loaded firearm.  Aim at the door and wait for it to open.  Hold your fire until the door opens!  If the door does not open, the Active Shooter is enroute to another location, holster your firearm and quietly inform the 9-1-1 operator of the direction you believe the Active Shooter was going.

Do not move from cover until the first responders make contact with you.  It would be wise to have the 9-1-1 operator verify the responders are at you location prior to opening up.  Do not greet the first responders with a firearm in your hand.  Make sure the firearm is holstered and inform them you are a CFP holder, you are armed and what their commands are.  Follow all commands and move to the locations they order.  The CFP holder is an armed citizen so don’t offer to play deputy.  Your job as the CFP holder was successful in this scenario.

Revolver Cylinder Rotation

“How can I tell which direction the cylinder will rotate when I pull back on the hammer?”  I have students ask me this question all too frequently.  There are two very simple answers to this.  The first one is something everyone should do whenever they purchase a new firearm.  They should read the owner’s manual before anything else.  The second, which is not as common knowledge as it should be, is to simply observe the stop notches (also referred to as locking notches) on the cylinder.  They are machined grooves found at the rear edge of the cylinder and resemble arrows or arrowheads.  The tip of the arrow or arrowhead points in the direction in which the cylinder will rotate.


This is an important safety step for owners to understand.  Sure, you can see the rotation of the cylinder when you are at the range firing.  However, that is not “knowing your firearm” prior to shooting it!  The user must load a cartridge into the chamber and locate it to one side of the chamber that is directly in line with the barrel.    When the hammer is cocked or the trigger is pulled, the loaded chamber rotates to align with the barrel and is fired when the trigger is pulled.

In the state of Utah, you can open carry a firearm.  You are limited to how you can carry and where you can carry without a Utah Concealed Firearm Permit.  If you do not have a Utah CFP and wish to open carry, you must carry in the unloaded configuration.  The unloaded configuration for a revolver is the hammer must rest on an empty chamber of the cylinder, the next rotation of the cylinder must be empty as well and the next rotation of the cylinder can have a live cartridge.  An easy way to remember this is to think of the song “Click, Click, Boom” by Saliva.  What if a police officer stops an open carry individual (who does not have a CFP) to check the configuration of the cartridges and the owner was ignorant of the cylinder rotation?  Not a good time to hope you guessed correctly.  Know all functions of your firearm before use!!

Clearing Malfunctions (Revolver)

This is a topic that most people think they always know until they actually have to employ it at the range, during shooting courses or even in a life or death situation.   These are the steps to clear the different malfunctions shooters can face while operating a revolver handgun.  It is best to practice these clearing methods using dummy ammunition to get the feel of it before you actually have to encounter this with live ammunition.  If any of these malfunctions ever take place at the range and you are uncertain of how to clear them, ask the range safety officer for assistance.  There are two main types of functional problems that may occur with revolvers, failure to fire and failure to eject cases from the cylinder.

Failure to Fire - A failure to fire with a revolver occurs whenever the hammer falls on a loaded chamber, or what is believed to be a loaded chamber and the firearm does not fire.  The most likely cause for the failure is a hang fire or misfire.  In defensive shooting situations, all rounds could have been fired off and the shooter lost count during the stressful encounter.  If this occurs at the range, the shooter should wait 30-60 seconds with the muzzle pointed downrange in case this is a hang fire.  If a shooter experiences a failure to fire during a defensive shooting situation, the proper immediate action drill is to pull the trigger again.  This will bring a fresh cartridge in line with the firing pin and hopefully it will function. 

If the second cartridge falls to fire, repeat the same immediate action.  If it happens a third and fourth time, open the cylinder and inspect the primers.  There should be an indentation from the firing pin on the primers.  If there is, the cartridges were misfires.  If there is not an indentation, the firing pin could be broken and would require repairs from a gunsmith.  Not a good time to find out your firing pin is broken!  Be sure to inspect the firearm every time its cleaned, preferably after each time its fired and during periodic cleanings.

Failure to Eject Cases from the Cylinder - Difficulty in ejecting fired cases from the cylinder may result from oversized or high-pressure cartridges, dirt in the chambers or roughly machined chambers.  If this problem takes place while at the range, stop firing the revolver, try to unload it if possible and take it to a gunsmith.

A failure to eject cases that occurs during a defensive shooting situation can prevent you from reloading and the consequences could be deadly.  If the first strike on the ejector rod fails to forcibly eject all the cases from the cylinder, strike it again with greater force.  Be careful to strike in a straight line with the rod to prevent bending it with an off-axis strike.  If repeated strikes do not eject the cases, release the rod and use your fingernails to pull the fired, partially-protruding cases from their chambers, one at a time.

Clearing Malfunctions (semi-auto)

This is a topic that most people think they always know until they actually have to employ it at the range, during shooting courses or even in a life or death situation.   These are the steps to clear the different malfunctions shooters can face while operating a semi-auto handgun.  It is best to practice these clearing methods using dummy ammunition to get the feel of it before you actually have to encounter this with live ammunition.  If any of these malfunctions ever take place at the range and you are uncertain of how to clear them, ask the range safety officer for assistance.

 

Malfunction Resolutions Employing Tap, Invert, Rack and Assess: 

1. Remove your trigger finger from the trigger.
2. Tap the base of the magazine with the support hand to ensure it is properly seated in the pistol.
3. Invert the pistol by rotating toward the thumb of the shooting hand.  Rack the slide vigorously one time by pulling it all the way to the rear.
4. Release the slide forward.
5. Assess the target to determine if it still constitutes a deadly threat. 

Failure to Fire (Type 1 Malfunction) - A failure to fire can occur die to a cartridge defect, such as improperly seated or defective primer, or magazine that is not seated fully in the frame, which will prevent the slide from stripping and chambering the top cartridge.  There are two methods to use to clear this failure.  First, remove your trigger finger away from the trigger.  keep the pistol down range, remove the magazine, elevate the muzzle slightly, rack the slide to the rear and forward at least 3 times and observe the chamber to verify the cartridge has been removed.  The second method is the immediate action drill called tap, rack and assess.

Failure to Eject (Type 2 Malfunction) -  The fired case is extracted at least partially from the chamber, but is not completely ejected from the pistol.  The fired case may remain inside the slide, possibly becoming jammed into the chamber, or it may be partially protruding out of the ejection port.  These are commonly referred to as stove pipe or partial ejection. 


To clear this malfunction for the purpose of defensive shooting: remove the trigger finger from the trigger.  Reach over the top of the pistol with the support hand and forcibly sweeping that hand rearward along the top of the slide from a point halfway down the barrel back toward the body.  The support  hand contacts the protruding case at the knuckle of the forefinger and rips the case out of the ejection port and to the rear.  At the same time, the shooting hand also thrusts the pistol forward.  As the case is stripped, the support hand returns to its position encircling the firing hand.  Be careful to keep the support hand from the muzzle and keep the pistol pointed in a safe direction.


To clear this malfunction while shooting at the range: remove your trigger finger away from the trigger.  keep the pistol down range, remove the magazine, elevate the muzzle slightly, rack the slide to the rear and forward at least 3 times and observe the chamber to verify the cartridge has been removed.

Feedway Stoppage (Type 3 Malfunction) - Double Feed, Extractor gummed or broken guide rods, Extractor does not get a good grip on the spent cartridge, Chamber remains blocked.  To clear this malfunction, first try the immediate action drill called tap, rack and assess.  If this fails to clear the firearm, remove your trigger finger away from the trigger.  keep the pistol down range, remove the magazine, elevate the muzzle slightly, rack the slide to the rear and forward at least 3 times and observe the chamber to verify the cartridge has been removed.

Failure to go into battery (Type 4 Malfunction) - This stoppage occurs when the slide does not return all the way forward and the cartridge is not fully seated in the chamber.  Most commonly this stoppage is caused by a round that is jammed on the feed ramp leading into the camber, an over-sized or over-length cartridge, or an excessively dirty chamber.  Other causes could be a bad chamber design, weak guide spring dirty guide rails or guide rod.  To resolve the malfunction, remove you finger from the trigger and hit the rear of the slide sharply with the heel of your support hand.  If this does not resolve the issue, retract the slide forcefully to clear the jammed cartridge. 

 Failure to Drop Magazine - There can be several reasons the magazine will fail to release.  Most often a defective magazine (such as one that has a defective follower or is deformed so that it wedges inside the magazine well) is the cause.  An empty magazine that does not drop free of the firearm during the course of a defensive shooting situation must be immediately removed.  The immediate action drill is to engage the protruding tongue of the magazine floor plate with the fingers of the support hand (the non-shooting hand) and, with the magazine release button depressed, sharply pull the magazine out of the firearm.