Back in the old days, having a short barrel on your gun typically meant that you were expecting something at close range. Target shooters had 6-inch barrels on their .38s. People who thought they might encounter a fight typically went with a barrel shorter than 2 inches. Longer guns are, and always have been, harder to bring up quickly and deploy when haste is the order of the day.

There has always been a tug-of-war between the overall length of a given type of weapon and the theory of end-use it has. Since we are talking primarily about AR-type rifles in this article, we’ll stick to that, but there is the necessary mention of the bullpup rifle. Many types of bullpup rifles allow a longer barrel length for shorter overall length by moving the action behind the grip, but there is the school of thought that says that ergonomics suffer as well as accuracy. Both of these things are true, as it is rare to find a comfortable, well-balanced and accurate bullpup rifle.

The most common barrel length for today’s AR platform rifles is 16 inches. This is the legal minimum without going the way of the NFA. The next two common lengths are 18 inches, usually found in SPR-type rifles, and 20 inches. The 20-inch length, while offering what is generally the highest velocity capabilities out of any of these barrel lengths, has fallen out of fashion with most crowds, the exception being National Match shooters. 

The world of AR pistols is another animal entirely. Common barrel lengths in this class of firearms range from 7 inches to 11.5 inches. There is a significant difference between many of these pistol-length barrels, even from each other. For the most part, these barrel lengths in civilian hands have been somewhat of a novelty. Up until recently, with the introduction of the pistol stabilizing brace, they served almost no real functional purpose except for the “cool” factor.

Floating in the middle of this rifle and pistol dilemma is the pinned barrel. It is standard practice to pin and weld a muzzle device to a 14.5-inch M4 barrel to make it stretch out to the legal minimum of 16 inches. Some people prefer this, as it saves a little bit of overall length on the rifle, but it severely limits the ability of the gun to accept suppressors or other muzzle devices. Once you decide which one you want, it’s essentially going to stay there forever.

The modern theory of barrel length has evolved substantially, even in the last 5 years. Today’s weapon systems are substantially different than they were when introduced. Ammunition technology has increased dramatically, as has precision manufacturing. Because of this, there isn’t a tremendous functional difference between a 14.5-inch and a 20-inch barrel at most of the distances to which the 5.56mm cartridge is effective. Eight hundred yards are widely considered to be the furthest distance at which the 5.56mm is effective; although it will of course fly further. Five hundred yards are what most people consider the further limits for an off-the-shelf AR-type rifle. The sky’s the limit when it comes to upgrades, but the average man with a carbine and mid-powered optic is at his best inside 500 yards.

Another consideration is the prevalence of optics. Longer barrels have a longer sight radius and are thus comparatively more precise than a gun with a short site radius. If you were to take two identical scoped rifles and cut one barrel at 20 inches and another barrel at 16 inches, you would hardly notice a difference in the field. This is true not just for 5.56mm, but also for 7.62mm. A great many 7.62mm rifles are going to 16-inch barrels, even for precision shooting. The 7.62 reacmost of its velocity in just a foot of barrel. The author conducted testing some time ago with special bolt-action rifles with barrels as short as 13 inches and found no reason to go with barrels over 16 inches inside of 600 yards.

What it all comes down to basically, is that modern weapons are more compact and equally (or more) effective as their predecessors. A shorter barrel, 16 inches or less, is a do-all for most people.

Probability of Hits

This topic deserved its own segment in this article. One of the major reasons why people choose long barrels is higher velocity. Many modern weapon systems don’t need to be small or compact. An excellent example of this is a cartridge that is designed around long barrels for long ranges and not general use. The 6.5 Creedmoor is a cartridge that has taken the shooting world by storm. On average, the standard barrel length for this cartridge is between 22 and 26 inches. That is not to say that it would be ineffective at something shorter, but you’re really not reaping the benefits and unless you can get the velocity up there, especially with 140-grain and above bullets.

Higher velocity equals a flatter trajectory. A flatter trajectory means a higher likelihood of hits at any given distance. Therefore, you think that having a short barrel on your gun means it is totally useless. In reality, there isn’t a huge difference between the M400’s 10.5-inch barrel and a 20-inch barrel at combat ranges inside 300 yards. With a red dot sight zeroed for 200 yards, there is a difference in terms of handling but not in the number of hits put on target. Greater precision can be achieved with sights like the Trijicon ACOG® if desired, though the bullet drop compensator will be off the further you get out there.

For the average carbine shooter, a 10.5-inch barrel is perfectly adequate on man-sized targets out to 300 yards. Would that person be better served with a 14.5-inch barrel or 16-inch barrel? Hard to say. Today’s AR pistols (and SBRs) are so good that many people who the author knows have not returned to longer barrels. The shorter weapons are infinitely more maneuverable and, thanks to advances in ammunition, are essentially just as effective.

The M400 TREAD Pistol

SIG SAUER has been constantly innovating in recent years. They were among the first companies to embrace the idea of the pistol brace, and they continue to do so today with the M400. This article is not designed to go into the intricacies of the pistol brace and its controversial history, but its introduction and acceptance have been instrumental in normalizing short barrels for the general public. Pistol braces were really the first products that made the short-barreled AR into something more than just a range toy or novelty.

The pistol brace that comes with the M400 is surprisingly adjustable for length, just like an M4 stock. It has several points of adjustment and locks firmly into each. It is easy to get a good solid cheek weld. The footprint of the brace itself is minimalist, and some of the angles are not the most comfortable, but it is extremely functional and is certainly a step above the fixed braces otherwise available today.

The M400 is essentially SIG SAUER’s direct-gas standard AR. They make a variety of other systems that are piston-operated, but this one is compatible with all existing AR parts. The manual of arms and controls are identical to all standard AR-type systems. It should be noted that SIG SAUER has its own complete line of accessories for the M400, which is a big plus if you want to stay within the brand. Most of these parts are available through the company, and they encompass everything from hand stop kits to different types of sights.

In testing, there was no failure to feed or fire. The author received both rifle and pistol versions from the M400 TREAD line, and there were no failures of any kind to speak of. Accuracy was exceptional, but more on that later. What SIG SAUER managed to do with the M400 series is excellent in that it provides a complete system of weapon, optics, accessories and ammunition to the end user. Because it is all designed together, there isn’t much guesswork that goes into setting your gun up. If you’re looking for an upper-level entry class AR, you have to look quite far to beat what is available in the M400 product line at the cost.

As far as features go, the M400 TREAD pistol features a 10.5-inch barrel, a free-floating slim handguard, a black finish, multiple QD sockets, ambidextrous controls and neat slot covers that have the TREAD logo on them. They are removable, in case you’re wondering. When it is all said and done, this is a feature-loaded AR pistol that has everything you need and nothing you don’t.

The Test

To test rifle against pistol, the author assembled a lightweight 14.5-inch pin and weld rifle with the help of Brownells. All of the parts used to construct the lightweight carbine are available currently at Brownells, and all of them are sold off the shelf with no special tweaks.

The carbine features a Faxon Firearms barrel with an integrated flash hider. It makes use of many standard parts, but most prominently has a set of lightweight V7 receivers. The author wanted it to be as comparable in weight and size as possible to an AR pistol, but without crossing that line into pistol territory. The idea of the test was to see just how much of a difference there was between two guns that are comparable in size, weight and intended end use.

The Brownells’ build was finished and tested for reliability and accuracy. The author is an expert on the AR platform, and you should always consult a gunsmith before attempting to build one yourself at home. It is easy and quite straightforward, but a mistake can destroy your new parts and, worse, result in severe injury or death.

Both guns were zeroed for 25 yards. Accuracy at that distance was identical. While not a tremendous distance, 25 yards is where most competitions take place, and most ranges have bays at that distance. A 25-yard zero for most carbines will result in a trajectory that roughly places bullets’ center mass at 200 yards. While not as precise as a true zero at that distance, it is sufficient for most duty and match guns and certainly acceptable for most general use rifles.

The ammunition was tested for velocity to see how much of a difference it makes between a 14.5-inch and a 10.5-inch barrel. Velocity was recorded for the average of 10 shots over an Oehler 35P chronograph 10 feet from the muzzle. As you read the table, you will note that the baseline 16-inch velocity is not tremendously faster than the 14.5-inch. Overall, a roughly 300-fps difference could be detected from 10.5 inches to 16 inches. The general difference between a 10.5-inch and 14.5-inch could be considered roughly 200 fps. This is important in respect to the overall length choice, as a pinned and welded barrel doesn’t actually lose that much compared to a standard 16-inch. With some types of ammunition, it was hardly noticeable. A 200-fps difference between the 10.5-inch and 14.5-inch was much more noticeable but didn’t actually come into play much.

Once zeroed for 25 yards, the author took the guns out to 200m, about 220 yards. At that distance he fired on both paper silhouettes and steel plates. It was definitely easier to handle the carbine at that distance. The full stock and slightly better balance allowed it to edge out the M400 in general, but the contest was much closer than you would imagine. There was not a tremendous amount of difference on paper and steel. In fact, for most ammunition tested, the author achieved a 100% hit ratio at 200m.

At closer distances, it was also a close game. The M400 handled very well at short range, 25 to 50 yards, and it was pretty hard to tell them apart when steel was ringing. So what does this mean as far as you should be concerned?

The take away here is essentially that there is not a lot of difference between a 10.5-inch AR pistol and a 14.5-inch carbine. You would be well-served with both at short distances, which is where these guns excel. Past 200 yards, neither one does spectacularly well as compared to a 16-inch or 20-inch rifle.

A consideration when making a choice, especially for first-time buyer, would be what you want to achieve with the legal classification of your weapon. The AR pistol is legally a handgun and can be stored loaded and concealed in most states where you can carry handgun. There is not a distinction between it and other common pistols in that sense. If you store a weapon in your vehicle in case of an emergency, it makes great sense to do so with the legal protections you would have, considering the handgun status of this M400. That is not to say that a carbine could not be just as readily available. There are few, if any, areas that allow a rifle to be transported or carried while loaded. It could be argued that the time it takes to deploy an AR pistol could easily be spent loading a standard carbine, but that is based on personal need.

What Is Right for You?

Because of the fact that there are advantages to an AR pistol, especially one as well thought out as the M400, the casual AR enthusiast could bypass the carbine entirely and go for a pistol. Because it is shorter and more maneuverable in a home or an enclosed space where you may encounter danger, there is a distinct advantage to such a small overall package.

The technology and benefits of the AR pistol will continue to advance in the coming years. It is very likely that SIG SAUER will be at the forefront of those advancements as it continues to evolve and perfect its excellent products. 

The gear we carry into the field is almost always a compromise. Despite how far we’ve come from the days of muskets, there are few differences in practical reality. The hunters of years past faced the same game and the same terrain challenges we do today, and the hunting was done at roughly the same ranges. Despite our technological advances, most medium to large game today is still hunted inside 300 yards. However, things are changing, and there is a trifecta of variables that are allowing this evolution, those being advanced materials, projectiles and cartridge designs. Enter Mesa Precision Arms.

The Field Never Forgives

While we will certainly get to a review of the spectacular Mesa Precision rifle, what needs to be discussed first is the relevance it has and just how important this class of arms is to our continuing advancement in small arms and ammunition.

The foremost thing to understand is what limits a shooter to a given range. The most pressing concern is that of ethics in hunting, where longer ranges are not just more challenging but also ethically questionable. The further out you get, the more external factors become involved. The realistic limit for most quality hunting rifles in the last 100 years was extended through the use of optics, but even then bullet technology had not advanced far enough to make shots at considerable distances feasible. Thus, we are not looking at the gun itself as the sole focus of the hunt, but only a single factor in the struggles of the field.

Hunting rifles in years past were a completely separate type of rifle from target guns or precision rifles, the latter encompassing sniper rifles in military service. The general idea was that lightweight rifles were ideal for use in hunting, as the hunter, especially the pack-in hunter, would want to save as much weight as possible. To accomplish this, a modern class of “mountain” rifles were developed that featured skinny barrels, skeletonized parts and composite stocks. These rifles were often bare-bones and plagued with problems.

What sort of problems would such a light gun face? More than you’d imagine. The idea of making a hunting rifle super light using traditional materials and cartridges meant that, given the same cartridge, the light rifle would overheat and rapidly lose accuracy and recoil much more as a simple matter of physics. This in turn made these rifles hard to master, difficult to be consistent at the range and generally unpleasant to fire. All of this resulted in a specialized tool to get into hard-to-reach places but with few redeeming characteristics outside of those conditions. The ergonomic situation in years past was also abysmal, as the stocks used were often too thin in the wrist and offered little as far as rigidity in the name of weight savings.

Left: The muzzle comes with a flush-fit thread protector. Because the rifle is light, a muzzle brake is not necessary to tame it, though the option is there. Center: SIG SAUER 130-grain Elite Hunter Tipped loads provide a great balance of weight to velocity and can be used on game up to elk and moose in appropriate settings. The load is suitable for varmints as well, making it a one-stop solution for a mixed-tag trip. Right: Traditional lines meet with modern materials in the carbon fiber stock.

To get an accurate rifle, a hunter needed to look at guns built for accuracy. Accurate rifles intended for precision shooting typically used thick, heavy barrels to fight off heat and increase rigidity. Adjustability and ergonomic quality came with the territory here. Making hits at long-range was all this game was about, but who in their right mind would want to carry a 13-pound hunting rifle to follow game in the mountains? The weight penalty for an accurate rifle made it so that it generally ruled out field use. Offhand or unsupported shooting is not something that can be readily accomplished with so heavy a rifle.

Next was the problem of the balance of accuracy and weight. Gun manufacturers have struggled for years to introduce the perfect balance, but all have generally failed by way of compromise or simply missing the mark in the commercial market. There have been many fine designs that have come and gone, but there is no true right answer for this because the special features of a given rifle in one environment are not always applicable to another climate or region.

The cartridges used in these rifles also play a critical role in determining the end utility of a gun meant for the field. The major struggle is that a cartridge needs to be powerful enough to take game but also pleasant enough to become proficient with. Rounds like the .300 Winchester Magnum and .30-06 have long dominated the field for their relatively high bullet mass and good velocity, but place those rounds in light rifles, and they become completely unenjoyable.

Going smaller has its benefits, but the .308 Winchester, a perennial favorite, only saved the shooter on action length over the .30-06 for the same general power level given the identical bullet weight. The old classics like .243 Win and 7mm-08 were good for their time but did not offer bullet choices suitable for ranges past 200 yards on medium game. The bullet mass was just not there for those ranges nor were the bullets themselves designed for performance at lower velocities seen as ranges extended. Going light in this case also meant sacrificing distance, which was a major consideration when that trophy elk appeared at 600 yards across a ravine.

Bullet technology is the last factor in this equation, and it has, even more than rifle and cartridge technology, allowed the hunter and shooter to do more with less. Bullets have improved so much in the last 10 years that we’ve practically reinvented what rifles can do in many cases. Rounds like the 6.5 Creedmoor, the first commercially successful round designed for long-range shooting in this era, took advantage of not just advanced case design but also new science about bullet shape and design. The 6.5 Creedmoor is not especially fast or heavy, with a 140-grain bullet at a nominal 2700 fps, but it is extremely efficient thanks to the bullets used that offer a high ballistic coefficient, thus allowing for it to cut the air and buck the wind with ease. The 6.5 Creedmoor has drop and drift characteristics similar to 200-grain class .300 Win Mag but with less recoil than .308 Win. This is huge, as the bullets for 6.5 Creedmoor are not just good for targets: hunting bullets developed alongside target bullets took advantage of the latter’s superior flight characteristics while being made tough enough to perform on game at ranges previously reserved for high recoil magnum hunting cartridges.

The field has remained the same, unforgiving and inhospitable, but thanks to our modern technology, today’s rifleman can bring in a rifle that is lighter than the specialty guns of years past but one as accurate as a target rifle and as rugged as a military sniper rifle. This is what Mesa Precision Arms has delivered.

The Perfect Blend

The question of weight has plagued the hunter for centuries. Everyone loves an accurate rifle until they have to lug it up and down a leaf-covered ravine; everyone loves a light rifle until they fire it. The market was clearly missing something, and the folks at Mesa Precision Arms (MPA) sought to dive in and fix that. The author sat down with the crew behind the rifle to discuss just what makes this rifle fit in the sweet spot.

“We started out in mid-2017 after we noticed a niche in the market. More have come to see the same gap we did, but we approached it from the angle that there wasn’t a suitable lightweight, long-range hunting rifle available at the cost we wanted to see,” according to MPA.

MPA jumped into this market with the idea that there shouldn’t be a compromise given how far we’ve come with materials and cartridge design. Because of how much we know about accuracy and how to make bolt-action rifles, there was really no excuse that there couldn’t be a rifle both light enough to carry all day and rigid enough to shoot all day; a regular do-all rifle that can hunt and compete interchangeably. This rifle is Precision-Rifle-Series accurate, but so light it feels like it is a papier mâché replica of a real gun. How is this accomplished?

The short answer is that the rifle makes extensive use of carbon fiber and titanium in its construction. These materials are not new in the manufacturing world, but they are not exceptionally common in the firearms world. The application of these materials has often been overlooked as the processes and machines necessary to work with them are outside the scope of average manufacturers. Indeed, carbon fiber parts are still relatively rare, with only a handful of companies making stocks and barrels out of these materials.

These carbon fiber parts are extremely light, shaving not just ounces but full-on pounds off a given rifle. The carbon fiber stocks alone can save a few pounds over a fiberglass or wood stock, which is nice, but the real savings comes from the barrel. The profile of the rifle discussed in this article is a full-blown M24 heavy contour and is 24 inches long. A steel barrel of the same profile weighs more than this complete rifle! A Brownells Premium, 6.5 Creedmoor, 24-inch M24 barrel alone weighs a few ounces more than the complete MPA rifle at 6.25 pounds, which is remarkable considering that from a distance they are identical in profile.

The manufacturer of this barrel is PROOF Research, a company known for the quality of their products. They are a premier and very popular maker of all sorts of carbon fiber barrels in various contours and bores.

MPA’s CRUX Ti action itself is made of titanium, which offers a notable weight savings over steel. It is comparable in weight to aluminum, though far stronger. Titanium actions have been around for a while, but they are not very common, and most are custom affairs. This would not do for MPA, as its vision included no cut corners; a carbon barrel and stock on a steel action would just be too pedestrian.

“Titanium is a hard material to work with; most people won’t touch it. We are one of the only companies to produce a complete rifle off our own special action designed for the end use of the rifle—in this case long-range hunting. Our stocks and actions were created from the ground up to reflect this purpose. We went with the 75-degree bolt throw—it is more user-friendly and offers a faster cycling speed. The bolt itself is easy to disassemble, unlike a Remington 700 stock model, and is simple to maintain in the field should dirt or debris become lodged in it.”

If you have not yet handled a titanium action, you should at least try to get your hands on one. The feel of the action is different than steel; it feels very crisp and smooth to the point where it gives the impression of being frictionless. The bolt glides and locks up very easily. When it closes, the locking process begins and ends in about 1 degree of rotation. It can be closed with the flick of a finger, though unlocking takes a bit more effort thanks to a strong firing pin spring and the fact that there is less throw as opposed to a traditional 90-degree action.

As far as ergonomics, the carbon fiber stock compromises on nothing. It is extremely comfortable and modern while resembling traditional hunting stocks. MPA hand-fits these with precision: “We CNC the correct fit into the stock for a given action, usually [a] Remington 700 footprint. We designed our stocks to suit the modern hunter. It has a semi-vertical grip angle and a slightly raised comb. We wanted to keep it right at 24 ounces while maintaining those classic lines.”

They also bed the stocks to the action along with their AICS-style bottom metal that can take any standard Accuracy-International-pattern magazines. Several were tested in the rifle to include Accurate-Mags, original Accuracy International, Alpha Industries Mags and Magpul, and they all worked flawlessly.

Other features of the rifle include a 20 MOA scope mount, a threaded muzzle and thread protector, a Trigger Tech single-stage trigger, optional QD sling mounts and your choice in camo finish.

Range Time

For testing purposes, a lightweight Leupold VX-3i LRP 6.5-20x50mm scope was installed in Warne rings. This is a type of optic that a hunter would use in the field at just 21 ounces, making the total package just over 7.5 pounds. Other than this, the rifle was unmodified except for the addition of a sling to see how well it carried. Support gear used in the field was all from Hill People Gear and it, especially their Umlindi pack with rifle butt pouch attached, allowed effortless carry of the rifle. Several miles of hiking while out after coyote proved that this was an exceedingly easy rifle to tote … but how about accuracy?

The science of accuracy is easily understood with this rifle. The rifle was tested with several 6.5 Creedmoor loads at both 100 yards for accuracy and out to 1,050 yards to see how well the rifle handled against heavy target rifles.

One-hundred-yard accuracy was as expected from a high-end premium rifle. The average five-shot group at this range was .8 MOA for all factory loads tested. That should impress, considering that .8 is the average of all loads. The best accuracy was produced by Black Hills Gold 143-grain ELD-X at .22 MOA average of five, five-shot groups. SIG SAUER 120-grain Elite Hunter Tipped produced the lowest accuracy at .95 inches for five, five-shot groups, but you’d hardly call that bad by any stretch. SIG SAUER 140-grain Elite Match, SIG SAUER 130-grain Elite Hunter, Federal 130-grain Gold Medal Berger, Federal 140-grain Gold Medal Sierra MatchKing, Hornady Precision Hunter 143-grain ELD-X, Hornady 147-grain ELD Match and Hornady 140-grain American Gunner all produced an average of .5 MOA for five, five-shot groups. The performance was extraordinary.

While it is safe to say that the vast majority of all hunting takes place at about 100 yards, this rifle is not limited to that distance. The author traveled to the famous Marksmanship Training Center (MTC) range in Lake City, Michigan, to test the rifle on steel plates out past 1,000 yards. This test is not just a test of the rifle, but also of the ammunition and optics. Several loads were selected that the author felt would be a good representation of what hunting ammunition can do at long-range, so target loads were omitted for the sake of authenticity.

The Black Hills 143-grain ELD-X, SIG SAUER 130-grain Elite Hunter Tipped and Hornady 143-grain Precision Hunter were tasked with field duty. Using a Kestrel weather station, the author calculated wind and drop for each load and went about shooting steel. What proceeded was perhaps the most uneventful range trip in recent memory, as each of the three selected loads provided a 100% hit rate at ranges out to 500 yards, which is probably the limit of the 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge on medium game for ethical shots.

The author moved to field positions and shot off the pack and some barricades. All the same story. If the rifle was stable and weather conditions monitored, hits came as easy as pointing and firing.

But how did it do at long-range with that hunting ammo? The average five-shot group at this range for all three loads tested was again around .5 MOA to .75 MOA, so only about 5 to 8 inches at 1,050 yards! This is performance on par with many dedicated target rifles with the same accuracy as the author’s heavy-class target rifle that weighs three times as much. To have a rifle so light that is capable of such extraordinary accuracy is nothing short of amazing.

Over 800 rounds of various types were fired in this rifle, and it was also used in a competition. It performed with no feeding issues or any issues of any kind, even in rigorous circumstances.

No Compromises

Mesa Precision Arms is a small shop, but it delivers something that the largest and most well-funded companies have failed to do time and again. MPA delivers a rifle 30% lighter than most hunting rifles and a full 60% lighter than steel rifles with the same barrel profiles. As stated earlier, it is lighter than some target barrels, not counting the rest of the rifle it attaches to.

Not only that, MPA delivered a complete product that is as accurate as a dedicated target rifle, which is truly a feat when directly compared to how poor accuracy and heat resistance are on lightweight steel rifles. Because of the carbon fiber construction, it bleeds heat faster and remains rigid and consistent for much longer, thus allowing the hunter to become proficient with less of a learning curve or having to wait for the gun to cool enough to group well again.

When combined with modern factory hunting ammunition and modern bullets, this is a combination that allows for true extended range performance without having to go to a magnum chambering or specialized load.

While this article covers Mesa Precision Arms and its product, what must be noted is just how far we’ve come technologically in terms of materials and craftsmanship. MPA stands apart in this sense in that it was among the first to realize the potential of all these lightweight materials, not just as individual advances, but as a true step up when combined.

Perhaps one of the most overlooked rifle designs to come out of the Cold War era was the ArmaLite AR-18, a gun that did some impressive things for its time. The design of the AR-18 was not exactly revolutionary or exceptionally innovative considering the other, more radical models put forth by the company, such as the well-known AR-15. Today, Brownells has graduated from a premier supplier of parts and gunsmithing tools to offering and even resurrecting guns like the AR-18, perfected as the BRN-180™ and BRN-180S™. 

ArmaLite Does a “180”

The “AR” in AR-15 does not stand for “Assault Rifle,” as the media would have you believe; instead it is a simple initialization of “ArmaLite Rifle.” The company introduced the action developed in large part by Eugene Stoner, which was a space-age aluminum set of upper and lower receivers with the gas system routed directly into the action to cause it to cycle. This was something of a revolutionary concept, but it was of course met with a healthy degree of criticism when it was put to the test. 

The AR-15 first saw action in the early stages of the Vietnam War, and NATO had recently decided to standardize the 7.62x51mm cartridge. The AR platform chambered for 7.62x51mm was dubbed the AR-10, but it was not fully developed in time for the NATO tests that would eventually see the American adoption of the M14 rifle, which itself was a variant of the M1 Garand used in World War II and Korea. 

The initial reviews from combat use of the AR-15, which at the time used a revolutionary small-bore 5.56x45mm cartridge, were positive, and the fully automatic weapons were then dubbed the M16, with later improvements being designated as the M16A1 and XM177/CAR-15. Problems, some catastrophic, were immediately apparent despite the good start. Representatives from Colt, the licensed manufacturer of the rifle, were sent to the war zone to diagnose the problems with the rifles, reported by American soldiers. 

The problems with the M16 proved deadly to many American troops, who were up against mature weapons such as the AKM and SKS in close combat. The rifles were just not all that great for use in a damp, muddy environment, and it seemed that the world’s largest industrial power had failed to deliver a basic rifle to fight the communists head-to-head. The change in powder used in the cartridges led to the majority of the issues experienced by U.S. troops.

By the time that the problems with the M16 were resolved, the faith in the rifle had already been shattered. It would live on to become the darling of the shooting public, but only after 50 years of cautious testing and several more wars and conflicts. 

In the late 1960s, ArmaLite began to look at some new designs and manufacturing techniques that would perhaps gain it some greater traction in the marketplace. Unfortunately, this was not the case whatsoever, and there were only around 20,000 AR-18 rifles made over its short production life. The design was considered to be rudimentary, as it used welded and stamped receiver components and had a generally crude appearance when compared to the more elegant AR-15.

The ArmaLite company had, in just around a decade, gone from making what was considered a space-age rifle to developing technology that had already been tried and tested, old news in other words. The AR-18 was put into only a small handful of trials, and it offered no real advantages to the maturing M16A1 or the Soviet AKM and their respective suites of arms. As a result, the design was shelved, and manufacturing ceased in 1985. It was only produced for 16 years. 

The Widowmaker

The AR-18 would have likely vanished into the footnotes of rifle history had it not been for its significant and bloody use in The Troubles in Northern Ireland. The Irish, long held under the boot of the English since the reign of King Henry VIII, attempted to rectify hundreds of years of occupation through armed rebellion and to oust the English from their lands. There had been many attempts at this, but all had failed to give the Irish the result they wanted. 

The AR-18 (AR-180) became the star rifle of the Troubles, where it was seen as something of an equalizer in combat. The Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) was instrumental in making the AR-18 into the symbol of Irish independence and the will of their people to reclaim their ancestral lands. Indeed, the implications of the rifle were far reaching, culminating the ultimatum campaign called “ArmaLite and Ballot Box” strategy. The prevalence of the AR-18 in the conflict made this a serious issue to the British, who were basically presented with the choice of allowing referendum in Ireland or facing violence using the ArmaLites, among other weapons. 

The weapon became so highly valued and famous among the Irish that it was the subject of folk songs and murals. The IRA soldiers using the rifle favored it greatly due to its compact folding stock, light weight, simplicity, reliability and excellent medium- to long-range accuracy. It eventually became so feared by the British soldiers and loved by the IRA that it was nicknamed the “Widowmaker.” Indeed, it was a frightful rifle to face, with the British forces unable to answer it in terms of portability and lethality in the areas the IRA chose to fight. Anyone could have an AR-18 about his or her person and use it effectively, which of course was a terrifying notion for those considered to be occupiers. 

After the decades of fighting ended, not much had truly been achieved, but thousands were dead or wounded as a result. The AR-18 continues to be an element present in Irish culture, but its influence today is purely symbolic. The semiautomatic rifles can be found today on the U.S. civilian market for around $1,500 USD, but they are not in high demand except by ArmaLite collectors. Many modern rifles are loosely based on the AR-18’s pistol operating system, but the success of those designs has varied depending on nation of origin and number produced. 

Enter Brownells

The author spent some time talking to Paul Levy, director of Product Management at Brownells. The company released a surprising product at the 2019 SHOT Show. They were starting to produce a version of the AR-18, called the BRN-180. The interest was immediate, but one would wonder why Brownells, one of the largest retailers of gun parts and accessories in the world, began creating an obscure gun like the AR-18?

“It started with just being a fan of the AR-18. We had worked with some various companies getting the BRN-10 to market, and we then started working on a translation of the AR-18. I sent that over to Dean Sylvester at Primary Weapon Systems (PWS) and Paul Noonan at FM Products for engineering. I wanted to keep the design close to the original. After a few revisions, we had a free-floating handguard, rails and M-LOK compatibility.” 

Brownells came to market swinging, and it created some waves. While the primary thing that made it attractive was the fact that it could utilize a folding stock, as there is no buffer tube, the other advantages became rapidly apparent, and what Brownells released was nothing short of extraordinary. What they ended up with was an extremely simple and ruggedized receiver unit that has the potential to be more reliable and go longer between maintenance sessions and cleanings than the AR-15. The best part is, if you have an AR lower, it is a drop-in proposition. 

“The heart of the design is based on the AR-18. The gas system and the recoil assembly are close copies. The carrier travel distance had to be the same as the AR-15 in order to make it compatible with today’s popular AR lower receivers. The AR-18 had a longer carrier travel distance. It wouldn’t have really worked if we did a 1:1 recreation. There are no interchangeable parts with the AR-18. The BRN-180 is basically an improved version instead of a direct copy. We tried not to reinvent the wheel, and our goal was to make a rugged and reliable rifle that was as accurate and reliable than the original. Instead of stamping, we use aluminum extrusions. This is stronger.” 

Just how good and reliable is this design? The internal components are deceptively simple, consisting of a bolt group that travels along two guide rods. The action has dual springs and simply pulls out the rear of the receiver. Cleaning is very simple due to the fact that the action is just a rectangular box. Wiping it out with a rag is just about all it takes, unlike the AR-15 action with its various nooks and crannies. 

The internal tolerances are a bit looser than the AR-15 and will remind the user of a high-quality AK-47. The action itself is remarkably slick and smooth. It is so easy to work the action that it can be pulled back and into battery with just a finger. When lubed up, it feels as smooth as a custom polished action. 

The samples used for this article were assembled with the new Brownells BRN-180 lowers, which are just like AR-15 lowers but have a closed-in area where the buffer tube would have gone, as well as the BRN-180S 10.5-inch upper. In place of the tube there is a Picatinny rail segment to allow the mounting of stocks or folding braces. This is a huge plus and really lends utility to the design. A note on the lowers is that this version in the article is a more conventional AR style, but there is a version that is coming soon that will mimic the lines of the AR-18, including the reverse-slanted magazine well. The lower assembles in almost the same way as a standard AR lower, but there are some differences near the rear pin. The retaining pins and springs are retained by the grip, same as the safety pin and spring.

Levy continued the conversation, this time looking at the capabilities of the design.

“We never really made the BRN-180 to be a 1 MOA gun, but you can certainly expect 1.5 to 2 MOA. We came at it with the purpose to create a rugged and reliable rifle, and that’s what we delivered. If you want to shoot prairie dogs at 500 yards, this probably isn’t your gun, but if you want to get down in the dirt, it is every bit as good as the original AR-18.”

The BRN-180S Design

Just how accurate and reliable is the design? Well, there is no real bad news here. The BRN-180S is fully capable of outperforming many competing designs and is exceedingly accurate and durable. In the testing performed by the author, it was proven to him that Levy was in fact being modest. The build completed by the author featured only high-end components. The internals of the lower were all from Geissele Automatics, including the trigger, safety with dogleg levers and all pins and springs. The folding brace is the highest quality available from SB Tactical, and it features an aluminum body. This brace mounts to the rail on the rear of the receiver. The build was topped with a set of folding Troy folding iron sights and a Trijicon ACOG 4×32 TA31 in a Midwest Industries QD mount. All these components noted in the article, with a couple minor cosmetic variances, are available directly from Brownells. The build was tested … brutally. 

The first procedure was to zero the build at 25m with both the irons and the ACOG. Zeroing with the irons took seconds using 62-grain FMJ Frontier 5.56mm ammo from Hornady. This is good quality ammo, and it shoots very well in the short barrel used for this build. Three-round groups at this distance were ¼-inch—a great sign! The ACOG was then zeroed, and the BRN-180S was put to work at distances out to 200m. 

The first thing to note about this build is just how smooth shooting with it is. The recoil impulse is far different than that of an AR-15, likely due to the low mass of the cycling parts and the slickness of the action. It was just flat out pleasant, and recovery time from shot to shot was amazingly fast. This action has to be experienced to be believed, and the author was floored by what Brownells managed to deliver at such a modest price, but more on that later. 

When it came to accuracy further out, the short barrel was not deterred. It was easily as accurate as any combat-style AR out there and even better than most. Average accuracy with the 62gr FMJ was 1.5 inches at 100m. The real accuracy test came with Black Hills Ammunition’s 77-grain OTM load, a cartridge that is the civilian variant of the legendary MK262 Mod 1. If a gun has trouble shooting, this load is the one you want to use to get it going as it should. It is not a weak-sauce load, and it offers full pressure and velocity for these heavy-for-caliber bullets. The 77gr OTM shot to 1 inch at 100m and did extraordinarily well at 200m. It shot an average 2.1 MOA group for five shots at that range using the ACOG, which is extremely impressive and a testament to the high-quality product Brownells was able to bring to market. 

When it came to reliability, the author loaded up 35-round mags featuring Taran Tactical Innovations extensions and went to town at short range. The build was subjected to 750 rounds immediately. This ammo was a mix of 55-grain SIG SAUER and Hornady FMJ loads. A total of 2,350 rounds were fired in one session with absolutely zero malfunctions or failures to feed or eject. It was also not cleaned for the entire duration of the test. The longest string of fire was 500 rounds in one hour-long session, which is a lot for any gun. 

After all that, the build was checked for zero, and there was no significant deviation or even a shift of impact after all that racket. The BRN-180S was easily banging 10-inch plates at 200m, and it showed no signs of stopping. The rigid receiver and stiff barrel made it a real winner for this type of use. As fast as handling goes, it was easy to master if you’ve ever shot an AK rifle. It is in no way similar to the AR except in the safety and magazine release. Switching to a side-charging handle is an adjustment, but it is second nature once you have an hour or two on it. 

The Modern AR-180 or Just a Gimmick?

“I’m happy with the reception, and we’re excited to continue developing the design. Hopefully we’ll see some new variants and additional products to the BRN-180 line in the near future.”

Levy sees a bright future for the relatively new design. It is something of a novelty to many shooters, but the BRN-180/180S have some major and distinct advantages over existing systems, and the possibilities are endless, so long as they gain traction in the market.

The idea that this is just a gimmick and a one-off is shortsighted. The companies involved with Brownells in getting this on the market did so in a way that others couldn’t. Many competing and now defunct designs failed to make it to success on the open market, including the original AR-18. Had it not been for the guerrilla warfare use of the weapon, it would have likely never been remembered. The design itself was, for the most part, better than the AR-15, but it never won the fame of its brother. The product released as the BRN-180S is the culmination of the AR-15’s modularity and the simplicity of the AR-18. It is a nearly perfect blend of both designs, and Brownells executed it precisely. 

There have been many attempts to pull off something like this, but none have made it. Some rifles based off the elements of the AR-18, such as the Bushmaster ACR, were great ideas but failed to succeed on the commercial and military markets. Rifles like the FN SCAR could be thought of as something of a variant of the AR-18, with the same going for the British SA80 and HK G36. These rifles have all been met with a degree of criticism over time and have had significant teething problems. What Brownells did with the release of the BRN-180S, delivering a 100% reliable and functional weapon platform with no real downsides is exceptional. Many nations of the world have failed to develop weapons as reliable and accurate for their primary service arms. 

What does this mean for Brownells and the future of their engineering collaborations? Well, the fact is that they came out of nowhere with an apparently mature system that is a compliment to the most popular rifle type in the country, something nobody else has really succeeded in doing correctly. The only problem is getting word out about the BRN-180S, as most people assume it to be a novelty. Even so, this is a true novelty in that it works 100% right out of the box, which is more than some prominent companies can say about the launch of a major product line. The bottom line is that the BRN-180S is a seriously good product that demands a close look for any shooter looking for a compact, reliable and easy-to-maintain rifle that has all the advantages of the AR-15 but none of its shortcomings.