FrankSquid: very seriously...compare the 180B to the real 180 and you will see why I think they have cheapened a great weapon. From what you and a few others have said ( the breaking receiver issue omitted ) I believe you guys that the 180B is a realible weapon. You guys seem to know your stuff VERY well.
The 180B does shoulder well....but HOW CAN YOU USE THAT "FRONT SIGHT" ???? It's so tiny!!! The two examples that I checked out on Sat. morning had a front sight that was BARELY 1/8 inch high. The front sight tower/gas block would obscue a huge portion of your target. It's like they are forcing you to use a scope....hmmmmmmmm...devious marketing ploy????
Believe me, I wish I could like the AR180B....but they took away everything the government couldn't take away and left a shell of what the 180 could have been.
If they would have used a metal receiver and fixed the stock to that ( or used a removable one like the M96 ) I could easily forgive some of the other omissions like the chrome lined barrel and the dust cover ( of dubious value, really ) and even the original firing component design....but I cannot condone what Armalite has done with this weapon which is come up with a cheap and inferior way to make money in my opinion...and that is what is being solicited: opinions. True I do not own a 180B...but I do own an AR180 and have loved them for years.
For those of you that have them (180Bs)...I am glad they work, I am glad that you enjoy them...I would be angry FOR you if they didn't work....but when I reccommend a weapon to someone I reccommend the best stuff I can think of and the 180B does NOT make my list...in fact I would NOT reccommend a standard 180 for most people because it is NOT a perfected design....but ohhhhhh it could have been. When I reccommend a weapon to someone I do it with the knowledge that most of them may not have shot nearly as much as I have (and others have) and may not have the knowledge base that I and others do have. I want them to come away from a purchase with a weapon that they can be happy with and proud of. I also want them to have a weapon that lasts them for a long time and gives them little to no trouble. There are few weapons you can reccommend to neophytes or persons that you are uninformed of as far as how much experience they have or what their tastes are that can fill that bill to satisfaction. These are my general shooter reccommendations based on quality, reliability, shootability, general affordability and manufacturer cusomter service ( rifles only ):
a quality AR made by Colt, Bushmaster or Armalite
a quality made M1A. Either an old Springfield or one confirmed to have mostly GI parts
There are certainly more guns out there that are fun to shoot, that are cool looking and are reliable also but these two designs are easy to use, easy to maintain and are renowned for their reliability..I can reccommmend them to almost anyone without reservation. There are other guns that I also approve of ( a well built FAL, for instance ) and would reccommend them to those asking about that design in particular....but back to answering the original question: I can't reccommend the AR180B based on what I have seen and felt from MY particular point of view. That doesn't mean you shouldn't buy one if you are inclined; I wouldn't stop you or belittle you if you made that purchase, it's your money. At the same time I have to be honest as to why it doesn't get my stamp of approval.