George Sullivan founded his small arms engineering company in Hollywood, California in 1954—with no idea that his creations would become some of America’s most popular rifles.
The company’s first big success came with the AR-7, a .22 LR rimfire survival rifle that disassembles to tuck neatly into its own buttstock. It’s since been licensed to Henry Repeating Arms and become one of the most successful rifles of its kind.
Just a few years later, Sullivan worked with Eugene Stoner—a Marine veteran from World War II—to develop the now iconic AR-10 and AR-15 rifles. The AR-15 won out in early trials to become the Army’s main combat rifle in 1964. The rest, as they say, is history.
Since Armalite was a small company (with just nine employees), AR-15 production was licensed out to Colt. Armalite followed up with the AR-18, but met with meager success before shutting down in the early 1980’s and being re-opened in 1996.
Since appointing 3-gun champion Tommy Thacker as company president, Armalite has been resurrected—upgrading their old designs with new rifles like the AR-10B, the AR-30, and the AR-31—carrying on the legacy of innovation and small arms evolution.
Production these days focuses primarily on the 7.62x51mm AR-10, with durable steel magazines that are engineered to last and built to withstand heavy use.
All Armalite firearms (with the exception of Eagle Arms products) are backed by a five-year warranty to ensure quality craftsmanship and reliable function.
