Celebrating the Armalite AR-180
I finally figured out how to add a way to link to the AR180B lower completion kits that I sell. I have created a couple pages that you see at the top of the page and a shopping cart feature. It is still very basic with just the two items for now but I hope to add other stuff down the road. This should make it much easier for folks to find these kits in the future.
Who knows, maybe some AR180B trunions and flats might end up there some day.
Work has been keeping me busy and when I am home I like to relax and get out in the shop. I have been building several different weapons besides those related to the AR180 but I hope you are still interested.
Some time back I got a flat and weldments for my Cetme LC from HMG
I also got the bending jig and the build went pretty smooth considering I’m still using a cheap flux core wire feed welder from Harbor Freight.
Got it to the range a couple weeks back and it ran great. Time to give this ghost gun some paint.
The AR-180S is done after 3 years of gathering parts and building and rebuilding. Runs like a top.
I am currently in an UZI kick. I picked up a Micro kit and I am in the middle of building this as a pistol. I plan to make a folding brace using a Tailhook on the original hinge.
Still a work in progress and more welding and grinding before I’m happy enough to try and shoot it. The wire feed wasn’t working too well for the fill in so I broke out the gas torch with my smallest tip #0. I think I need a smaller one.
I really need to get a TIG but every time I get close enough to having the money together a great deal comes along on a gun or parts. The struggle is real.
Latest acquisition.
New in Wrapper Sterling 20 round mags. I think I have more than I need so I will be willing to share.
I also discovered Zib-Militaria.de
They are the place the AR-18 parts kits are being sourced from. 499 Euros Click Here
They also have some awesome parts for sale. Just click around and drool.
Now I need a friend in Europe who would ship them to the states. Anyone got a cousin over there? I would make it worth their while.
Well there was what was described as an AR-18 parts kit for sale on gunbroker. When I first saw it the seller had an F rating. The description also mentioned that the parts were in Europe.
I still am confused about what part of the AR-18 actually is the “Machine Gun”. The parts kits that Numrich sold some years back were first sold with the uppers cut and the lowers intact, not unlike the current SAR-80 kits. The ATF changed their minds and had Numrich recall them to cut the lowers up.
I invite your comments and speculation about whether an AR-18 upper is legal to own or if it could be imported into the country?
I saved the sole picture from the auction so after it goes away this post will still have some value.
Buy it now price was $995 and the auction was ended early. Who knows what happened behind the scenes?
My first foray into building my SAR-80 receiver was to reweld the upper back together. Using a gas torch and being completely out of practice led to less than stellar results.
I know it’s possible as Henderson Defense built one as a post sample and got it running well. Although they mentioned having to take the BFH to it to straighten out the warping.
I decided to start from sratch and ordered some 18ga 1008 sheet steel off of Amazon.
I tried to bend it in a cheap harbor freight brake and it flexed too much. I resorted to milling a piece of 6061 aluminum to fit inside then beat the corners into a more square-ish shape. Felt like Boris building an AK from a Shovel.
I cut up some pieces to weld inside to guide the cam pin and to retain the charging handle. The combination of my crappy AC flux core welder and the this sheet steel led to me needing to reweld these multiple times. I now call this one my “Ugly Build”.
At this point it still needs the rear sight welded on and the charging handle spacer piece rewelded.
More on that next time.
Possibly. It’s the highest I’ve seen and I follow them pretty closely. $4026.01 Wow!
It is about as close to new as you are likely to see. A true safe queen. Early gun, Three digit serial number. Obviously highly desirable, especially by the two that went at it at the end. What a fight.
Imagine what it would have brought if it had the original box!
I hope one of my readers got it.
