AR-180B Return

cobra_on_speed said:
I really can't see how a change in material would change the classification, as long as the design and specs are the same. A mm is a mm and an inch is an inch, regardless of if it's wood, steel, or plastic.
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The receiver would still be a different design, and judging by what the RCMP has been doing lately with regards to classifications, do you honestly think they won't say it's a prohibited variant?
 
Dr van Nostran said:
I hope so, but Armalite will have to recognize a demand. The American SBR rule is 16" and the original AR18/180 Bbl length was I believe 18" so no good for us.
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So? What does any of that have to do with an Ar180b reboot for the Canadian market? Robinson Armament didn't seem to have an issue turning out 18.5" bbls for us, so assuming there is a large enough order to justify doing a run of 18.5" 180b barrels, there's no reason why it couldn't be done.
 
Kevin M. said:
I see no reason that the polymer lower could not continue to be used, providing they reinforced the breakage prone areas properly.

I shoot my buddies 180B every now and then, and it is a real pleasure to pack around and fire, nice light rifle with good accuracy potential with the right optics.

I'd be all over buying one if they produced a Canadian version and came in between $1,000 - $1,200, which would likely be a fairly fair price if they solved the couple of issues and made a special Canadian run.
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One other note is the Bushmaster ACR has a polymer lower, and I haven't heard of ANY issues in regards to it. Admittedly, it is a much more expensive rifle, but it goes to show that a polymer lower is viable.
 
Kevin M. said:
I see no reason that the polymer lower could not continue to be used, providing they reinforced the breakage prone areas properly.

I shoot my buddies 180B every now and then, and it is a real pleasure to pack around and fire, nice light rifle with good accuracy potential with the right optics.

I'd be all over buying one if they produced a Canadian version and came in between $1,000 - $1,200, which would likely be a fairly fair price if they solved the couple of issues and made a special Canadian run.
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There are no breakage prone area's, The only breaks other than the ones from the bad batch (that were all replaced) are the ones that were broken through abuse and mishandling. If you do stupid things to a rifle you will break it, just like any other rifle out there. I've been on every site I can find about the 180 and not one report of it breaking under normal use, only the ones from the bad batch and the dummies that let it swing open and break off the front pivot pin tabs.

They don't need to make a special Canadian version, they already have everything needed to restart production of the AR180B-2 which is the Canadian legal non restricted that they were making before they discontinued production and the one that most of us in Canada who have or had one owned. They just need to decide to build them again exactly like they did before.

As for modifying the upper to include a fixed rail? No thanks. I like the way it is, you have a detachable scope mount that returns to zero every time for the same price as a nice one piece QD mount.
 
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cr5 said:
Comparing warranty and parts availability of a milsurp rifle that was designed in the 70's and discontinued in the 80's is a little different than a new production rifle built specifically for the Canadian market.
You wanna try comparing apples to apples? Or do you just like to talk out your backside bashing a rifle you don't know much about just because it has a polymer lower. In case you haven't noticed there are a lot of rifles out there that use polymers extensively. Ever heard of HK? Or are they no good either because they use polymers in their rifles?
You think a metal lower won't break? Take your AR and push out the rear pin and let it fall open from the weight of the barrel slamming the bottom of the forend onto the front of the magwell a few times. You will break the lower.
The bad batch of polymer lowers were replaced free of charge to the owners, even the ones that broke their rifle from abuse.
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Whatever all what you said you are telling me to compare apples with apple and yet you compare a lower cracking under normal use and one that you need to throw on the ground...

Im out of here.
 
Assuming that the company has the manufacturing capacity to put these back into production, in addition to their AR-15 type rifles, they would find a ready market. Or, manufacture could be contracted out, as happened with the AR-180.
The AR-180B design, with its recoil springs positioned within the receiver, has the great advantage that it can have a truly folding stock, not one that only partly collapses.
It would be preferable if a Canadian model had a barrel with a threaded muzzle, to allow a choice in muzzle units. Easier to do than machining an integral comp.

A AR-160B, in 7.62x51, would sell like hotcakes. But heaven only knows if the original drawings have survived. Having to start from scratch would really complicate things.
 
Ar180shooter said:
The receiver would still be a different design, and judging by what the RCMP has been doing lately with regards to classifications, do you honestly think they won't say it's a prohibited variant?
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What makes you think the design would be different? Why would they change dimensioning, specs, or tolerances?(unless they want to make it better,but that would just cost more money in engineering)

You've got a stamped steel AR-180B upper, and originally a polymer AR-180B lower. The polymer AR-180B lower is not the same as an original AR-18, or AR-180 lower. You take the design of that AR-180B lower, but now you make it out of a different material, steel, or aluminum, it's still an AR-180B lower.

The ponies would probably want to take a look at it, but it's realistically the same gun. All things being equal, if an AR-180B with a polymer lower is NR, then one with a steel lower is too.
 
Why does everyone think that this gun would need to be re-designed before its re-introduction? In order to justify producing it, Armaliteii will need to do something to make it attractive in the huge American market, where everybody can buy and use AR's almost as though it were a free country. Why would a Yankee consider a 180? One reason only...because it is cheap...oh, sorry, "inexpensive". If it's the same price as even bargain-basement AR's, why on earth would they buy it? It will need to sell very inexpensively to be successful south of us. Unless they can figure out a way to redesign it to make it even easier and less expensive to build (can't imagine how!), the odds are that it will be the same old gun it was before because changes cost money and generally raise prices.

Up here guys will buy one because they don't have the AR option as a non-restricted. And of course, since we will pay more for one than our southern buddies, we will get the endless litany of whining and pissing and moaning about how the manufacturers/importers/retailers are screwing us so badly on prices. The simple fact that something is worth what somebody is willing to pay for it is lost on many here. "I don't wanna spend that much, and the fact that you ARE willing to...REALLY PISSES ME OFF!!!"

I owned an unrestricted AR180B and have no interest in owning another...but more power to those who do want one. They're cool in their own way. I am looking forward to watching the ####storm of belly-aching from the "We're not happy until you're not happy!" crowd. :)
 
I have an AR180b and would prefer it if it had a steel or aluminum lower, but I love the rifle itself. There would be things I would change of course like a proper picatinny rail instead of the dovetail and actually having a collapsible/foldable stock instead of the regular stock, but the rifle itself is great and if they had a more modern version of it I would strongly consider buying it as its light and great shooting.
 
00aught said:
Don't you have a t97? With a thin piece of plastic covering your face? :stirthepot2::D
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There is several metal part between the chamber and your face. Should an out-of battery discharge happen, I suspect most of the gas would be vented either through the mag well, or through the ejection port.
 
Dench said:
meh. Depends if they make the ar15 non restricted or not
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I can see this happening , there is no reason the ar15 should be restricted assuming a longer than 18.5" barrel .

right now the rcmp / cfo's are engaging in a pissing match with the government .
I think one of the bigger piss offs the government could so would be to make the ar15 nonrestricted ( short of killing off c68 ) .

if we don't get c68 repealed I think we will get some short term consolation prizes .......... and if that happened a lot of rifles will now be having a price adjustment .
 
I emailed Armalite about the 180b awhile back and this is what they had to say

"We haven't made the 180B in about 7 plus years or so and stopped building them as the manufacturer who made our polymer lowers went out of business, sluggish sales and little to no profit margin. Our engineers are putting the 180B on hold at this time. No timeline or further information is available at this time."

I would really like to own one but realistically they are too expensive for a rifle that has very little (practical) use. If it were chambered in a 308/7.62 x .. / or basically anything bigger than a 223 it would be perfect for actually hunting (im not a coyote guy)...If I wanted a range gun I would have many restricted options to choose from.
 
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