Long-awaited Gen 2 Models of the BRN-180S (TM) in stock now!  
Designed in conjunction with PWS & FM Products, the Brownells BRN-180S™ Complete Upper Receiver is the newest iteration of the BRN-180™ Upper Receiver, which was inspired by the Armalite® AR-180 of the 1960s. The BRN-180S™ shares a large chunk of components with the BRN-180™, but introduces key features to improve reliability and usability in a short configuration.

The BRN-180S™ is obviously shorter than the standard BRN-180™.  The 223 Wylde version comes with a 10.5” barrel, while the 300 Blackout has a slightly shorter configuration at 10”.  The free float M-LOK handguard mated to the assembly is also shorter, terminating just in front the gas block. This resulting shorter system also required a cutout in the handguard to access the two-position adjustment.  The user can select between these two settings to find the most reliable configuration with their ammo and suppressor.

The BRN-180™ Gen2 Upper Receiver Group improves upon the original BRN-180™ with two main upgrades.  First, all BRN-180™ Upper Receivers now ship with an Adjustable Gas System, previously only found on the BRN-180S™.  The operating mechanism, the short stroke gas piston concept remains the same, but the user can select between two settings, depending on their conditions and ammunition, to ensure smooth and consistent function.  No more spare gas piston cup to worry about.  In addition to the new Adjustable Gas System, the Handguard is now retaining with a single locking screw.  This large screw provides ample locking force and ensures a more consistent handguard lockup than the previous mechanism.  During extended firing, and the barrel heating up, this new locking system ensures the handguard retains alignment and rigidity with the upper receiver.  Also, with this new takedown mechanism, the handguard can be removed to access the gas system without removing the internal components.  

Like the original AR-180, the BRN-180™ bolt carrier rides smoothly on a PAIR of guide rods. The carrier is buffered at the rear by a built-in polymer buffer with a molded-in steel plate that captures the guide rods. The Nitride bolt replicates the original AR-180 bolt design, right down to its use of a standard AR-15 extractor.

BRN-180S  Gen2 .223 Wylde 10.5" Upper




BRN-180S Gen2 .300blk 10" Upper

Awesome! Glad to see you are improving upon the already great BRN 180 lineup.

Do you know if the new gen 2 handguard is compatible with the previous generation barrels?

That would be the primary upgrade I would be interested in for my BRN 180 as the front end has a slight clunk forwards and rear and I really prefer to use iron sights on it, meaning movement is not the best idea.

Thank you for listening to customer feedback and producing the 180S in 300BLK! Already got one ordered!!!!!

Ordered mine, can't wait!

@Conda I don't know for sure, so I don't want to mislead you on it.  I have my doubts that the interface would be compatible, but I'll double check.  If there is something mechanically faulty with your current 180, I'll see what we can do to get you squared away.

Will the handguard slide over other muzzle devices? Wasn't this kind of an issue with Gen 1?

ETA: Maybe tell me what the ID of the rail is so I can check against muzzle devices.

Awesome!   Nice to see some parts available for the BRN–180 on the website too!

nice additions!

no sale for me.

i have no interest in .300. absolutely none.

no need for me to upgrade from G1 to G2.

only hope now is 7.62X39 for me to buy again.

I agree. Dont care one hoot for 300. 7.62x39 on the other hand.

I hear you guys on the 7.63x39 as I'm way more invested, personally, in that than the blackout--I would LOVE to see the 180s in 7.62x39 in like, a 12.5" barrel.   But the .300blk was the most obvious evolution for the 2nd Gen.  Same bolt, same mags, great performance in short barrels.  Getting a bolt that will last w/ a 7.62x39 bolt face, and magazines that are 100% reliable are much larger tasks, and much more expensive.  The door is always open for that possibility, but for the sake of both sales and efficiency, the .300blk was the obvious choice for the new platform.

ETA, man, I thought my 100th post would've been something way cooler than this.  HA!

Disagree with the trash can lovers.  The main reason for a 180 is so you can have a folding stock.  I want a folding stock for compactness.  A short barrel completes that package.  300 BO is perfect with short barrels and suppressed guns.  Now I can build an excellent PDW for ~1k.

x39 subs are far less common, mags that fit in an AR magwell are a crapshoot, AK mags generally are heavy.  I reserve x39 for the trash can.

7.62x39 trash LOL.

Brown Bear 196 subsonic. Works. The BRN-180 has a adj block and could be perfect.

CPD Duramag new mags great. Mag problems were so 10 years ago LOL.

Why limit a firearm to just .300 when 7.62X39 can do vastly more, including subsonic.

Why have a $800 one trick pony upper for .300?

Check the prices on .300 ammo. Not a round you want to shoot a lot of.

This is not 10 years ago. People need to revisit 7.62X39 and see it now is not a problem.

.300 BLK is far more popular in AR style platform. End of story.

Fantastic.

Am I crazy in thinking the twist is a bit slow for big .300blk subs?

I'm definitely no expert so this is a genuine question.

Yes, that's why there are so many x39 ARs and so few 300BOs

7.62x39 ARs have been in production since at least the early 80s.

@brownells_ar15

Why the cutout in the 300 blk handguard? Is that for gas/piston adjustments?

Yes.

 That doesn't prove anything or refute the fact that 300BO ARs are far more popular than x39 ARs and for good reason.  If anything it shows why they suck because in spite of the head start, they are way behind.

...and since the early 80's the issue of the modified 5.56 bolt not having enough real estate to provide adequate material for the proper structural integrity of the locking lugs after the bolt face had been enlarged for the base of the 7.62x39 cartridge is still in play.

The only true solution to the 7.62x39 AR problem was to go back to the drawing board and enlarge the bolt (and carrier) to accomodate the 7.62x39 cartridge as was done by CMMG with their MK47 Mutant/Resolute 300 offering, and whose lower receiver accepts standard AK(M) magazines instead of the often difficult to find 7.62x39 AR mags.

i never had a bolt problem even in full auto 7.62x39 AR. although can not speak for other users.
i have only used Colt and Windham bolts.
assume life of 5k to be normal with a HQ bolt. much higher with some enhanced models.

mags are not a problem. readily available in huge supply pre covid panic of course. those that bitch about mags are ignorant as to what to buy and use, buy junk and bitch. buy proven mags and learn.  CPD Duramags and CPD mags that were just before the Duramag rebranding.

if brownells just opened up the bolt face on bolts that were made 5.56 originally there may be problems. make a dedicated bolt, heat treated and MPI and not a modified bolt and that would help.

You live in your own world  So there is ONE type of quality mag for x39.  Some people want different options including 40rd, drums, polymer, etc...

It doesn’t matter if x39 is the greatest round ever developed or offers the best ballistic performance out of a small frame AR. If it’s not popular enough companies aren’t going to spend the money to develop the product and have it sit on the shelves to sell to a small group of people.

The BRN-180 is already a niche product. You take a niche product and put it in a niche caliber and you have a very small market segment. It isn’t rocket science.

Exactly

It simply comes down to the vast majority of the market recognizes that 300 blackout gives all the benefits of 7.62x39 while removing the downsides- mainly the 7.62 x 39 magazines designs that aren't optimal for an AR magwell (yes, the can be made to work, but it is not a constant curve to work with the extreme taper of the round body, and is a very much comprimise in design), and the the need for a bolt design that makes for an inherent  failure point.

300 Blackout uses a 7.62 x39 sized bullet, suppresses nicely, and can use standard AR-15 magazines and can use a standard AR-15 bolt.  No major re-engineering, standardized parts, and no parts that are likely to fail.  


If BRN180 wants a 7.62x39 BRN-180, I am sure a gunsmith would be willing to make him a custom barrel and open up the bolt face.  It is not outside the realm of turning a blank and running the bolt on a lathe and it likely would work just fine.  It would actually be interesting to see him have that done and post the results.  

But most the general consensus in the AR-15 world (both manufacturing and consumers) is that 7.62x39 is not really a good option for an AR-15 style lower, magazine, and bolt, and has more or less moved on to 300 Blackout.  

Ammo is scarce for 300 Blackout right now, but so is pretty much all ammo, and lets be honest- this is a unique moment in history where ammo is this hard to find, it will come back in stock, and I know for a fact Brownells has been working on the 300 Blackout BRN-180's for a good year now- long before the sudden and unexpected ammo panic hit.



Sven
Manticore Arms

from the pics they look compatible.

just a set screw now with a pointed end that engages groove in the barrel.

my clip style is still solid but far less rounds than yours.

a call to PWS is what you need asking compatibility. they are very nice over the phone and like to talk.

i will make a wild guess and state that the eventual fix to your handguard (if you want it) will be just a upgrade, likely free of charge, to a G2 handguard.

@conda

i still like my G1 16 inch very much.

no reason to get a G2 for me.

in fact, I have 3 gas settings (3 different cups) to choose from vs 2 adjustable settings. but that adjustable feature without removing the cup is damn nice.

i will pick up the .300 when it goes on sale someday. right now $899 and the best coupon at $50. if the past sale prices are any indication, that .300 will be priced very nice some time in the future.

right now my cart is about $900 with tax and shipping and using a $50 coupon. ouch. will wait for a sale.

still anxiously waiting on the prototype folding stock @brownells_ar15

How are these for lefty shooters?  What about suppressed?  

I have been itching to do a 300BO and these look sweet.

looks like $4, 7.62x39 a box of ammo vs a $12 box is no concern to you. (pre covid) supersonic.

subsonic brown bear 7.62x39 does not save anything and is about equal priced to sub .300.

It's not simply a set screw Jesus stop talking out of your ass.

reported.



appears to be nothing more than set screw engaging barrel. and handguard looks same. handguard trunion different, set screw vs U clamp.

set screw shown in pic.

tight handguard pressure fit as before and set screw providing additional pressure is my GUESS.

for some reason it looks like the recoil springs are shorter in the gen2

I asked about the interface, and this is straight from the Product Manager:

"The attachment method is different so you can’t take a Gen 2 off and put it on a Gen 1. Or at least with out machining the barrel. The barrel on the Gen 2 has a 45deg notch machined in to it that engages the set screw on the handguard."

nothing more than a set screw and a 45 deg notch to accept point of set screw as posted by brownells.

cannot see notch in barrel, must be small.

likely handguard will go on and set screw needs a small 45 divot to locate the set point.

Mildly off-topic, but is there any idea when the 18.5" uppers will be in?

It's only been a week since pre-orders  started but I'm curious too.

I spoke with them last Friday, and the person I spoke with didn't know. I ended up swapping out my pre-order for a 16 inch, since those were still in-stock at that time.

Holy first posts, Batman!  

Glad the platform brought you guys on to the Forum, so let me say "Welcome!"

I heard September as an ETA, but not a specific point in September.  Sorry, I wish I had more specifics for you.

That's awesome to hear! The AR-18 is a platform that's always intrigued me due to how widespread its usage is among militaries (G36, L85, F2000, etc)  yet is a practical unicorn on the civilian market.

That Brownells is doing this whole line of neo-retro rifles is really awesome and has me excited for what future patterns you guys are gonna put out.

Anyone heard about an update for the pre-order ship dates for BRN-180 Gen2 18.5" .223?

@Brownells_ar15

Any news on the 18.5" BRN-180s?

We're supposed to receive an update tomorrow--I'll let you guys know what I find out.

I called last week and was told late Dec to early Jan on the 18.5s. Kinda sucks because I would have ordered the 16 had I know the 18.5 was 4 months off.

Disappointing.  Especially so when the 'S' and 16" inevitably come back in stock before the 18.5" start shipping.

January is obscene, they've done two runs of the shorties but 18.5"s are still four months out?

@brownells_ar15

Do y’all have a ballpark on when the BRN-180s upper in 5.56 will be restocked?  Also the corresponding lowers?  Thanks!

@brownells_ar15

How far does the barrel shoulder on the BO extend (or not extend) past the handguard?  I would like to use my Larue suppressor with one but the mount and suppressor recess just a tad behind the shoulder.

How adjustable is the gas system? Is it just "off / suppressor / normal / dirty rifle" or does it have a lot of adjustability?

There's a high and a low.  You can put it in between to shut it off, but there's no detent for it, but it will prob hold

@tsu45   If you use the jam nut as recommended, it should give you .575 clearance between the end of the handguard and the front of the jam nut.  If you don't use the jam nut, you're probably SOL.

@brownells_ar15

Not sure that will work unless the jam nut is narrow enough to fit inside the recessed portion of the muzzle device.  Either way, I already ordered and have one in hand so we’ll see

Strange thing I noticed.  I put a new muzzle device on my BRN180S and the POI shifted drastically.  Clears the bore axis just fine, wondering if it's due to the jam nut