AR-180B Shorty Project Pt. V
Subscriber Pictures #1
Subscriber Tommy was kind enough to send me some pictures from the latest Armalite scope he recently picked up.
You can see it is is an early inverted post scope marked with the serial number 670221.
He also showed us the scope mount that was on his early Costa Mesa when he got it from his dad. It is unmarked just like the one I own. I don’t believe these had serials or any other markings.
I also must apologize to subscriber Jeff as he sent me some pictures some time back and I never posted them.
He has a Costa Mesa gun with a very interesting feature, a bolt hold open that you can actuate from the outside of the gun with the magazine still in the gun.
It is unclear if this was done at the factory or after the fact by a gunsmith. It is a very professional job nonetheless.
If these guns were not so collectable I think it would be a very cool modification to perform as the only way to activate the bolt hold open is to reach in through the magazine well.
Here are a centerfold shot of Jeff’s Costa Mesa.
Thanks to Tommy and Jeff for their pictures and please contact me if you have any you would like to contribute.
AR-180B Shorty Project Pt. III
The next part that had to made were the hand guards. I first mocked them up to find the approximate length then cut them off with my bandsaw. I left them a little long and figured I could trim them if I had to.
I then trimmed a small piece of the front end of the cut off part and fitted them into the hand guard. This will allow me to use the existing end cap.
Here you can see that I didn’t get things exactly right as there is a small gap at the front of the hand guards. They will work for function testing but I intend to build a set of new end caps that encapsulate the entire hand guard.
Here she is ready to head to the range and dial in the gas port size.
Featuring a Stormwerkz mount and Primary Arms Micro Red Dot.
I would also like to ask if everyone could help me test out the site by leaving comments so I can see if it is working.
Identifying Costa Mesa 30 Round Magazines
In the early days of production and sales in Costa Mesa, Armalite offered their own 30 round steel magazines.
These are often misidentified or overlooked because they have no markings at all.
You will notice that the bases plate shown in the picture below have no markings and feature a hole on one end. These are the ones you are looking for. (The top magazine has the incorrect base plate)
Unlike the Sterling magazines, these have no hole on the side of the magazine.
Right side.
Left side.
They also feature a unique spot weld design that I have seen on no other magazines. Three equally spaced spot welds are more prominent than the rest.
You will also not that these magazines are designed with a full curve and not the partial curve of the Sterling or M16 magazines.
Good luck with your hunt for these highly desirable magazines.
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Armalite AR-180 Accessories: Sharp Shooter Kit
The Sharp Shooter Kit is an incredibly hard to find accessory that was available for the Sterling AR-180.
I believe these may be the only pictures of said kit on the internet.
Not much is known of these and I am still searching for more information as we speak.
I first heard about the Sharp Shooter Kit in a few forum threads but didn’t even know what it consisted of. In fact I received this kit and didn’t know what I had. I assumed it was some aftermarket accessory that the seller threw in with my gun when he shipped it.
It was only after seeing this scan of an old Armalite hand out, that I put it all together.
The Armalite Sharp Shooter Kit consists of a neoprene/nylon cover for the hand guard and butt stock. Perhaps you too have had one of these and didn’t know what it was.
Here you can see the overall view, please note that the velcro strips have been added after the fact. I’m not sure I can remove them without damage to the sleeve.
The next picture shows the butt stock or “Cheek Pad” as Armalite calls it.
The final picture shows the vent holes that are cut in the top of the hand guard sleeve. There is also one hole in the bottom.
One of the points made in the hand out is that it “Increases shooter comfort”. Although I have not had this gun to the range yet I can tell without a doubt, that is true. I shouldered this rifle a few times while shooting these pictures and with the cold temps outside, the cheek pad made for a much warmer place to lay my face.
Please let me know if you have one of these kits as I would like to put up more pictures and compare them to mine.