Celebrating the Armalite AR-180
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.
My e-form 1 took 161 days but it made for an early Christmas Present.
I decided to Form 1 my Nodak Spud NDS-1815 lower. For those of you new to the site this is the lower I designed and licensed to Nodak. I have been working on a prototype butt stock and hand guard for the BRN-180 and my lower. I have been chomping at the bit to put them together but I’ve honestly been a good little boy and resisted temptation.
Now I can put them together and I couldn’t be more excited!
I know it’s been too long since I have posted anything and for that I apologize. I will try to do more in the future.
If you want to help out the site head over to the store at AR180Parts.com
Maybe you will decide to pick up something you like and that will also help keep the lights on around here.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to one and all. Lets hope for a better year in 2021 and stay safe out there.
First I must apologize for not posting more often. Most of my day to day happenings end up on social media. If you are not following me on Instagram then you are missing a lot.
https://www.instagram.com/bigrix/
Lets back up a week or two to my T91 Pistol brace project.
It started with inspiration from Red_McCloud on the retro AR forums. He designed and printed a retro pistol brace and I needed something similar for my shorty T91 clone build.
Mine makes use of the butt stock parts available from T91Tactical.com
These two pistol braces are not compatible in case you were wondering. The tube diameter and bottom lug on the T91 stuff is larger in dimensions.
Next I started work on prototyping a straight 180B style charging handle for the BRN-180.
Made a quick one out of aluminum to check dimensions and function. Works fine with one exception. Charging the weapon with a traditional grip when the dust cover is closed causes the dust cover to hit your hand and somewhat inhibits a full stroke. A change in hand position will be required to eliminate this.
Based off some of my 3D printed tools I use in the shop I designed these Field Strip Stands for use with any AR180, AR180B, or AR18. I am going to offer these through AR180Parts.com soon.
Finally I have been strugling to locate fire control parts for some folks so I decided to try something radical and see if I could adapt a drop-in AR15 trigger into an AR180.
I got it physically located so it hit the firing pin at the right angle and cocks correctly when the bolt carrier cycles. I have no idea if it will actually have enough power to fire a primer. Range testing to follow. Ranges are closed in AZ right now. If it does fire I have to figure out how to get the safety to work.
If this doesn’t pan out I will still be able to use parts of this design to work up a set of anti walk pins for the AR180.
Finally I was able to get to the range last week before they closed to shoot my AR18 for the first time.
Reader Robert pointed me towards an interesting gunbroker auction for an Experimental Sterling AR180 with a fixed stock.
It has an interesting combination of features in addition to the stock. Black paint and a non-welded bolt catch pivot boss, both early features. Welded dovetail scope mount like the later blued model.
I have no information on this model and I am asking if any of you do?
I would be actively trying to buy this except the Corona Virus has hit my work and I will be home for the next 4 weeks without pay. I will be selling off guns and ammo to supplement my savings until we come out the other side. I hope someone in the family gets it as it is an interesting model to add to anyone’s collection.
I was doing some maintenance on my Early Howa AR-180, one of the first 1000, and found a barrel marking that I have never seen documented before.
It was hiding under the operating rod return spring and I never noticed it till I had it removed. What does it stand for? Howa Precision Rifles? I don’t know for sure.
Do you have any thoughts?
If you want to know more about these early Howa AR-180’s check out these older articles of mine.