Found these pictures while surfing around the web trying to decide what setup to build with a Daniel Defense AR-10 762 Lite Rail I recently got my hands on. I've been looking for one of these rails for 4 years, I found 3 of them in less than a month with Joe Marler's help! ;)
This rifle was submitted to the SOCOM SCAR-Heavy Program.
http://www.sadefensejournal.com/wp/?p=2851
Around 2009, Mark Westrom, CEO of ArmaLite participated in early discussions of the SOCOM SCAR-Heavy program. The officials were looking for a weapon to replace the M16/M4 family of weapons with a strong preference in a rifle with an external gas system rather than the Stoner designed internal gas system. Westrom briefed Colt on a version of the original ArmaLite AR-180 rifle, which featured a sliding cylinder mounted to the front sight. His analysis, based on firing tests he conducted while being an Ordnance Officer in Germany, led him to conclude that the external gas system offered no significant advantage over the Stoner system, and indeed suffered a number of technical and logistical disadvantages. He then decided that ArmaLite's best candidate was in fact the ArmaLite M-15 carbine. Westrom knew that a new system would not be adopted because the Service was certainly not going to replace an existing system with another one varying only slightly. He therefore contacted Colt to suggest that the two firms join in the SCAR program to offer the Colt M4 and the ArmaLite AR-10. At several key military shows, Colt displayed ArmaLite AR-10 rifles with Colt markings. Only about 22 of these rifles were produced. Colt got very favorable reactions from customers on this rifle. It was displayed with a Daniel Defense free floating handguard, Norgon ambidextrous bolt catch and the newly released ArmaLite manufactured forward assist upper receiver, which included a forward assist assembly and various backup sights. Both a rifle and carbine variations were on display.
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Shown for the first time is the ArmaLite made Colt AR-10 rifle around the 2009/2010 time period at defense shows by Colt Defense. This was more of a proof of capability. None were ever produced. Colt clearly wanted their own rifle.
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