In speaking with Jonathan Ferguson, the SA80 was mostly corrected in the A2 version and not the A3 version, where the A3 version offers significant ergonomics and capability upgrades instead. We're pleased to be able to bring yall a 10% discount on www.koreessentials.com/ Use code: 9HoleReviews will get you 10% off We've been running Kore belts for over 2 years (without any sort of partnership or relationship) and can say that we LOVE these items and how they've held up. If you're looking for a dress belt, an EDC belt, etc. we'd strongly suggest you check these guys out
They are all far too heavy and the trigger sucks, the safety catch is easily broken and the trigger mech pins can be broken easily too On the upside the recoil springs aren't from a mechanical pencil like the a1 and the mags aren't make of recycled biscuit packaging
I have a mint Costa Mesa Ar180 with the original scope with it if you are interested in it. It might be interesting to see how much difference there is between the different manufacturers. Sterling, the last one, were pretty crappy compared to the others. Shooting the Stoner 63a will get you Stoner's 3rd gas operating method for a 5.56mm rifle.
The SA80 was only "corrected" when the UK decided to purchase the KAC KS1. The entire UK MoD should switch to the KS1 or the DDM4 RIII. Much better rifles than any version of the SA80.
I only used the A1 towards the last year or so of my time, but it was surprisingly accurate for what it was, the L86 LSW was even more accurate, even having to use it right handed as am a left hooker left eye dominant, and up until that point I used everything left handed including the GPMG and the L42, no real issues transitioning, using that weapon system, despite trigger being horrible, but as you know reliability and things falling off of it, as well as the SUSAT's parallax issues at close ranges, was a problem but 1st time out with a brand new one I got 5 rounds inside a hole covered with a 20p piece and won an £80 side bet which kept me in beer for a few of nights- like I said it is accurate, but I would rather use the SLR if my life depended on it...
In 1977 I bought a deeply discounted Howa AR-180 at a gunshop in Sacramento. Just returned from two tours in Asia and on orders to Pendleton, I’d picked up my Bronco at Travis or Oakland or somewhere, and wanted a little truck gun. (It just occurred to me that the rifle may have been discounted as Howa quit making them in ‘74 per Wikipedia, and it was probably sitting unsold on the rack in Sacto for years.) I loved that little rifle and collected jackrabbit furs all the way back to North Dakota (for lotsa leave). Eventually the butt hinge latch got sloppy, something prettier came along, and I traded or sold it. Now nostalgic, I’ve been looking fondly and Brownell’s modern version.
I'm from NI and your intro is perfect. Non bias and with an attitude that most have over here. Thank you for not hyping up one side or the other as it only leads to division. The exact opposite of what we need.
I had an Armalite AR 180 back in the 70s. For a LEO i felt it was much better than the AR 15 at the time. I liked the ability to bail out of a car and shoot right away without doing anything to the stock. In the 70s we didn't have collapsing stocks for the AR15 yet.
I’m laughing at this. I got my first AR-180 around 1972 and carried a S&W Model 58 for CCW. I went on to become a LEO at both state and federal levels. No regret on either choice.
@harryspeakup8452 I actually liked it better than the .357. I was in a rather rural area and I always had fears that the .357 couldn't penetrate a car body. I never had those fears with the 210 gr lswc load.
Because of Canadian Politics, the 180 series rifles are becoming quite prevalent as now we can no longer own AR pattern rifles. I did also notice that the BCG from a CZ Bren 2 is very similar overall to the 180 BCG, but only a single recoil spring.
This has to be one of Henry's best outings ever. Like EPL fans say; "yes but can he do it on a rainy night in Stoke?" Well, we now know Henry can do it on a very windy day with a relatively crappy rifle.
Back in the early 80's here in Texas, I had a chance to buy an AR 180 at a gun show. I kick myself often for not buying it. I was turned off to it because it was stamped tin..... Yet today I own several stamped metal receiver rifles... Ahhhh... the ignorance of youth. Cheers!
@@jason200912they weren’t exactly falling from the sky, or growing on trees then, there really wasn’t demand for them prior to the ‘86 time. They’re not exactly practical in non-military settings. So no, that’s not what was going on.
@@jason200912 You could not just walk into a gun shop and buy a full auto gun. You still had to wait for the ATF to slow walk the process. Reagan stopped allowing newly made full-auto guns to be sold and put on the registry.
An American from Texas goes to Ireland for business. At the local pub he says I heard you guys can drink and I have $500 dollars to anyone that can drink 10 pints back to back without stopping. A man gets up and walks out. The man came back and ask is the bet still on. The Texas man says yeah! So the Irish man drinks 10 pints back to back no stopping. So the American payed up then ask hey were did you go before you drank? The Irish man said. Oh the pub next door I want to see if I could before I tried. 😂
I'm Danish, so that conflict isn't mine to speak of, but I lived, as a youth, through the times when news about it made headlines in Danish media all the time, and it left a deep impression on me that two countries I both considered "friends" were in such a bitter fight. I think you did an outright stellar job at giving context on this one Henry. Thank you. Also: That was some SERIOUSLY good shooting.... And that wasn't just the merit of the rifle in that wind.
What 2 country’s ? Think your confused the U.K. and Ireland were not fighting each other during the troubles Jesus the U.K. would make mincemeat of Ireland in a afternoon if it wanted too the British were fighting a terrorist organisation that wanted the north to join the south the Republic of Ireland was nothing to do with it
I love how Henry literally bust almost all gun myths, AK inaccuracy? Busted! Tilting bolt less accurate? VZ.58 and SKS in Henry's hands says different. Now, one of the best, short stroke piston ARs are inaccurate, not only is a shorty but it's also a stamped with two positions irons and here we are with another myth busted hard.
@@Seth9809 so they were basically the same, especially given the fact Henry does not have equal experience shooting all the guns. He became more proficient with AKs as the series goes by, for example.
As far as I'm aware, what Stoner designed was the AR16 which was a 7.62 gun. If I'm not mistaken, he was already gone from Armalite when they decided to scale it down to 5.56.
Clearing it that easily with huge wind gusts is insane. I couldn't even do that with a red dot, let alone irons. 500 yards in that weather with 55 grain and irons is wild.
When I read the title I was worried this might be a bit of an overly sentimental cake-and-arse handling of the troubles. I'm really glad it wasn't, and Henry's introduction was just excellent.
It's a Howa, the Japanese tend to be very driven by quality in some respects they produce some very top notch products for low costs, toyota pickups for example.
For engagement, ill say the AR18/180 sounds like that one ex we all have... Ugly as sin... But in the cold dark... They kept you warm, and singing little tunes about them for years and girls, guns, guys(whatever you're into) to come
Surprisingly good run, especially when considering the high wind effect. The 180 is pretty much most notable for being the foundation of the next gen rifle, but nice to see that the old girl still has it in her to put a good score up.
Having just gotten back from Ireland where we did went on a Black Cab tour in Belfast. The cab drivers were nearly all "Blanketmen" from the time of the Troubles. We saw the Peace Wall and saw that on the catholic side of the wall, there were still whole back gardens covered in Cyclone style fencing. Your intro was very wall done and I appreciate that context before talking about the rifle.
I bought an ar180b quite a few years ago which I still have. It's easy to maintain and dumps *nothing* into the receiver. Weaknesses are of course just the single quick release mount, the plastic front hinge on the lower and general lack of parts. This rifle could have gone so much further than the ar15 design if the same amount of money were dumped into it. almost 30 years ago i had a neighbor who was in the air cav who was bayonetted during the Tet offensive because his m16 rifle jammed on him at the worst time possible. About 10 years later I bumped into a group of young soldiers who had freshly rotated out of iraq who were not happy with the 556 cartridges lack of performance against passenger vehicles (windshields) at checkpoints.
Much as I love the channel, this was a reluctant click for me given the history of US funding for 'those' people / green-tinted nostalgia for the 'old country' / etc. After 2 minutes of classy Henry intro, I think it's all going to be fine. I should have known better, but a shamrock and a lucky charms joke just in the title will do that to a Brit of a certain age. (I also enjoyed Brendan's video a while back, but you kind of expect him to be a meme machine from the very start).
In large part, that's why Henry wanted to add the intro - in the US, at least in certain areas like in New England where I grew up, it was fairly common to see and hear pro-IRA sentiment. It wasn't until later when I had a chance to learn more about the conflict and speak to Brits about it, that I realized how one-sided the US (or again, at least New England) view of the conflict/s tend to be. One of my close friends today is a British Expat who had uncles involved as British military, and it was certainly interesting hearing some of their experiences and how strongly his views on the matter are. - Josh
@@9HoleReviews Thanks for the background Josh. For reference, I grew up in a part of Scotland where there were (and still are) also 'both sides' arguments aplenty. If you want to know more about that you could google Rangers / Celtic football rivalry, or maybe just don't. I think we can all agree to be thankful that at least we no longer have any other armed conflicts going on in the world right now where historical geopolitical differences are reaching a fever pitch.
I honestly didn't get the intro. I didn't see intros about how horrible was the USSR or modern Russia is when displaying weapons that were or are used for oppression, why should I see one for the IRA? Just felt weird.
The Armalite is one of my favorite platforms, I really wish more companies would build an updated version of this (beyond the Brownell ones). The world would be a better place with a modern, updated and better built AR18.
Canada has recently seen a glut of AR180 "clones" that are modernized and updated. It has been a... trial and error process. They have had quite a lot of struggle getting it right.
@@bilodeaumichael3 : just curious, but what sort of issues? I’m not aware of any major issues that the BRN-180 encountered, and it has been decently well received.
@@ultrablue2 I've followed a number of Canadian gun channels and their reviews, and the problems seem to be parts durability and small ergonomic issues
@@ultrablue2 As pointed out, reliability and wear have been the major issues. There were issues with the gas system, breakage of piston rods, charging handles were an interesting issue as the attachment method was changed in nearly all models, as well as issues with things like trigger pins walking or breaking. The guns are capable of battering themselves apart rapidly. Now that has begun to change, but it has been a hard road to get there for the Canadian market.
Way more deep and philosophical than most videos. Excellent intro, followed by one of the most incredibly displays of marksmanship ever caught on tape. "I'm flipping to the 400 marked sight." Is that in meters, or yards? "I have no idea." *hit*
I love my Brownells GEN 2, .223 WYLDE , 18.5” BRN-180! It shoots so softly suppressed! Also, it’s very accurate. If I purchased an AR-180, I would purchase a Costa Mesa,CA made version which had better weld quality!
I bought one back in 1977 when I came back from Marine Corps recruit training. I was originally looking for a Colt AR15 SP1 but they were a hot item in those days and they didn't last long in any of the gun shops in my area. Being that it would be fround upon if I didn't return my M16A1 at the end of reserve drill weekend I figured I'd get my own to practice with. I found a Sterling AR180 on the rack of the biggest gun shop and it interested me so I bought it. Have never regretted it since. A fine shooter. It eats anything I feed it including steel case ammo. It's crude looking on the outside, but well built. It serves the purposes it was made for well. It wasn't designed to compete with the M16, it was actually intended to compete with the AK47 in the military markets. I personally prefer it to the AK47. To me it handles better, better sights and much easier to handle when it gets hot. The operating system is as reliable as it needs to be. It's a purpose built weapon and it serves that purpose well. One of the biggest reasons the AK47 is so common is that most of the end users got them for free foreign aid from the Soviet Union and Red China. The AR18/AR180 are just as inexpensive to build but they weren't free or given to Communist countries. I've held onto over 45 years because I enjoy shooting it. My law enforcement and military contractor days are behind me now so my firearms are range toys and some competition shooters. My son's and grandsons will inherent them to enjoy. My middle son has dibbs on it.😊
I’m surprised by the accuracy as well. Very interesting. I’m very keen to see your take on the AUG and if you notice some of the small things that I took issue with.
I served in the US Army from 1981 to 1988. Was issued the M16-A1. When I got out I found one of these at a gun show. Got it and everything else he had for it. I love this gun! I have put thousands of rounds of all kinds too through her and she has never ever missed a beet. Way better then a Ar-15. Had the US military put a little more work into it we wouldn’t have to look for anything else. Just a great gun.
MP-7, Beretta ARX... It seems like there are pretty much three "operating systems" for common combat rifles today; the AR-10/AR-15, the AR-18/AR-180, and the Garand.
Somewhat true. AR-18 is the Stoner's AK: AR-15 bolt, SVT short-stroke piston, and most important - M2 Grease gun's style of BCG, traveling on two guiding rods. The former one often forgotten, but crucial - it made any guiding channels for the BCG on the receiver redundant, making the receiver easier and cheaper to produce.
My EARLY, original Costa Mesa was a phenomenal gun. It totally exceeded all of my expectations on accuracy and reliability. One of those that I NEVER should have let get away.
I’m traded a Evo scorpion and like 300 bucks at a local shop for an A.R. 180 B armalight upper, and I’m guessing the lower had broke because those had the polymer lower and they replaced it with a nodak spud metal lower which is nice because it takes standard AR magazines and fire control group, the 18 inch ported barrel is very loud on an indoor range
I think the spacing of the zeros on the two position sights helped a lot here. Having a 200m/yd and a 400m/yd zero is great for hitting man sized targets out to 500 with a 16" 5.56. The 200 is within striking distance out to 300 and 350 to 500 can be done without too much trouble on the 400 setting.
ive been dying to hear about the mini behind Josh for so long now. mini-14 was also my first rifle and it is still my absolute favorite! also love the ar-180 and Brownells brn180
Got a brn 180 pistol i built up into a fun little project . 7.62x39 10inch barrel excellent suppressor host that doesnt require a buffer tube to function.
Had two of these things 30 years ago, the only two issues were that AR mags had to be cut and the stock wiggled ,good two min. shooters. Both were 1 in 12 guns great review guys.
I could not talk my father into getting one back in the day... have always had a soft spot for them... just have never found one while flush with cash... lol will stick with my Daewoo... for now
The g36 is cost conscious but the savings aren't passed down from the manufacturer, assumingly by choice or maybe because of taxes or import fees or something. It's plastic though, so it should be even cheaper than stamping used to be.
@@nichtgefunden404 right, but my point is the receiver is not machined to interface with the trunnion/barrel. It's simply molded into it for quick, simple manufacture.
Also, looking at how much AR-180s go for now (and when I bought one within the last year or so...) - I am definitely kicking myself for not buying on for $800 or so in the early 2010s.
I became aware of the AR-18 when it was used in The Terminator. I then realized it showed up as bad guy weapons in TV shows and low budget movie in the 1970s & 1980s. I was amazed at how it gave birth to so many weapons in 80s & 90s. It made enough of an impression that I built a complete BRN-180 w/ repro AR-18 lower and folding butt stock.
One of my biggest regrets when I was living in Utah in 2007, was when I went to a Cabela's and saw a AR 180 for sale. (could not afford it at the time) I forgot the price, but I think it was between 500-700 bucks. Heck I still wish I kept my garbage rod, (My Mosin M98/30 with a hex receiver) that I got for 80 bucks. Now they seem to be worth 400.
Love watching the channel but living in Canada, most of what I see is stuff I'll never get to try up here! Canadian made ar180's have a bad reputation up here as rifles that are not reliable and just eat themselves. Really interesting to see your guys' take on this pattern of rifles. Would love if you guys got your hands on a type81 to review (as they're universally loved in Canada) but I know they're practically unobtainium down there
The Philippine Elisco Tool (maker of our M16A1 variant) acquired the AR18 tooling from ArmaLite in 1983 but the company was liquidated after the 1986 People’s Revolution.
And it was sold to Mark Westrom of Eagle Arms... "Armalite was sold to Elisco Tool Manufacturing Company, of the Philippines. Inventory, tooling, and machinery were dispatched from the U.S. plant to the Philippines. The process fell apart due to political events in the Philippines. The political and economic links of the government were dramatically shifted, and Elisco was unable to carry out the AR-18 production."
You guys forced me to buy a BRN 180 from Santa .... ho ho ho. Not the same, but I am completely satisfied. It shoots 55 grain ball ammo just fine (18.5 inch ) .... thank you.
It trips me out Chinito, had a hard time with the PSL, and Rob at AK union had a different opinion with receipts and now Chinito did well with the IRA/AR180 system. 9 hole and Chinito got me hooked watching especially the swedish redefine of the g3 clone rifle.
Surprising he did a review on this older + undeveloped rifle as it's 1in12 twist & wobbly buttstock hinge would be a disqualifier straight out the gate - but oh well 🎉
Great video and overview, thank you for reminding me on how stupid I am for not having one in my collection. Especially "growing up" with one in the 70's, for reasons I still don't fully comprehend my father had a deep dislike of the AR-15 platform. I can wax nostalgic on my childhood, converting AR-15 magazines to work with AR-180 (retention slot is on the other side. requiring a dremel). Obviously also regaled with the IRA stories. My understanding of the AR-18/180 from my youth: the Sterling built ones: maybe good, maybe trash. Howa built ones: generally solid and, the Costa Mesa built ones, the cream of the crop. Odd, the odd "triangle" optics mount of the receiver was frowned on back then. Whereas, no one bats an eye for an H&K Claw. Its funny, I'll drop thousands on a time-capsule H&K91 so I can live out my 1980's Soldier of Fortune fantasies, but still have yet to add back a rifle I grew up with. My mother sold my fathers when I was away in the Military and she was liquidating his estate....only damn thing I wanted of my Fathers....
The Gov't of the Philippines bought the Armalite AR 18 manufacturing package ( no license required)in the early 80s. There were several built rifles displayed with wood furniture. (As woodcrafters charged less than injection plastic manufacturers in the Philippines.) However the tooling purchased was a surplus production line and incomplete. It took serious gunsmithing to get any functioning rifles from the initial set up of the production line. No additional funding was obtained to get a running production line in the Philippines. The license built "kits" for the M16A1 continued in production to fill the needs of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The gov't owned corporation was Elisco Manufacturing "Elitool". The Armalite package was sold to Mike Westrom of Eagle Arms by the Phil. Gov't.
What really hurt the AR18 was bad timing, unfortunate license agreements, and finally no significant military power adopting it right off the bat. 1. The M16 was available to pretty much anyone (at least Western aligned aside from, say, South Africa) who wanted a 5.56mm rifle. Uncle Sam was more than willing to provide M16s as military aid after about 1967. 2. Howa seemed like a smart licensing choice - and given that Armalite and Stoner had already been burned by the Netherlands, seemed a good choice. Japan had the right manufacturing base, and was an up and coming major manufacturing powerhouse (like South Korea in the mid 1980s on). But... Japan decided that their pacifist constitutional restrictions meant they *could not* sell arms to anyone involved in a war. Meaning, the very customer base Armalite was aiming this at was immediately cut out. By the time the license was able to be transferred to Sterling and Sterling had gotten up to speed, the crest of the wave had passed - pretty much everyone who wanted a 5.56 and didn't have M16s was producing a domestic design. 3. With no major adopters, nations were less inclined to take a chance on the rifle. This is literally why the USAF bought F5 fighters, even though they didn't fit with USAF perceived needs - to reassure allied nations that it was a credible design, not just "the plane you ordered from Wish". Same thing with the AR18 (and, later on, with the F5 successor - the F21 Tigershark). *Any* large scale purchase and issue (even on a limited basis, like say, one division of Marines, or the US Coast Guard, or the British Para Regiment) by a major military player would likely have driven more interest. Hell, had Japan adopted it for the JDF, the design would have been perceived as a viable choice for nations that Japan would have been willing to export to.
I never looked at the ar180 as a cheap rifle, only inexpensive to manufacture once set up. My howa has been a gem for years and still as sturdy as the day I got it although the stock has a little wobble after 50 years. Still one of the last to go if the need came up.
Gentlemen, Greetings and Aloha from Hawaii! Your analysis and acknowledgment of the AR-180's contribution to modern combat arms was a testament to Eugene Stoner's genius; however, the dual rail/short stroke piston recoil system was just one part of the AR-180's charm. In front of two (2) position flip rear sight is a spot welded wedge that served as the base for Eugene Stoner's Inverted Post scope. The scope was quickly attached or detached via a tension piston that secured the scope onto the wedge and being a triangle, the wedge ensured a Return-to-Zero. All these features sound like current specifications for a CQB rifle, but Eugene Stoner designed these requirements decades before what we expect in a battle rifle. Finally, why did Eugene Stoner invert the standard thick, vertical military post on his AR-180 scope? If you consider that a rifle's recoil will cause the muzzle to rise, the scope's post would obscure the shooter's ability to observe the results of his/her shot. By inverting the post, the shooter will have a clear view of the target after pulling the trigger. As you said, the AR-180 wouldn't win a beauty contest, but it has the heart and ingenuity of a champion. Mahalo (thank you) for your UA-cam cast. Keep 'em coming,....Aloha!
Hi Henry, i was wondering to what extent do you feel your own skill development over the seasons is affecting the results. You're a phenomenal marksman. Always a pleasure to watch.
We've actually talked about this quite a bit in a few episodes and between ourselves. We're radically better shooters/spotters than we were when we started this project. We're more familiar with varying systems, we have diagnosing processes if things aren't going well, we have better scheduling of filming that allows better focus while on range, we have dramatically improved spotting and recording equipment, we're simply more practiced on the distances in question, etc. It plays a major factor in the results improving over the years and is why we're trying to go back periodically and re-do some of the original rifles we've shot to give them either "redemption" or a "Run #2"
Yes, I agree. This was a mind blower to an extreme. To say the least Capt Chan, YOU CAN SHOOT! To note, the AR-180's be they US, Japanese, or UK made, none had chrome chambers/bores and they all had 1/12 twist rifling. Plus, that 3 prong flash hider doesn't compensate at all. Oh, Rhodesia got lucky and got batch to their fight. Probably stolen the same way out of Stierling like the underworld did for the provo's. The one other thing that throws people off on the old 180's, was the stamped out trigger groups. Oy!
No nothing came out of Sterling except the stuff I took from their skip that failed QC , and some 40 rnd mags . Sterling didn't start production until 1979 which was after the source of the Armalite built rifles had dried up and a switch was made to M16s . The Provos smuggled them in from the US , a New York dealer funded by collections in the Irish bars of NY and Boston. They came in through Southampton on board the QE2 believe it or not , and then by road to NI .
I’m glad you said internal piston… I hear this “shit where it eats” term but I think like us it poops in the same house it eats in but in a different room… yes the stink can carry… but it’s poop also makes the wind that blows the dust out the door.
@@Joe3pops I once spent some time with an American ranger regiment but that also has very little to do with the IRA using the AR180 to murder civilians
@MrTangolizard Lizard person. The Royal Irish Rangers of the 1980s was an infantry regiment within the British army. It was a mix of Irish protestant and irish catholic soldiers. Therefore they never patrolled the streets of Northern Ireland. You are a huge Idi.....So tell me. What Einstien moment brought u to mention an American Ranger regiment?? Within a totally Irish tale?
@@Joe3pops what in the hell does any of that have to do with anything ? And btw what the hell does there religion have to do with anything plenty of catholics served in Northern Ireland and the UDR was merged with another regiment to create the Irish rangers and the previous regiment’s absolutely served in Northern Ireland
Was that one of the first 1000 Howas? If so,they are probably the best of them all. Built as Full Auto AR18s in the mid 60s and then converted to semi auto and exported to the USA in the early 1970s. Great reveiw👍
Howa AR-180 being showcased, and no mention of the Type 89 anywhere in the video. I stan the Type 89. It isn't one of the offspring rifles, it just IS the AR-180M
Last year, I picked up an Armalite revival version of the AR180…the AR180B. It’s fun, shoots great but it’s also a weird piece in my collection that takes a spot in the back of the safe. Not a safe queen, but a safe jester.
A jester? You mean like tfbtv's (hypothetical) horse dildo pen15? The final product that Jane's reeves went with was extremely disappointing. He just made a purple ar15 and took off all the dildo mlok attachments on his joke gun.
@@ndenise3460 you have info on this? i've had an ar180b for years which i haven't shot and want to fix up that lower receiver (or replace it). I didn't pay that much for it...
In one of the Canadian firearms magazines"Calibre" there was an article.showing the fix , basically a tapered stud that was mirror epoxy bedded into the recess behind the trigger. The main reasons for breakage was figured to be the front pin area taking the brunt of the big slamming forward.
www.huntinggearguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/lower-action.jpg You can see the recess behind the hammer hear. A tapered metal stud fit welded to the upper receiver and some steel epoxy would do
Outstanding intro and run!! I honestly don't really associate the Troubles and the AR18/180. To me, the rifle is an intriguing 'what if'; indeed, a 'most successful failure', as Ian McCollum phrased it, due to the gas system's success in later rifles. I've seen it mentioned that competition from cheap/free M16s provided via Military Assistance Programs was a factor inhibiting wider adoption of the AR18 as a 3d World military rifle. THIS is my perception: A decent rifle that never really got a chance. The AR180-style short-stroke system is also a feature in post AR ban Canadian rifles.
I think it would be really interesting to see the m96 swedish mauser on the speedway course compared to the lee enfield smle at dome point. They both have cock on close actions but i have always found the Mausers to be more shootable platforms than the lee (baring the no4 having peep sights) especially when paired with the smaller caliber 7mm and 6.5 over 303. Id be interested to see how Henry does with older rifles under stress, and whether or not the subtle choices in a basic bolt action really mean much at all to overall cyclic rate when engaging targets. Perhaps the mauser having the superior stripper clips would even win out over the slower lee load system
Having a collection of these, I do think they get a bit downgraded by their cheap appearance. The Cosa Mesa and the actual select fire AR 18 are every bit as good as the Howa. The Sterling was even more sloppy in appearance but rested shots its pretty much the same. Mine the 180's are about 2" at 100... but I'm using the scope that was made for it. That's what that goofy tab on top of the receiver is for. The AR18 is actually more like 1.5" They are all 1-12 twist. The only real negative is they do break parts with some regularity.
Y'know all the things people had generally said the AR180 being meh or junky. This rifle performed amazingly. I always had a soft spot for junky and quirky guns. More so with this rifles uuhhh... Pop culture heritage hahaha. Truly the underdog rifle.
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In speaking with Jonathan Ferguson, the SA80 was mostly corrected in the A2 version and not the A3 version, where the A3 version offers significant ergonomics and capability upgrades instead.
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They are all far too heavy and the trigger sucks, the safety catch is easily broken and the trigger mech pins can be broken easily too
On the upside the recoil springs aren't from a mechanical pencil like the a1 and the mags aren't make of recycled biscuit packaging
I have a mint Costa Mesa Ar180 with the original scope with it if you are interested in it. It might be interesting to see how much difference there is between the different manufacturers. Sterling, the last one, were pretty crappy compared to the others. Shooting the Stoner 63a will get you Stoner's 3rd gas operating method for a 5.56mm rifle.
The SA80 was only "corrected" when the UK decided to purchase the KAC KS1. The entire UK MoD should switch to the KS1 or the DDM4 RIII.
Much better rifles than any version of the SA80.
Ar180 bullpup = sa80a1, I am serving British army and detest the sa80 with passion 😂
I only used the A1 towards the last year or so of my time, but it was surprisingly accurate for what it was, the L86 LSW was even more accurate, even having to use it right handed as am a left hooker left eye dominant, and up until that point I used everything left handed including the GPMG and the L42, no real issues transitioning, using that weapon system, despite trigger being horrible, but as you know reliability and things falling off of it, as well as the SUSAT's parallax issues at close ranges, was a problem but 1st time out with a brand new one I got 5 rounds inside a hole covered with a 20p piece and won an £80 side bet which kept me in beer for a few of nights- like I said it is accurate, but I would rather use the SLR if my life depended on it...
“Wait so they’re all AR-18 variants?”
“Always have been”
Except the gas system is taken from the SVT40. Germans copied it for the G43 and G36
@@rednecksniper4715 Stoner upgraded it, so it’s not the exact same.
Yup. Even the fancy schmancy things like the new Sig Spear. Basically every single piston AR traces back to it.
@@ImperialSenpai it’s 95% the exact same gas system just the SVT40 is longer
@@rednecksniper4715 No there’s other small improvements, it is an upgraded version of it not a carbon copy of it.
In 1977 I bought a deeply discounted Howa AR-180 at a gunshop in Sacramento. Just returned from two tours in Asia and on orders to Pendleton, I’d picked up my Bronco at Travis or Oakland or somewhere, and wanted a little truck gun. (It just occurred to me that the rifle may have been discounted as Howa quit making them in ‘74 per Wikipedia, and it was probably sitting unsold on the rack in Sacto for years.)
I loved that little rifle and collected jackrabbit furs all the way back to North Dakota (for lotsa leave). Eventually the butt hinge latch got sloppy, something prettier came along, and I traded or sold it. Now nostalgic, I’ve been looking fondly and Brownell’s modern version.
You from NoDak?
@@johnnybagofdoughnuts4193 Yep. Retired to SoDak for the balmy weather.
@@donnelson4140 haha nice. Good stuff. That’s God’s country, both Dakotas.
Too bad you didn't get a full auto and do a money multiplier glitch
Old Sacramento Armory on J Street, I bet? Still own my FN FAL that I bought from them in 86.
Stabilized camera is the best thing thats happened to this channel in a while. So cool seeing the distortion as the round moves downrange.
Definitely improves the viewing experience
I'm from NI and your intro is perfect. Non bias and with an attitude that most have over here.
Thank you for not hyping up one side or the other as it only leads to division. The exact opposite of what we need.
Yup, fairly spot on.
and thank you for the warm welcome and great memories that your country gave me :)
The IRA are socialist terrorists though.
Nah, fuck the Crown. 26+6=1.
How about earn independence
I had an Armalite AR 180 back in the 70s. For a LEO i felt it was much better than the AR 15 at the time. I liked the ability to bail out of a car and shoot right away without doing anything to the stock. In the 70s we didn't have collapsing stocks for the AR15 yet.
What kind of sidearm did you carry in the 70’s? Wheel Gun?
@frankcastle4435 I started out with a S&W m27 then changed over to a Smith m58 .41 mag.
@@1boortzfan You're the first person I've ever heard from who actually used a Smith 58 for real work. How did you like it?
I’m laughing at this. I got my first AR-180 around 1972 and carried a S&W Model 58 for CCW. I went on to become a LEO at both state and federal levels. No regret on either choice.
@harryspeakup8452 I actually liked it better than the .357. I was in a rather rural area and I always had fears that the .357 couldn't penetrate a car body. I never had those fears with the 210 gr lswc load.
Because of Canadian Politics, the 180 series rifles are becoming quite prevalent as now we can no longer own AR pattern rifles. I did also notice that the BCG from a CZ Bren 2 is very similar overall to the 180 BCG, but only a single recoil spring.
I really want one of those new .308 models since we can't get the original AR-16
This has to be one of Henry's best outings ever. Like EPL fans say; "yes but can he do it on a rainy night in Stoke?"
Well, we now know Henry can do it on a very windy day with a relatively crappy rifle.
Back in the early 80's here in Texas, I had a chance to buy an AR 180 at a gun show. I kick myself often for not buying it. I was turned off to it because it was stamped tin..... Yet today I own several stamped metal receiver rifles... Ahhhh... the ignorance of youth. Cheers!
Dude early 80s all that mattered was how many full autos you could get before reagan banned them all
@@jason200912they weren’t exactly falling from the sky, or growing on trees then, there really wasn’t demand for them prior to the ‘86 time. They’re not exactly practical in non-military settings.
So no, that’s not what was going on.
@@jason200912 You could not just walk into a gun shop and buy a full auto gun. You still had to wait for the ATF to slow walk the process. Reagan stopped allowing newly made full-auto guns to be sold and put on the registry.
@@Andrew--S ge said early 80s. That's like 6 years to get some
An American from Texas goes to Ireland for business. At the local pub he says I heard you guys can drink and I have $500 dollars to anyone that can drink 10 pints back to back without stopping. A man gets up and walks out. The man came back and ask is the bet still on. The Texas man says yeah! So the Irish man drinks 10 pints back to back no stopping. So the American payed up then ask hey were did you go before you drank? The Irish man said. Oh the pub next door I want to see if I could before I tried. 😂
😂
It was a surprise and delight to see you pictured in my home town, Derry, at Free Derry Corner.
It was such a lovely trip too!
LONDONDERRY
@@shooterblaze1😂
@@9HoleReviews really? Visiting a terrorist stronghold that openly supports hamas and cheers when American & British soldiers died in Afghanistan??
I'm Danish, so that conflict isn't mine to speak of, but I lived, as a youth, through the times when news about it made headlines in Danish media all the time, and it left a deep impression on me that two countries I both considered "friends" were in such a bitter fight. I think you did an outright stellar job at giving context on this one Henry. Thank you. Also: That was some SERIOUSLY good shooting.... And that wasn't just the merit of the rifle in that wind.
What 2 country’s ? Think your confused the U.K. and Ireland were not fighting each other during the troubles Jesus the U.K. would make mincemeat of Ireland in a afternoon if it wanted too the British were fighting a terrorist organisation that wanted the north to join the south the Republic of Ireland was nothing to do with it
I love how Henry literally bust almost all gun myths, AK inaccuracy? Busted! Tilting bolt less accurate? VZ.58 and SKS in Henry's hands says different. Now, one of the best, short stroke piston ARs are inaccurate, not only is a shorty but it's also a stamped with two positions irons and here we are with another myth busted hard.
The SKS shot worse than almost all the AKs…..
@@Seth9809 so they were basically the same, especially given the fact Henry does not have equal experience shooting all the guns. He became more proficient with AKs as the series goes by, for example.
As far as I'm aware, what Stoner designed was the AR16 which was a 7.62 gun. If I'm not mistaken, he was already gone from Armalite when they decided to scale it down to 5.56.
Yep the AR12 and AR16 in 7.62 . A chap by the name of Miller came up with this one I believe .
Clearing it that easily with huge wind gusts is insane. I couldn't even do that with a red dot, let alone irons. 500 yards in that weather with 55 grain and irons is wild.
As I was watching I was thinking that it was an testament Henry's ability and experience as it was to the AR 180.
I apprecate the humility shown in the opening of this video towards a very complicated subject. Well done gents for another great video.
When I read the title I was worried this might be a bit of an overly sentimental cake-and-arse handling of the troubles. I'm really glad it wasn't, and Henry's introduction was just excellent.
That wind speed is normal for Northern Ireland btw. 🙃
It's a Howa, the Japanese tend to be very driven by quality in some respects they produce some very top notch products for low costs, toyota pickups for example.
For engagement, ill say the AR18/180 sounds like that one ex we all have... Ugly as sin...
But in the cold dark... They kept you warm, and singing little tunes about them for years and girls, guns, guys(whatever you're into) to come
It would be interesting to see the accuracy of a BRN-180, just to compare it to a modern iteration of the design.
I feel like they already have... try looking through some of their playlists if they have any :)
Surprisingly good run, especially when considering the high wind effect. The 180 is pretty much most notable for being the foundation of the next gen rifle, but nice to see that the old girl still has it in her to put a good score up.
As a Swede it always makes me smile s little when I see you in M90 camo 😊
Having just gotten back from Ireland where we did went on a Black Cab tour in Belfast. The cab drivers were nearly all "Blanketmen" from the time of the Troubles. We saw the Peace Wall and saw that on the catholic side of the wall, there were still whole back gardens covered in Cyclone style fencing. Your intro was very wall done and I appreciate that context before talking about the rifle.
This gun is the base of the Japanese Self-Defense Force's Type 89 assault rifle.
And the HK G36. And the HK XM8. And the FN SCAR. And the CZ 805. And the SAR-80/SR-88.
@@Kelvin_Foo and the hk416. and the AUG.
@@Kelvin_Foo and the SA80.
I bought an ar180b quite a few years ago which I still have. It's easy to maintain and dumps *nothing* into the receiver. Weaknesses are of course just the single quick release mount, the plastic front hinge on the lower and general lack of parts. This rifle could have gone so much further than the ar15 design if the same amount of money were dumped into it.
almost 30 years ago i had a neighbor who was in the air cav who was bayonetted during the Tet offensive because his m16 rifle jammed on him at the worst time possible. About 10 years later I bumped into a group of young soldiers who had freshly rotated out of iraq who were not happy with the 556 cartridges lack of performance against passenger vehicles (windshields) at checkpoints.
Much as I love the channel, this was a reluctant click for me given the history of US funding for 'those' people / green-tinted nostalgia for the 'old country' / etc.
After 2 minutes of classy Henry intro, I think it's all going to be fine. I should have known better, but a shamrock and a lucky charms joke just in the title will do that to a Brit of a certain age. (I also enjoyed Brendan's video a while back, but you kind of expect him to be a meme machine from the very start).
In large part, that's why Henry wanted to add the intro - in the US, at least in certain areas like in New England where I grew up, it was fairly common to see and hear pro-IRA sentiment. It wasn't until later when I had a chance to learn more about the conflict and speak to Brits about it, that I realized how one-sided the US (or again, at least New England) view of the conflict/s tend to be. One of my close friends today is a British Expat who had uncles involved as British military, and it was certainly interesting hearing some of their experiences and how strongly his views on the matter are.
- Josh
@@9HoleReviewsbest comment I’ve ever heard an American say in regards to this matter, from NI
@@9HoleReviews Thanks for the background Josh. For reference, I grew up in a part of Scotland where there were (and still are) also 'both sides' arguments aplenty. If you want to know more about that you could google Rangers / Celtic football rivalry, or maybe just don't.
I think we can all agree to be thankful that at least we no longer have any other armed conflicts going on in the world right now where historical geopolitical differences are reaching a fever pitch.
You could find plenty of Russian family members who'd tell you how terrible the Ukrainians are for harming their sons.
I honestly didn't get the intro. I didn't see intros about how horrible was the USSR or modern Russia is when displaying weapons that were or are used for oppression, why should I see one for the IRA? Just felt weird.
The Armalite is one of my favorite platforms, I really wish more companies would build an updated version of this (beyond the Brownell ones). The world would be a better place with a modern, updated and better built AR18.
Canada has recently seen a glut of AR180 "clones" that are modernized and updated. It has been a... trial and error process. They have had quite a lot of struggle getting it right.
@@bilodeaumichael3 : just curious, but what sort of issues? I’m not aware of any major issues that the BRN-180 encountered, and it has been decently well received.
@@ultrablue2 I've followed a number of Canadian gun channels and their reviews, and the problems seem to be parts durability and small ergonomic issues
Psa jakl. Fm15.
The Canadians made one
Perun
Literally every modern rifle after 1990
@@ultrablue2 As pointed out, reliability and wear have been the major issues. There were issues with the gas system, breakage of piston rods, charging handles were an interesting issue as the attachment method was changed in nearly all models, as well as issues with things like trigger pins walking or breaking. The guns are capable of battering themselves apart rapidly.
Now that has begun to change, but it has been a hard road to get there for the Canadian market.
Love this channel for the content’ history and comedy’ excellent boys! Excellent.
MARA, that was a well ballanced introduction. All the love from the UK, thank you for another great video.
I'm not surprised it did well. Familiar sights and armalite do solid quality.
The AR 180 is an excellent rifle, only bad part was the wobbly folding stock
Way more deep and philosophical than most videos. Excellent intro, followed by one of the most incredibly displays of marksmanship ever caught on tape.
"I'm flipping to the 400 marked sight."
Is that in meters, or yards?
"I have no idea." *hit*
I love my Brownells GEN 2, .223 WYLDE , 18.5” BRN-180! It shoots so softly suppressed! Also, it’s very accurate. If I purchased an AR-180, I would purchase a Costa Mesa,CA made version which had better weld quality!
I bought one back in 1977 when I came back from Marine Corps recruit training. I was originally looking for a Colt AR15 SP1 but they were a hot item in those days and they didn't last long in any of the gun shops in my area. Being that it would be fround upon if I didn't return my M16A1 at the end of reserve drill weekend I figured I'd get my own to practice with. I found a Sterling AR180 on the rack of the biggest gun shop and it interested me so I bought it. Have never regretted it since. A fine shooter. It eats anything I feed it including steel case ammo. It's crude looking on the outside, but well built. It serves the purposes it was made for well. It wasn't designed to compete with the M16, it was actually intended to compete with the AK47 in the military markets. I personally prefer it to the AK47. To me it handles better, better sights and much easier to handle when it gets hot. The operating system is as reliable as it needs to be. It's a purpose built weapon and it serves that purpose well. One of the biggest reasons the AK47 is so common is that most of the end users got them for free foreign aid from the Soviet Union and Red China. The AR18/AR180 are just as inexpensive to build but they weren't free or given to Communist countries. I've held onto over 45 years because I enjoy shooting it. My law enforcement and military contractor days are behind me now so my firearms are range toys and some competition shooters. My son's and grandsons will inherent them to enjoy. My middle son has dibbs on it.😊
Saw one of these at the museum in Dublin this year. Very cool rifle.
damn, you did a terrific job on the stabilisation, it's excellent
Oh man, about time! I’ve been waiting for you to feature me little ArmaLite for a while now.
Your marksmanship is really impressive
I’m surprised by the accuracy as well.
Very interesting.
I’m very keen to see your take on the AUG and if you notice some of the small things that I took issue with.
The most influential rifle to ever completely fail.
I served in the US Army from 1981 to 1988. Was issued the M16-A1. When I got out I found one of these at a gun show. Got it and everything else he had for it. I love this gun! I have put thousands of rounds of all kinds too through her and she has never ever missed a beet. Way better then a Ar-15. Had the US military put a little more work into it we wouldn’t have to look for anything else. Just a great gun.
Just built out my own BRN-180 with a traditinal folding stock from mantacore...very light, light shooting, and accurate.
I'm pausing this video at the 2:22 mark to say "Thank you!" for that intro.
Now, back to the AR180...
Thanks for this video. Impressive to see it do so well. I love the AR-180.
Celtic Music is back in style glad to see, after it fell off radar after late 90s early 2000s major popularity
MP-7, Beretta ARX...
It seems like there are pretty much three "operating systems" for common combat rifles today; the AR-10/AR-15, the AR-18/AR-180, and the Garand.
I was going to add Kalashnikov but wasn’t that based in the Garand?
Somewhat true. AR-18 is the Stoner's AK: AR-15 bolt, SVT short-stroke piston, and most important - M2 Grease gun's style of BCG, traveling on two guiding rods. The former one often forgotten, but crucial - it made any guiding channels for the BCG on the receiver redundant, making the receiver easier and cheaper to produce.
My EARLY, original Costa Mesa was a phenomenal gun. It totally exceeded all of my expectations on accuracy and reliability. One of those that I NEVER should have let get away.
I’m traded a Evo scorpion and like 300 bucks at a local shop for an A.R. 180 B armalight upper, and I’m guessing the lower had broke because those had the polymer lower and they replaced it with a nodak spud metal lower which is nice because it takes standard AR magazines and fire control group, the 18 inch ported barrel is very loud on an indoor range
I think the spacing of the zeros on the two position sights helped a lot here. Having a 200m/yd and a 400m/yd zero is great for hitting man sized targets out to 500 with a 16" 5.56. The 200 is within striking distance out to 300 and 350 to 500 can be done without too much trouble on the 400 setting.
If these were made budget-minded these would ABSOLUTELY sell like crazy
If only the Stoner 63 would have taken hold
ive been dying to hear about the mini behind Josh for so long now. mini-14 was also my first rifle and it is still my absolute favorite! also love the ar-180 and Brownells brn180
Why i like 9hole reviews touching on past & present. Lessons from the past written in sweat , blood and tears.
Got a brn 180 pistol i built up into a fun little project . 7.62x39 10inch barrel excellent suppressor host that doesnt require a buffer tube to function.
Had two of these things 30 years ago, the only two issues were that AR mags had to be cut and the stock wiggled ,good two min. shooters. Both were 1 in 12 guns great review guys.
I could not talk my father into getting one back in the day... have always had a soft spot for them... just have never found one while flush with cash... lol
will stick with my Daewoo... for now
I owned one of these back in the 80s. It was an amazing rifle. I ended getting way too much money after the terminator movie came out.
The g36 is cost conscious but the savings aren't passed down from the manufacturer, assumingly by choice or maybe because of taxes or import fees or something. It's plastic though, so it should be even cheaper than stamping used to be.
That's what I was going to say, I'm pretty sure the G36 is REALLY cheap to manufacture. The barrel is molded into the polymer receiver.
@@Gaspard129the metal trunnion is what is molded into the receiver, not the barrel, which can be easily replaced.
@@nichtgefunden404 right, but my point is the receiver is not machined to interface with the trunnion/barrel. It's simply molded into it for quick, simple manufacture.
In Europe for civilian market, it costs like 3K to 3.5K euros. Typical greedy H&K for ya.
You needed a comment to get you off of that bad number. Nice job! I enjoy your videos.
haha appreciate it!
Also, looking at how much AR-180s go for now (and when I bought one within the last year or so...) - I am definitely kicking myself for not buying on for $800 or so in the early 2010s.
Everything before 2018ish had great deals.
Mr73 revolvers, any milsurp, crates and creates of everything
@@jason200912 right? A gotdamn 1897 Nagant was dirt cheap, now it’s hard to find one less than 500ish… and they’re kind of POSs…
I became aware of the AR-18 when it was used in The Terminator. I then realized it showed up as bad guy weapons in TV shows and low budget movie in the 1970s & 1980s. I was amazed at how it gave birth to so many weapons in 80s & 90s. It made enough of an impression that I built a complete BRN-180 w/ repro AR-18 lower and folding butt stock.
I really enjoyed mine, it was a Sterling but still, a wholly capable rifle. Wish I'd kept it but, thems the breaks sometimes.
One of my biggest regrets when I was living in Utah in 2007, was when I went to a Cabela's and saw a AR 180 for sale. (could not afford it at the time) I forgot the price, but I think it was between 500-700 bucks. Heck I still wish I kept my garbage rod, (My Mosin M98/30 with a hex receiver) that I got for 80 bucks. Now they seem to be worth 400.
Pog mo thoin! Keep mind that early 2000's an Armalite AR180b - $590 msrp
Lol hey I actually know what that means haha I’ve spent time at Irish bars!
Love watching the channel but living in Canada, most of what I see is stuff I'll never get to try up here! Canadian made ar180's have a bad reputation up here as rifles that are not reliable and just eat themselves. Really interesting to see your guys' take on this pattern of rifles.
Would love if you guys got your hands on a type81 to review (as they're universally loved in Canada) but I know they're practically unobtainium down there
i have a BRN 180 and it shoots great
The Philippine Elisco Tool (maker of our M16A1 variant) acquired the AR18 tooling from ArmaLite in 1983 but the company was liquidated after the 1986 People’s Revolution.
And it was sold to Mark Westrom of Eagle Arms...
"Armalite was sold to Elisco Tool Manufacturing Company, of the Philippines. Inventory, tooling, and machinery were dispatched from the U.S. plant to the Philippines. The process fell apart due to political events in the Philippines. The political and economic links of the government were dramatically shifted, and Elisco was unable to carry out the AR-18 production."
You guys forced me to buy a BRN 180 from Santa .... ho ho ho. Not the same, but I am completely satisfied. It shoots 55 grain ball ammo just fine (18.5 inch ) .... thank you.
Had a feeling you’d come in swinging with some level headed, grounded commentary. ☘️
It trips me out Chinito, had a hard time with the PSL, and Rob at AK union had a different opinion with receipts and now Chinito did well with the IRA/AR180 system. 9 hole and Chinito got me hooked watching especially the swedish redefine of the g3 clone rifle.
Surprising he did a review on this older + undeveloped rifle as it's 1in12 twist & wobbly buttstock hinge would be a disqualifier straight out the gate - but oh well 🎉
I just wish there was a company that made AR-180s as they had been. Stamp sheet metal, spot welding...it has so much character in it.
Great video and overview, thank you for reminding me on how stupid I am for not having one in my collection. Especially "growing up" with one in the 70's, for reasons I still don't fully comprehend my father had a deep dislike of the AR-15 platform. I can wax nostalgic on my childhood, converting AR-15 magazines to work with AR-180 (retention slot is on the other side. requiring a dremel). Obviously also regaled with the IRA stories. My understanding of the AR-18/180 from my youth: the Sterling built ones: maybe good, maybe trash. Howa built ones: generally solid and, the Costa Mesa built ones, the cream of the crop. Odd, the odd "triangle" optics mount of the receiver was frowned on back then. Whereas, no one bats an eye for an H&K Claw. Its funny, I'll drop thousands on a time-capsule H&K91 so I can live out my 1980's Soldier of Fortune fantasies, but still have yet to add back a rifle I grew up with. My mother sold my fathers when I was away in the Military and she was liquidating his estate....only damn thing I wanted of my Fathers....
The Gov't of the Philippines bought the Armalite AR 18 manufacturing package ( no license required)in the early 80s. There were several built rifles displayed with wood furniture. (As woodcrafters charged less than injection plastic manufacturers in the Philippines.) However the tooling purchased was a surplus production line and incomplete. It took serious gunsmithing to get any functioning rifles from the initial set up of the production line. No additional funding was obtained to get a running production line in the Philippines. The license built "kits" for the M16A1 continued in production to fill the needs of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The gov't owned corporation was Elisco Manufacturing "Elitool". The Armalite package was sold to Mike Westrom of Eagle Arms by the Phil. Gov't.
What really hurt the AR18 was bad timing, unfortunate license agreements, and finally no significant military power adopting it right off the bat.
1. The M16 was available to pretty much anyone (at least Western aligned aside from, say, South Africa) who wanted a 5.56mm rifle. Uncle Sam was more than willing to provide M16s as military aid after about 1967.
2. Howa seemed like a smart licensing choice - and given that Armalite and Stoner had already been burned by the Netherlands, seemed a good choice. Japan had the right manufacturing base, and was an up and coming major manufacturing powerhouse (like South Korea in the mid 1980s on). But... Japan decided that their pacifist constitutional restrictions meant they *could not* sell arms to anyone involved in a war. Meaning, the very customer base Armalite was aiming this at was immediately cut out. By the time the license was able to be transferred to Sterling and Sterling had gotten up to speed, the crest of the wave had passed - pretty much everyone who wanted a 5.56 and didn't have M16s was producing a domestic design.
3. With no major adopters, nations were less inclined to take a chance on the rifle. This is literally why the USAF bought F5 fighters, even though they didn't fit with USAF perceived needs - to reassure allied nations that it was a credible design, not just "the plane you ordered from Wish". Same thing with the AR18 (and, later on, with the F5 successor - the F21 Tigershark). *Any* large scale purchase and issue (even on a limited basis, like say, one division of Marines, or the US Coast Guard, or the British Para Regiment) by a major military player would likely have driven more interest. Hell, had Japan adopted it for the JDF, the design would have been perceived as a viable choice for nations that Japan would have been willing to export to.
Great factual comment
I saw that mug! Greetings from Poland 🇵🇱
I never looked at the ar180 as a cheap rifle, only inexpensive to manufacture once set up. My howa has been a gem for years and still as sturdy as the day I got it although the stock has a little wobble after 50 years. Still one of the last to go if the need came up.
I have the BRN-180 5.56 upper 18in. i'm digging it(granted just a fun gun)
yes me too! only problem is it gets too hot too fast!
Gentlemen,
Greetings and Aloha from Hawaii!
Your analysis and acknowledgment of the AR-180's contribution to modern combat arms was a testament to Eugene Stoner's genius; however, the dual rail/short stroke piston recoil system was just one part of the AR-180's charm. In front of two (2) position flip rear sight is a spot welded wedge that served as the base for Eugene Stoner's Inverted Post scope. The scope was quickly attached or detached via a tension piston that secured the scope onto the wedge and being a triangle, the wedge ensured a Return-to-Zero. All these features sound like current specifications for a CQB rifle, but Eugene Stoner designed these requirements decades before what we expect in a battle rifle. Finally, why did Eugene Stoner invert the standard thick, vertical military post on his AR-180 scope? If you consider that a rifle's recoil will cause the muzzle to rise, the scope's post would obscure the shooter's ability to observe the results of his/her shot. By inverting the post, the shooter will have a clear view of the target after pulling the trigger.
As you said, the AR-180 wouldn't win a beauty contest, but it has the heart and ingenuity of a champion. Mahalo (thank you) for your UA-cam cast. Keep 'em coming,....Aloha!
Hi Henry, i was wondering to what extent do you feel your own skill development over the seasons is affecting the results. You're a phenomenal marksman. Always a pleasure to watch.
We've actually talked about this quite a bit in a few episodes and between ourselves. We're radically better shooters/spotters than we were when we started this project. We're more familiar with varying systems, we have diagnosing processes if things aren't going well, we have better scheduling of filming that allows better focus while on range, we have dramatically improved spotting and recording equipment, we're simply more practiced on the distances in question, etc.
It plays a major factor in the results improving over the years and is why we're trying to go back periodically and re-do some of the original rifles we've shot to give them either "redemption" or a "Run #2"
Have that exact belt and its better than I expected
Wind is about right, but it's missing the rain for the authentic Norn Iron environment
Yes, I agree. This was a mind blower to an extreme. To say the least Capt Chan, YOU CAN SHOOT! To note, the AR-180's be they US, Japanese, or UK made, none had chrome chambers/bores and they all had 1/12 twist rifling. Plus, that 3 prong flash hider doesn't compensate at all. Oh, Rhodesia got lucky and got batch to their fight. Probably stolen the same way out of Stierling like the underworld did for the provo's. The one other thing that throws people off on the old 180's, was the stamped out trigger groups. Oy!
No nothing came out of Sterling except the stuff I took from their skip that failed QC , and some 40 rnd mags . Sterling didn't start production until 1979 which was after the source of the Armalite built rifles had dried up and a switch was made to M16s . The Provos smuggled them in from the US , a New York dealer funded by collections in the Irish bars of NY and Boston. They came in through Southampton on board the QE2 believe it or not , and then by road to NI .
i think it could be interesting to see the disassembly of that kinda unique subject... THX for the content! stay cool!...
I have a weird bias towards spot welded sheet metal guns. I love these types of rifles. The sten gun, grease gun, AR180, etc. I just love them.
it was like the home work the teacher uses as an example as a good format or structure to make a good paragraph or organization of space for math.
Great timing!
I’m glad you said internal piston… I hear this “shit where it eats” term but I think like us it poops in the same house it eats in but in a different room… yes the stink can carry… but it’s poop also makes the wind that blows the dust out the door.
That's a good one 😂
I used to have one of those Howa AR180's. Aside from the flimsy folding stock-- I liked it.
I spent a summer once on training exchange Wainwright Alberta training area. With Royal Irish Rangers. So. I can relate my friend.
The Irish rangers are a British regiment they don’t use the 180 lol
@@MrTangolizardghee. I was referring to the Irish connection.
Nothing more. Nothing less. I guess u are incapable of abstract thoughts? Lol
@@Joe3pops I once spent some time with an American ranger regiment but that also has very little to do with the IRA using the AR180 to murder civilians
@MrTangolizard Lizard person. The Royal Irish Rangers of the 1980s was an infantry regiment within the British army. It was a mix of Irish protestant and irish catholic soldiers. Therefore they never patrolled the streets of Northern Ireland. You are a huge Idi.....So tell me. What Einstien moment brought u to mention an American Ranger regiment?? Within a totally Irish tale?
@@Joe3pops what in the hell does any of that have to do with anything ? And btw what the hell does there religion have to do with anything plenty of catholics served in Northern Ireland and the UDR was merged with another regiment to create the Irish rangers and the previous regiment’s absolutely served in Northern Ireland
Was that one of the first 1000 Howas?
If so,they are probably the best of them all.
Built as Full Auto AR18s in the mid 60s and then converted to semi auto and exported to the USA in the early 1970s.
Great reveiw👍
Howa AR-180 being showcased, and no mention of the Type 89 anywhere in the video.
I stan the Type 89. It isn't one of the offspring rifles, it just IS the AR-180M
Sorry we should have mentioned it.
Last year, I picked up an Armalite revival version of the AR180…the AR180B. It’s fun, shoots great but it’s also a weird piece in my collection that takes a spot in the back of the safe. Not a safe queen, but a safe jester.
A jester? You mean like tfbtv's (hypothetical) horse dildo pen15?
The final product that Jane's reeves went with was extremely disappointing. He just made a purple ar15 and took off all the dildo mlok attachments on his joke gun.
The plastic receiver will break unless you put a pin in the rear part of the receiver and bed it in epoxy. Just an fyi
@@ndenise3460 you have info on this? i've had an ar180b for years which i haven't shot and want to fix up that lower receiver (or replace it). I didn't pay that much for it...
In one of the Canadian firearms magazines"Calibre" there was an article.showing the fix , basically a tapered stud that was mirror epoxy bedded into the recess behind the trigger. The main reasons for breakage was figured to be the front pin area taking the brunt of the big slamming forward.
www.huntinggearguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/lower-action.jpg
You can see the recess behind the hammer hear. A tapered metal stud fit welded to the upper receiver and some steel epoxy would do
I gotta say you are quite on time for the irish rising against the oppressive goverment.
Woh, there brother, be careful that's hate speech and now an offense, punishable with jail in Ireland
My Little Armalite 2: Tyranny Boogaloo
@@ALovelyBunchOfDragonballz come out ye people of colour and latinx
Tell us more about how you have no idea of the NI conflict.
@@indeeznuts8438come out ye black and trans
Outstanding intro and run!! I honestly don't really associate the Troubles and the AR18/180. To me, the rifle is an intriguing 'what if'; indeed, a 'most successful failure', as Ian McCollum phrased it, due to the gas system's success in later rifles.
I've seen it mentioned that competition from cheap/free M16s provided via Military Assistance Programs was a factor inhibiting wider adoption of the AR18 as a 3d World military rifle. THIS is my perception: A decent rifle that never really got a chance.
The AR180-style short-stroke system is also a feature in post AR ban Canadian rifles.
I think it would be really interesting to see the m96 swedish mauser on the speedway course compared to the lee enfield smle at dome point. They both have cock on close actions but i have always found the Mausers to be more shootable platforms than the lee (baring the no4 having peep sights) especially when paired with the smaller caliber 7mm and 6.5 over 303.
Id be interested to see how Henry does with older rifles under stress, and whether or not the subtle choices in a basic bolt action really mean much at all to overall cyclic rate when engaging targets.
Perhaps the mauser having the superior stripper clips would even win out over the slower lee load system
Having a collection of these, I do think they get a bit downgraded by their cheap appearance.
The Cosa Mesa and the actual select fire AR 18 are every bit as good as the Howa. The Sterling was even more sloppy in appearance but rested shots its pretty much the same.
Mine the 180's are about 2" at 100... but I'm using the scope that was made for it. That's what that goofy tab on top of the receiver is for. The AR18 is actually more like 1.5"
They are all 1-12 twist.
The only real negative is they do break parts with some regularity.
Y'know all the things people had generally said the AR180 being meh or junky. This rifle performed amazingly. I always had a soft spot for junky and quirky guns. More so with this rifles uuhhh... Pop culture heritage hahaha.
Truly the underdog rifle.
Can you please do an episode on the MDRX!