Back in the day, stoners contemplated life’s mysteries from a tetrahydrocannabinol-enhanced perspective. So enabled, they’d confront cosmic karma with a simple statement: “that’s heavy.” Heavy was deep. Heavy was good. Even when it wasn’t. “Dude, your landlord’s here to throw you out.” “Whoa. That’s heavy.” Heavy was important. And then Japanese products invaded the America. Suddenly, small was beautiful. The Sony Walkman was infinitely better than the ‘rents entertainment center and the Honda Accord could run circles around a Buick. But something important was lost. Stuff became insubstantial. Cheap. Disposable. I first experienced the unbearable lightness of being when the computer guy threw out my Apple II’s motherboard, shoved in another one and called it good. Thank God for the AR 24-15C. In a world of cheap plastic guns (now including revolvers), it’s heavy, man.
An unladen AR 24-15C tips the scales at a Biggest Loser early episode-like 34.9 ounces. That’s 2.18125 pounds or 989.398357 grams. Now I could compare the AR 24’s poundage to another, infinitely more popular full-size 9mm gun, like, say, the Glock 17L. That wouldn’t be fair. Glock’s largest polymer pistol is a bantamweight ballistic bruiser at just 23.6 ounces. But the contrast would highlight the fact that the AR 24 is as much of a concealed carry weapon as a Louisville Slugger, which weighs some 3.9 ounces less than ArmaLite’s imported pistol.
But before I do the right thing and compare the AR 24’s heft to the gun whose design inspired it (the CZ 75) let’s switch to the world of “Health Optimizers.”
Vega is a Complete Wholefood Health Optimizer – an all-in-one, natural plant-based formula that provides 100% RDI of vitamins & minerals per serving . . .
Over the past 50 years, our Western culture has managed to complicate matters concerning diet and its relation to health. Obesity and malnourishment exist simultaneously while the over-consumption of calorie-rich but nutrient-poor foods drain our energy. To make matters worse, we treat obesity with drugs and fad diets and combat fatigue with refined carbohydrates, sugar and caffeine. These are short-term solutions that eventually render us energy depleted, over-stimulated, chronically stressed and vulnerable to illness and premature aging.
A $57.69 bottle of Vega weighs exactly the same as the AR 24-15C: 34.9 ounces. Question: which one of these products is more likely to save your life? Despite its mental association with the worst car ever built this side of the Iron Curtain, I’m thinking Vega. Unless someone other than the fast food industry is trying to kill you. Of course, you could use both. Pop a Vega to combat combat fatigue and shoot a life-or-death attacker with the ArmaLite AR 24-15C. In the reverse order, obviously.
I digress. But only slightly. The point I’m making here: the AR 24 is a gun. Yes, it’s heavy. But it’s a gun. Which is a whole better than a bottle of really expensive vitamins or a baseball bat when you need a gun. If you live in a place where you can open carry a small boat anchor in a hip holster, you’re good to stow. OK, you’d probably want a .45 in that case. And yet . . . 15 rounds of 9mm is pretty damn helpful when push comes to shove.
Bottom line: the AR 24 may be (i.e., is) too heavy for daily carry, but it’s an extremely useful thing to have as a home defense weapon. And it’s feels right at home, home on the range.
Where was I? Right. The handgun manufactured by the artist formerly known as the Czech Republic, the CZ 75, weighs an incredibly hefty 39.52 ounces, beze projektil. That’s 4.62 ounces heavier than the ArmaLite (by name, not by nature). So is it Czech mate for the AR 24? I’m going with yes. The CZ’s some heavy shit. But Mark Westrom’s AR 24 is some seriously heavy shit.
Why wouldn’t it be? ArmaLite’s CEO is OCD, in a good way. The AR 24 traces its roots to Mark Westrom’s visit to gun maker Sarsilmaz Silah Sanayi in Istambul (no you can’t go back to Constantinople). When the American AR-meister had a close encounter of the Turkish Army-spec 9mm kind, and clocked the corporate cleanliness of the company’s factory, Westrom thought “what the hell’s a croissant got to do with the Turks?”
No wait; it was something about “the last one to tool-up gets the best machines.” Bonus! The proto-AR 24 was made from forged steel, baby. Cast aside your preconceptions: forged steel may be old-fashioned, but it’s completely bad ass. If you want a handgun that takes a lickin’ and keeps on shootin’, I say forge ahead.
Sure, the result is a heavy gun (did I mention that?). But Westrom grooved on the firearm’s silky smooth action and the fact that it’s a perfect pistol for pistol-whipping. I mean, it makes the AR 24 an incredibly stable, reliable weapon. Needless to say, Mark modified the Turkish design. He added a new grip and some obscure bits and pieces and a non-legend was born. For reasons that have nothing to do with quality and everything to do with image.
Not to make light of the Geneseo gunmaker’s marketing mavens, ArmaLite is known for its “modern sporting rifles.” Stretching the brand to include pistols was, well, a stretch. To really light a fire in the market, the light arms maker needed to create a handgun with as much of a kick-ass Unique Selling Point (USP) as their AR 15-based weaponry, whose stap-line is “the style of technology.” In keeping with the motto’s mantra, Westrom told me the AR 24’s USP is “elegant design.” It’s a beaut all right, but I respectfully disagree.
The really cool thing about the AR 24 is . . . its weight. More weight = less recoil = muzzle flip = more accuracy + faster target re-acquisition. In other words, wIth so much gun in your hand, the AR 24’s barrel doesn’t leap about like a freshly landed marlin. Follow-up shots are plenty damn quick. That’s a good thing when you’re trying to hit something/someone more than once (highly recommended), and have so many bullets at your disposal. Accuracy makes each bullet that much more useful.
It’s worth repeating: whether it’s a polymer pistol or a Howitzer, hitting what you’re aiming at is the name of the game. The shooters who sampled the AR 24 at the American Firearms School all managed to achieve nice tight groupings—and they placed the bullets close to each other (ba-doom-BOOM).
About that grip. I love it. It feels as good in my hand as, uh, things that feel good in my hand. The AR 24-15C adds 20 lpi checkering on the forestrap and backstrap. One of the American Firearm dudes was not a fan of the grip or the special effects, but Wayne’s got huge mitts. One of my non-pro cohorts also frowned at the AR 24’s love handle, but Alex has tiny hands. Everyone else struggled to express their pleasure without deploying ye olde glove fit analogy. As I indicated above, I’m not going there. Cough. Condom. Cough.
Also on the positive side, you can [barely] carry the AR 24 1911-style: “cocked and locked.” Unlike the 1911, you can retract the slide and extract the bullets with the hammer cocked and the safety engaged. In case you were wondering. Meanwhile, there’s another consideration: trigger reset.
There’s a lot of slack in the AR 24’s go button. And it’s not the world’s smoothest trigger. Westrom made a conscious decision in this regard. He views “instant on” guns like the Glock as inherently dangerous, and offers a YouTube link to an accidental police discharge to prove his point. But the AR 24’s trigger reset adds another mental element to the firing process. Your friendly neighborhood gunsmith awaits.
Suffice it to say, make sure the AR 24’s grip and trigger action feel right to you before plunking down $631. Yes, there is that. The AR 24 may “only” be a hundred bucks or so more than the CZ 75 (which is not nearly as well made), but it’s still a pricey piece in a market with a farrago of more useful (i.e. smaller, lighter, cheaper) 9mm guns. Customizability? Nada. If you did want to throw your hip out by dropping this bad boy into an existing, custom-fit holster, you’re SOL.
ArmaLite reports that the shorter-barreled, slightly lighter versions (the AR 24K-13 and 13C) are outselling the full-size AR 24-15s. The customer is always right. Sacrificing a couple of bullets shouldn’t significantly degrade the gun’s aesthetic appeal, accuracy or feel—even as it vastly increases the weapon’s utility.
At the same time, it’s worth noting that ArmaLite’s having another go. By the end of the year, the Illinois importer will be selling a Westrom-designed .45. After that, expect a scaled-down .40 caliber variant. Both in full-size and short-barreled iterations.
Go short. A compact ArmaLite 40-cal AR somethingorother will provide its owners with a tankelegant design (those .40 bullets can be pretty spicy), hand-happy heft, ballistic stopping power, concealed carry compatibility and a lowish cost of operation. As for the AR 24-15C, it’s a firearm that hearkens back to the days when weight indicated solidity and, equally important, long-term durability. It’s a quality that seems to have been lost in a world birthed by a single word: “plastics.”
I reckon the weight’s been worth the wait. Or vice versa. In any case, the AR 24 is a welcome addition to the ArmaLite canon. So to speak.
Model: AR-24 Full Size Pistol with serrations on front & rear strap, fixed sights
Caliber: 9mm
Barrel: 4.671″ Machined from Alloy Steel Forging
Rifling Twist: 6 Groove, RH 1:16″ Cut Rifling
Rear Sight: Fixed, 3 Dot Luminous
Trigger: 12 lbs Double Action, 5.5 lbs Single Action
Overall Length: 8.27″
Weight: 34.9 oz
Finish: Manganese Phosphate, Heat-Cured Epoxy
RATINGS
(Out of five stars)
Style * * * * *
If you like this sort of thing, you’ll love this design.
Ergonomics (carry)
Only Turkish soldiers need apply.
Ergonomics (firing) * * * * *
Smooth as a baby’s arm holding an apple. Wait, I mean, a baby’s butt. Extremely easy to achieve accuracy.
Reliability * * * * *
Built like a brick shit house by a company that knows the meaning of the word quality.
Customize This
Nope.
OVERALL RATING * * * *
Not sure what the AR 24’s for, exactly. Your go-to nostalgia piece? A Harley-Davidson-like deal (only it doesn’t break down all the time). But I wouldn’t begrudge anyone who’s carrying one.
[Click here to link to ArmaLite’s AR 24-15C page]
Many of those guns are owned by unstable people or are owned by others in the homes of unstable people in which guns are readily available.
Define “many”, Mr. Mayor. The vast majority of guns (tens of millions) are owned by stable, law-abiding citizens who will never shoot or kill anyone, and I would even go so far as to say will never break the law at all, during their lifetimes, and, more importantly, who have a 2nd Amendment right to keep & bear arms.
Carrying a gun always, always represents the threat to use that gun to kill or maim another. That, after all, is why these people carry their guns.
On this point, Mr. Mayor, we can agree. Playing defense is something that, while not always desired or sought, is sometimes necessary in the world in which we live today.
Great review. There is something to be said about heavy steel. There could be some customization on the trigger if you loved the gun- there are a few 'yoda'like CZ gunsmiths that could tune it smoother. You may wind up carrying this often as much as you like it. Might be worthwhile to seek out a competent 'smith who can break out the polishing stones and tune it to your liking.
I stumbled across this site by accident…….
Ive got to say that who ever allowed the accountants to developed this gun with no ambidextrous safety/mag release needs a slap,i expected more to be honest,get it sorted……
I weep for all the delicate creatures who cavil at two and a half pounds of solid accuracy. I've sold all my "1911"s – every CZ-75 and copy thereof I've bought has been dead nuts straight from the box. Inverse rails are what we need, whether in a Swiss gun, a Czech gun, an Italian gun, an Israeli gun, a Filipino gun – or a Turkish gun! I'm 5'8" tall, tip in at 18-stone-plus and spent 30 years at a computer keyboard (i.e. I am no Hercules) and I have no trouble packing – well, the .38 Super Witness that rides my hip at this moment. (Of course, now that Jim Burke has passed, getting one of his matchless slides is, shall we say, a challenge.) Or even a CZ-97 (40 oz dry). I collect inverse-rail guns, so I'm thinking I'm going to need an AR-15-et caetera, real soon. I'm thinking about a (new production) Bren Ten, too – and that ain't Tinker Bell either, pals. Get serious, heavy metal is the TRVTH.
I had a AT 84 (a Swiss copy of CZ) years ago, and loved it. Somebody broke into my apartment and stole it. I plan on buying one. It seems noticeably better made than a CZ 75 . Next to the 1911, was my favorite pistol . Some features, like the grip and take down I liked even better than the 1911. I an 53 and just never really learn to like polymer pistols, especially when I shoot them next to something like this gun.
I can’t wait until I get one, Armalite to me is the best at making, design and craftsman ship. Armalite surpasses any other gun maker in my book. I own their AR50A1. And it is very accurate up to 1500 meters with the factory barrel, so the accuracy of the AR24 is probably the same. Not out to 1500 meters of course but in its range.
Loyal owner and fan
James
there is a possibility that EAA Witness/Tanfoglio conversion barrels will fit this gun, like the .38 super becasue it use’s the same breech diameter as the 9mm, all you d need if it fits and functions, is a Witness .38 super small frame mag.
possible that the conversion slides for the WITNESS/TANFOGLIO conversion slides would work also, just a matter of a owner of both trying them out on each other.
Well thought out comments and most entertaining reading. Thank you.
Please tell me your thoughts on the ONE-PRO that for a short while was sold by I.M.I. in U.S.
Thanks,
Chuck
This is a good place to get a trigger job and the price is reasonable. It is just a fact of life now that lots of consumer products today need some customization. I just remind myself that I would much rather gunsmiths make more money than lawyers.
http://www.triggerwork.net/crown.html
i own a ar-24 compact and have jamming isssues, was wondering if anyone is having the same. i first thought it was the ammo (remmington) switched but got same result. Love the gun just need to shoot a clip without the jam.
I love CZ’s and their clones. Personally, I don’t understand the current 1911 craze; the design does not fit my hand as good as the CZ 75, it holds almost half the ammo of a CZ, and I think the .45 cartridge doesn’t live up to its mythical status. (Modern 9mm self-defense ammo is completely bad-ass, and stopping power comes down to shot placement, shot placement, shot placement.
If I’ve got to double tap a target, I’d rather do it with a CZ-75 or AR-24 9mm than a 1911 .45. The 9mm is easier to keep on target for follow up shots, and if the bad guy doesn’t stop, just keep firing. You’ve got 15 9mm bullets instead of eight .45 bullets. I enjoyed the review and like your writing style.
I love the smoooothness of this gun,very well machined,plastic Sucks!!!!
Weight equates to accuracy and controlability! If you can’t handle the heft of
a good pistol, buy a .22.
Nice gun, but not a sexy classic like the CZ-75.
I think a CZ would have better resale value and parts availability.
well let’s see: we can get a “real ” CZ-75 for about $475, or this Armalite “copy” for about $475? Do we really need to think about this??
“The AR 24 traces its roots to Mark Westrom’s visit to gun maker Sarsilmaz Silah Sanayi in Istambul (no you can’t go back to Constantinople) . . .”
Cudos on the 1950s musical reference.
UMMM….. ” The AR 24 may “only” be a hundred bucks or so more than the CZ 75 (which is not nearly as well made)” SERIOUSLY????????? Armalite has nothing on my CZ spo1 Tactical!!
A note on grips: The soft rubber grips are easy to hold onto, but if you are looking to update, check out the Hogue grips made for the TZ75, EAA, and Springfield P9. They fit my AR-24 like they were made for it (which they kind of are), but they just haven’t marketed them toward the AR-24 community yet. I got the Extreme Series checkered aluminum anodize matte black grips and they end up being about 1/8 narrower than the factory grips.
Also, the AR-24 has come down a lot in price since this article was written.
The AR-24 was not based off of the CZ-75, but rather the older Sig P210. This pistol has been heralded as one of the most accurate pistols ever produced and was widely copied by other companies who introduced in-frame designs. The great thing that armalite did was produce this pistol at a lower cost and with an upgraded capacity from the original 9 rounds.
Hey Justin, the Turkish factory says this is copied from the CZ75. Think they might know more about it than you. So I look at my CZ75 and SIG P-210 and only the CZ has any simularity to the Armalite. If this is based on the Sig P-210 back it up with facts other than some off the wall statement, cause it looks like a CZ copy to me. We will be looking to your reply — with some facts??
Well Sammy, sometimes the “truth” hurts…… Not condoning it, but would accept it, if it comes down to it. A clear mind, and a steady aim would do alot for the “coming attractions”….. IJS…..
Ends strange. Stolen car – got tag number – to be captured soon?
“Most of these non-firearms were turned in by an elderly woman whose late husband had been a knife collector, and who didn’t want them around the house.”
Jesus that’s depressing. Not only does that seem like an awful way to respect your late husband’s legacy, but she potentially gave away tens of thousands of dollars in collectibles. Sigh.
Jesus, RF! It’s not even as heavy as a 1911! I don’t get what your complaining about…
THIS WAS A HORRIBLE… horrible review, how about you go on another 3 pages about the weight, we get it… it weighs something like everything else whoa amazing.. and its not comparable at all to newer handguns because ther new haha, a whole different ballpark, new alloys, polymers, ext. and if your gonna give a history lesson, get a grammar lesson first. dont answer back and make your self look even stupider then you did with this review haha
I have two Ruger SP 101 ( 357 mag ) . I purchased these at different times and was not aware that one of them has a ported barrel . I have just been made aware of the difference . After reading different comments on this option I’m now questioning my purchases . I’ve been thinking abt selling one , but am now uncertain of which to keep . The unported sounds much safer but with more recoil etc . I am female , 66 years of age and do not fire this weapon often . A couple times a year at the range or set up targets with my family . Again I’m concerned abt safety of those I am with . At this point should I just choose which one to keep as a preference of the one I like to shoot ?