AR's on TV in the 1980's

**Slater** · 12-30-20, 16:57

This episode of "T.J. Hooker" aired in 1984. Back when you could buy a Colt SP-1 at the local mall or Montgomery Ward's (God, I miss that part of the 1980's).

Regarding the first 7 minutes of this episode, Shatner's AR-18 (or AR-180) magically transforms into an AR-15. Heather Locklear (one of my major crushes back then) is carrying a shorty AR-15/M16 of some type. In 1984, what model would this have been? Assuming it's not a studio prop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcaXCtIpV5I

**The_War_Wagon** · 12-30-20, 17:24

Heather's has an XM-177 f/h, but the bbl looks too long (I had an Oly pre-ban version in the mid-'90's). COULD be a prop.

**Circle_10** · 12-30-20, 17:59

In 1984 that shorty AR would probably be either a prop or a Colt SP1 carbine mocked up with a fake XM177-style moderator. In the early 80s I don’t think non-Colt ARs were a thing yet, aside from like M16A1s made by Hydra-matic or something

**Sam** · 12-30-20, 18:18

Should have had Steve Forrest, Robert Urich, Rod Perry, Mark Shera and James Coleman make cameo appearance on the team.

**SteyrAUG** · 12-30-20, 18:48

1975 SWAT had both AR15s and some AR-180s.

The pilot The Greatest American Hero featured AR-180s in the hands of dune buggy, shaved head white supremacists (of course).

Showed up in a few Magnum PI episodes including the famous "Did you see the sunrise?" episode. But not counting "Police Story", SWAT was first.

**Sam** · 12-30-20, 19:10

The AR180 seemed to be the bad guy's gun during that period. AK didn't appear on scene until the late 80s I think.

**SteyrAUG** · 12-30-20, 19:22

Originally Posted by Sam

The AR180 seemed to be the bad guy's gun during that period. AK didn't appear on scene until the late 80s I think.

There weren't any. The first ones were mocked up Valmets until the first Egyptian imports arrived around 1981-1982 and retailed for $1,200 back then. These were the Steyr imports and not the CAI imports although the guns were very much the same Russian pattern AKM made in Egypt. It wasn't until Chinese imports started rolling in around 1988 (a year or so before they were banned) that legit AKs were seen on TV shows that didn't have access to the Stembridge collection.

The Steyr import Maadi's were what were seen in films like Red Dawn and some were mocked up to resemble AK-74s. There were some other early 80s imports around 1984 like Golden State Arms and I think a company named Global and again these were typically Chinese.

Mitchell brought in a few Hungarians mid 80s and things like that but it was the late 80s Chinese Polytech / Norinco imports that made most variants available to your average shooter for the first time.

**Slater** · 12-30-20, 19:26

I had one of the early Clayco imports back in 1985. This was a Chicom AK with black synthetic furniture, and came with sling. bayonet, and three (IIRC) mags.