Armalite AR-17: A Shotgun from the World of Tomorrow!
This video delves into the Armalite AR-17, a unique shotgun from the early 1960s. The description highlights Armalite's innovative use of aluminum in firearms, stemming from their aircraft manufacturing background. The AR-17, introduced in 1964, featured an almost entirely aluminum construction, making it exceptionally lightweight (5.5 lbs) but also resulting in punishing recoil for users. It employed a short recoil action with a 10-lug bolt, a 2-round capacity, and a single-round elevator system. Despite its novel design, the AR-17 was a commercial failure due to its heavy recoil, poor swing characteristics, and limited capacity, with only about 1200 units sold out of 2000 manufactured.













