GunLab's Next Project: Reproduction AR-16
We’ve covered a little bit of the AR-18 here before, and in passing mentioned its ancestor, the 7.62mm AR-16. For those uninitiated to this relatively unknown rifle, there is a brief but instructive article on the rifle at Wikipedia. GunLab’s Chuck has posted before about the AR-16, which he got to examine in Reed Knight’s collection last year. On Friday, though, he mentioned his intentions to replicate the rifle:
In my off time, work has been completed on the AR-16 upper receiver right side. In case you don’t remember this rifle it is a 308 predecessor of the AR-180. Only 4 were made and of those only 2 are known to exist. I had the opportunity to photograph one a while back at the Reed Knight collection.
…
Mr Knight was nice enough to let me look at and photograph them, however I doubt he will let me have one. As I really want one of these in my collection I have taken it upon my self to reverse engineer it to make me one. This is what I worked on this weekend between everything else.
[emphasis mine]
I will be watching this project closely. The AR-16 is one of the last major attempts at an American full-power infantry rifle until the commencement of the SCAR program. I am awaiting the completion of the reproduction (or, if he’s so inclined, reproductions plural) very eagerly!
Nathaniel is a history enthusiast and firearms hobbyist whose primary interest lies in military small arms technological developments beginning with the smokeless powder era. He can be reached via email at nathaniel.f@staff.thefirearmblog.com.
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This sort of thing seems to me to be a perfect example of the need for 3-d printing to become commonplace.
I wonder if 3-d printing out of low-temp thermoplastic, then going all "lost-wax process" with said plug in a suitable resist medium (casting sand?) would be strong enough? It works for engine blocks after all...
Handsome rifle. I'd love a repro ar16 or 18