Where it all began...

[rojocorsa]

Thank you for sharing that. It's very fascinating and interesting.

Also, it's extremely ironic that the weapon was a product of Southern CA. I guess this was a cool place a long time before I came into existence.


Also, how come all of these early AR-15s have a more grey colored finish?

[patrick sweeney]

That was the color then. Anodizing doesn't produce color, it turns the aluminum a frosty gray. The color comes from the die added as one of the last steps. The earliest guns were un-dyed, and thus gray. Even a light gray. Then came a dark gray, then black.

[rojocorsa]

That was the color then. Anodizing doesn't produce color, it turns the aluminum a frosty gray. The color comes from the die added as one of the last steps. The earliest guns were un-dyed, and thus gray. Even a light gray. Then came a dark gray, then black.

Thank you. I didn't know that.

Is there any reason why they took the time to change it from the raw anodizing to the black color?

[patrick sweeney]

There's no real savings in production time to not dye them, (they still have to go through a couple of other steps anyway) so no advantage.

As for the color change, that si something to pore through Bartucci and The Black Rifle. I don't remember any reason given, but it could just be to be different.

I do know that the early experience of the AR in jungles produced the interesting results of the 6061 alloy corroding away, hence the change to 7075. But that change happened long before the switch to black.

[bm176]

awesome thread and thanks for all the links and info. and great pics, dont know if you ever seen this but thought would be nice to post here
Fairchild Armalite division ar10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc6iO...etailpage#t=5s

eugene stoner part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pgMh...etailpage#t=4s

part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR2Rw...etailpage#t=0s

[officerX]

Wow, that's really cool to see. I have a lot of respect for Mr. Stoner!

[jaygee]

Thanks gents, for putting all this stuff up ! That proto AR15 serial # 0, with leather butt pad and dove tail front sight, is the most significant physical item in US history, next to the Declaration of Independence!

[halfmoonclip]

Hard to argue about the significance of the AR platform, including its role in American conflicts (the M-16 virtually became a metaphor for Viet Nam, as the M-4 has for the sandbox). Then there has been both the concept of the tiny, high velocity round and the aluminum and plastic construction; both were a hard pill for traditionalists to swallow.
Finally, the huge success of the AR in the civilian market has made this particular 'black rifle' the target of the anti's ire.
Not sure if I'd rank it above the Declaration or the Constitution, but it's pretty damned important.
Moon