Designed and built in the late 1950s, the AR-15 is one of the most iconic and influential firearms of all time. Direct variants like the M16 rifle and M4 carbine continue to see extensive use by military, police, and civilians in the 21st century. Moreover, the ergonomic layout of the AR-15’s controls is copied by modern designs like the Heckler & Koch HK416 and SIG MCX. However, the AR-15 is not the ArmaLite that is famously referenced in a popular Irish tune.
ArmaLite designated all of its rifles “AR,” for the company, followed by a number in sequence of design. Before the AR-15, ArmaLite sold its AR-5 and AR-7 aircrew survival rifles to the U.S. military and released the AR-10 rifle in 7.62x51mm NATO which was scaled down to create the AR-15. After ArmaLite sold the AR-15 rights to Colt in 1959, the rifle secured U.S. military contracts and became a commercial success. However, the rifle’s forged aluminum receivers were cutting edge for the time and expensive to produce. Looking to bring a more affordable option to the market, ArmaLite developed the AR-18.
Chambered for the same 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge as the AR-15, the AR-18 was based on the design of the AR-16. After developing the AR-15, Eugene Stoner designed the AR-16 to be a more affordable 7.62mm rifle made of inexpensive pressed sheet metal. Rather than the U.S. and other first-world militaries, the AR-16 was designed to be marketed to emerging nations with limited industrial capability. While the AR-16 was intentionally chambered in 7.62mm to appeal to smaller militaries with restricted budgets, the popularity of the AR-15 led to increased demand for 5.56mm rifles. To meet the demand with a cheaper rifle, ArmaLite directed chief designer Arthur Miller to scale down the AR-16 following Stoner’s departure from the company.
The resulting AR-18 utilized stamped steel receivers and simple welded construction. This significantly reduced manufacturing costs and provided the possibility for licensed production by customer nations. Like the AR-15, the AR-18 features a polymer hand guard, pistol grip, and buttstock. Unlike the AR-15, the AR-18 uses a short-stroke gas piston operating system which does not require a buffer tube that extends from the rear of the receiver; this allows the AR-18 to have a folding stock. Moreover, the dual recoil spring assembly used in the AR-18 was copied in other rifle designs including the CZ 805 BREN, Steyr AUG, SA80, HK416, and MCX.
While select-fire AR-18s and semi-automatic AR-180s were built at ArmaLite’s facility in Costa Mesa, California, it did have the capacity to fulfill real production quotas. From 1970 to 1974, the Howa Machinery company in Japan produced both versions of the rifle under license for export until new Japanese legislation forced them to cease production. Howa-built rifles were mostly sold on the civilian market, but secured some government sales to Botswana, Haiti, and Malaysia. From the United States, AR-18/180s also made their way to Ireland on smuggling ships.
Lighter and easier to transport covertly than 7.62mm rifles like the British Army’s L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle, the AR-18/180 quickly gained favor with the Provisional Irish Republican Army. The rifle became so iconic that it was the central topic of the Irish rebel song, “Little Armalite.” In the 1980s, the Irish Republican political strategy called for parallel political and paramilitary efforts. Referencing the use of the AR-18, it was named the “Armalite and ballot box strategy.” Still, from a nation so musical that its flag depicts a harp, there is no greater tribute to the AR-18 than a song.