[The Grand Inquisitor]

I'm a sucker for something neat, and my local shop had an AR180B and I jumped in and bought it. I took it to the range and popped off 40 rounds, and while I really like the rifle, the one problem that I had was that I got 2 Israeli Orlite and Thermal mags with the rifle and they didn't seem to work with the rifle, they just wouldn''t feed at all- it seemed that something on the mag was preventing the charging handle from moving forward.

Anyone else out there have one with any good advice on stuff to slap on it or any general advice or even good boards from the 180B?

[Dave Markowitz]

You will probably have better results with 30 round USGI mags than with Orlites or Thermolds. My AR-180B won't hold the bolt open with Orlites.

There isn't a lot of stuff to add to the AR-180B. Armalite makes a scope mount that attaches to the rail on the receiver. B-Square also makes a mount that will fit.

[Onmilo]

I like the Armalite AR180B rifle.
I consider it to be a VolksSturmGewehr, '
"Peoples battle rifle".
There aren't a whole lot of goodies available to bolt onto it and it really doesn't need them.
Clean it, load it, shoot it and have fun.
USGI aluminum magazines will provide the best functioning in these rifles.

[ftierson]

I like the AR-180B too.

See, for an old review, [/URL]

Also, see a few comments of mine at

[URL]http://www.falfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=107109 (http://www.cruffler.com/Features/JAN-02/review-January-02.html)

Have fun with your AR-180B.

[ftierson]

And, yes, aluminum GI mags are best with the rifle. As a matter of fact, Armalite recommends that the US GI mags be used...

[jacketch]

It is a good idea to remove the tob of the handguard and check that the gas piston is tight. Some of the rifles left the factory without the piston being properly torqued and they can come loose during firing. The bolt will not be able to go into battery if this happens.

[Dionysusigma]

B-Square also makes a mount that will fit.
Link/store/price? I looked on their "Manufacturer's Index" but Armalite isn't listed... http://www.reliablehost.com/bsquare/page2.html

Aside from the polymer lower receiver and lack of accessories, the strange, non-Weaver mount is the only thing that's bugged me about this rifle. :(

[The Grand Inquisitor]

Are there any good web boards or discussion groups on the AR180B or are there just not enough owners out there?

[Cortland]

Well, I've got an AR-180B... What do you want to talk about? :D

There's an AR-10/AR-180B forum on ar15.com, and there's a forum section at Armalite.com that gets a fair amount AR-180B talk.

[LeadPumper]

I bought the first one I saw in the state of MD. maybe year and a half ago.

First range session was terrible, rifle shot three feet to the right at 25 yrds. When I made corrections to the forward sight tower, it wouldn't cycle, so after E-mailing the company, I shipped it off.

After I got it back from Armalite, it worked fine, no problems at all. They even sighted it in at 50 yrds for me. My first shots were all in the black. No cost.

I like the rifle just fine, it (now) shoots as well as any AR I've shot. Takes USGI mags, and likes a varity of ammo. It's a handy no-frills rifle.

If you want high accuracy, lots of mounting points, rail adapters, modular uppers or the such, get a regular AR.

-LeadPumper

[The Grand Inquisitor]

Lead- To be honest I've often said I would never buy an AR15, and I haven't, but I ended up really liking the 180B and I think the 5.56 round is fantastic, and also the 180B has been changed enough to fix some of the things that I don't like about the AR15.

It seems to me that there is a "cult" of people who shoot the AR15's that seem to focus so entirely upon that one gun they end up just buying new uppers and other mods for that one firearm that they lose track of alllll of the other types of weapons out there.