CAR-15 - CAR-15 Rifle. By the time the idea of the CAR-15 family was developed, Colt had already been producing two rifle variants for the US military. Colt's CAR-15 family included two rifles, one with the forward assist function (Model 603) and one without (Model 604). Both of these weapons were purchased by the US military, and more information can be found on the M16 page. See also:

CAR-15, CAR-15 - CAR-15 firearm family, CAR-15 - The Family, CAR-15 - CAR-15 Rifle, CAR-15 - CAR-15 Carbine, CAR-15 - CAR-15 Submachine Gun, CAR-15 - CAR-15 Survival Rifle, CAR-15 - CAR-15 Heavy Assault Rifles HBAR, CAR-15 - The Naming Issue

Read more here: » CAR-15: Encyclopedia II - CAR-15 - The Family

When Colt aquired the AR-15 from Armalite in 1959 it not only became the primary contractor for the pattern, but also proceded to develop an entire family of weapons around the original weapon. Colt's family came under a new name, the Colt Automatic Rifle-15, or CAR-15, and the increasing sales of rifles to the US military increased hopes that they could be induced to purchase all the other members of the family. In the end Colt developed two rifles, two Heavy BARreled rifles (or HBARs), a carbine, an ultra-short carbine, and a survival rifl ...

See also:

CAR-15, CAR-15 - CAR-15 firearm family, CAR-15 - The Family, CAR-15 - CAR-15 Rifle, CAR-15 - CAR-15 Carbine, CAR-15 - CAR-15 Submachine Gun, CAR-15 - CAR-15 Survival Rifle, CAR-15 - CAR-15 Heavy Assault Rifles HBAR, CAR-15 - The Naming Issue

Read more here: » CAR-15: Encyclopedia II - CAR-15 - CAR-15 firearm family