ARMALITE®, INC
OWNER’S MANUAL
FOR
M-15™ RIFLES AND CARBINES
READ THIS MANUAL THOROUGHLY,
PARTICULARLY THE WARNINGS, BEFORE USING THIS FIREARM! IT’S IMPORTANT!
Copyright ArmaLite®, Inc. |
ArmaLite® Inc. |
October 2009 Rev 21 |
P.O. Box 299 |
P/N: MANUAL M15 |
Geneseo, Illinois, USA 61254 |
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1-800-336-0184 |
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www.ArmaLite.com |
1. READ THIS FIRST!
Throughout this manual you will find WARNINGS and/or CAUTIONS printed in bold print. All WARNINGS and CAUTIONS should be read carefully and followed completely. WARNINGS discuss issues that could result in damage to your firearm, or injury or death to you or a bystander. CAUTIONS discuss issues that could result in damage or malfunction of your firearm.
WARNING: IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ASSURE THAT YOUR FIREARM IS HANDLED, FIRED, AND STORED SAFELY AND RESPONSIBLY AT ALL TIMES.
This manual provides instructions on the operation and maintenance of your ArmaLite® firearm. Read and understand it carefully before you try to use your firearm. Your safety, and that of those around you, depends on your knowledge of your firearm and on your knowledge of safety rules common to all firearms. Please study the common-sense safety rules noted in this manual. Your first responsibility as a gun owner is always safety!
Your second responsibility as a gun owner is security. Make sure that your firearm remains in responsible hands…YOURS! Don’t become an unwitting partner in a crime or tragedy: make sure your firearm is properly secured. Lock it in a secure storage container or, if none is available, remove the bolt and bolt carrier assembly and store it separately. If you have more than one similar firearm, make sure that you specifically identify the removed assembly with its original firearm because the assemblies may not be interchangeable.
It is also your responsibility to assure that you comply with all federal, state, and local laws with regard to the purchase, ownership, use, and storage of your firearm.
This manual may serve several models of ArmaLite® firearms. If so, instructions which refer to specific models will be clearly marked.
NOTICE
ArmaLite® has no control over the use of your firearm, and shall not be responsible for injury, death, or damage to property resulting from either intentional or accidental discharge of this firearm. In addition, ArmaLite® shall not be responsible for proper function of the firearm when it is used for purposes or subjected to treatment for which it was not intended. ArmaLite® will not honor claims which may result from careless or improper handling, unauthorized adjustments or parts replacement, corrosion, neglect, use of the wrong type or caliber of ammunition, or the use of ammunition other than original, high quality commercially manufactured ammunition in good condition or any combination thereof.
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2.SAFETY FIRST! IT’S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY!
* Treat every gun as if it is loaded …AT ALL TIMES!
*Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.
*Never point your firearm at anything that you do not intend to shoot.
*Keep your finger off the trigger and out of the trigger guard until you are aiming at your target and ready to shoot.
*Always keep the safety in the “SAFE” position, especially when the firearm is loaded and cocked, until you are ready to fire.
*Always keep and carry your firearm with an empty chamber until you intend to shoot, so that your firearm cannot be fired unintentionally. Firearms should be unloaded when not actually in use.
*Be sure of your target and backstop before you shoot. Ask yourself what your bullet will hit if it misses or goes through the target.
*Never shoot at hard, flat surfaces or water…bullets can ricochet.
*Always wear hearing and eye protection when shooting.
*Discharging firearms in poorly ventilated areas, cleaning firearms, or handling ammunition may result in exposure to lead, a substance known to be associated with birth defects, reproductive harm, and other serious injury. Have adequate ventilation at all times and wash hands after handling.
*Be sure that your barrel is clear of obstructions, including excessive oil, grease, cleaning patches, etc before shooting.
*Use only clean, high quality factory loaded ammunition in good condition. ArmaLite® cannot condone the use of handloaded ammunition. Any such use voids the ArmaLite® warranty.
*Do not alter or modify your firearm.
*Do not try to change your firearm’s trigger pull, because alterations of trigger pull can affect sear engagement and might cause accidental firing.
*Store firearms and ammunition separately, and beyond children’s reach.
IN CASE OF MALFUNCTION, STOP! REVIEW THIS MANUAL TO IDENTIFY AND RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. IF YOU CANNOT RESOLVE IT, CONTACT ARMALITE®.
KEEP THIS MANUAL WITH YOUR RIFLE. IF YOU SELL THE RIFLE, GIVE THIS MANUAL TO THE NEW OWNER.
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3. TABLE OF CONTENTS |
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1. READ THIS FIRST!----------------------------------------------------------- |
2 |
2. SAFETY FIRST! IT’S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY!------------------- |
3 |
3. TABLE OF CONTENTS----------------------------------------------------- |
4 |
4. SAFE STORAGE--------------------------------------------------------------- |
5 |
5. GENERAL INFORMATION------------------------------------------------ |
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6. EXPLODED DRAWINGS AND PARTS LISTS------------------------ |
7 |
7. AMMUNITION--------------------------------------------------------------- |
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8. INITIAL ASSEMBLY, INSPECTION, AND CLEANING---------- |
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9. LOADING AND FIRING--------------------------------------------------- |
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10. CLEARING / UNLOADING THE FIREARM----------------------- |
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11. ZEROING THE SIGHTS------------------------------------------------- |
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12. DISASSEMBLY------------------------------------------------------------- |
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13. MAINTENANCE------------------------------------------------------------ |
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14. REASSEMBLY-------------------------------------------------------------- |
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15. TROUBLESHOOTING---------------------------------------------------- |
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16. WARRANTY, SERVICE, AND SUGGESTIONS-------------------- |
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4. SAFE STORAGE
WARNING: ALWAYS ASSURE THAT YOUR FIREARM IS COMPLETELY UNLOADED BEFORE STORING IT. ALWAYS TREAT YOUR FIREARM AS IF IT WERE LOADED. ALWAYS STORE YOUR FIREARM IN A SAFE LOCATION, SEPARATE FROM THE AMMUNITION.
Make certain that both the chamber and magazine of your rifle are unloaded before you store it. Store your rifle in a securely locked gun safe. If you do not have a safe, remove the bolt and bolt carrier assembly from your rifle, and store it separately from the rifle in a secure location. Store your ammunition separately from the rifle and from the bolt and bolt carrier assembly.
WARNING: IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE SIMILAR FIREARM, MAKE SURE THAT YOU SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFY THE REMOVED ASSEMBLY WITH ITS ORIGINAL FIREARM BECAUSE THE ASSEMBLIES MAY NOT BE INTERCHANGEABLE.
5. GENERAL INFORMATION
Your firearm is a lightweight, gas operated, air cooled, magazine fed rifle produced for a high degree of accuracy, reliability, and durability. The firearm’s construction features extensive use of aircraft-grade forgings, with no die-cast or extruded parts employed in the receivers. The patented bolt assembly provides higher strength than that found on similar designs.
WARNING: YOUR ARMALITE® FIREARM WAS DESIGNED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY WITH ITS ORIGINAL COMPONENTS. ALTERATIONS TO ITS ORIGINAL COMPONENTS OR REPLACEMENT OF THEM WITH AFTERMARKET (NON-ARMALITE®) COMPONENTS CAN CAUSE MALFUNCTIONS OR EVEN MAKE THE FIREARM UNSAFE. DO NOT ALTER ANY PART OR ADD / SUBSTITUTE PARTS NOT MANUFACTURED BY ARMALITE® INC.
5.1 THE NATIONAL MATCH TRIGGER
ArmaLite®’s National Match trigger is designed to aid accuracy by reducing the distraction of the long, heavy, irregular trigger pull of the standard trigger mechanism.
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The National Match trigger is a two-stage trigger with distinct characteristics: a first stage, which is relatively light, and a second stage of heavier resistance. Microscopic variations in the surface of the parts may cause a feeling of grittiness in the first stage. This is normal on factory-made parts, and will not affect the release of the shot. A properly adjusted second stage will not be creepy, and is the key to a successful mechanism.
The ArmaLite® two stage match trigger is based on that of M1/M14 rifle, and is not user adjustable. It is intentionally built with a barely detectable creep in the second stage. As the trigger breaks in with use (200 to 500 rounds) the creep tends to disappear. It is not possible to exactly predict the amount of break-in of a new trigger, so it is impossible to produce a fixed device that will always break in to produce a perfect trigger pull. If creep remains, a trained gunsmith using the same techniques used with the M1/M14 trigger system may adjust the trigger. ArmaLite® technicians will adjust the triggers for a nominal fee. Instructions will be provided to licensed gunsmiths upon request. Match triggers require more attention and tuning than standard triggers.
ArmaLite® absolutely cannot condone modification of the ArmaLite® trigger mechanism by anyone other than a trained gunsmith. Any such modification may render the device unsafe and will void the factory warranty.
5.2 BARREL LIFE
Barrel life depends on how fast the rifle is fired and how accurate the shooter insists it must be. Shooting the rifle as fast as the trigger can be pulled can ruin the barrel in just a few hundred rounds. Firing at controlled rates will allow a standard grade M-15™ barrel to last for 10,000 to 15,000 rounds with accuracy acceptable for police use. Target shooters fire at very moderate rates, but their higher accuracy requirements may mean barrel replacement as early as 3,500 match rounds.
5.3 RECEIVER FIT
The M-15™ is not a custom firearm. ArmaLite® requires a close fit between the receivers, but normal forging and machining variations may result in play or slight side to side receiver mismatch. This is not a manufacturing defect and has no adverse effect on accuracy.
5.4 APPEARANCE
Almost all complaints concerning appearance come from customers who forget that the M-15™ is a Military Specification rifle, not a polished commercial or collectors-grade rifle. It is an industrial product, not a custom rifle, and bears finishes appropriate for its intended purposes. ArmaLite® rifles are all thoroughly test fired before shipping. New rifles will normally show evidence of this firing. If the receiver looks light or uneven in color, it’s probably just dry. A light coat of oil on the metallic surfaces will improve its appearance.
The receivers and front sights are made of forgings because forgings provide exceptional strength. By its very nature, the forging process may leave small dents and dings on the outside of the forging. ArmaLite® inspects all forgings for excessive marks, but no forging is free of them. This is not a defect.
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6. EXPLODED DRAWINGS AND PARTS LISTS
The drawings and associated parts lists in this section will give you visual references to parts discussed in the text. In the text, you will note part numbers in parentheses behind some part names. Those part numbers are the same as part numbers shown in the exploded drawings and part lists. For example, a part numbered “U-7” in the text would refer to the part numbered “7” in the Upper Assembly exploded view.
The below-listed parts are for M-15’s in 5.56 NATO caliber. ArmaLite also sells M-15s in other calibers such as 6.8 SPC and 7.62X39. Those other calibers use some unique parts, including unique barrel assemblies, bolts, extractors, magazines and upper receivers. If you need parts for M-15s in calibers other than 5.56 NATO, contact us.
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7. AMMUNITION
ArmaLite sells our M-15s chambered for several different cartridges. Nomenclature of cartridges can be confusing. It is vital that you understand cartridge nomenclature and only fire cartridges for which this firearm was designed. To assist you, the name of the appropriate cartridge will be etched on the receiver and/or barrel of each ArmaLite. (More information regarding cartridge nomenclature can be found in the Tech Notes on our website.)
WARNING: USE OF INCORRECT AMMUNITION CAN CAUSE FIREARM DAMAGE, PERSONAL INJURY, OR DEATH. MAKE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THAT YOU ARE USING CARTRIDGES DESIGNED FOR YOUR FIREARM. DO NOT FIRE OLD, CORRODED, DEFORMED, OR HANDLOADED AMMUNITION. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, CONTACT ARMALITE® BEFORE FIRING.
ArmaLite® chambers its M-15™ family of firearms for a number of different cartridges. In order to assure that you are using the correct cartridges for your firearm, you must look on the firearm itself. The caliber is marked on the barrel and/or upper receiver. If you have any questions regarding ammunition compatibility, CONTACT ARMALITE® BEFORE FIRING THE RIFLE!!!!!!!
If your M-15™ Series firearm is chambered for 5.56 cartridges, it will fire all standardized U.S. military 5.56mm cartridges and all factory loaded cartridges in .223 Remington caliber. Do not attempt to fire any other cartridges in this firearm. Standard M-15™s will provide an optimum combination of accuracy and reliability with projectile weights between 50 and 69 grains. M- 15™T, M-15™TN, and M-15™A4NM rifles are designed for long range target use with 69 – 80 grain projectiles. However, they will function reliably with projectile weights between 50 and 80 grains.
The M-15™(T) has a specially lapped match grade barrel. It is superbly accurate when used with Black Hills molybdenum disulfide coated match ammunition, Federal .223M or other match quality ammunition. Naturally, accuracy is less impressive if lower quality ammunition is used.
If your M-15™ Series firearm is chambered for any cartridge other than 5.56mm, it will fire appropriate cartridges manufactured to SAAMI standards.
WARNING: DO NOT FIRE SABOTED AMMUNITION FROM YOUR RIFLE. THE SABOT COULD LODGE IN YOUR FLASH SUPPRESSOR CAUSING FIREARM DAMAGE AND POTENTIAL INJURY OR DEATH.
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CAUTION: FIRING TRACER AND ARMOR PIERCING AMMUNITION REDUCES BARREL LIFE.
NOTE: Some types/brands of ammunition have unique characteristics (e.g. extremely light or heavy projectiles, particularly soft cartridge cases, propellant that burns unusually slowly or rapidly) that reduce its reliability in any semiautomatic firearm. ArmaLite® recommends that you purchase and test a small quantity of any type of ammo in your firearm before you buy large quantities.
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