Join Renew Donate

Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

CLOSE

Quick Links

ArmaLite M-15 A2 Carbine

by

NRA Staff

posted on July 15, 2012

News, Reviews, Rifles, Semi-Auto Rifles

Support NRA American Rifleman DONATE

** 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

ARMALITE M-15 A2 CARBINE

NRA Staff

1 of 1

ARMALITE M-15 A2 CARBINE

NRA Staff

Armalite M-15 A2 Carbine

Charging handle

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

More like this from around the NRA

The Evolution Of The Colt Model 601 | An Official Journal Of The NRA

The Evolution Of The Colt Model 601 | An Official Journal Of The NRA

The AR-15: A Brief History | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal

The AR-15: A Brief History | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal

Entertainment Group’s Lawsuit Against Gun Manufacturers Dismissed with Prejudice | An Official Journal Of The NRA

Entertainment Group’s Lawsuit Against Gun Manufacturers Dismissed with Prejudice | An Official Journal Of The NRA

NRA World Shooting Championship: A Firsthand Look | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal

NRA World Shooting Championship: A Firsthand Look | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal

Latest

More

Why This DOJ Opinion on Handgun Ownership Matters

The DOJ Office of Legal Counsel recently released an opinion concluding that the federal ban on licensed firearms dealers selling handguns to 18-20-year-old U.S. citizens is unconstitutional.

I Have This Old Gun: Czech vz.27

Following World War I, Czechoslovakia needed to equip its new army, and one of its priorities was to select a service sidearm, which ultimately became the vz.27.

Cz Vz27 Ihtog 1

Cz Vz27 Ihtog 1

Rimfire M1 Refined: The Chiappa Bushranger

Italian manufacturer Chiappa is not afraid to take an original design and give it a modern twist. New for 2026, the company is taking its rimfire M1 carbine design one step further with the Bushranger.

Chiappa Bushranger 01

Chiappa Bushranger 01

TriStar Arms Celebrates 30th Anniversary

Established in 1996 by the father-and-son team of Gus and Ryan Bader, TriStar Arms has grown into one of the firearm industry’s most respected names in value-driven products.

Tristar

Optic on an Optic: Why You Should Add a Red-Dot to Your LPVO

Why is it that, suddenly, it seems like everyone is running around with little red-dot sights mounted on top of low-power, variable optics? Well, it turns out there are reasons for that.

LPVO on rifle

How Accurate are Today’s Rifles?

In just the last few decades, rifle accuracy has improved an astonishing amount, and our expectations have risen accordingly.

Rifle with ammo and ruler

Rifle with ammo and ruler

More Latest Stories

Interests

More

American Rifleman Television

Rifleman Review: Springfield Armory Kuna | An Official Journal Of The NRA

Rifleman Review: Springfield Armory Kuna | An Official Journal Of The NRA

Springfield Armory, Springfield Armory Kuna, Large-Format Pistol

ARTV

I Have This Old Gun

I Have This Old Gun: French MAS-49 | An Official Journal Of The NRA

I Have This Old Gun: French MAS-49 | An Official Journal Of The NRA

French Military, French MAS-49/56, French MAS-49

I Have This Old Gun

The Armed Citizen® Sept. 21, 2026 | An Official Journal Of The NRA

The Armed Citizen® Sept. 21, 2026 | An Official Journal Of The NRA

Armed Citizen, The Armed Citizen Blog, The Armed Citizen Online

Armed Citizen

American Rifleman News

USFWS Releases 2026 Waterfowl Population Survey Results | An Official Journal Of The NRA

USFWS Releases 2026 Waterfowl Population Survey Results | An Official Journal Of The NRA

USFWS, USFWS Survey, Waterfowl

News

American Rifleman Reviews

#SundayGunday: Leupold VX-5HD Gen 2 | An Official Journal Of The NRA

#SundayGunday: Leupold VX-5HD Gen 2 | An Official Journal Of The NRA

#SundayGunday, SundayGunday, Leupold

Reviews

NRA Gun of the Week

Gun of the Week: EAA Girsan Witness2311 CMXX | An Official Journal Of The NRA

Gun of the Week: EAA Girsan Witness2311 CMXX | An Official Journal Of The NRA

EAA Corp, EAA Girsan Witness 2311, EAA CMXX Witness2311 Double Stack

NRA Gun of the Week

New: Taurus TTX Suppressor Lineup | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal

New: Taurus TTX Suppressor Lineup | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal

taurus, suppressors, new for 2026

New For 2026

The Keefe Report

The Keefe Report: The Incomparable, Inimitable Phil Schreier—1962-2025 | An Official Journal Of The NRA

The Keefe Report: The Incomparable, Inimitable Phil Schreier—1962-2025 | An Official Journal Of The NRA

Philip Schreier, The Keefe Report, Mark Keefe

The Keefe Report

More Interests

EXPLORE MORE NRA PUBLICATIONS