Time magazine,October 21, 1957







Automatisch centraalvuurgeweer systeem Armalite AR10, geschonken aan Prins Bernhard, kaliber 7.62 x 51

"Automatic centralized system Armalite AR10 rifle fire, given to Prince Bernhard, caliber 7.62 x 51"

Automatisch centraalvuurgeweer systeem Armalite AR10, groene uitvoering met voorziening voor richtkijker, geschonken aan Prins Bernhard, kaliber 7.62 x 51

"Automatic centralized system Armalite AR10 rifle fire, green version with provision for rifle scope, given to Prince Bernhard, caliber 7.62 x 51"



http://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=3&f=123&t=594506


"Gun presented to Prince Bernhard by Armalite. These markings appear on barrel. Gun has synthetic stock, muzzle brake (maker unknown), and leather sling. No case. R116 Used"







http://www.gunsinternational.com/Remington-722-308-Win-caliber.cfm?gun_id=100314931

So was the rifle presented to Prince Bernhard by Armalite,a AR-10 or a AR-1,was there a AR-1 made with this type of stock as the normal fiber glass stock,what is the story on it,AR1 for sale?

"RECORDS OF THE SPRINGFIELD ARMORY : Records of the Research and Engineering Division
7.62 Parasniper Rifle with Lined Aluminum Barrel"



http://ww2.rediscov.com/spring/VFPCGI.exe?IDCFile=/springar/details.IDC,SPECIFIC=14140,DATABASE=BIBLIO,

"RECORDS OF THE SPRINGFIELD ARMORY : Records of the Research and Engineering Division
7.62mm, Parasniper Rifle (Improved Military Version) with Lined Aluminum Barrel - Field Stripped"



http://ww2.rediscov.com/spring/VFPCGI.exe?IDCFile=/springar/details.IDC,SPECIFIC=14142,DATABASE=BIBLIO,

Is it Just me or the two AR-1 images,from the SPRINGFIELD ARMORY" have diferent bolts,the first image as a bolt Remington 722 (as the one for sale) and in the second image  ((Improved Military Version) it as a Mauser type bolt action mechenism,was there more then one AR-1 type?

"HISTORICAL SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES:
1JUL55 - 31DEC55 - "A parasniper rifle chambered for the NATO cartridge with steel lined aluminum barrel, special compensator, plastic stock and telescope sight was tested. Frequent extractor failures and poor accuracy resulted. Models of an improved military version with Mauser (FN) action were in the process of being tested."

"A number of versions of this bolt action weapon were produced for testing. They utilized various commercial and military surplus actions"

"unofficial information on their tests of the two rifles"

So the original ArmaLite AR-1 used the bolt from a Remington  722 but problems with extraction forced the change for the bolt from a FN Mauser type bolt,the diferent plastic stock was made for this one only probably as it is a "special" one for someone "special"?



"Object Description:

ARMALITE RIFLE AR-1 PARASNIPER 7.62MM SN# 044
Manufactured by Armalite, Hollywood, Ca. - Experimental parasniper rifle with foam-filled fiberglass stock and aluminum alloy barrel. Bolt-action with Mauser type receiver. Chambered for the commercial version of 7.62mm NATO. Bolt missing. Complete with Bushnell Scope Chief 4x (SPAR-7185.)

Markings:
Receiver: 044.
Barrel: W 308. ARMALITE/HOLLYWOOD, CA.
Buttplate: PATENTED JUNE 6, 1922/NOSHOC/MADE IN U.S.A.

Weapon transferred to the Museum on 18 April 1961. At that time weapon was appraised at $750.00.

HISTORICAL SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES:
1JUL55 - 31DEC55 - "A parasniper rifle chambered for the NATO cartridge with steel lined aluminum barrel, special compensator, plastic stock and telescope sight was tested. Frequent extractor failures and poor accuracy resulted. Models of an improved military version with Mauser (FN) action were in the process of being tested."
1JAN56 - 30JUN56 - "The Parasniper Rifle was designed by Fairchild Aircraft Corp., a Armalite Division. Aberdeen Proving Ground furnished a copy of unofficial information on their tests of the two rifles furnished by the Armory and also furnished a photo print showing areas of contact and non-contact between the steel liner and the aluminium barrel."

Notes: "The Armalite division of the Fairchild Engine and Airplane Company was originally formed in 1954 to develop weapons utilizing lightweight materials like aluminum and plastic. Long before Gene Stoner arrived on the scene, Armalite had designed and was promoting a lightweight precision rifle for military use. They called it the 'Parasniper' rifle.
A number of versions of this bolt action weapon were produced for testing. They utilized various commercial and military surplus actions along with foam filled fiberglass stocks and lightweight, sleeved aluminum barrels. Some were fitted with muzzle brakes. Most were in caliber .30/06 and mounted various commercial telescopic sights. The Springfield Armory NHS collection currently contains 4 of these rifles. (The only other AR-1s known today are in a private collection).
Armalite soon moved on to other projects and the 'Parasniper' rifle was largely forgotten. It was only in retrospect, after numerous other Armalite weapons had been identified with the now familiar designation 'AR', that the 'Parasniper' was referred to as the 'AR-1.'" - Michael LaPlante

"THE AR-1 - The fledgling company's first rifle was the AR-1 (Armalite Rifle number 1), based on a design of (George) Sullivan and his brother-in-law, Charles Dorchester (who later became the plant manager for the new company). The two had actually started working on the rifle in 1947, so it was completed quickly once the new company started operation. The result was ArmaLite's Parasniper Rifle, a scoped, bolt-action sporting rifle that could double as a military sniper rifle. The rifle was chambered in .308 Winchester (7.62mm NATO) and incorporated three features that would be seen in later rifles of the series: a fiberglass stock (filled with foam), an aluminum receiver, and an aluminum with a steel lining.
Armalite's charter required that it develop prototypes and, when perfected, license the manufacturing rights to other companies for actual production. It was hoped this would generate money for the fledgling company while minimizing capital outlays. Consequently, since there were no buyers for the AR-1 design, it never got beyond the prototype stage and failed to go into production. The rifle did demonstrate the possibilities of creating a firearm with modern materials and techniques, however, and opened the way for designs that would eventually pour from the company."

http://ww2.rediscov.com/spring/VFPCGI.exe?IDCFile=/spring/DETAILS.IDC,SPECIFIC=13101,DATABASE=objects,

"SPRINGFIELD ARMORY MUSEUM"







http://www.pbase.com/mrclark/springfield_armoury_museum

Is this for real,are there other AR-1 rifles on civilian ownership or is it a fake?

"Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands (left, above) looks over an Armalite .308 hunting rifle (weight, 6 pounds with scope and sling) presented to him by Richard S. Boutelle, President □t FairchikL Both were present at the recent dedication of a..."

http://books.google.pt/books?id=8iA7AQAAIAAJ&q=Prince+Bernhard+armalite&dq=Prince+Bernhard+armalite&hl=pt-BR&sa=X&ei=VtBZUdORJYmr7Ab3iYHwAQ&redir_esc=y

The action is the same,from a Remington 722,the sling is the of the same M1 type,the stock is a bit diferent but even the two AR-1s from the S.A. have a small diference in the stock section that the bolt handle fits in to, but of the same design,the trigger guard is he same,the swivel pice is the same,so it may be the real thing(?) in what way does a AR-1 made for a prince ended up at Griffin & Howe,New Jersey,i have no idea.

The safe/fire selector on the AR-1 (from the Remington 722) was later used on the AR-5 and AR-7 as the two use the same type of side lever safe selector.

If I knew more about it, I'd be all over this!

How many people can say they have an AR-1?

ArmaLite only did the stock and barrel for the AR-1 as the receiver/bolt mechenism/trigger mechenism/magazine and trigger guard section came from a Remington 722,this is to say that someone could have made a copy of the AR-1 barrel look-alike and stock,i am not speculating but it is hard to believe that this AR-1,and specialy this one,is for sale.

C. Reed Knight probably as one,among others.

Take a note at the muzzle of the rifle,there are two cuts on the tip on the barel muzzle that are not on the other images,why does a professionaly made  AR-1 made for a prince have two crudely made to the muzzle of the barrel?

All AR-1's I have handled were made with alloy receivers with steel bolts, either Mauser action or Remmie.  Also, the barrels were etched with Armalite company name in a stylized form.  Not saying this is a "Hump"(counterfeit) but back in the day Bob Miller in Texas has some questionable Armalite items that were made up to fill in gaps in his collection.

Too bad all the players for Armalite during this timeframe are all gone......too good to be true

"Postwar roles

After the war, the position of Inspector General was created for the Prince.

He was made a member of the boards of supervisors of Fokker Aircraft and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, and within a few years he had been invited to serve as an adviser or non-executive director of numerous corporations and institutions. There have been claims about KLM helping Nazis to leave Germany for Argentina on KLM flights while Bernhard was on its board.After a 1952 trip with Queen Juliana to the United States, Prince Bernhard was heralded by the media as a business ambassador extraordinaire for the Netherlands.

With his global contacts, Bernhard in May 1954, was a key figure in organising a meeting at the Bilderberg Hotel in the Netherlands for the business elite and intellectuals of the Western World to discuss the economic problems in the face of what they characterized as the growing threat from Communism. This first meeting was successful, and it became an annual gathering known as the Bilderberg Group. The idea for the European Union, first proposed by Robert Schuman on 9 May 1950, was encouraged at Bilderberg."



"1976: Prins Bernhard tijdens een biathlonwedstrijd"

https://www.anpfoto.nl/search.pp?showpicture=2107909

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Bernhard_of_Lippe-Biesterfeld

In the ones at the S.A. the Armalite company name comes on the right side of the barrel close to the receiver,the one for sale as a drilled hole on the right side of the receiver as there is no drilled hole on it.

Is it possible that originaly ArmaLite molded the stock of the AR-1 from the stock from a Remington 722 as this may make it easy to replicate by others (the barrel can be replicated using diferent material)?
It is also a idea if someone whats to make a replica project.

Actually i think that the corect magazine "Time, Volume 70 Time Inc., 1957" is this one as there is the same "ARMED FORCES: A Real Big Brawl (National Affairs / ARMED FORCES)" article on the two.

November 11, 1957 | Vol. LXX No. 20



"ARMED FORCES: A Real Big Brawl

Into Washington's Sheraton-Park Hotel last week crowded 2,000 delegates to the third annual meeting of the Association of the U.S. Army, a private organization made up of Army and ex-Army men and a loud-speaking outlet for top-level Army propaganda. On hand to stir them on were the Army's senior commanders, striving both by indirection and by extraordinarily blunt talk to overturn Defense Department policy and win for the Army a major place in the missile world. Displayed around the hotel ballroom were Army missiles and parts of missiles; at the entrance a placard blazoned the Army's basic doctrinal claim..."

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,867921,00.html#ixzz2PKeKWNiv







http://books.google.pt/books?ei=iLDPUOXgCsqmhAeDyICwCw&hl=pt-BR&id=8iA7AQAAIAAJ&dq=fairchild+armalite&q=armalite#search_anchor

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/0,9263,7601571111,00.html

If he knows about the sale he will have this one too I'd bet.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_123/608982_LIFE_magazine_1957_Helicopter_safari_in_Africa_Gen__Curtis_Lemay__Richard_Boutelle___.html

Take a note at the stock on the AR-1 for sale,there is a slope on the stock at the same level as the barrel,there is a similar slope on the forearm on the AR-17.









"Gun presented to Prince Bernhard by Armalite,these markings appear on barrel",as a present the markings make sence,and as a present for a prince it makes more sence to make a good looking and clean stock as to use the original crudely made fiberglass stock,the one that Boutelle as the normal  crudely made fiberglass stock and it looks like it as the Mauser type action.

If the seller had actually taken a photo of those barrel markings, I'd have probably tried to buy it.

As it stands, it's pretty much up to speculation and the word of the seller.

SOLD!!! to someone,was it real?


Sorry! You're too late. This item has already been sold!

Maybe I should have taken the chance...

Hopefully the buyer will confirm it's identity...

i wished i had the coin for that.

i would have loved to have that rifle

Dutch sources say that the prince gave the AR-1 away later on to an American friend,a American collector bought this AR-1.

For those folks who want to make a replica, the Remington Model 700 is effectively an improved version of the Model 721, 722, and 725.  You can drop one of the older actions into an appropriate sized Model 700 stock if you subtitute a Model 700 floorplate, magazine assembly, and action screws.  Interstingly, a source for aluminum clad/steel lined barrels is about to hit the market.  Unlike the early ArmaLite barrels which swaged the aluminum to the steel, the new barrel stock will be made via explosive cladding..

One image from this AR-1 rifle.

"PRESENTED TO H.R.H. PRINCE BERNHARD BY ARMALITE HOLLYWOOD CALIFORNIA"

I wish that was available sooner! I would have tried to buy this for sure...