Why should(n't) get new AR-180B?

H

Higgins

New member
Convince me why I should/shouldn't buy one of the new Armalite AR-180B's!?!!??!

This would be my one and only semi-auto rifle. Although I am inexperienced in the rifle area, I've been doing my homework and the AR-180B looks to be an "ideal" semi-auto rifle. (As someone here has said before, the AR-180 is the rifle the AR-15/M16 should have been).

Note: Other rifles under consideration - DSA FAL, Robinson M96, HK SL8, or maybe VEPR II AK (I'm not too particular whether I get a .223 or .308).

And no, an AR-15 really is not under consideration. AR-15's may have legions of owners/fans, but they don't really appeal to me.

Thanks ahead of time for any helpful thoughts.
 
You absolutely, positively cannot buy one. Really. I'm guessing that they won't be available until some time next year. Check out the ArmaLite forum at www.ar15.com for the whole story. In a nut shell, they have had several production delays.
It's impossible to say how good they will be as only one individual I know of actually has one of the new production units. It was an early model that shipped before ArmaLite discovered the latest production hang up.
The concept is nice, but the proof will be in the puddin'. You pays your money and takes your chances. If it's even remotely better than the Mini-14 I will be happy with it.
 
the last time i pre ordered a rifle it was a 22lr AR15 upper from Leitner Wise

i ordered it in March of 1999
i'm still waiting

a rifle in hand is better than 2 in the ether2
 
Yeah, I should have mentioned that I am aware of the production delays and pushing back of the delivery dates. Still, latest word I've heard is they should begin shipping November/December 2001. I've got about a month or so before I have the cash anyway, so I thought it wouldn't hurt to put a deposit down on one now - so I can get in line. Even if the delay is a bit longer, that's not really a deterrant for me.

Apart from the production delay, anybody have anything negative to say about the AR-180B (or original AR-18) in comparison to AR-15's, FAL's, AK's, etc? I've read nothing but good about the originals and the design concept. I guess it will all come down to Armalite's execution and production quality of the original design and how well their modifications pan out. Although, with Armalite, I wouldn't think either execution or quality should be a problem - even with a gun designed from the beginning to be "cheap" - i.e. inexpensive and easy to manufacture.

Seems to me a better concept than the AR-15/AR-10 - and at an attractive price of $5-600.

Maybe I'll just have to takes me chances and be one of the first to acquire one - without the benefit of numerous range reports and experiences of other shooters. As a rule, I try not to buy the first model year of any new product - be it a car or a gun. Let somebody else deal with any lingering bugs. But then again, I'd sure like to have one of the new retro-Thunderbirds. Likewise, for an updated classic, like the AR-18, and for the price, I may just have to take the chance.

I'd just like to know if somebody thinks a better choice would be the Robinson M96, a DSA FAL or a VEPR II AK variant.
 
If the new one works as well as the originals then it would probably be great. The originals have a very good rep, except for the folding stock, but that of course will have been changed.

I still like the FAL better, but that is totally just my own personal opinion.

If you want a .223 then that would probably be a good way to go. The question is, can you wait that long? :)
 
I think you need to buy one. Then give it a good test session, and report back that I should/should not buy one!!!

Seriously though, Armalite has a good rep for reliability and quality. The basic design is sound as well. The big problem is the wait.

Zane
 
I am the guy who said the AR-180 was what the AR-15 should have been, but I noted that I was talking about the original. I have not seen the AR-180B, though I have one on order. I have heard the same Nov.-Dec. timeframe.

Jim
 
The one time I handled an AR-18, it took us about 10 minutes to go through one magazine. It jammed literally on every other shot. Needless to say, I wasn't impressed.

That said, let me point out that I seem to have no luck with 'real' firearms (I've had a USP jam on me within 15 rounds, a M92 unable to fire more than two rounds without stuffing up, a Bushmaster AR-15 that jammed, a MAK-90 that jammed..) but I seem to have great luck with firearms that by all accounts shouldn't work (cheap HK91 clones that fire forever without cleaning, cheap SIG P226 clones that work great, etc). Maybe I'm just bad luck.
 
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