We are a small family owned and operated American business. My grandfather, Eugene Morrison Stoner (November 22, 1922 - April 24, 1997) is the man most associated with the design of the AR-15, which was adopted by the US military as the M16. He is regarded by most historians, along with John Browning and Mikhail Kalashnikov, as one of the most successful firearms designers of the 20th century.