BRN 180 Uppers
- Thread starter sniperdoc
- Start date
Vegas SMG
UZI Talk Life Member,
A link would be helpful.
I owned an American 180 style upper produced only for the full auto M-16 by Craig Wheatly of Tactical Innovations. It was way too problematic and I sold it with full disclosure. My experience was not unusual. Greg claims his newest version has corrected the shortcomings of the 1st generation upper.
Craig also states he’s developing an American !80 upper for the full auto M-11/9.
https://www.tacticalinc.com/catalog/category/606
Edited to add; Never mind. I see it’s just another piston upper. Ehhh...
I owned an American 180 style upper produced only for the full auto M-16 by Craig Wheatly of Tactical Innovations. It was way too problematic and I sold it with full disclosure. My experience was not unusual. Greg claims his newest version has corrected the shortcomings of the 1st generation upper.
Craig also states he’s developing an American !80 upper for the full auto M-11/9.
https://www.tacticalinc.com/catalog/category/606
Edited to add; Never mind. I see it’s just another piston upper. Ehhh...
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The product is a modernized Armalite AR 18 Style 556 upper that fits onto a standard AR15 Lower.
I don't know how to link it to here; I went back to the video but didn't see any way to share except Facebook, Email, etc.
I don't know how to link it to here; I went back to the video but didn't see any way to share except Facebook, Email, etc.
A&S Conversions
UZI Talk Life Member
Unless you want sustained fire. With a carbine length gas tube system, some time after the start and end of the third 100 round magazine, the gas tube will fail. The melonited gas tubes tend to last longer than the standard tubes, but they all fail. Long or short stroke piston systems w go 100 round mag after 100 round mag. Small Arms Review did a continuous Beta C drum mag test. They had enough Beta mags that to two guys loading could keep up with the shooter. A standard DI upper against a POF short stroke piston upper to 1,000 rounds. As I recall the Di upper made it to 267 rounds and the gas tube failed. The POF upper made it all the way to 1,000 rounds.
You might be able to get to 1,000 rounds with a Colt light machinegun upper. The barrel is almost 1" in diameter under the hand guards. Colt also used a thicker gauge gas tube to handle more sustained fire. The uppers are collector's items and worth quite a bit of money. I don't know of anyone doing such a torture test using a Colt light machinegun upper. I wondered why no small manufacturer didn't make a custom gas block that would use a heavy walled gas tube for use with a 20" HBAR upper? It would be a small market but wouldn't that hard to design and make.
I went the other way and made some water cooled 20" uppers using HBAR fluted barrels to give more surface area to transfer the heat in the barrel to the water more quickly. Here is my wife running a 500 round belt with one pull.
https://youtu.be/RFcxuOzsoXA
That was a good day.
Scott
mirage
UZI Talk Life Member
I ordered one in February 2019 when Brownells first offered them. The first upper was a difficult fit to the front pin, very tight. That upper would short stroke every round fired.
It would eject the empties, and not chamber a new round. That upper went back to Brownells, and in a few weeks I received a new upper.
My second upper fit, and functioned perfectly to the point the front hand guard was to hot to hold. I ordered a pack of seven, Squid Grip rubber M-Lok inserts from Troy industries and press them on to the hand guard.
I also ordered 15 slot picatinny rails for the front of the hand guard and found out that the mounting screws once installed are to long to allow the barrel to be inserted through the hand guard. I filed the screws flush to the inner mount brackets and the barrel slid through and locked up fine.
I had my gun shop install a Franklin Armory binary firing system III to my Palmetto State Armory lower. The BRN-180 upper works fantastic on that lower.
I'm very happy with this upper and lower.
Nick
It would eject the empties, and not chamber a new round. That upper went back to Brownells, and in a few weeks I received a new upper.
My second upper fit, and functioned perfectly to the point the front hand guard was to hot to hold. I ordered a pack of seven, Squid Grip rubber M-Lok inserts from Troy industries and press them on to the hand guard.
I also ordered 15 slot picatinny rails for the front of the hand guard and found out that the mounting screws once installed are to long to allow the barrel to be inserted through the hand guard. I filed the screws flush to the inner mount brackets and the barrel slid through and locked up fine.
I had my gun shop install a Franklin Armory binary firing system III to my Palmetto State Armory lower. The BRN-180 upper works fantastic on that lower.
I'm very happy with this upper and lower.
Nick
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Thank you for the feedback.
I've been using Brownells for about 25 years, as have many people in our area. On the extremely rare occasion that an item, or order, isn't right, they quickly remedy the problem. They are my 1st choice for parts and supplies.
mirage
UZI Talk Life Member
A&S Conversions
UZI Talk Life Member
That would require major rework for both the Max-11/15-S.A.B.R.E. style or Tenko adapter systems. The Max-11/Max-11/15-Utimac system uses a standard AR-15/M16 carrier. The Brownell upper's carrier is different and would require a custom designed sear catch. The Tenko adapter is also based on a M16 carrier upper that requires a sear trip surface. The Brownell's upper doesn't have that sear trip surface. So the Brownell's upper can't be used with a M16 or the Tenko adapter in auto. So without addressing these issues neither Mac style rifle caliber system will function with the Brownell's upper system.
Scott
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