AR-180B Shorty Project Does 2-Gun

16/11/20 at 5.42pm   /   by BigRix   /   0 Comment

I was invited by some of my students to join them at the 2-Gun Action Challenge. For those unfamiliar with  2-Gun it is basically a great way to test yourself and your equipment in a dynamic environment. The two guns you need are a pistol and a rifle. I chose a Python and my Shorty 180. I wasn’t planning to win or even be competitive. I just wanted join my friends and do a little run and gun. Lots of both were to be had along with some ducking and crawling to boot. Turns out it was a Vietnam themed event this time and had I been more prepared I might have done ok. The pistol stage for example was limited to 5 rounds. Revolvers could have been competitive in more practiced hands than mine.  I was using an old school police rig with dump pouches. Speed loaders or even speed strips would have been a welcome addition.

It was my first time and even though I did badly and my shorty had malfunctions, I had a great time. I shot the Irons category and chose to use the small aperture as I felt it would be more accurate. The distances were too close and I found that was a bad idea. I switched to the large aperture on the next stage and it was at distance. Another bad idea. The shorty was barely able to get two or three shots in a row before it would short stroke. I brought a back up gun but decided to be stubborn and stick with my shorty till the end. As a result I timed out on every stage but almost cleared the last stage, one shot shy. Thinking that I needed to open up the gas port I decided to do an autopsy on it today. As I was stripping it down I noticed that the op rod was way too far recessed into the trunion. Turns out the front sight base was too far forward. Not only did that cause increased travel of the op rod, it covered up part of the gas port. I’m surprised it ran at all. Either I didn’t tighten it enough and it moved forward as it was fired or I didn’t get it in the proper place when I put it back together last time. I’ve been taking it apart a lot lately to take measurements as I have been building my AR180S clone.

I think I am hooked and I am looking forward to next months match. I might keep running the Python and pick up some speed loaders and pouches. I need some sort of mag holder for my rifle mags and I will be ready to go.

I also picked up a universal folding mechanism from Josh at Stormwerkz.com. I used it to fold the pistol brace on my 180B pistol. I’m liking it so far just handling it around the house. Time will tell how it works in the real world. I think I will make it my back up gun at the next 2-Gun.

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One last update. I have purchased a limited quantity of original AR180B fire control pins. This has always been a problem for those of us building a Nodak NDS-18S lower from scratch. $20 a pair so shoot me an email at rick@ar180s.com if you are interested in picking some up. Get an extra set for spares!

 

AR-180 Police Carbine Part 2

16/11/09 at 4.36pm   /   by BigRix   /   1 Comment

Earlier I wrote an article about an AR-180 Police Carbine lower that had shown up on a Japanese website. Turns out there are pictures of a fully assembled gun on the web. I have seen and shown this gun before but never saw all the pics and therefore I did not know it was the real deal.

Buried deep in the sturmgewehr.com website are a bunch of picture and some of them actually happen to be of a Police Carbine, the semi auto SBR version of the AR-180.

Interesting flash hider and sling mounts on this one. I originally misidentified it as an AR-18S from the two pictures I had seen previously.

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This one is serial SS 291 and I was recently sent a picture of one with a slightly higher number. This one also has a standard flash hider. It is almost impossible to know if  this is how it left the factory.

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AR-180S Project

16/10/31 at 7.52pm   /   by BigRix   /   0 Comment

The AR-180S project is full steam ahead!

Some time back I purchased a Costa Mesa upper that was still in the white. It was a left over after the plant closed and had never been built. It has some cosmetic issues and I think this is why.

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The seller was nice enough to let me borrow an original AR-18S barrel and hand guard retainer. Our agreement specified I could not give out any dimensions. I was more than happy to comply.

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He also gave me an incomplete stamping that I worked over to match the original part.

The stamping was torn and on closer inspection I discovered that it was too thick and this explains why it tore when run through the stamping die.

I  had an old C MP C barrel that had been converted for use in a 180 and the rifling near the muzzle was in bad shape. Cut that sucker down I say.

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Like all of my previous shorties the hand guard cap was the most troublesome. I worked on it today and closed up the gaps and welded them. Then started shaping and trimming and grinding.

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I next started drilling the holes.

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Then the most interesting part, forming the locating ring.

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Test fitting.

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Stamp should be back in the next four weeks I hope and I really want it up and running in time for the SAR West show.

So far I have not cannibalized any guns to make this. That may not last. At the very least I will need to borrow some parts from another gun.

Still to be done.

Drill and pin the front sight base.

Cut the bayonet lug off the front sight base.

Drill gas port.

Find the proper retaining clip for the rear sight assy.

Make an op rod.

Test fire on my 180B SBR lower or Costa Mesa lower if the stamp is back.

Grin from ear to ear.

 

AR-180 & AR-180B Parts For Sale

16/10/08 at 12.01pm   /   by BigRix   /   0 Comment

Lets call this the “Help Rick Fund His AR-180S Project”

Time to cut loose with some hard to find parts and get my third shorty project kicked into high gear!

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Email me for prices at rick@ar180s.com

Trades welcome.

I will leave these up here for a couple weeks and anything left over goes to gunbroker.

First up are new old stock AR-180B bolt carrier assemblies. Brand new, virgin.

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Next up are a very limited quantity of our AR-180B lower completion kits that include Original Hammer & Trigger pins.

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Early AR-180B knurled charging handles.

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Now some vintage parts

Available separately, AR-180 trigger assy, hammer, safety, safety detent, grip screw, and mag catch.

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AR-180 Pistol Grips

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AR-180 Butt Stock

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Early & Late Armalite AR180B

16/08/28 at 9.53pm   /   by BigRix   /   1 Comment

I was finally able to gets some pictures of examples of the early and late Armalite AR180B.

The most obvious difference is the barrel and this was the only difference I was aware of.

The early 180B is headspaced by turning the barrel in and using a lock nut to secure it in place.

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The late barrel has a shoulder machined into the barrel and this shoulder is machined until the headspace is correct when the barrel is tightened against the extension.

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What I didn’t expect to see was a difference in the lowers.

The early 180B has an aluminum shell molded into the polymer lower that surrounds the front of the fire control box.

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The late 180B has side walls and a small part in the front.

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I had seen only one early rifle prior to this at GunBlast.com. His review done in 2002 when these guns first entered the market has lots of awesome pics that I was able to compare to my early gun. His was serial 200830, a very early gun. Production started at 200000.

One other difference was noticed on my rifle but I dismissed it as the wrong part installed on my gun. The rear sight aperture spring. Mine looked too narrow and looked like it was from a different gun. Then while writing this very article I noticed  the same leaf spring on the one at GunBlast.

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Not like the ones on my later guns at all.

EDIT to add a picture showing the sight leaf springs.

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Early on the bottom, late on top. Early is bright blue and hangs way over the tabs.

One other thing was noted but will require further investigation. The barrel profile under the front sight base is different. When I get time I will pull the sight bases on my guns and get pics.

Finally the very latest AR180B’s came with threaded barrels and a flash hider. I do not yet have one of these. GunBlast.com did another review in 2009 with one of these late guns. You can check it out for yourself here.

My earliest rifle is serial 201383 and the next oldest is 202916 so we know the change happened between these two.

I would love for for my readers with AR180B rifles to take a look at your guns and let me know what features you have. If I can put serial numbers into a spreadsheet I should be able to lock down a what point this transition was made. Shoot me an email at Rick@AR180S.com so you don’t have to give out your numbers on the internet.

I would like to know if you have early or late features of each of the features noted in this article.

Early or Late Barrel

Early or Late Fire Control Box

Early or Late Rear Sight Leaf Spring

Factory Threaded Barrel