ArmaLite AR-180B Semi-Auto 5.56mm Rifle, Revisited

Submitted by Bill St. Clair on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 12:23:48 GMT  <== Guns ==> 

Jeff Quinn at Gunblast gives Armalite's AR-180b a second review. Armalite has improved this semi-auto .223-caliber gas piston rifle since his first review. Armalite lists the AR-180b for $852. The AR-180b has a unique scope mount. If you'd prefer a standard Piccatinny rail, Stormwekz has two options, for $60 & $75. [gunblast]

While the AR-15 is currently the hottest-selling weapon in the US, many shooters are looking for piston-operated weapons, believing, rightly or wrongly, that they are more reliable than the direct gas-impingement system of the AR-15. Many different companies are selling "piston" AR-15 rifles, and most are good weapons. However, is the rifle has a gas piston instead of the Stoner gas impingement system, it is not an AR-15. Nothing wrong with either system, but an AR-15, by definition, has a different system than a piston gun. This brings us to the gas piston system. It is nothing new at all, and has been around for decades. ArmaLite used the Tokarev-style gas piston system in the original AR-18 so as not to step on the patented Stoner gas impingement system that had been sold to Colt, resulting in what was basically a stamped sheet metal version of the AR-15, but with a piston gas system. The semi-auto version of the AR-18 was called the AR-180, and was met with limited success. The result is a very good semi-auto rifle. ArmaLite has now been for several years making a variation of the original AR-180, called the AR-180B. The 180B uses a polymer lower receiver, and best of all, it uses standard AR-15 magazines and fire control parts, like the trigger, hammer, and safety.

Armalite AR-180b

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Comments (2):

AR180B: Do not buy this gun.

Submitted by Allen on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:24:09 GMT

AR180B: Do not buy this gun. The lower reciver is plastic & very fragile @ the pivot point. Mine came apart while firing. Part can not be replaced. Armilite knows about this defect, but you wont find any info about this on their site. Ive talked too others who have had similar problems with pivot point breaking while cleaning gun.

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I have an armalite ar-180b

Submitted by bigblock on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:26:02 GMT

I have an armalite ar-180b as well and i recently completed all of my attachments to the gun and could not wait to fire it and after 5 rounds of ammo the lower reciver broke on mine as well. I have already put $300.00 into the gun. would it be worth putting another reciver in it or should I part ways with it? I found a lower reciver for $200.00 on Armalite's website.

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