Armalite - 180 reproduced!!
Yup its true the AR-18 is now back in production by Armalite as the 180B
being sold for around $650
This was the origanl M16
being sold for around $650
This was the origanl M16
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The 180B that Armalite is now selling has a fixed plastic stock, due to idiotic gun laws, vis a vis the folding stock on the original, (circa 1960's ) AR 180.
Apparently the quality of the current 180B isn't up to the originals either, if the pissing and moaning on some of the boards I frequent is any indication.
I owned one of the originals for 20 years, no complaints EXCEPT who ever designed that freaking folding stock needed his head examined. If your designing a military rifle, you have to make it SOLDIER PROOF! The hinge on that stock wouldn't have lasted a week in the field.0 -
It's a nice rifle. My father bought one last year and we finally got around to shooting it several weeks ago (he buys more guns than he has time and won't let me "pop her" because he earned the right {now I realize why I crumple new 20's from the ATM machine before giving them away}). I would have no problem spending $650 for one, especially when he bought his for $725 last year [:0].
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The AR-18 as mentioned in the post is a select-fire rifle and is not back in production as the AR-180B. The AR-180B is similar in appearance only to the AR-18. The AR-18 was not the original M16. The select-fire Colt AR-15 was the "original" M16 in that it became the M16 when adopted by the military. The AR-18 was never adopted by the military.
The AR-180B is not even a good copy of the original AR-180 semi-automatic version of the AR-18. The receiver and stock are one piece of plastic, not steel as on the original. The fire control parts are AR-15/M16-style, not like the original. The magazines are the M16-pattern, not the like the original AR-180, which used a very similar design, but with the magazine latch hole different. (M16 magazines can be easily modified to work in an original AR-18/180.) The use of M16-pattern magazines is a good thing.
When the "new" AR-180 was rumored, I assumed it would be a faithful copy of the original, with the stock pinned so as not to fold to comply with current law hopefully the only change. No such luck.
Original AR-180 rifles can be found for not much more than the plastic AAR-180B copies, and are worth much more in my opinion. I agree with r-s that the AR-18/180 stock hinge is a weak point, but for sport and hunting, that weakness is usually not a problem. The original AR-18 was designed simply to be produced in third-world countries with simple machinery, thus it used stampings instead of forgings as used on the M16. Even the hammer is stamped steel.
Others may disagree with my opinion, but the new AR-180B is a disappointment to me. Instead of spending around $650 for a AR-180B, I would look for a good used AR-180 as often found in the $900 range, sometimes less. If the budget is stuck in the $600 range, I much prefer the cheaper AR-15 clones available for about the same money.0 -
I Just got an AR180b back from the factory for the second time, and it sort of works now... Not sure if I'll send it back again... Afterall, Armalite has had it about 4 months total, I've had it about one month...
When I first got the rifle it wouldn't chamber any sort of ammo at all! It will now function with American Eagle ammo, but not the other 6 types of ammo I tried... The ammo can be chambered but you can not retract the cocking handle once chambered... you need to beat on it with a mallet to unchamber a live round.
I have fired 10k rounds of the SA surplus in other rifles and haven't had any failures... even use it exclusively in my FNC MG. No good in the AR180b.
I tried S&B. No good in the AR180b.
I tried Winchester... No good in the AR180b.
I tried Malaysian surplus, fired many 1000s of rounds of this stuff too, No good in the AR180b.
I tried Wolf just for kicks... No good in the AR180b.
P.O.S.!!!!!
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