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LOT 1357
Very Scarce and Desirable Costa Mesa Armalite AR-18 Selective Fire Rifle, Class
III/NFA Registered Fully Transferable Machine Gun with Armalite Scope - Serial no.
A6163, 5.56 mm cal., 18 inch round bbl., matte gray finish, synthetic stock. An excellent
example of an original and very scarce fully-automatic Armalite AR-18 rifle manufactured
by Armalite in Costa Mesa, California. Designed after Armalite had sold their interest in
(and patents for) the AR-15 rifle, the AR-18 went in completely different directions in
terms of materials and function. The result is a piston driven select fire assault rifle, with a
lightweight stamped steel receiver assembly and a recoil system that permitted a native
folding stock as factory standard. Delivering hard-hitting firepower in a compact package,
the AR-18 had many things in its favor but wound up overshadowed by the “older
brother”; large military contracts or license deals never arrived like they did for the AR-15/
M16 family of weapons, resulting in a very limited production. Somewhat infamously,
some of the most prominent users of the Armalite were on both
sides of “The Troubles” in Ireland, being adopted by both Loyalist
militia units and some factions of the Irish Republican Army, the
latter embracing the arm to the point of it being the namesake
of the “Armalite and Ballot Box Strategy” of the late 1980s.
Primarily a design and engineering firm rather than a volume
manufacturer, relatively limited numbers of AR-18s were made
at Costa Mesa, the bulk of the production happening at outside
firms like Howa and Sterling. Post front and adjustable two leaf
peep rear sights, with a three-prong flash hider, maker’s marks
on the upper receiver, and the ambidextrous three position
selector on the lower. An ArmaLite branded 2.75x 20mm scope
is installed on the receiver, with an electro-penciled matching
number on the underside of the mount. The bolt carrier and
chrome plated bolt head are unmarked. Ribbed and vented
handguard, with an “AR-18/ArmaLite” marked pistol grip, and a
side folding buttstock. Included are two extra magazines, and a manual.
CONDITION: Excellent, with 98% of the original matte gray phosphate finish, showing
minor spotting concentrated on the rear sight wings, and light scratches and handling
marks overall. Some of the barrel trunnion welds have been polished bright. The furniture
is also excellent, with some light scratches and scuffs. Mechanically excellent. NOTE: This
weapon is a National Firearms Act (NFA), fully transferable Class 3, which is registered with
the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, (BATFE) under the provisions of
18 U.S.C. Chapter 44 and 27 CFR part 479.
Estimate: 20,000 - 35,000