The AR-15 Trivia thread

[HKGuns]

Which AR15 prototype was the first to abandon the AR10 style charging handle in favor of that with which we are familiar today? Bonus: What was the significance of the first rifle with a modern charging handle?

I'll start it off with a poll I find interesting. Feel free to add other trivia items below.

[Hank6046]

If I remember correctly, it was the final design from Colt in 1959 that had the T( V shape if you want to call it that) shaped charging handle at the back of the upper receiver v. with in the carry handle.

[lysander]

The poll makes this a bit of a trick question.

AR-15 serial number 000002 was fitted with the triangle grip rear charging handle, but S/N 000003 still had the trigger type handle in the carry recess. Presumably the first Hollywood batch of 17 AR-15s were made with the trigger charging handle, but we know that S/Ns 000007, 000008 and 000009 had the new style charging handle when shipped off to Fort Greely, Alaska for Arctic testing in the winter of 1958 (and 000002 is also in this configuration today).

The thing is the first batch of 17 rifles were delivered to the Army for testing, three of four were tested at Fort Benning, in the summer of 1958. After that round of testing, a number of improvements were suggested, the charging handle being one of them. A number of rifles were modified with the suggested improvements, including the three that were sent to Alaska. Some of the others were sent to Aberdeen for testing there, I believe these were in the original configuration.

My guess is the first AR-15 originally configured with the triangular grip charging handle would be the 18th Hollywood or the first Colt.



S/N 000002 was also chambered in .222 "Special", while S/N 000003 was still in .222 Remington.