Here's a peek at the compact version of the new AR-24 pistol.  

This 9mm pistol is designed to serve you as a reliable protection device, focusing upon solid, traditional construction as well as dependability.

The AR-24 is a dramatic departure from ArmaLite’s tradition of new product development.  Unlike ArmaLite’s usual emphasis on the latest materials and processes, the AR-24 emphasizes the best ordnance materials and the construction standards of an earlier era when only the highest quality was trusted to protect life and property.

In so doing, ArmaLite diverged from the industry trend to inexpensive materials and construction techniques. The frame, slide, and barrel, for instance, are all expensively machined from ordnance alloy steel forgings in one of the most modern firearm factories in the world.  Machined surfaces are flat and straight, showing a finish devoid of machine marks that would please the most finicky gunsmith.  The rifling is finely cut, rather than button rifled, to provide the ultimate engagement of bullet to bore.  The pistol is then finished with military-grade mangenese phosphate and heat-cured epoxy for outstanding corrosion resistance.  

The AR-24 is designed not only to be accurate and reliable, but beautiful as well.  Great care has been taken to ensure that the fit of the pistol to the shooter’s hand, and the angle of the grip to the sights assures quick, natural aim and accuracy.  Fast sighting even under low light conditions is assured by a three-dot sight system.  The AR-24 is a handgun that anybody can be proud to own.

The new ArmaLite’s lines are reminiscent of a classic line extending from the elegant but expensive French M1935A designed by Charles Petter, and down through subsequent famed pistols to the AR-24.  In terms of form and function it can be thought of as fitting between the SIG P-210(tm) and the CZ-75(tm).  Extensive emphasis on design excellence and durability has driven this pistol from the ordinary to the extraordinary, and is reinforced in the artistry of the design.  

The AR-24 is offered in both full-sized 15 shot and compact 14 shot (including 1 round in the chamber) steel-framed models, and in a special version supplied with finely checkered forestrap and backstrap and adjustable sights.

We believe that you’ll be as proud to own this pistol as we are to bring it to the market.

Hi.

The frame is very much like a CZ, but machined from a forging instead of cast.  The slide is more like the clean slide of the classic SIG P210.

The MSRP of the special version with adjustable sights and checkered frame  around $665, while the standard version with fixed sights and vertically grooved frame is somewhat under $599.  The exact pricing strategy is still being worked out as import duties and transportation costs are figured out.  The info is still coming in.

Hi Earp.

9mm was chosen because it's still the most popular military and civilian caliber in the world.  Ammo is cheap and plentiful, and it's a fine caliber.  You'll always find shooters interested in higher power, but as a caliber suited to shooters of all statures, and both compact and full sized, 9mm is still an outstanding choice.

We rejected the concept of modifying the design to accept .40 S&W.  9mms bumped up to .40 have a mixed result.  Instead, we're finishing work on the .45 caliber AR-26, and hope to introduce it next year.  We want a 10 and/or 12 shot pistol in  that caliber.  We'll then take the .45 and bump it down to a very strong .40, hopefully in -08.

ark-and-spark:

Good point.

The forging dies for the AR-24 need to be changed to add material upon which to machine a rail.  It's in process.  We'll continue to offer the model without rail as the standard model... it's the main version requested.

The only pistol of this type in the world that isn't cast is the Swiss Sphynx.  It's machined from bar stock.  That offers the advantage of very simple fixturing during manufacture and allows addition of a rail without change to a forging die.

The cast pistols obviously require(d) a change to the mold.

And Pyro, you make a great point.  The design IS dated.  That was the point.

Handgun development has gone through an interesting quarter century.  Until IPSC came along handguns were very little changed. IPSC changed all that as a host of gunsmiths created small changes that provided a theoretical edge (and great work for a lot of gunsmiths.)

Over the last quarter century the handgun world has been jumbled with a lot of these changes being added to production guns in an effort to keep lines changing... which satisfies writers and digs into the corners of customer interest.  Square trigger guards, extended controls, ambidextrous this and that, and so on.

There's been something of a backlash lately.  

Although the forging die is made to allow production of either a rounded or square trigger guard, the overwhelming response from people who have viewed the AR24 is that they appreciate elimination of the squared trigger guard.  You can expect that we'll offer it later, but the main version will be rounded.  And a chamfered grip base sides aren't needed when the mag is already angled so much that it can't help but enter the grip.  (The mag well is chamfered at the front.)  There have been changes made where important, like the safety system.  When the hammer is down the safety locks up everything... trigger, hammer, and slide.  When the hammer is cocked the safety locks only the trigger and hammer, so that the slide may be moved to safely unload the pistol.

ArmaLite deliberately left off some of the faddish stuff and focused on a classic design made of the best processes going.  For instance, if you hold the slide up to the light and look down it, you'll see that the edge between the curved top and flat sides is dead nuts straight.  That means that there is no rippling of surfaces.  And you play hell trying to find a machine mark in ths slide rails.  The slide is exceptionally smooth.

The SIG P210 isn't so popular because it's got the latest bells and whistles.  It's so popular because of classic good looks and high quality.  And that's where we've headed. We do intend to add the other features in a logical priority as customers tell us what they want, but the focus is on a clean, classic pistol that you'd be proud to own.

No, this isn't made in the US.  Couldn't afford it.

For several years ArmaLite has been associated with the Turkish firm that produces the Service Pistol for their Army.  The company is marketing the ArmaLite AR-10, 30, and 50 to their Ministry of Defense, and has signed an agreement with Colt to build the M4 there (if and when all the export controls are passed).  In a visit to the big Arms Expo there somewhat over a year ago Mark Westrom visited the factory and was stunned by what he saw.  He'd previously thought that the firm was just a Representative.  Turns out that it's a 120 year old company.

Not just that, the outfit, Sarsilmaz, owns Bernadelli in Italy and an ammunition plant in Portugal as well.

The plant is an ISO 9000 registered factory.  The machinery is overwhelmingly Okuma Howa (the machinists among you will recognize that this is absolutely top notch gear.  Secondary machines are German and Italian.  Not a bit of Chinese or Taiwanese machinery in the place. The plant is far more complete than any Westrom had seen (Later Charlie Cutshaw went to the factory with Westrom and said it was the best plant he'd seen in the world except for one:  the Singaporean government plant.  But hell, you can almost eat off the sidewalks in Singapore so they don't count.)  It's definitely the highest quality factory in that country.

As they're marketing our rifles there, we agreed to market ArmaLite versions of their pistols here.  We've spent a year modifying the design and getting production going.

We're working on the price.  The problem is that this is NOT a cheap project.  We'd save a lot of dollars switching to a cast frame and bar stock barrels but that isn't the direction Westrom wanted to go.  The cheap end is crowded already and he'd been disappointed when he bought one.

He got a CZ when he as stationed in Germany and it's at the ArmaLite plant now.  Nicely machined from a forging and all that (but with typical communist era poor finishing and worn cutters).  As soon as an Italian copy came out he bought one but was disappointed in the castings and soft metal so he dumped it.  He's been hammering on this pistol to get the design where it deserves to be.

His thought is that this market can stand a high end product just like the 1911s have high and low ends.

I actually think the price sounds very fair.  I look forward to seeing these at the SHOT Show (if not sooner).

Great job, ArmaLite.  

Mark

Hi Bookhound.

Thanks much.

We worried about price positioning too...

The problem is that a bay full of Okuma Howas costs as much, or more, to run over there than they do here.  Labor costs are lower  but it doesn't make up for the difference.  One of the problems we face is that we're competing with some plastic  guns that are REALLy inexpensive to make.  We think that there are enough people who will pay for quality that we'll be OK.

One of the big problems is shipping.  Fedex and UPS now demand that handguns go  by air, and shipment of a single handgun to the coast runs about $50.  Distributors and dealers like that freight paid, and so it goes into the price of the gun too.

Anybody know of a way to send these things out for aobut $10 each?

Some people won’t be happy unless they can get a $2K custom pistol for under $300.  Build a quality product using quality components, price it reasonably based on what the quality is worth and people who appreciate the quality difference over lesser quality products will buy it.  If the product is as nice as described here, you’ll have no problems selling them.

Now, as a guy who mainly sells silencers, I’d sure love to have these with an extended, threaded barrel.  Here is a thought for you, know why guys buy the Walther P22 even though it is not the best .22 pistol ?  Because it has a factory threaded barrel.  It is a cheap way for them into a silenced .22 platform.  


Mark

The pistol is very much like a CZ-75.  Like the description says, it's something between the P210 anc CZ-75.  The main frame differences involve the added safety features.

The mags fit in a 75, but not the other way around.  We'll test for function in the next day or so.  75 mags are just a bit short to fit in the AR-24.

Mag cost won't be $40... more like $30, but that's still being worked.

As to the suggestion of air shipment... that's not too foolish.  It's far cheaper to airfreight these in bulk across the Atlantic than it is to UPS or FEDEX them across the country...  We're being ripped off by a bureaucratic requirement that's not law.  We're looking for a change to another carrier if we can find a secure one.  Any company rule that adds that much money to the cost of shipment without adding value to the customer is ridiculous.

And ArmaLite express has a certain charm to it.  Problem is, how does the crew get a board with what they carry?

Rogue:

$30 might sound high for a mag, but remember that the various distributors and dealers in the food chain need some profit for troubling to make the mags, and everything else you need, available to you.  Unless we price in for profit and risk, we don't get anybody to provide you the guns.


JustOneMore

Some people do prefer full sized dust covers.  You're correct; with the slide rails like Petter designed the long dust cover doesn't provide any advantage unless the space is used to mount a rail.  

Here are specs we promised:

AR-24 PISTOL SPECS


Frame forging:  3lbs, 12oz
Slide forging:  2lbs, 3oz
Barrel forging: 10oz


AR-24   (full size frame)
Overall Length 8.267 in
Overall Height 5.112 in
Barrel Length 4.671 in
Grip Width 1.339 in
Weight 2.18 lbs
Muzzle Velocity 1148 fps (± 32 fps)

AR-24K (compact size frame)
Overall Length 7.461in
Overall Height 5.257in
Barrel Length 3.888 in
Grip Width 1.339 in
Weight 2.09 lbs
Muzzle Velocity 1115 fps (± 32 fps)

Thanks for the comments.

We're still working on pricing, but remember that this is quite a different product than less expensive models.  Hell, high and low ends works in the 1911 world and we think there's a market for a nicely machined pistol in this line too.  We know that the new polymer guns are popular, but know that there's just nothing that feels like steel in the hand.

There's something interesting about the way these are made that limits us on price.

You might think that an import is naturally less expensive from Croatia, Brazil or Turkey.  That's not necessarily so these days.  The machines in the factory are almost totally Okuma Howas... high end computer controlled machines.  They're just as expensive around the world as they are here.  While labor and land might be less expensive, import duties, freight, etc make up for it.

The only stuff that really gets in cheap is stuff made in huger numbers like computers, or stuff that requires a lot of manhours, like clothing.  A lot of consumer products, especially high quality stuff, comes in about the same price.

A few posts have stacked up that deserve comments.  We've shortened some to squeeze everything into this answer.

Thanks for all the comments.


pv74  Can't you guys use the USPS (to ship pistols)?  Also, can't these handguns be shipped in bulk to the distributors throughout the U.S.?  

Yes.  Both will help keep costs down.

ETA?  

Today.  They’re shipping now.  Not many are on hand… less than 1000, so you should get your dealers to call in.

I think $20 is a fair price for most pistol mags.  

It is, but it’s now supportable by the prices we’re paying.  Please remember that there are a few steps in the distribution chain and without a bit of profit nobody will bother stocking them.  We’ve compared pricing and find that it’s not cheap (and neither is their construction) but pricing is competitive.

Varoadking:  I'd be interested in a compact version.  We’ve got full-sized and compact now… and requests for a good looking blend of the full sized frame and compact slide.

Will a decock version be offered?  

If we can, but it’s harder than it seems.  Because the AR-24 employs a modular firing mechanism, a change to a decocker (or for that matter adding an ambi safety) requires massive redesign.

Will the AR-26's utilize the same frame?  

No.  .45GAP would work with the same basic frame, but .45ACP needs an entirely different one.

Bedore:  I feel you have priced yourself out of the market. It's too bad the profit dollar means more than the customer sale.

We see a great middle price that’s above the plastic and cast pistols but below SIG and Beretta.  And that price level is required to deliver a handgun like this.

Fixed sight models are 559.99.  Tactical Custom with adjustable sights and checkered frame is $630.95 MSRP.

We don’t understand the slam.  Please don’t belittle profit.  Without it we won’t have anybody else handling these things.  And besides, our whole system works on a capitalist model.  It works great to get goods to all of us at reasonable prices.

Colt45guy:  What's the deal with the compact being taller? It's harder to conceal the grip than the muzzle.  

That was an error.

SkagSig40: When will this be available to buy? I really like the all steel construction and the overall looks!!!

They’re shipping now.  Glad you like the lines.

rob1035:  Is the action DA/SA with Condition 1 option?  Please say it has an ambidextrous safety.

Yes, and no.  DA/SA and cond 1 isn’t a problem.  

An ambi safety would require massive redesign of the entire firing mechanism.

And when you get right down to it, even if you have one disabled arm it is indeed possible to operate the pistol with one hand.

olds442tyguy:  I fell in love with the newer Sphynx line the first time I saw them, but costing $2000+ was a little very discouraging. I don't like cast frames and/or slides, so when the railed model comes along, it looks like I'll no longer have an excuse not to buy a CZ based pistol anymore.

We think we’ve got a great price for the quality of the pistols.  We can’t do a full length dust cover with a rail until the forging die is modified, as well as tooling, machining programs, and gages.  It’s not a trivial topic, but we’ll get it done… hopefully in ’08.

Reverend_Deadboy:  I love my plastic guns.  That said that's a nice pistol. I think the market will bear a high end CZ okay.  A 9mm with an extended, threaded barrel would be cool.....

We could have full length threaded barrels supplied for short slides.

bradleyc

Good work ditching the fads, but there is a reason for the ambidexterous stuff. Left handed firers are about 10% of the market. I'm left handed, and I absolutely will not buy a pistol I can't operate as easily as it can be operated by a right handed person. This is why I carry a USP every day.

A:  We’re glad you understand dropping the faddish features.  We understand your preference for total ambidextrous parts, but are well used to right handed firing both ways.  

No production gun I can think of has the safety, slide release and mag release on the right side of the frame. Ambidexteous controls were added to get people like me to buy the guns, but If you're left handed and into minimalist controls you are usually SOL.

I'm not going to ask you to compromise the minimalist controls on the AR-24, but I will tell you that I will probably not consider buying if the controls are not accessable to the firing left hand.

A:  Well, actually the pistol can be operated totally with the left hand in a pinch.  It does require removing the trigger finger if you don’t have your right hand available.  The mag catch is reversible.  You make a good point though.  The matter is more important than the 10% you site.  Since every object has both a left and a right side, everybody needs to be able to fire both strong and weak sides.  It’s virtually no problem if both hands are available to share the duty of controlling and reloading the pistol.

On the other hand, I would easily pay $200 more for a dedicated left handed version, especially if it's a pistol with the apparent quality of the AR-24. If the philosophy behind this product is to sell quality instead of quantity, it would benefit Armalite to take advantage of the lefties in the high-end pistol market.

A:  We did exactly that with the left handed AR-50, but the economics aren’t with us on the 24.  

AKsRule

1. The Price point will be too high to compete with all the Polymer Pistols.  

We aren’t competing on price… it’s a LOT cheaper way to make a plastic or cast pistol anyway, so it’s a lousy tier to fight.  But nothing quite feels like steel.  We’re competing on quality against higher grade guns.

2. People will pay more for SIGS and COLTS rather than buy a gun from Turkey.  

Sure, but they have to.  Great quality  but expensive to build.  It would be crazy to build the AR-24 here.  They’d run over $700 too, and heck, the basic pistol was already tooled up.  It would cost a huge amount in time and money to redo the tooling alone.

3. If Armalite needs to Stamp its Name on a Product to compete in the Mass Market ,
Stick with Toasters.

We aren’t pushing into the mass market.  There are only a few of these pistols available and production will never match the plastic guns.  

But we’re thinking of a hi-cap toaster.

4.  You Guys make GREAT RIFLES ! Can't you just do more of that?

We are.  We’ve got a solid flow of rifles, especially AR-10s going.  But sometimes you just have to react to the opportunities as they appear.  We spent a lot of time getting this pistol right.

They're too new... virtually no dealers will have them for several months unless you can tell them about them and get them to order.

We're advising them by Internet and mail but there'll be a lot of gaps..