The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Tactical Rifle & Carbine => Topic started by: Big Frank on February 02, 2019, 08:14:47 PM
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Brownells has an AR-180 type of upper re-engineered to work with AR-15 lowers. They're taking pre-orders now for $799.00. I've wanted an AR-180 for 40 years but couldn't afford one. I didn't want an AR-180B with a combination plastic lower and fixed buttstock. Whose stupid idea was that anyway? An AR-180 without a folding stock isn't an AR-180 at all. An AR-15/AR-180 hybrid is a better option IMO. Other barrel lengths including a SBR are coming and possibly other .223-length calibers too.
Ultra-reliable AR-180 piston operating system
Compatible with current mil-spec AR-15 lowers
Machined 7075 T6 aluminum receiver & handguard - hardcoat anodized finish
16" barrel with matte black Nitride finish
.223 Wylde chamber
Button rifled bore; 1-8" twist
½"-28 threaded muzzle
Replica 3-prong AR-180 flash suppressor
Molded polymer ejection port cover
Total weight: 4.65 lbs
Click on LEARN next to DESCRIPTION for 4 videos.
https://www.brownells.com/rifle-parts/receiver-parts/receivers/upper-receivers/brn-180-ar-15-complete-upper-receiver-assembly-prod122861.aspx
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I forgot to mention the overall length of the rifle should be 26.5"-27" long with the stock folded. And it can fire with the stock folded.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tx5EjTd4hU
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When I get in a position where I can afford to buy more guns I think I'll buy a new lower and folding stock and get this upper. If I like it I'll probably sell my 16"-barreled AR. Unless they changed the stupid law here in Michigan I would have to register it as a pistol because it's under 30" when folded, just like my 10/22 that I have a pistol permit/registration/whatever for. If it wasn't capable of firing when it's folded I don't know if that law would still apply. It wouldn't do me any good to ask the local police about it. They didn't know that was the law until I told them what page to read in their copy of the state law book. And after they read it they still didn't think it applied to my 3 guns that I had to talk them into giving me pistol permits for. I wanted them to be legal in case a cop who actually knew what the law was wanted to check on them.
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Jumbo... unless you are set on a piston system, LAW Tactical has released information on a new ARIC bolt and dual spring system that works with their folder and allows it to fire folded... is a few hundred bucks less than the 180
I used their LAW folding adapter to put together my vision of a PDW using pretty standard direct impingement parts... a PSA 7 1/2" upper and lower using a pistol buffer tube.... made a short but wide unit... I did not like the muzzle blast of the 7 1/2 and switched to a 10.5" front sight tower and carry handle basic unit using a KAK 8 1/2" buffer tube... placed in an old nylon range bag with the buffer sticking out (no blade or brace) even savvy shooters do not readily recognize what it is
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It looks like it would cost around $599 for just the ARIC carrier and stock adapter. That's only $200 less than this complete upper and I would still need to buy a barreled upper plus a bolt, cam pin, firing pin and retaining pin to have what I need to build on a new lower. And I do want a new lower. I don't want to use my Colt upper and lower with the 5/16" (8mm?) non-captive front take-down pin I bought for it. I'd rather sell the Colt for parts money.
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Jumbo... sorry, I misunderstood, I thought you already had a complete DI carbine... good luck... before the election I panicked and bought a couple of short barrel uppers for pistol builds.. my registered SBR is currently disguised as a 10.5 .22lr set up for Steel Challenge :)
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Thanks Les, I need all the luck I can get. If I ever get this upper I could slap it on my Colt lower with the right adapter pin, which I don't think I have any longer, just to test it out. But I really want to build a whole new rifle with it when I can. I never liked using one of those adapter pins to use a standard upper on a Colt lower, or the other way around. Some day I'll have to decide whether I want to use a fixed stock like an A1 type, or an M4 type collapsible for a folder. Maybe by then there will be an AR-18 style.
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after breaking at least 3 of the offset Colt pins, I traded for an Armalite Eagle lower for my 3 gun rifle.... I picked up a Colt M4 lower that has the regular .250 straight pins when Brownells had them for around $250
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My Colt originally came with a 20" A2 barrel on it. I think this is the order in which I changed things. I put a heavier profile blackened stainless steel 16" barrel on it. Then I bought an Eagle Arms flat-top upper and put the 16" barrel on it. Next I put about a 13" long free float tube over the sawed off front sight. That's the upper I have that's 2 or 3 different colors and may have been made from 2 separate pieces. Then I bought the parts it took to have 2 complete uppers that I could use on the Colt lower.
Eventually I bought a DPMS Panther Arms lower with a collapsible stock. I had a new front sight base installed on the 16" barrel and put it on the Colt upper that's finally mated once more with its original lower, and put the DPMS collapsible stock on it. And I put the 20" barrel and flat-top upper on the DPMS lower with the Colt's A2 stock. I sawed off the front sight on that too because the free float tube is about 1/4" too long to fit behind it. I didn't want it between my scope and muzzle anyway.
You put your short barrel in, you take your short barrel out, you put your short barrel in, and you shake it all about. Now I have 2 complete rifles and the uppers have the same size pins as their lowers, and that's what it's all about. I don't need 2 16" barreled rifles, and if I put a scope on the BRN-180 I wouldn't need the other one either. I might be able to sell both for the money I need to build a new rifle, or buy one if Brownells sells complete BRN-180 rifles at some point. Coincidentally, one of the guys I worked with in the army was in charge of Brownells' military and law enforcement division the last I heard. I don't think he could get a friends and family discount for his old direct supervisor. Too bad. I'll just have to pay retail.
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sounds like we got the A2's about the same time and went through the similar modifications.... looking back, I probably should have kept the A2 marked upper as it had the old style rear sight, not the current drum sight, but was marked A2... probably some form of a transition piece....I stuck one of the 16" Colt take off carbine uppers on it that were singlets from the Clinton ban, and shot it in 4 North Carolina Tactical matches in the mid 90's... my first "big time" 3 gun matches... switched to the RRA mid for the Ft Benning series, and the 16" has been sitting on the shelf looking for a home ever since... like you I cut the front sight tower down or I would have put it on the M4 lower to have a complete Colt again...
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Yeah, it sounds like we started out about the same. I bought mine from a guy at work who was a gun dealer on the side, back when it was still easy to get an FFL. I think it was $572 but can't be sure without looking at the sales slip. I started working in that department in 1992 so it wasn't any earlier than that. My Colt AR-15 A2 Sporter II has the old A1 style rear sight and the A2 brass deflector. From what I found when I looked it up years ago, it looks like Colt made the A1/A2 transitional uppers for 3 or 4 years. The A2 rear sight with the drum was only put on the HBARs for awhile.
My lower doesn't have a fence around the mag release either but other than that and the rear sight it was all A2. It has the chrome-lined 1:7" A2 profile barrel with A2 flash hider, and A2 stock, grip and handguards. I put a tritium front sight on it and a large aperture rear sight. It's been so long the tritium quit glowing but I never bothered to change the sights. I should put the A2 post back on but I like having regular and ghost-ring type apertures.
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Brownell's has AR-180 style AR-15 lowers now. These are forged and the more AR-15 style with the Pic rail on the back is billet. Now all they need to do is make an AR-18 style stock so you don't have to use an AR-15 or SIG MCX stock. If they make a proper looking stock for it, or a complete rifle, I'll charge it to one of my cards and figure out how to pay for it later.
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It's getting closer to what I want. I'd still prefer something closer to the original handguards. If they attached like AR-15 handguards, were narrower than A2-style, and looked anything like AR-18 handguards I'd be happy. It only needs a top rail long enough for a front sight, or a place to attach the rail segment, and a place to mount an optional one on the bottom. The top and bottom handguards could be made the same to save money. Some rear sights look close enough and there might be a front sight close enough too. It's still a hybrid design no matter how you look at it, but if people saw it and asked if it was an AR-180, you'd know it was close enough to fool some people, and I could live with that.
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Brownells has their 10.5" and 16" complete uppers on sale now, but not the 18.5".
https://www.brownells.com/rifle-parts/receiver-parts/receivers/upper-receivers/brn-180s-ar-15-complete-upper-receiver-assembly-prod127762.aspx?avs%7cSpecial-Filters_1=Salezz1zzClearance%7cRebate&avs%7cManufacturer_1=brownells
https://www.brownells.com/rifle-parts/receiver-parts/receivers/upper-receivers/brn-180-ar-15-complete-upper-receiver-assembly-prod122861.aspx
ETA: They have hundreds of other things on sale now too.
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They're making an 18.5" barrel now. It's about effin' time you can get something longer than 16", like the original AR-180 length they should have made in the first place. This looks a lot better. And they have new and improved Gen. 2 uppers.
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They're making an 18.5" barrel now. It's about effin' time you can get something longer than 16", like the original AR-180 length they should have made in the first place. This looks a lot better. And they have new and improved Gen. 2 uppers.
I don't see much point in the gimmick.
The difference between the AR 10/15 and the AR 18/180 was primarily in the rest of the gun.
Basically it's just another AR upper with a marketing gimmick.
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I don't see much point in the gimmick.
The difference between the AR 10/15 and the AR 18/180 was primarily in the rest of the gun.
Basically it's just another AR upper with a marketing gimmick.
If you get one of the BRN-180 uppers, you can put a folding stock or brace on any AR lower, and fire it with the stock or brace folded (without buying a Modified Cycle system like mine). That's the whole point of it. Plus, it's a piston driven system that was designed as a piston driven system, NOT a direct impingement system that someone more or less Jerry rigged, like most piston driven ARs. So, it's not just another AR upper with a marketing gimmick. It has two distinct advantages, if you think piston driven is better than pooping where you eat. And the BRN-180 lowers have Picatinny rails built in to attach a stock or brace directly without any adapters, if you're starting a new build. If I was building a new MSR I would be seriously tempted by the forged lower and 18.5" upper. Hell, I might even trade my old Colt and get a new lower. Then I could get a new upper whenever. I'm tired of that Colt 8mm or 5/16", or whatever the heck the front pivot pin is, that doesn't fit anything else. I should trade it in.
https://deadfootarms.com/products/modified-cycle-system-folding-stock-adaptor-black-nitride-bolt-carrier-group