AR 15 (M16/M4)

Silhouette (Visual Identification)

AR 15 (M16/M4)
Category Assault Rifles
Operating system Gas operated, rotating bolt
Cartridge
Length 986 mm
Feeding Box magazine

The heart of the Colt AR-15 is the direct gas system. This system uses no conventional gas piston and rod to propel bolt group back after the shot is fired. Instead, the hot powder gases are fed from the barrel and down to the stainless steel tube into the receiver. Inside the receiver, the rear end of the gas tube enters into the "gas key", a small attachment on the top of the bolt carrier. The hot gases, through the gas key, enter the hollow cavity inside the bolt carrier, and expands there, acting against the bolt carrier and the collar around the bolt body. The pressure of the gases causes the bolt carrier to move back against initially stationary bolt. The M16 clone CQ/Terab has been observed in South Sudan used by some rebel groups.The CQ is a variant of the AR-15 rifle manufactured by the Chinese arms company, NORINCO. The "Terab" rifle is a clone of the Norinco CQ manufactured by the MIC (Military Industry Corporation) of Sudan. The "Armada" rifle is a clone of the Norinco CQ manufactured by S.A.M. - Shooter's Arms Manufacturing, a.k.a. Shooter's Arms Guns & Ammo Corporation, in the Philippines. The CQ/Terab has been observed in South Sudan used by some rebel groups in 2013.

Global distribution map

Weapon prevalence origin Country of origin licensed Licensed production unauthorized Production without a license
X
Scale dependend aggregation of production sites

The AR 15 (M16/M4) is found in 98 countries

This map is a reflection of data on global distribution and production provided primarily by the BwVC. It is not exhaustive. If you would like to add to or amend the data, please click here.


Global distribution list

The data on global distribution and production is provided primarily by the BwVC, but also from national and regional focal points on SALW control; data published by think tanks, international organizations and experts; and/or data provided by individual researchers on SALW. It is not exhaustive. If you would like to add to or amend the data, please click here.

Origin Country of origin
Production Licensed production
Non-Licensed Production Production without a licence
G Government: Sources indicate that this type of weapon is held by Governmental agencies.
N Non-Government: Sources indicate that this type of weapon is held by non-Governmental armed groups.
U Unspecified: Sources indicate that this type of weapon is found in the country, but do not specify whether it is held by Governmental agencies or non-Governmental armed groups.

It is entirely possible to have a combination of tags beside each country. For example, if country X is tagged with a G and a U, it means that at least one source of data identifies Governmental agencies as holders of weapon type Y, and at least one other source confirms the presence of the weapon in country X without specifying who holds it.

Afghanistan (AFG)
G
Albania (ALB)
G
G
Australia (AUS)
O
G
Bahrain (BHR)
G
Bangladesh (BGD)
G
Barbados (BRB)
U
Belize (BLZ)
G
Bolivia (BOL)
U
G
Brazil (BRA)
G
Brunei (BRN)
U
Cambodia (KHM)
U
Cameroon (CMR)
U
Canada (CAN)
O
U
U
Chad (TCD)
U
Chile (CHL)
G
Colombia (COL)
G
Costa Rica (CRI)
U
U
Croatia (HRV)
G
G
G
N
Denmark (DNK)
G
Djibouti (DJI)
G
U
Ecuador (ECU)
G
Egypt (EGY)
G
El Salvador (SLV)
G
Fiji (FJI)
G
G
Gabon (GAB)
U
Georgia (GEO)
G
Ghana (GHA)
U
Greece (GRC)
G
Grenada (GRD)
G
Guatemala (GTM)
U
Haiti (HTI)
U
Honduras (HND)
U
Hungary (HUN)
G
India (IND)
G
Indonesia (IDN)
G
Iraq (IRQ)
G
N
Israel (ISR)
G
Italy (ITA)
G
Jamaica (JAM)
G
Japan (JPN)
G
Jordan (JOR)
G
Kenya (KEN)
G
Kuwait (KWT)
G
Lebanon (LBN)
G
Lesotho (LSO)
G
Liberia (LBR)
U
Libya (LBY)
U
Malaysia (MYS)
G
Maldives (MDV)
G
Mexico (MEX)
U
Mongolia (MNG)
G
Morocco (MAR)
U
U
Nepal (NPL)
G
N
Netherlands (NLD)
U
New Zealand (NZL)
G
Nicaragua (NIC)
U
Nigeria (NGA)
U
Oman (OMN)
U
Pakistan (PAK)
G
Panama (PAN)
G
Peru (PER)
U
Philippines (PHL)
O
G
Poland (POL)
G
Portugal (PRT)
G
Qatar (QAT)
U
Romania (ROU)
G
U
Serbia (SRB)
G
Singapore (SGP)
O
G
Somalia (SOM)
U
South Africa (ZAF)
U
South Korea (KOR)
O
U
South Sudan (SSD)
N
Sri Lanka (LKA)
U
Sudan (SDN)
G
N
Suriname (SUR)
G
Syria (SYR)
N
Taiwan (TWN)
G
Thailand (THA)
G
Tonga (TON)
G
G
Tunisia (TUN)
U
Turkey (TUR)
G
G
G
O
G
N
Uruguay (URY)
U
Vietnam (VNM)
U
Yemen (YEM)
G

Visual Identification (Silhouette)

AR 15 (M16/M4) (8)