#AR180

Last year, Brownells dropped their new Gen 2 version of the BRN-180 upper receiver onto the market. They came out with both shorter barrel variants as well as an option for .300 Blackout. Every time I saw the new BRN-180 Gen 2 upper, it piqued my curiosity and after a while, I decided to pick up one and put it through its paces. I’ve had the BRN-180 for a couple months now and put a decent amount of ammo through it, even with this crazy ammo crunch. Let’s dive deeper into Brownells BRN-180 Gen 2 Upper Receiver.

Brownells has upgraded their AR180 upper with a number of features, now with a more retro style folding stock and even a compatible AR180 lower receiver to match the style of the original stamped metal receiver. It now comes with new brace attachments to allow it to be registered as a pistol.

Photo by @jim_guns.

The Armalite AR18 and its civilian counterpart (the AR180) were marketed as affordable alternatives to more expensive designs of the period. While the rifle failed to take off or find a lucrative military contract, the gas system (or elements of it) has been used in many different designs.
In this video we do some shooting with the rifle and take a look at what it made its gas system so enviable.

The Armalite AR180 is the civilian version of the select-fire AR18 rifle. Chambered in 5.56, they were intended to allow nations with limited machining capabilities the ability to manufacture modern military rifles in the spiffy new 5.56×45 cartridge. While the rifle did not enjoy much success or proliferation, its gas system serves as the basis for more modern designs.

Some guns just get way too much attention. In this list, we highlight 5 firearms that get unfairly placed on a pedestal for a multitude of reasons that we lay out for you to consider. You may disagree, and that’s just fine. Also the list is about overrated guns, not necessarily bad ones.

For decades now, companies have tried to release firearms to dethrone the mighty M16/AR15 rifle. While some attempts have been more successful than others (some enjoying even moderate success), all the ones on this list have fizzled out or seem to be losing most, if not all factory support. While these aren’t necessarily bad firearms, they sure have not outsold the venerable AR15 on the American market (and abroad in most cases).