There are many
.223 caliber autoloading rifles on the market today. Most are
based on the AR-15 design, and are well-built examples of that
great rifle that has served this country and many others as the
M-16 in its many variations.
Without going
into the complete history of the development of the ArmaLite AR-15
and AR-18 designs, it will suffice for our purposes to
understand that the AR-18 was an attempt by ArmaLite to improve
upon the AR-15 design without infringing upon the AR-15 patents,
which at the time had been sold to Colt by ArmaLite’s
parent company. These developments were taking place in the very
early 1960s when the military leaders of the World were just
warming up to the idea of a .223 caliber battle rifle.
The AR-15
design proved much more successful in gaining military
contracts, so ArmaLite marketed a civilian, semi-auto version of
the AR-18 as the AR-180. During the course of manufacture of the
original AR-180, they were built in at least three countries;
Japan, England, and the United States. There were a few small
variations to the shape of the charging handle and the magazines
used during the original run of AR-180s, but the basic design
remained one of simplicity and reliability. While the AR-180 has
been out of production for several years, there remains a loyal
following of shooters who keep these great rifles in high
demand, and to their delight and mine, the AR-180 is back in
production by ArmaLite right here in the United States.
The original
AR-180 used sheet metal stampings instead of aluminum forgings
for the upper and lower receivers as a manufacturing advantage
over the AR-15 design, but the most significant improvements
were to the gas and recoil spring systems. Instead of the direct
gas impingement upon the bolt carrier of the AR-15 system, the
AR-180 used the piston and tappet gas system that had first
appeared on the early German assault rifles of World War Two.
Besides being not nearly as ammo sensitive as the AR-15 design,
the AR-180 gas system allowed ArmaLite to use proven technology
without infringing upon the patent then owned by Colt in the
AR-15 design.
The dual coil
springs used to return the bolt carrier in the AR-180 eliminate
the spring in the buttstock of the AR-15 design, thereby
allowing a trimmer buttstock that folded sideways on the AR-180.
Overall, the AR-18 program, which resulted in the AR-180,
developed into a simpler, and under some conditions more
reliable, assault rifle. Keep in mind that during the early
years of the AR-15, many problems with reliability were
encountered that have now been overcome. The AR-18 at that time
was a superior rifle.
The new AR-180
as built today by ArmaLite has taken the best features of the
original AR-180 and combined them with a few features of the
AR-15. The result is the ArmaLite AR-180B. The new rifle retains
the light weight, slim profile, and great gas system of the
original AR-180, while substituting a reinforced polymer lower
receiver for the stamped lower on the original. The AR-180B also
uses parts from the AR-15 for the trigger and magazine systems.
The AR-180B
has a barrel that is just under 20 inches in length, has a
one-in-nine inch twist, and is slim in comparison to most AR-15
type rifle barrels today. Thankfully, ArmaLite has not saddled
the AR-180B with an HBAR-type barrel. Most AR-15 type rifles are
fitted with barrels that are too heavy for their intended
purpose. On a varmint or target gun a heavy barrel is
acceptable, but it is a detriment to handling on an assault-style
rifle. The polymer lower receiver, trim buttstock, and slim
barrel result in a weight of only six pounds for the AR-180B,
which is a full pound lighter than most 16 inch barreled AR-15s.
The bolt operating handle is attached directly to the bolt
carrier, eliminating the charging handle of the AR-15, and
giving the shooter a simpler and better method of chambering a
round. The AR-180B now has a fixed buttstock rather than the
folding unit of the original, which was prone to breakage under
rough handling.
The sight
system on the AR-180B consists of an elevation adjustable front
post and a dual aperture, windage adjustable rear. Both sights
are protected by metal ears on each side. The sling swivels are
mounted, as on the original, at the bottom of the pistol grip
and in front of the hand guard.
A unique
feature of the barrel is the integral muzzle brake, which has
six ports at the top of the unit to direct muzzle blast straight
up. The safety is mounted for easy operation by the thumb of a
right-handed shooter.
As for the
shooting and handling qualities of the AR-180B, I grabbed up
several different brands of .223 ammo; mostly various military
ball rounds. I tested the gun with the magazines provided and
with military surplus 30 round mags. Most shooting was done
offhand at various ranges, with accuracy testing at a range of
100 yards. The gun groups well with both the iron sights and
with a scope mounted. Groups averaged around the two inch mark
with iron sights and military ammo, and about half of that with
a Tasco 6 to 18 scope mounted. The gun was shipped with
ArmaLite’s optional scope mount that is made specifically for
this rifle. It will also fit the original AR-180. It is an
improvement over the original mount, and will accept most any
one-inch tube scope sight or optical dot sight. The mount is
easily and quickly removed and replaced without tools, and
returns to point-of-aim each time.
The AR-180B
functioned perfectly, with no malfunctions of any kind. The
empty brass was ejected to the forward right of the shooter,
with no damage or dents to the cases.
The AR-180B is
a joy to handle and shoot due to the excellent balance and light
weight. Recoil is hardly noticeable, most likely due in part to
the muzzle brake. The lack of a carry handle places the sights
down low, resulting in a comfortable cheek weld with the stock.
The light weight and low sights help the gun to handle and shoot
quickly and accurately.
The .223
cartridge in the AR-180B is a great little combo for protection
against varmints and predators of many kinds. As can be seen in
the photos, the .223 ball ammo nearly penetrated a one inch
steel plate at a distance of 30 yards. It easily poked through
¼ inch steel at the same distance. It is velocity, not
diameter, that penetrates hard targets.
For a good,
reliable .223 semi-auto at a very reasonable price, the AR-180B
is hard to beat. I noticed while doing research for this article
that the AR-180 listed for 700 bucks in 1982. Now, twenty years
later, the AR-180B list price retails for only 650 dollars!
Check out the
ArmaLite AR-180B online at: www.armalite.com.
The AR-180B is
a light, handy, reliable and accurate rifle that can easily fill
the need for a ranch gun or home protection. It would be
at the top of the list for a dedicated Homeland Security tool.
Besides all of
that, it is a fun gun that is a joy to shoot...and that might
just be the best reason of all for owning a firearm.
Jeff Quinn
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