Costa Mesa News!

As of January 1, 2023 all Costa Mesa AR180’s are C&R eligible!

AR180 production in Costa Mesa CA took place from 1969 to 1972 but since production records no longer exist it was impossible to exactly date a particular gun by serial number. That is no longer the case as all of the 4018 rifles produced fall under the Curio & Relic classification.

How do we know? Lets go directly to the source, https://www.atf.gov/firearms/curios-relics

A regulation implementing federal firearms laws, 27 CFR ยง 478.11, defines curio or relic (C&R) firearms as those which are of special interest to collectors by reason of some quality other than is associated with firearms intended for sporting use or as offensive or defensive weapons.

To be recognized as C&R items, firearms must fall within one of the following categories:

  1. Firearms which were manufactured at least 50 years prior to the current date, but not including replicas of such firearms;
  2. Firearms which are certified by the curator of a municipal, state, or federal museum which exhibits firearms to be curios or relics of museum interest; and
  3. Any other firearms which derive a substantial part of their monetary value from the fact that they are novel, rare, bizarre, or because of their association with some historical figure, period, or event.

Personally I think all of the original production AR180’s (Howa & Sterling) should be considered C&R, but I don’t make the rules. For those that don’t know all AR18’s are considered C&R. There is a separate list that you can download at the link above that lists them. The AR18’s were not yet 50 years old when they made it on the list. I’m not sure why they left out the 180’s.

My late Costa Mesa AR180 in it’s original box

Why does this matter? If you get yourself a C&R FFL license for $30 you can have a C&R weapon shipped right to your door.

My postal carrier delivered my AR18 right to my hot little hands. It was an awesome experience. Now we can trade our 180’s the same way!

AR-16 Style Hand Guards For The BRN-180

Playing with some ideas I have had floating around in my head as well as trying out some a new filament color, Army Green.

For those not familiar, the AR-16 was a prototype designed by Eugene Stoner when he still worked at ArmaLite. The furniture was wood but I always liked the shape of the hand guard. The part that stands out for me is the hand stop and the metal heat shield that sticks out the front.

I decided to give it a go and designed a couple prototypes.

photo sourced from gunlab.net
photo sourced from gunlab.net

So far I am very pleased with the outcome. The goal will be to creat one hand guard that works for both the long and short versions of the BRN-180. The green might not be your cup of tea but it photographs well. It will certainly be available in basic black.

What do you all think? Leave me your comments below and no this isn’t an April fools joke. I actually posted an article!

What Has BigRix Been Up To?

Lots of new products over at ar180parts.com. The newest prototype is the hand guard set for the BRN-180 rifle.

This is the first prototype, literally hot off the press. I already have a shorty hand guard on the site but I’ve had lots of folks asking about a version for their long bois.

What do you all think? Let me know in the comments below.

New Filament, Nicer Prints

I recently discovered ASA filaments and they are producing some outstanding prints.

Shown here is my N1 pistol brace and the Fusion pistol grip. The ASA filament requires more work on the front end but will require less work for you. Many folks who have purchased from me before run their parts as is, so I strive to make them as nice looking as possible.

For those that want to sand and paint there parts to make them look ‘less 3d printed’ they will have another option, acetone vapor smoothing. Exposing ASA to acetone vapors will melt the outer layers together and the parts become smooth as glass. I will be experimenting with this process over the next few weeks and report back my findings.

For those that are interested here is a link to an article that outlines the process.

https://rigid.ink/blogs/news/acetone-vapor-smoothing

I almost forgot to mention the BRN180 butt stock kits are available now in case you haven’t heard.

These parts and many more are available in my store.

New Jesus Clips Available

Badger Ordnance had a whole bunch of these made up and dropped a video of the manufacturing process on youtube.

They are not on his web site so give them a call at 816 421 4956 and pick up a few sets.

I’m adding a new non- 180 part to my site if anyone is interested. BRN-10 pistol grips.

This is not my design but I have been given permission to print and sell these through my site.