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 the patents for the AR-15 rifle, the AR-18 went in completely different directions in terms of materials and function. This resulted in a short-stroke gas piston driven selective fire rifle, with a lightweight stamped steel receiver assembly and a recoil system that permitted a folding stock. Despite being a promising design, the AR-18 wound up overshadowed by the "older brother" and large military contracts or license deals never arrived like they did for the AR-15 family, resulting in a very limited production. Somewhat infamously, two of the most prominent users of the Armalite AR-18 were 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. This specific AR-18 was used as part of an article titled "The Lost Armalites" in the July 1998 (Volume 1 Number 10) of "Small Arms Review", receiving a half-page photo spread on page 48; a photocopy of the article is included with the lot. Features a winged post front and adjustable two leaf peep rear sights, with a conical flash hider, maker's marks on the upper receiver, matching "001" serial numbers on both the receiver and frame, and an ambidextrous three position "SAFE/SEMI/AUTO" selector switch. Fitted with a ribbed and vented plastic handguard, smooth plastic pistol grip, and a side folding plastic buttstock. Includes two extra magazines.