ArmaLite

A firearm engineering and manufacturing company based in Hollywood, California and active from 1954 to 1962. ArmaLite designed the AR-15 rifle, but practically speaking, did not manufacture them.

Your research might lead you to reasonably conclude that ArmaLite is the manufacturer of the AR-15 rifle, but you would be deceived.

Eugene Stoner of ArmaLite designed the rifle in 1956. ArmaLite then sold all rights to the design to Colt in 1959. Undoubtedly, a small number of AR-15 rifles were manufactured by ArmaLite during this time, but it’s not clear whether any of them would have been semi-automatic rifles marketed to civilians. Colt manufactured AR-15/M16 rifles for the US and other militaries, and many of these included “ArmaLite” in their markings. A secondary manufacturer Bushmaster was licensed to manufacture AR-15 rifles for the US military.

In modern times, hundreds or thousands of companies manufacture AR-15 pattern rifles. Since 2013, Strategic Armory Corps has marketed rifles under the ArmaLite name, including commodity AR-15 rifles.