Infantry Weapons

ArmaLite AR-5

Also known as
  • AR-5
  • AR 5
  • Armalite AR-5
  • MA-1
  • MA-1 survival rifle
  • AR-5A

The ArmaLite AR-5 was a lightweight .22 Hornet takedown rifle developed for U.S. Air Force aircrew survival kits and adopted as the MA-1. Its hollow-stock storage concept and flotation feature made it a direct predecessor of the civilian AR-7 survival rifle, but the sources reviewed here document survival-rifle development rather than direct conflict use.

ArmaLite AR-5, Bolt-action aircrew survival rifle, Infantry Weapons
Image source: AR-5A Wikimedia Commons image
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
United States
Built by
ArmaLite
Type
Bolt-action aircrew survival rifle
Service note
Cold War aircrew survival rifle adopted in the mid-1950s
Designer
ArmaLite design team; George C. Sullivan patented the stock design and Eugene Stoner was ArmaLite chief engineer
Designed
1955
Produced
Adopted as MA-1 in 1956; ArmaLite's historical review says the Air Force did not follow through with a purchase.
Number built
Sources agree broad procurement did not follow adoption; secondary histories commonly describe only a very small test-model run.

Specifications

Crew
1
Cartridge
.22 Hornet
Action
Bolt action
Feed system
Detachable four-shot box magazine in ArmaLite's historical review
Overall length
About 28-30.5 in depending on source and configuration
Barrel length
14 in / 356 mm
Weight
About 2.75 lb in ArmaLite and NRA summaries; some references list about 2.5 lb
Storage
Takedown design with major components stowed inside the hollow stock
Intended role
Aircrew survival weapon for foraging and emergency use rather than a frontline combat rifle
Aircrew Survival Design

The AR-5 was built around compact storage rather than sustained infantry firepower. Sources describe a lightweight takedown rifle chambered in .22 Hornet, with the barrel and action stowing in the hollow stock for carriage in cramped aircraft survival-kit space.

Storage concept

ArmaLite's historical review says the barrel and action detached and fit inside the stock; with the buttcap replaced, the rifle floated.

Procurement limit

The Air Force adoption did not turn into large-scale issue, and ArmaLite says the service failed to follow through with a purchase.

Design legacy

The AR-7 kept the takedown survival-rifle idea but moved to semi-automatic .22 LR operation for a broader market.

Variants

The AR-5/MA-1 record is best understood as the aircrew-survival predecessor to the later AR-7 family rather than as a large operational rifle series.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
MA-1U.S. Air Force designation

The U.S. Air Force adopted the AR-5 under the MA-1 designation in 1956, but did not proceed to broad procurement after the bomber requirement changed.

Sources: ArmaLite historical review, American Rifleman ArmaLite story, Guns.com survival rifles

ArmaLite AR-7, Semi-automatic survival rifle, Infantry WeaponsAR-7Civilian successor design

ArmaLite used the AR-5/MA-1 concept as the basis for the later AR-7, changing to a semi-automatic .22 LR survival rifle for civilian and aircrew-survival markets.

Sources: ArmaLite historical review, NRA Museums AR-7

Successor Survival Rifle

The AR-5 did not become a large Air Force purchase, but its takedown storage and flotation ideas carried into the later AR-7.

Compatible itemItem typeCompatibility evidence
ArmaLite AR-7, Semi-automatic survival rifle, Infantry WeaponsArmaLite AR-7Civilian semi-automatic successor

Company and museum histories describe the AR-7 as the commercial .22 LR rifle developed from the AR-5/MA-1 survival-rifle concept.

Sources: ArmaLite historical review, NRA Museums AR-7

Timeline

ArmaLite AR-5 Key Events

  1. ArmaLite founded under Fairchild

    ArmaLite's current company history says Fairchild Engine Corporation founded the small-arms division in 1954.

    Sources: ArmaLite about us

  2. Gunstock design patent filed

    George C. Sullivan filed the U.S. design-patent application for the AR-5-style gunstock on 13 June 1955.

    Sources: AR-5 gunstock patent

  3. Adopted as the MA-1

    ArmaLite's historical review says the U.S. Air Force adopted the AR-5 as the MA-1 Survival Rifle, but later failed to follow through with a purchase.

    Sources: ArmaLite historical review, American Rifleman ArmaLite story, Guns.com survival rifles

  4. AR-7 follow-on appears

    ArmaLite and museum histories connect the AR-7 to the AR-5/MA-1 design path, with the later rifle using a semi-automatic .22 LR configuration for the survival-rifle market.

    Sources: ArmaLite historical review, NRA Museums AR-7

Related Weapon Systems
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M4/M4A1 carbine, Carbine, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsM4/M4A1 carbineCarbineThe M4/M4A1 carbine is a U.S.-origin 5.56mm service-rifle family built around a shorter M16 lineage, a collapsible stock, and modular accessory mounting. Conflict-specific evidence documents M4-family use by U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, coalition and Iraqi partner forces during anti-ISIS operations, Philippine Marines at Marawi, Israeli wartime replenishment, and Ukrainian special-operations transition from Soviet-pattern rifles during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.

Sources

ArmaLite about usPublisher: ArmaLite | Note: Supports ArmaLite's founding date, Fairchild origin, and small-arms manufacturer context. | Accessed: 2026-07-13ArmaLite historical reviewPublisher: ArmaLite | Note: Supports AR-5 submission to the U.S. Air Force, MA-1 designation, four-shot .22 Hornet survival-rifle configuration, 2.75-pound weight, takedown stock storage, flotation, procurement limit, and AR-7 follow-on context. | Accessed: 2026-07-13ArmaLite AR-5 WikipediaPublisher: Wikipedia | Note: Baseline source for AR-5 terminology, MA-1 designation, broad specifications, and cited historical leads. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Guns.com survival riflesPublisher: Guns.com | Note: Supports aircrew-survival context, the reported small AR-5 production quantity, MA-1 adoption, and AR-7 follow-on context. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Breach Bang Clear GAU-5A lineagePublisher: Breach Bang Clear | Note: Supports AR-5/AR-7 aircrew-survival lineage, .22 Hornet chambering, bolt-action takedown configuration, and MA-1 adoption context. | Accessed: 2026-07-13American Rifleman ArmaLite storyPublisher: American Rifleman | Note: Supports Fairchild-era ArmaLite context, AR-5 .22 Hornet bolt-action takedown configuration, four-shot magazine, 2.75-pound weight, MA-1 adoption, limited procurement, and the AR-7 as a commercial .22 LR version. | Accessed: 2026-07-13NRA Museums AR-7Publisher: NRA Museums | Note: Supports the AR-5 as a U.S. Air Force survival arm, the hollow stock and flotation concept, failed AR-5 sales, and the AR-7 as the AR-5 design successor. | Accessed: 2026-07-13AR-5A Wikimedia Commons imagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports the selected AR-5 image and its CC BY-SA 4.0 license metadata. | Accessed: 2026-07-13AR-5 gunstock patentPublisher: Google Patents | Note: Supports George C. Sullivan's 1955 gunstock design-patent filing and 1957 publication date. | Accessed: 2026-07-13SIPRI Arms Transfers DatabasePublisher: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute | Note: Supplied research lead for transfer checking; it describes SIPRI's major-conventional-arms transfer database, but no AR-5 conflict-use claim was added from it. | Accessed: 2026-07-13