OK, at armeiro's suggestion, I'll go ahead and post this article as-is.  When I get a translation, I'll update the thread.

I'm leaving the scans fairly large in the belief that this site will automatically resize them.  If you right-click on an image and select "view image" or download the image, you should be able to view them at a higher resolution.  [ETA: maybe not!]

Before the pics, though, I have to thank one of our most respected senior members here--TGus.  A while back, I had purchased a nice 601 item from him, and when he shipped it to me, he included this magazine as a gift.    Obviously, he knew I'd appreciate it--anyone here would enjoy seeing it, right?

But for 10 Retro Bonus Points (redeemable anywhere Retro Bonus Points are accepted), let's see if any of you regulars pick up on why he sent it to me in particular!

Without further ado...













...more to follow...

…and the rest...

Seeing stuff like this makes me miss my AR10. I guess I'll just have to hug my remaining ArmaLites just a little bit tighter tonight.

Did anyone notice yet?

Converted Telko?

Owned and converted in Fredericktown, PA by Charles Erb.  A little PA connection there, I suspect.

Very cool article, by the way, thanks for sharing.

Nope.  I'll give 'em a little longer.  I don't think the right people are focusing on the question yet.  

But yes--it is a converted Telko, and it is a Charlie Erb rifle.  (Clues!)

Is it your rifle (007615).













































http://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=3&f=123&t=562109

That's it. When I saw that magazine I had to give it to OlGunner! How cool is that!

from "FrankSPPD  [Member]"

"I think this AR10 was the one pictured in an article in GUNS magazine about 7 years ago. It was a full color spread showing the converted gun being fired by someone wearing period Portugese camo.

I have to look back in my collection to find it.

Nice view of a Charlie Erb conversion. Don't think he did many, and I know he had one up until a few years ago."

http://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=3&f=123&t=562109

From GunsMagazine

"The author would like to thank the following people for their assistance with production of this feature:

AR-10: Paragon XM-10 owned and legally converted to selective fire by Charles Erb, Fredericktown, Pa.

Gunner: Charley Brown, Richmond, Va.

Uniforms & Equipment: National Capitol Historical Sales, Springfield, Va."

Possible translation?



"ARMALITE AR-10.

In an era of hard-hitting, post-World War II battle rifles, Eugene Stoner's innovative design led the way into the modern age of small arms.

Eugene Stoner, newly hired chief engineer for the California-based ArmaLite Corporation, began working on an interesting prototype battle rifle in 1955 incorporating a number of features inspired by Melvin Johnson's remarkable light machine guns.

External similarities to the Johnson Light Machine Gun included straight-line layout, pistol grip, detachable box magazine and high-mounted sights. Inside, at the heart of the weapon, was Johnson's patented eight-lug rotary bolt, allowing strong positive locking into a barrel extension.

Stoner leaped over two centuries of firearms tradition by putting this bolt system inside a relatively weak but very light and inexpensive aluminum alloy receiver. Further weight savings over traditional autoloading designs were realized in fiberglass-reinforced plastic furniture and Stoner's patented update development of a direct gas system.

Tool Time

By early 1957, three successive prototypes had been built, tested, and improved upon to the point where serious efforts could be made to find a production facility to handle quantity manufacture. ArmaLite/Fairchild partner Richard Boutelle used his inside track with the Dutch to cut a deal with the government-owned firm of Artillerie-Inrichtingen, which reportedly, invested the equivalent 2.5 million U.S. dollars into state-of-the-art machinery and tooling.

Unfortunately, all was not well over in Holland where delays were soon being experienced because of conversion from inches to millimeters, modifications resulting from field trials, and a bit more than usual debugging of the production process. Because of this, several large orders were lost to the excellent Belgian-designed FAL.

Seemingly undaunted, Stoner kept up ArmaLite's commitment to the project by fabricating an AR-10 family of weapons utilizing a common core of parts and assemblies to the greatest practical extent. These included a shortened carbine, a sniper rifle, a belt-fed light machine gun, and a heavy-barreled squad automatic weapon.

In spite of many impressive demonstrations worldwide, the radical new AR-10 rifle just didn't sell. The final blow for Artillerie-Inrichtingen came when even the Dutch Army rejected it, joining the parade of most other European nations who were fielding the FAL.

Here Comes Colt

In 1959, ArmaLite revoked the Dutch license and awarded it to the famous American gunmaker Colt. This arrangement proved mutually beneficial in that the stodgy and financially troubled Colt got a exciting new product while ArmaLite was now associated with an American-based company having a long and well- established reputation for sporting, police and military guns.

What followed for the AR-15 is a colorful story that should be well known to military rifle enthusiasts. The ArmaLite/Colt rifle, ultimately chambered in .223 has confounded most of its critics to become, as the M16A1 series, the standard issue assault rifle for the U.S. Armed Forces and a host of allied nations. There is every indication that this will remain true well into the 21st century.

As for the AR-10, somewhere between 5,000 to 6,000 production copies of all models were made at Artillerie-Inrichtingen. Amid some dark speculation about the CIA buying up a bunch for various spooky programs, ArmaLite's openly confirmed large deliveries were only to Guatemala, Sudan and Portugal, totaling about 3,000.

Going Semi-Auto

In the early 1980s the American firm Paragon Sales and Service of Romeoville, Ill., bought from Artillerie-Inrichtingen a quantity of original selective-fire AR-10 rifles and spare parts sets. Some 200 parts sets were assembled on Telko Inc.'s new machined-aluminum semiauto receivers for sale to the general public as the "XM-10." These were quickly snapped up despite a $1,200 price tag.

Field Test Notes

The AR-l0's sights are tried-and-true aperture rear and post front, protected against damage by the sides of the forged aluminum carrying handle and milled steel "ears" on the front riser assembly. They are easily and quickly adjusted for windage and elevation with the two large knurled drums located on the carrying handle/sight rail.

The distinctive stamped waffle-pattern aluminum magazines are quite flimsy and so light it is reported that empty ones have a tendency to remain in place even after the mag release is depressed. Also, the feed lips are notorious for sustaining terminal damage in even moderately rough handling.

The magazine release button is easily reached with the index finger of the right hand even while maintaining a good hold on the pistol grip. However, the button is exposed in a vulnerable position above the surrounding receiver. This can easily mean inadvertent loss of a full mag when energetically carrying out any variety of military duties.

The selector switch is well located just above the pistol grip on the left side of the lower receiver and can be operated by a thumb without having to release the gripping hand.

Cocking the AR-10 takes a bit of getting used to. While most shooters are accustomed to grabbing a side-mounted cocking handle (like the M2 carbine's) or even drawing back on the little charging handle on the M16, the experience of inserting a knuckle into the AR-l0's carrying handle slot is a bit awkward at first. To compound the problem, the charging handle -- looking for all the world like an extremely disoriented trigger -- has to be pressed downward a bit to unlock before it can be drawn rearward.

Shooting

The trigger pull on factory built AR-l0s has been described as "marginal to poor." For anyone who is not an accomplished target shooter, the gun's trigger release will be entirely satisfactory as military rifles go.

The AR-10, like the Belgian FAL and the German G-3, has a couple of virtues that are immediately apparent on firing. Their straight-line buttstock, pistol grip, and high sights all contribute to fast, instinctive handling and little barrel movement on firing.

The optional heavier plastic composition foregrip with sheet metal extender and light folding bipod make the gun about 2.5 lbs. heavier than a standard rifle, putting weight a bit forward of the regular balance point to minimize climb in rapid fire from a number of unsupported positions.

The AR-10 really shines when the bipod legs are dropped into the dirt and firing begins from the prone supported position. The rifle stayed right on target shot after shot. Even on full auto, it behaved well as long as a tight hold was maintained in the classic auto rifle manner; right hand on the pistol grip, left on the comb of the buttstock, and cheek pressed tightly against that hand.

Goad News and Bad News

The AR-10 fires from a closed bolt (when the trigger is pulled, the bolt is already fully forward and a round is locked in the chamber), which is good for accuracy. However, this system is prone to overheating and "cook-off" when fired full-auto for even a relatively short duration.

Unlike the Soviet AK-47 and the German G-3, the AR-10 is provided with a bolt hold-open device that keeps the action open after the last round in the mag is fired. This is quite useful in operation as the locked open bolt instantly signals the gunner that it is time to insert a fresh mag. A potentially fatal second or two is also saved in not having to cycle the operating handle -- just hit the bolt release and the rifle is ready to shoot again.

With one notable exception, field stripping and maintenance are fast and easy thanks to the simplicity of the parts and the hinged receiver that allows instant access and easy reach into remote corners. No special tools are required for pushing through the takedown pins. These stay locked to the receiver so you don't have to paw around in the dirt or snow to recover them.

All this having been said, there is perhaps no one who has ever gotten an AR-10's or M16's chamber extension area, forward of the bolt locking lugs, properly cleaned and decarbonized without going through extraordinary contortions accompanied by foul cursing.

Despite these misgivings, the ArmaLite AR-10 is an extremely interesting and innovative main battle rifle that is arguably as effective and capable as most of its better-known counterparts worldwide. Think about what might have happened had it not been for administrative and technical problems surrounding startup production in Holland. It is not unreasonable to speculate that Stoner's AR-10 could well have taken a place among the "Big Four" military rifles of the early Cold War period; FAL, CETME/G3, M14, and AK-47.

ArmaLite Today

Former US Army Ordnance officer Mark Westrom acquired rights to the ArmaLite name and his firm, Eagle Arms, is now officially known as ArmaLite Corp., based in Genesco, Ill.

Westrom has recently introduced the .308 caliber AR-10B, a nostalgic version of the original Dutch-made rifle, complete with brown synthetic furniture and the distinctive inside-the-carrying-handle charger. Its formidable retail price tag of $1,729 may not seem all that high in recalling that the Paragon semiautos of nearly 20 years ago sold for $1,200 each.

The author would like to thank the following people for their assistance with production of this feature:

AR-10: Paragon XM-10 owned and legally converted to selective fire by Charles Erb, Fredericktown, Pa.

Gunner: Charley Brown, Richmond, Va.

Uniforms & Equipment: National Capitol Historical Sales, Springfield, Va.

Primary Reference Source: The Black Rifle by R. Blake Stevens and Edward C. Ezell, 1987, Collector Grade Publications, Ontario, Canada

Spec Sheet: ArmaLite AR-10

Caliber: 7.62x51 mm NATO (.308)

Length: 40"

Barrel: 21.4", four grooves, right twist 1:10

Weight: 9 lbs. 14 oz.

Operation: Direct gas, closed bolt in semi and full automatic

Locking: Rotating eight-lug bolt

Cyclic rate: 700 to 750 rpm

Muzzle velocity: 2,750 fps/830 mps with mil-spec ball ammo

Sights: Fully adjustable aperture rear sight and fixed front post. Adjustable in 100 meter increments from 200 to 600 meters.
COPYRIGHT 2001 Publishers' Development Corporation
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2001 Gale, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved."

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/ARMALITE+AR-10.-a071323940

"It's a registered Telko receiver, converted in the 80's by Charles Erb here in PA. He even went so far as to engrave the lower (somewhat) similarly to the original."















http://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=3&f=123&t=537113

The 10 Retro Bonus Points are free from IRS i presume?

Is it possible to post images of the way the charging handle pices operate,the operation steps during retracting and moving the bolt front(big images)?

Thank you.

armeiro for the win!
Y'know, I could have owned the magazine and enjoyed the pics and never even paid attention to the serial number.  I was amazed that TGus realized it was mine.
Very cool, though, to know that my baby was a cover model!

I can't believe, though, that I missed FrankSPPD's comment on my original post!  I would have been looking for that GUNS mag!
I actually reached out to the author of the article but never got a reply.  I'm thrilled there's a English copy of it out there.

Well, as promised, armeiro has earned himself 10 Retro Bonus Points...and he's chosen to trade them in for pictures of the 2-piece "Portuguese" charging handle!

Excellent choice, armeiro!  I hope these will work for you.  If you need higher res, or something from a different angle, I'd be happy to email other pics.

(Please excuse the unclean parts!  This particular rifle needs a serious bath.)

First pic shows the "tunnel" through which the gas key moves...



And a couple views to show how the two halves of the CH assembly fit together.  They're not attached at all.  The rear half just hooks over the back of the front half.





The "trigger" catch is spring-loaded, of course.  When depressed, the groove lines up with the narrow slot in the upper receiver so it can be pulled rearward.
Note also the "notch" milled into the top of the carrier.  The bottom of the catch fits into that notch so when you draw back the BCG, you're not pulling on just the gas key--you're pulling on the body of the carrier.



The opening in the front of the catch is elongated so it can move up and down while the gas key is sticking through it.



When the carrier is all the way forward and the bolt is in battery, the two piece CH assembly is fully "extended."



When the bolt is drawn to the rear, the front half of the assembly slides inside/under the rear half.



Some people have asked about the angle on the front bottom of the "trigger" catch.  That angle is there to provide clearance for the cam pin to rotate up when the bolt is extended (out of battery).
The red lines indicate the angle of the top surface of the cam pin when in battery...



...and when out of battery.




Armeiro, I hope these show what you wanted to see!

Thank you OlGunner for the photos,it is fantastic to see so many detailed photos of this pice and congratulations on the Pin-up as this is the kind of bird that gets better with age,just be careful with the barrel as old metal and new gas p.s.i. don't normally mix so that the right to bear arms doesn't mean to lose them (i just made a pun with arms
and arms,this has got to worth a few more points;right?)

Thank you.

There was a two pice experimental charging handle made by Artillerie Inrichtingen that preceded the one one used on the Portuguese model  (the one in the image).



The handle as a spring loaded pice inside the handle and it cams against a section pice in the carrying handle,still need to find more info on its real operation.

I think that this one used a gas regulator that was operated whith the rim of the case as to the  Portuguese model that uses the bullet to select a position.

http://www.hembrugmuseum.nl/cgi-bin/beeldbank.pl?ident=00032

Here is a better photo of the pre-Portuguese charging handle shown in the museum photo above.  Several AR10 owners in the US have worn Portos with the same upper fitted with the standard Porto charging handle.  It seems that to satisfy the Poruguese contrtact AI must have salvages a bunch of prototypes.



Another experimental charging handle is shown below.  These seems to be several versions.

Robert Bruce ArmaLite AR-10 article

http://jeffersonian.name/g2001/2001-04.pdf

Cool--thanks!  I actually just bought that magazine yesterday (actually bought all 12 issues from 2001 to get that one).
Doesn't look exactly like the Japanese article, but I'm sure the main part of the text is the same.
Just one more piece for the "accessories" pile!

Can you scan it so the post can be complete?

Thank you.

First fransitional Dutch model charging handle



Pre Portuguese charging handle



Portuguese charging handle





Rear side charging handle