** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
A step-by-step photo tutorial on how to fieldstrip the popular Armalite M-15 A2 Carbine.
Gallery
NRA Staff
1 of 1
ARMALITE M-15 A2 CARBINE
NRA Staff
Armalite M-15 A2 Carbine
NRA Staff
1 of 1
Charging handle
NRA Staff
Pull the charging handle to the rear and pull the bolt carrier (31) group from the upper receiver (Fig. 1). Remove the charging handle by dropping it through the recesses in the upper receiver. Depress the buffer retainer (81) to release the buffer (42) and buffer spring (41). Pull the buffer and spring from the receiver extension tube (43).
NRA Staff
1 of 1
Retaining pin
NRA Staff
Pull the firing pin retaining pin (29) from the bolt carrier (Fig. 2). Up-end the bolt carrier and let the firing pin (26) fall from the bolt carrier.
NRA Staff
1 of 1
Cam pin
NRA Staff
Push the bolt (33) into the carrier, then rotate the cam pin (30) 90 degrees (Fig. 3) and pull it from the carrier.
NRA Staff
1 of 1
Bolt
NRA Staff
Extract the bolt (Fig. 4).
NRA Staff
1 of 1
Extractor pin
NRA Staff
Push the extractor pin (37) out of the bolt (Fig. 5), but be careful with the small extractor spring (35) and extractor spring insert (34). Some easily fall from the extractor (36) and can be lost
Defensive gun use is defined by uncertainty. You don’t know when it will happen, how far away the threat will be, how many threats you will face or what position you will be in when it begins.
In 2025, Turkish manufacturer Derya Arms opened a new facility in Florida, enabling the company to produce a number of new products domestically, such as its new OBone suppressor.
The cycle of operation is the mechanical sequence of events that it takes to fire one shot out of a firearm. If one of those steps fails to take place as designed, there is an interruption in the cycle of operation and the gun stops firing.
The Colt Model 1911 pistol and its derivatives are among the most iconic military handguns ever made. But in 2026, does the M1911 still hold up as a quality defensive arm?