AR-10 Origin Story

Grady Trent1 day ago

0 715 6 minutes read

Eugene Morrison Stoner was born in Gosport, Indiana, on 22 November 1922. He passed away in Palm City, Florida, in 1997. In the intervening 74 years, Stoner established himself as the most successful American firearms designer of the modern age.

When Stoner graduated from High School in 1939, his parents could not afford to send him to college. Instead, he took a job as a machinist with the Vega Aircraft Company. Vega ultimately morphed into Lockheed, which then became Lockheed Martin. They build F-35s and C-130s today.

Eugene Stoner’s AR-10 introduced design concepts that would dominate military and civilian rifle development for decades. The innovations packed into this rifle were genuinely ahead of their time.

With war clearly on the horizon, Stoner joined the Marines. He served in the Pacific Theater as an armorer working on large-caliber automatic weapons. Along the way, he developed an abiding passion for firearms. This guy was a born gun nerd.

Though he never attended college or trained as an engineer, Gene Stoner obviously had a gift for mechanical things. After the war, he took a job in the machine shop for Whittaker Controls Inc., a company that produced aircraft components. In short order, he became their principal Design Engineer.

Foundations

George Sullivan worked as a patent lawyer for Lockheed. Charles Dorchester was his brother-in-law. They were gun nerds, too.

Sullivan and Dorchester set about incorporating aviation engineering and materials science that had emerged from the recent global war into the world of small arms. Their first project was a fairly pedestrian bolt-action hunting rifle that incorporated exotic-for-the-day fiberglass, stainless steel, and aluminum components. They called their revolutionary lightweight rifle the AR-1 Para-Sniper. You’ve got to give them credit for cool points.

A shooter at an outdoor range firing a historic AR-10 rifle, demonstrating the practical function of Eugene Stoner's revolutionary 1950s battle rifle design. AR-10s remain highly shootable. The platform offers excellent accuracy. Stoner prioritized ergonomic design. AR10 history includes combat use. Original AR-10s still function. The rifle features manageable recoil. Portuguese troops praised AR-10s. Collectors value authentic examples. — There’s something special about shooting a piece of firearms history like this. You can feel the legacy of Stoner’s genius with every trigger press.

These two men met Richard Boutelle through an acquaintance at a trade show. Boutelle was a veteran of the U.S. Army Air Corps and also a fellow gun nerd. Coincidentally, Boutelle was also the president of Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation. They built the C-119 and C-123 cargo aircraft and, eventually, the famed A-10 Warthog ground attack plane. Fairchild had some proper resources.

With Richard Boutelle’s patronage, they founded a tiny small arms design group under the overarching umbrella of Fairchild. The company was housed in a small machine shop on Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood. It’s hard to imagine that you could once design and build guns in California, but these were obviously different times.

Serendipity

One April afternoon in 1954, George Sullivan was out testing a prototype firearm at the Topanga Canyon Shooting Range. Gene Stoner was at the same range just turning ammunition into noise. These two guys struck up a conversation that blossomed into a friendship. Sullivan hired Stoner on the spot. He was the company’s ninth employee.

A portrait photograph of Eugene Morrison Stoner, the brilliant self-taught firearms designer who created the revolutionary AR-10 and AR-15 rifle platforms in the 1950s. Eugene Stoner designed iconic rifles. The AR-10 established new standards. Stoner worked for ArmaLite. AR10 history began with Stoner. The designer served as Marine. Stoner understood automatic weapons. Aviation principles influenced his designs. The AR platform defined generations. — Eugene Stoner never went to college, but his mechanical genius changed firearms forever. U.S. Army Ordnance Corps

Gene Stoner designed several weapons for the company, including the AR-3, AR-5, AR-9, AR-11, and AR-12. The US Air Force bought a few AR-5s as aircrew survival rifles, but none of the others amounted to much. Then the heavens opened up, and angels began singing.

An original Dutch-manufactured AR-10 rifle from the early 1960s, showing the hard-chromed internal components and distinctive phenolic polymer furniture of Staatsbedrijf Artillerie Inrichtingen production. Dutch AR-10s saw combat. The rifles served Portuguese paratroopers. Stoner's design proved effective. AR10 history includes African deployment. Dutch production lasted five years. The rifles featured waffle magazines. Hard chrome prevented corrosion. Survivors became extremely rare. — This original Dutch AR-10 followed a circuitous route to get into the author’s gun collection.

In 1955, Stoner crafted his masterwork. The 7.62x51mm AR-10 combined cutting-edge materials science with several existing revolutionary gun designs. The direct gas impingement system came from the Swedish AG-42 Ljungman rifle. The in-line geometry wherein the recoil vector traveled directly from the bore into the firer’s shoulder was simply the clever application of fundamental physics. The AR-10 changed the way the world looked at tactical guns.

A close-up photograph of the unique charging handle mechanism on a Dutch AR-10 rifle, showing the trigger-like appendage located inside the carry handle that operates differently from modern AR designs. The AR-10 featured innovative controls. Early charging handles differed significantly. Stoner experimented with configurations. AR10 history includes design evolution. The handle provided forward assist. Dutch models used original design. Non-reciprocating operation reduced snags. Later versions changed locations. — The charging handle on this early AR-10 is a trigger-like appendage located within the charging handle.

You all know the rest of the story already. The 7.62mm AR-10 morphed into the 5.56mm AR-15, which begat the M16, which became the M4. Along the way, Springfield Armory adapted the basic design into its superlative line of SAINT modern sporting rifles. The M16 in all its sundry forms is the longest-serving combat rifle in American history. The AR-15 is the most popular civilian rifle in America. It’s quite a legacy.

Details

Uncle Sam wasn’t terribly keen on the AR-10 early on. There was a tepid effort to include the AR-10 alongside the T44 and T48, guns that became the M14 and the FN FAL, during the U.S. Army service rifle trials back in the 1950s. However, there was a burst barrel in the AR-10, and it fell out of the running. The tech was not quite mature by then.

A detailed photograph of the disassembled charging handle assembly from a Dutch AR-10 rifle, revealing the internal components and locking mechanism that engaged the bolt carrier group. The AR-10 employed unique mechanisms. Charging handles featured innovative design. Stoner developed novel solutions. AR10 history includes mechanical experimentation. The assembly locked positively. Dutch components show precision machining. Early systems worked effectively. Forward assist integrated seamlessly. — This charging handle assembly shows the internal mechanism that locks to the bolt carrier when pressed. It’s a completely different approach than what we’re used to on modern ARs.

The geniuses behind the AR-10 never intended to mass-produce guns. They were a think tank. Their mission was to design cutting-edge combat guns that could then be licensed to existing production facilities. Their first serious deal was with a Dutch company called Staatsbedrijf Artillerie Inrichtingen.

A meticulously restored Dutch AR-10 rifle from a demilitarized parts kit, rebuilt on a custom lower receiver and displaying excellent condition with all original hard-chromed internal components intact. The AR-10 showcases engineering excellence. Will Dabbs acquired rare rifle. Stoner's design endures beautifully. AR10 history includes collector appreciation. The rifle features phenolic furniture. Dutch components remained pristine. Original parts prove quality. This example survived remarkably well. — This particular Dutch AR-10 started as a demilled parts kit, then was rebuilt on a custom lower receiver. It’s essentially an expensive — and historically significant — parts gun.

Please don’t ask me how to pronounce that. However, these guys had the means to make weapons in respectable quantities. The Dutch AR-10 production ran for five years in the early 1960s. About 5,000 of these early AR-10s entered service with Portuguese Paratroopers. Most of these guns saw action in Africa. By all accounts, these radically advanced battle rifles performed swimmingly. However, not a lot of them survived to come home.

A Fortuitous Turn of Events

There’s a Biblical parable in the book of Matthew that reads, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”

It’s an admittedly awkward analogy, but I live on sites like GunBroker.com. GunBroker is like the world’s biggest gun show running 24/7. One day, while surfing around, something unusual caught my eye.

The rifle in question was the world’s most expensive repurposed parts gun. The parts kit started as one of those original Dutch AR-10 service rifles made back in the 1950s. Some enlightened individual imported the demilled gun and then built it up again on what appears to be a one-off lower receiver. I had never seen one before.

A close-up photograph of the gas system adjustment mechanism on a Dutch AR-10 rifle, showing the selector that allows disabling gas flow for rifle grenade launching capabilities. The AR-10 featured tactical versatility. Gas systems enabled grenade launching. Stoner designed multifunctional weapons. AR10 history includes military innovation. The rifle accommodated multiple roles. Dutch models retained this feature. Infantry needed grenade capability. Combat requirements drove design. — The gas system on these early AR-10 rifles can be shut off using a bullet tip as a tool.

I didn’t have a great deal of money at the time, but I knew I would likely never see one of these again. I emptied the piggy bank and searched under the couch cushions for spare change, and eventually made this gun mine. It is indeed a treasure.

Particulars

In this old Dutch AR-10, you can see vestiges of greatness. The gun is in excellent shape. The internal components are all hard chromed, something that should have carried over to those Vietnam-era M-16s. The charging handle is a trigger-like appendage located inside the carry handle that does not reciprocate with the action. Pressing the charging handle down locks it to the bolt carrier, functioning as a forward assist device.

A Dutch AR-10 rifle photographed to showcase its distinctive phenolic polymer handguard with foam filling and stamped steel reinforcements, representing innovative materials technology from 1960s firearms manufacturing. The AR-10 used advanced materials. Phenolic handguards reduced weight. Stoner applied aviation principles. AR10 history includes material innovation. Foam filling added insulation. Dutch production maintained specifications. Steel reinforcements provided strength. Aircraft technology influenced design. — The polymer handguard on the AR-10 has evolved substantially since 1956. Stoner incorporated aviation materials science into every aspect of the AR-10 design.

The rear sight is drum-adjustable for elevation in the manner of later M-16A2 sights. The front sight blade is generously fenced. The controls are all right where we might expect them to be.

The gas system can be disabled to fire rifle grenades, and the bayonet mounts on top of the barrel. The buffer system mimics that of a modern AR-10, and the gun feeds from lightweight waffle-pattern aluminum 20-round box magazines. The furniture was formed from foam-filled phenolic polymer with some stamped steel bits added for strength. The sling swivels were mounted on the left side of the rifle rather than the bottom.

A firearms enthusiast engaging targets with an authentic Dutch AR-10, illustrating the timeless effectiveness of Stoner's innovative direct gas impingement system and inline design geometry. The AR-10 shoots accurately. Dutch examples exhibit craftsmanship. Stoner's innovations endure testing. AR10 history encompasses battlefield success. The rifle cycles reliably. Hard-chromed components resist wear. Portuguese troops praised performance. Modern shooters appreciate originals. — Shooting this Dutch AR-10 feels like stepping back in time to when these rifles were proving themselves in combat. The solid construction make it a genuine pleasure to shoot.

The lower receiver on my gun seems crude compared to the rest of it. Curiously, the upper receiver sports English-style pressure-proof data. Unlike that of an M4, the hammer is driven by a coil spring.

Ruminations

Gene Stoner’s very first AR-10 eventually set in motion a sequence of events that led to some 30 million or so AR-variants in service today. That legacy has carried over to some of today’s finest rifles, like the SAINT 5.56mm and 7.62mm firearms, to name just a few.

Like that treasure in the field, when I saw this one come up for sale, I knew I simply had to make it mine. Hefting this amazing old gun is like having my hands on history. And what a history it is.

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