New "AR-180" UPPER from Brownells

[Podmonkey]

Man, that thing is so cool! If the consensus is that these things are GTG I'm buying one.
But then it is essentially an MCX, isn't it.
But at $700 for the upper still quite appealing.
It would have been even cooler if a spring actuated dust cover ala FN FNC/Galil were incorporated.

 

[TheMoneyPit]

Very cool, I’ll be interested to hear reviews to see how they hold up and reliability. Cool design.

 

[meketrefe]

very good idea. Now we need a partitioned open stock for NY. ARX lower design anyone?

 

[Marine Cpl]

very good idea. Now we need a partitioned open stock for NY. ARX lower design anyone?

Would that work with an Ares or Fightlite?

 

[nortatoga]

Would that work with an Ares or Fightlite?

I don't see why not, just wouldn't need the ARES BCG.

 

[Podmonkey]

Would that work with an Ares or Fightlite?

I don't see why not, just wouldn't need the ARES BCG.

Hmnn, interesting. The SCR uses a proprietary bolt carrier with a hinged rat tail on it to impinge on the recoil spring in the stock.
But this upper contains the recoil springs within itself. The SCR is designed to mate to any standard upper I.E. the fire control group will align properly with the firing pin of the standard upper. The 180 upper is designed to mate to any standard lower......... Yes I think it very well would work.
Just need to remove the flash hider and permanently attach a thread cover.

On the other hand I thought Flite Lite only offered whole rifles, not just lowers?

 

[Podmonkey]

Also, this is the way to do a piston "AR". No concerns with carrier tilt chewing through your lower here.

 

[ArmedCorgi]

On the other hand I thought Flite Lite only offered whole rifles, not just lowers?

You can get just the lowers on gun broker. But that is a dealer breaking the rifle up and just selling the lower. I don't think you can get just the lower from Fite Lite.

 

[nortatoga]

Hmnn, interesting. The SCR uses a proprietary bolt carrier with a hinged rat tail on it to impinge on the recoil spring in the stock.
But this upper contains the recoil springs within itself. The SCR is designed to mate to any standard upper I.E. the fire control group will align properly with the firing pin of the standard upper. The 180 upper is designed to mate to any standard lower......... Yes I think it very well would work.
Just need to remove the flash hider and permanently attach a thread cover.

On the other hand I thought Flite Lite only offered whole rifles, not just lowers?

No they do offer lowers now MSRP on there site is $575.00 with the proprietary bolt carrier. I got the whole rifle used but never fired for $600.00 a year and a half ago.

Homepage

 

[nortatoga]

They have been selling them since 2014.

Ares SCR lower now sold separately by popular demand
By
248 Shooter
-
November 13, 2014

Ares Defense is now selling its complete Sport Configurable Rifle lower receiver separately in three configurations after months of customer requests. The SCR is a lower that uses a traditional swept stock in combination with AR-15 uppers.

The receiver comes with a singular hinged bolt carrier group, the main proprietary part.

Ares will be selling these lowers with the user’s choice of straight stock, for use with red-dot sights and other low-profile optics, a Monte Carlo stock for use with a raised scope or low-profile iron sights and with a short stock for people looking for a more compact package.

Users have been flogging Ares for a lower sold separately, because while their default “featureless” uppers had a certain appeal to certain markets, the lowers have so much more potential with such a wide audience that many people were prepared to buy a complete firearm with every intention of flipping the upper on the open market just for the opportunity to build their ideal rifle using their new lower.

 

[Podmonkey]

No they do offer lowers now MSRP on there site is $575.00 with the proprietary bolt carrier. I got the whole rifle used but never fired for $600.00 a year and a half ago.

Homepage

Marvelous! Best NY compliance option period!

 

[Marine Cpl]

Marvelous! Best NY compliance option period!

The only bad thing about the lower is the lack of sling points. You'd have to drill into the stock to install a quick detach sling point.

 

[meketrefe]

Marvelous! Best NY compliance option period!

IMO "The Best" is relative. Technically and ergonomically it is not the best option. So not sure why it would be the best in any other
area. ..I mean it is better than pinning a magazine that is for sure that is so absurd.

 

[Podmonkey]

IMO "The Best" is relative. Technically and ergonomically it is not the best option. So not sure why it would be the best in any other
area. ..I mean it is better than pinning a magazine that is for sure that is so absurd.

Name a compliance option that is better. With the SCR the safety is moved back to keep it within a finger's press.

 

[togmaster]

Name a compliance option that is better. With the SCR the safety is moved back to keep it within a finger's press.

A thorsend stock with an ambi safety works just fine. And it's a lot less expensive than an Aries lower.

 

[nortatoga]

A thorsend stock with an ambi safety works just fine. And it's a lot less expensive than an Aries lower.

As I posted above^^ I gave $600.00 for a used unfired ARES SCR!

 

[Podmonkey]

A thorsend stock with an ambi safety works just fine. And it's a lot less expensive than an Aries lower.

Okay. But its clunkier than the SCR.

 

[togmaster]

Okay. But its clunkier than the SCR.

I'm pretty clunky too.

 

[Podmonkey]

I'm pretty clunky too.

Whatever dunks your donut man.

 

[meketrefe]

Name a compliance option that is better. With the SCR the safety is moved back to keep it within a finger's press.

Like I said, "The best" is relative.

- If one wants a lower that is compatible with all standard mil spec parts for bolt carrier, buffer, etc.. a stock adapter like the FRS or similar, works as the original.

- Also if one wants to have a stock inline with the center of the bore as well as any aftermarket trigger, match carrier, etc... in order to build a Match rifle then again a stock adapter.

- Also for a match rifle like shooting prone an extended regular stock extension will provide a good grip and it is not attached to the stock. Actually one could cut an old grip almost flush and run over with the extended extension. Certain sling adapters with a tensed sling will provide a good grip, including fast handling from a down sling position when hunting.

- Perhaps one wants to have a popular piston system for additional reliability. They sell blocks that replace the gas key so the SS piston can be used in any carrier that has a standard gas key but those are not the reliable piston systems we are used to. Again, stock adapters.

- Then if one doesn't mind to have a regular stock, proprietary lower, bolt carrier and whatever trigger comes with it, then perhaps the ARES is a good thing. It could be still a better option than a mini 14, obviously w/o the aftermarket support of the Mini but with the capability of swapping many AR uppers.

- For some, pinning a magazine or supressing the gas block might be a good temporary alternative for compliance but they do not make much sense in the long run.

-Some of those 'spurs' or 'stubs' we see are plain and simple dangerous and I am not sure if they are compliant. IMO they are even more absurd than a pinned magazine. in this case is also better to have any other option, other than for storage.

Better than that perhaps a lever release but the lever release will be a custom sear mechanism retrofit at additional cost, obviously. But way better than pinned magazines and spurs in terms of actual usability and safety respectively.

So many options, some 'better' some 'worse'.

 

[Podmonkey]

I sure hope GWACS gets their new tooling sorted out, I'd like to throw this upper on one of their lowers.

 

[togmaster]

I was going to build a piston upper but may get this one instead. Or do both.

 

[Robin]

So if you installed a left hand bolt into their BCG it should accept left hand uppers. Right? I'm assuming they don't offer a left hand version.
Robin

 

[Podmonkey]

So if you installed a left hand bolt into their BCG it should accept left hand uppers. Right? I'm assuming they don't offer a left hand version.
Robin

Charging handle is already on the right side for you. And the bolt, along with all the other internals are proprietary.

 

[Robin]

I'm not sure what you are saying Pod. The Bolt Carrier Group, BCG, which comes with the lower, is proprietary because of the linkage at the rear, but the bolt itself is a standard AR bolt, the way I understand it. So if you wanted to use a standard left handed AR upper in 6.8 SPC on the SCR lower, all you would have to do is switch out the bolt. Right?
Robin

 

[Podmonkey]

I'm not sure what you are saying Pod. The Bolt Carrier Group, BCG, which comes with the lower, is proprietary because of the linkage at the rear, but the bolt itself is a standard AR bolt, the way I understand it. So if you wanted to use a standard left handed AR upper in 6.8 SPC on the SCR lower, all you would have to do is switch out the bolt. Right?
Robin

Oh, I see what you are saying. I think they said the bolt is a standard AR bolt yes. But if the don't offer a version of the upper with the ejection port on the left it won't matter.
You shouldn't be so focused on the ejection side.
The ejection pattern of ARs and I'm sure this upper also is well forward, you can fire lefty and the brass won't get you.

 

[Podmonkey]

@Robin, actually I think I read somewhere that it does not use a standard AR bolt. There are no gas rings on the tail for example. Not sure if a standard AR bolt would be compatible or not.

 

[Robin]

SCR Bolt Assembly
It looks the same to me, maybe a subtlety I'm not seeing.
Robin

 

[Podmonkey]

I'm reading around and I'm thinking a standard AR15 bolt is too long to fit in the BRN 180 BCG.

 

[Robin]

I called Fightlite, the bolt is a standard AR bolt that fits their bolt carrier assembly, however the lady I talked with says it is not compatible with a left hand upper. I think I will call back and explain that I would be putting a left hand bolt on it. Maybe she misunderstood.
Robin