What is the difference between an AR15 and an M15 ?

M

Mike H

New member
I'd appreciate some help.

I just can't figure out what the difference is between an Armalite ARxx and an Colt Mxx.

I've been looking at a lovely M15A2 carbine and then I saw an AR15 carbine (CAR ?) but I can't see where the split in designations occurs, is it just a manufacturer thing.

Can someone help me out.

Thanks

Mike H
 
the 1994 assault weapon ban named the AR15 as a specifically banned item

all manufacturers adopted new nominclature for their postban rifles
 
There is no real difference. It doesn't matter if the manufacturer calls it the "Oowie Kablooie Blow 'Em Up and Shootie," they're all semi-auto versions of the M16. T

The popular (and original) term for them is "AR-15." However, because that's the name of an Evil Assault Rifle That Makes People Do Very Bad Things(tm), no manufacturer calls them that any more. Even Armalite now calls them "M15"s, even though they still make AR-10s.
 
Welcome to the world of firearms' bravo sierra ... brought to you by a Congress chock full of idiots, with a few notable exceptions.

Makes you feel a lot better, especially during our current challenges, eh? Don't worry ... those folks have everything under control ... :rolleyes:

Regards from AZ
 
AR15 is actually a Colt Trademark more than anything else, the trademark was purchased from Armalite back in the late 50s if I remember correct and for a short time Colt continued to show the Armalite heritage with the "Armalite AR15" name rolled into the magazine well along with the Colt name. They eventually stopped though and held onto the AR15 rights with a pretty tight fist. They did however drop the AR15 name in recent years because of the laws that the other members have mentioned, now you've got various goofy model numbers and such.



Ever wonder why DPMS referrs to their rifles as "A15s" and make wierd names like "Hartford Horsey Logo" for Colt crap? It's because Colt has let loose the lawyers in the past over the use of the trademarked names.



California was the first to ban firearms by name back around 1989 and as a result a lot of companies immediately renamed their firearms to make them California legal again, reason for "sporters" and the such.




Getting generic the term "AR15" pretty much refers to all the same thing, a civilian semiauto version of the M16. Bushmaster XM15s, Armalite M15s, DPMS A15s, Essential Arms J15s, it's all pretty much the same stuff/same thing. Colt has seen fit to start using non-standard pins and things though on their newer rifles to try and stop people from using a set of M16 fire control parts in it, if you're looking for an AR15 that is about as close to Mil-Spec as you can possibly get than by all means go with a Bushmaster rifle.
 
In addition to oddball-sized pins to thwart the idea of interchangeable parts, Colt also puts a &^%@! steel block in the lower receiver to get in the way of trigger replacements. In recent years, Colt has also been developing a reputation for spotty quality control across their entire line, including their "AR15" type rifles.

If you're looking for the mystique of a name, buy a Colt. On the other hand, if you want a good rifle for shooting, get a Bushmaster.
 
OLympic Arms. My lower looks like anodized glass inside, the machining was so smooth. If TSHTF, it will take M-16 parts, and you'd only have to drill for the sear pin.
 
While I can't say for certain on the Oly's, most every AR15 lower out there has been intentionally left out of spec in the area where the auto sear is installed so that modification is mandatory inorder to fit a sear in after drilling the hole in the correct place. That would be a question to ask in the full auto forum, most companies even take steps to make it so that a drop in auto sear won't fit without modifying the lower(colt being the most extreme case with their sear blocks, but the others usually don't mill to the correct depth for clearance).


To my knowledge Bushmaster is the only company out there right now offering a lower receiver that will accept a drop in auto sear without having to modify the lower by milling it out to proper width or depth.
 
I think that the original M15 was a squad automatic version of the
M14. It had a pistol grip, a bipod, and was select-fire. The only
service that issued it was the Army.

ANM
 
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