Notes: The AR-70 began in 1968, when Italy belatedly decided to adopt the 5.56mm NATO cartridge that most of the rest of NATO was already using for its assault rifles. They had been using the 7.62mm NATO-firing BM-59 series, but after a couple of years of testing candidates (and stalling somewhat), they adopted the AR-70 series (also called the AR-70/223) in 1970.

The AR-70 series, though reminiscent in appearance of the Stoner 63 series, has nothing to do with the Stoner in design; the operation is a derivative of the AK-47 gas system, with a modified M-1 Garand/BM-59 bolt. Construction is largely of stamped steel, and nonmetallic parts are of synthetics or plastics. (Prototypes, however, used wooden furniture.) The handguard was originally ribbed, but this was later changed to a fluted design. The fire selector is conventional and mounted on the left side of the receiver, with the charging handle on the right side. The sights are conventional and similar to those found on most assault rifles, but the AR-70 also has folding tangent leaf sights for use with rifle grenades. The AR-70 series also has a gas cutoff for use with older rifle grenades. The receiver has a mount for use with most NATO-type optics of the period, and the bayonet lug accepts most US-pattern bayonets.

The AR-70 is the standard assault rifle using a 17.7-inch barrel; the SC-70 is the paratroopers' carbine, essentially the same weapon with a folding steel stock coated with plastic. There is also a SCS-70 special paratroopers' carbine, with a folding stock and shortened 12.6-inch barrel; it cannot use a bayonet, and the use of rifle grenades requires the attachment of a clip-on muzzle device and grenade sights. The LM-70 is a heavy-barreled sharpshooters' weapon, and the price includes a telescopic sight and bipod. The AR-70 series are fed by proprietary magazines, and cannot use any other type of magazines.

By the mid-1980s, it was felt that the AR-70 was getting long in the tooth, and a series of modernization upgrades were taken to extend the service life of the weapon. This resulted in the AR-70/90 series. General modifications include simplified manufacturing processes, a light alloy lower receiver (with hardened steel rails for the bolt to move upon), a straight-line layout (done mostly by raising the heel of the stock), a detachable carrying handle (when removed, the AR-70/90 can use any sort of STANAG-compliant optics or devices), and an ambidextrous fire selector. The standard selector lever allows for both bursts and full automatic fire, but versions are also available which omit the burst-firing feature. The magazine well was modified to accept M-16-type magazines of any sort (and it cannot use the older AR-70 magazines). Any member of the series may be fitted with a removable folding bipod, with the exception of the LM-70/90, where the bipod is fixed. In addition to being able to fire rifle grenades, the AR-70/90 and SC-70/90 may also mount underbarrel grenade launchers. Rifling twist was changed for compatibility with the new SS-109 ammunition.

The AR-70/90 uses a 17.7-inch barrel and is the standard assault rifle version; the SC-70/90 is the same weapon with a folding stock. The SCP-70/90 is a paratrooper’s carbine, with a 14.17-inch barrel and a folding stock. The SCS-70/90 is designed for special operations (like its SCS-70 predecessor); it uses a 13.86-inch barrel, but requires adapters to use rifle grenades, cannot mount underbarrel grenade launchers, and cannot use bayonets. It also has no ability to use the bipod. The LM-70/90 is, of course, the equivalent of the LM-70 in the AR-70/90 series.

The AR-70 and AR-70/90 have also been sold on the civilian market; often, these semiautomatic-only versions will often be seen with thumbhole wooden stocks, omitted flash suppressors, and/or no bayonet lugs.

Twilight 2000 Notes: At the start of the Twilight War, about half the Italian armed forces were still using the AR-70 and the LM-70; most SC-70s and SCS-70s had been replaced with their AR-70/90 equivalents. Jordan and Malaysia were also using the AR-70 series. There were also a surprising amount of Romanian irregular forces found to be armed with the AR-70 series, and a lot of Swiss and Austrian civilians had apparently managed to capture AR-70 series weapons as well. Only about half the Italian military’s AR-70s and LM-70s had been replaced with the AR-70/90 and LM-70/90, but most of the SC-70s and SCS-70s had been replaced with their AR-70/90 equivalents. As above, a lot of these weapons were found in the hands of Swiss and Austrian civilians during and after the Twilight War.

Merc 2000 Notes: Jordanian AR-70s were largely replaced by M-16A2s and M-4s by 2000; Italian AR-70s were almost entirely replaced by AR-70/90s by the late 1990s. The AR-70/90 was very much an "Italian-only" weapon; there were a lot of cheaper weapons to be found on the international market.

*For AR-70/90 series weapons without a burst firing feature, subtract $182 from the price. Civilian versions are $187 less.