It was not even 2 years ago and Springfield Armory did not have a single AR-15 in their line-up of firearms. Now they have multiple rifles and a pistol to their name under the umbrella of the SAINT which spans from Keymod to M-LOK.

Few people know the humble beginnings of how America’s most popular rifle platform came to be though. Some people want to believe it was developed recently, like in the 90s, since in just the last 20 years it has become a household recognizable rifle and truly gained favor with civilians. In fact, it was created all the way back in the 1960s by a pretty famous guy by the name of Eugene Stoner.

You might have other quandaries keeping you up at night as well like what does the acronym AR-15 even stand for (Hint: not assault rifle)?…

What is the difference between M-LOK and Keymod furniture?….

My range buddy has a forged lower, but mine is billet, whose is better?….

There are a lot of mundane, but fair questions you may have if you are an AR-15 owner. To alleviate some of those simple questions plaguing your mind, Springfield Armory has come up with a handy infographic detailing modern components and what they are as well as a historical timeline bringing the AR-15 into the 21st century.

This handy graphic is their “Evolution of the AR-15.” Feel free to bookmark this page if you are ever in a debate with your shooting friends or need some conversational clarity.