WHAT DOES AR STAND FOR? Firing the ArmaLite AR-15. The first question Drill Sgt Timms asks the recruits during basic rifle marksmanship is what does AR stand for? The most common wrong answer is “Assault rifle" or "automatic rifle”. AR stands for "Armalite," the name of the company that first made the rifle in the 1950s. The ArmaLite AR-15 is a select-fire, gas-operated, air-cooled, magazine-fed rifle manufactured in the United States between 1959 and 1964. Designed by American gun manufacturer