Anybody Tried An Armalite AR-180B Yet?

[mainmech48]

I've decided that I really ought to have a carbine chambered for the 5.56 service round.

I'm not much of an AR 15 fan, as spending an hour with little picks and scrapers, toothbushes and solvent after only a hundred rounds or so to get it clean is not my idea of a good time.

I have a Mini-30. It handles nicely, but a couple of my SKSs are more accurate by a considerable margin. The only Mini 14 I've shot wasn't even as accurate as the Mini 30.

After I read a recent article in one of the gun rags on the new Armalite AR 180B, I handled an example at a local shop. The reasonable price compared to your average AR 15 clone ($569+tax w/accessories) and good "feel" of it has me leaning toward buying one.

While the article was pretty well done, we all know how studiously most mag writers avoid saying things about any test piece that might seriously ruffle the feathers of the folks whose good will (and advertising dollars) keep them from having to do something less pleasant for a living.

Before I go drop a not-inconsiderable (for me, anyway) sum on one of these, I'd sure appreciate hearing the skinny from anyone who's either has one or had a chance to try it out on the range enough to form an opinion.

Many thanks for any help y'all could give me.

 

[Kor]

I've owned one since last October, and I really like mine. She runs like a top as long as you use good mags, and is accurate enough to put an entire magazine on a 6" plate at almost 200yds, IF I've got my mojo working. I will suggest, though, that you make sure the rifle you buy is a later-production gun - some of the earlier guns had issues with their sights(wrong height post, so couldn't zero at 100yds) and/or magazine catches(the AR180B that my friend bought would drop the mag from recoil, I bought him a replacement catch which solved the problem). The way to tell is to look at the serial-number plate on the left side of the lower receiver: Black = early production, silver = later production.

Cleanup is MUCH quicker than with an AR15, mainly because the gas piston operating system keeps the receiver and breech area so clean. A couple of turns with the chamber brush from your GI cleaning kit, followed by a nice big patch threaded through the slot-tip on the rod and spun around amongst the locking lugs is about all the breech/chamber area really ever needs. The upper receiver is open enough that you can easily wipe it out with a cleaning patch in your fingertip, and the lower hardly ever gets any dirt or fouling in it whatsoever. Be diligent, though, in stripping/cleaning the bolt/carrier group - my rifle still has enough sharp edges in it that it nibbles the brass and leaves a lot of brass particles/shavings on and in the bolt.

Also, you may find that since the gas system vents just aft of the front sight, some brands of ammo will actually produce enough smoke during rapid fire to interfere with your sight picture - I've found Federal "American Eagle" .223 to smoke a lot, and PMC 223A and PMP .223 ammo to NOT smoke up my sights.

I've upgraded my AR180B with Trijicon AR15 night sights and a Rock River Arms NM trigger kit, and it has just about spoiled me for any AR15.

 

[Mannlicher]

I got mine back in the early spring. After thousands of rounds , some observations:

It is as accurate as my AR types, (excepting my preban Colt HBAR)

Reliability has been good. There was a problem with failure to go into battery, but that was fixed with switching off the old Malasian Mil Surp ammo, and cleaning the chamber, and the lock up area. Once that was solved, it has been rock steady.

I would like a better, or should I say, easier, method of attaching optics. I am still using the iron sight, and they work well, but...................

I prefer shooting this rifle to my AR-15 rifles. Its wonderful to NOT have that recoil spring twang in your ear with every round touched off.

I do not hesitate to recommend this Armalite rifle.

 

[Matt Sutton]

I have a very early production specimen. It's been totally reliable with Brit 30rd steel mags and the factory 10rd promag. It's plenty accurate. Every one that has shot mine is now on the market for one of their own. I doubt that you'll be disappointed.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

I would like a better, or should I say, easier, method of attaching optics.

A friend of mine has an AR-180B and mounted a Kobra red dot sight using a B-Square mount that accepts Weaver rings. He said it's working good for him so far.

I shot it before he mounted the optics and what a nice rifle!

 

[mainmech48]

Thanks for all the info! Looks like it's time to gather some trade goods and go see what I can wrangle in the way of a deal for one.

Any thoughts on which surplus/mil-spec ammo has the best consistency from lot to lot? I know I'll have to try several different ones in order to find out what works best in my particular rifle, but a narrower field would sure make the process less expensive.

What are the practical considerations I need to be aware of in choosing a loading to adopt as my "standard" for general use/stockpiling? Is the best compromise generally found in the lower or higher range of bullet weights for targets out to 300 yds or so?

Again, many thanks for your help and advice!

 

[Futo Inu]

No but I want either a Daewoo or AR180B reeeeal baaaad. If the ban sunsets, the aftermarket folding stock of the Daewoo is a slight added bonus. Plus they look slightly more evil because they look very "foreign" as opposed to the scary-but-not-quite-as-much-cuz-I've-seen-it-before AR type rifle. I do enjoy scaring the sheeple so. Course, I guess if the ban sunsets, one needn't be so concerned with a rifle that takes AR mags, so I dunno. But Galils will still be expensive regardless. Hoever, some companys might churn out a boatload of mags for Saiga, VEPR, whathaveyou if the ban sunsets, in all calibers including .223 and 5.45x39, so I'm gonna wait and see.

 

[Kor]

Mainmech, if you've made up your mind to buy this rifle, I would first advise you to drop a Franklin or two and put that AR180B on layaway - at least until recently, dealers were finding them hard to come by, and if you wait too long to pay for it in one lump sum, it may be gone...

As far as the ammo is concerned, your choices in milsurp-type, case-quantity stockpiling ammo can be narrowed down to 55gr-bullet ammo and 62gr-bullet ammo. The AR180B's barrel uses a 1:9" twist, so it should shoot both weights "okay," but you will have to do some testing to find a load that shoots "great" in your rifle. I'm stockpiling 55gr. South African PMP myself, 'cuz it shoots pretty good in my rifle and I got a decent price on it($160.00 out the door at a local gun show in May). Czech-made Sellier & Bellot 55gr. .223 should be available for about the same price, and should also shoot well. I believe that Samco Global Arms is advertising Spanish, Santa Barbara milsurp 62gr. ammo for around $170 + shipping in Shotgun News(double check the price). Both bullet weights are available in case quantities from Olympic Ammunition(Greek-made), but I've heard mixed reviews about it. I just went through 100rds of Georgia Arms' reloaded .223 this afternoon with good accuracy and zero problems, and would recommend their ammo for practice/training use.

Russian-made .223 ammo(i.e. Wolf, Silver Bear, Tula, etc.) is made with steel cases that are sometimes coated with lacquer to resist corrosion and ease extraction, which also makes them cost about 2/3 the price of brass-case ammo. I tend to shy away from the steel-case ammo because of all the horror stories I've heard about the lacquer melting inside chambers and the extractors that get eaten up by the steel cases; however, my friend I mentioned earlier shot 100rds of Wolf .223 through his AR180B with perfect function and no problems with the chamber or extractor, so I may be worrying about nothing.

 

[c-bag]

Let me get this straight: it's cheaper, easier to maintain, uses AR-15 mags, weighs less and has good accuracy.

with all that in mind does the AR-15 beat it in any respect other than parts/accessory availability?

are there many parts that can be exchanged between the two?

 

[Kor]

I'd say that a full-on varminter/competition AR15 with the heavy barrel and float-tube fore-end would beat the AR180B in accuracy, but probably not a "rack-grade" AR15. The safety on an AR15 has a more positive detent than the AR180B, and some feel that the AR180B's polymer lower won't stand up to hard use as well as the AR15's aluminum lower. I don't think that the polymer lower is weaker per se, but it does have one weakness in that the buttstock is semi-permanently epoxied onto the lower, and if you break/damage it you must send it to Armalite to get it fixed, instead of being able to install a replacement yourself with a buttstock wrench. People complain about the handguards feeling flimsy and getting hot, but that can be fixed by ordering original AR180 handguards from Numrich Gun Parts(www.e-GunParts.com).

Now, on the other hand, the AR180B had absolutely stellar handling qualities for me when I was practicing snap-shooting drills on Sunday - by the end of the session, I was regularly making 25yd headshots and 50yd torso shots in 2 seconds or less from 3 different ready positions.

The AR180B can use the following AR15 parts: trigger group, magazine catch, magazine, front/rear sights, extractor, extractor spring, ejector, and ejector spring. The AR180B's bolt looks just like an AR15 bolt, but it doesn't have the gas rings on it(it don't need 'em, the gas drives the piston and never gets near the bolt or bolt carrier), so I suppose one MIGHT be able to press an AR15 bolt into service on an AR180B in extremis.

 

[PenHolder]

Wow, by the accounts so far, the AR-180B is one heck of a rifle for one heck of a price! $570 without accessories is less than what some of the Minis retail for in my neck of the woods.

Wow.

*excuses himself to go to his room and cry for a while*

-PH

 

[ballistic gelatin]

I was at a gunshow this past weekend in GA.
AR180B new in box, $669.00 kinda neat.
Just down the way, a used standard Bushmaster 20", $699 in great shape.

Even better...a slightly used SAR1 cash price $285.
Why oh why didn't I carry more cash????

 

[atek3]

Now if there was some way to build an AR-180B up on an 80% lower it would be fantastic. Picture this, AR-180B chambered in .26 Grendel (or Glockler) wouldn't that be great.

atek3

 

[Glock Glockler]

Picture this, AR-180B chambered in .26 Grendel (or Glockler) wouldn't that be great.

Attaboy! Although I'm partialy to a bullpuped Sig 550 with a downward eject that has been Badgerized for controllable full-auto fire.