Other then looks what makes the AR180 different the an AR15?I know the lower is polymer but what else?Any oppions on these?
One more difference, the AR-180 has a fixed reciprocating bolt handle, which can be used as a forward bolt assist.
The Piston is separate from the link which is separate from the operating rod which is separate from the bolt carrier. The link rides a ball-joint surface so that the operating rod can be free to flex. It's a very lightweight part and would otherwise need to be as heavy as an FAL rod to work properly. The reason for having three pieces is to make the whole assembly lightweight and reliable.- The action is cycled by a gas piston attached to the bolt carrier, which prevents gas and debris from being cycled through the bolt.
Well, it's not really fixed. It rotates around in the bolt carrier. Regardless, what you said about the forward assist is true.One more difference, the AR-180 has a fixed reciprocating bolt handle...
It bears DIRECT lineage to the SA-80 to the point that the British at one time owned? (not sure) the rights to production of the AR-180 and simply copied much of its design. In the process, they made it LESS reliable. Leave it to the Brits. The FN FNC owes none of its lineage to the AR-180. It's more directly related to the AK although you might see some external similarities. You're right about the HK G36. It rides on one rod instead of two. Strangely, this was a discarded Armalite patent. They chose two rods because they didn't want other doohickeys to stabilize the bolt inside the receiver. Sheet-metal receivers can dent and they didn't want a dent jamming the rifle. Plastic doesn't dent.It bears a close lineage to the FN FNC and the SA-80. The new HK G36 is also internally similar, but is all plastic, rather than all stampings.
Charging the rifle requires you to reach up with your right hand or over with the left to pull the bolt sligthly back and then release.
True, true, true, and one of the reasons that I no longer have my FAL. I had gotten used to wraping my thumb around the bolt handle, which is fine for a fixed charging handle. For a reciprocating one...ouch....and also an effective tool for fracturing unwary digits! (It also makes an impressive cloud of wood shavings when inadvertently fired from close left-hand barricade scenarios... )
Been there, done that. Usually with a few choice words spoken towards that particular FAL that I'm not allowed to repeat amongst this company...One thing I dearly love about the charging handle arrangement of nearly every military rifle other than the AR/M16 is that you can kick the bolt-handle to the rear. I've never had to use "forward assist", but I've more than once had to extract stuck or torn cases; it's nice to not need to tear the rifle down to do that.
Badger - Interesting pic of the G36 gas system. Does it self-regulate like the M14, by any chance?
The gas system of the AR-18 is NOT a direct copy of the SVT40 and G.43. In fact, it is a different design. Yes, they all have connecting rods however the AR-18 is different in the way and purpose for the part. The AR-18 was designed so that the connecting surface between the link and moveable piston was a 'ball-joint' surface. The patent states:The gas piston system of the AR-18/180 is a direct copy of that used in the SVT40 and G.43. It is not the same as the Saive system although the medium stroke piston is the same general idea.
Before what fails? What's bending? Did I miss something? If you mean how many times the operating rod can bend before it fails... It's not bending in the sense you mean, it's bending as a tuning fork bends. When was the last time you saw a tuning fork break? Most other parts of the gun will fail before the operating rod does.I wonder how many times it can bend before it fails?