Range Photos-Armalite 180
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PainterlyShotgroup
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It's alright Grover. We all know you've only got oneyeopn.... 
I certainly hope you do not get your hands on an original AR-180 and abuse it like that. The reason is an original AR-180 is a prized collectors item.
The AR-180, modern day AR-15, M-16 and todays M-4, lineage actually began with the Armalite AR-10. In 1955 the Army wanted a replacement for the M1 Garand, Armalite submitted the 7.62 mm AR-10 for consideration. No one had seen a military rifle like the AR-10, it had an aircraft grade aluminum receiver and weighed less than seven pounds, the bolt locked into a steel extension on the barrel and not into the receiver itself, its stock and furniture were plastic. The Springfield Armory T-44 and T-48 (which was a version of the FN FAL) were submitted earlier than the Armalite and they used wood and traditional steel/forged construction. The head start Springfield had could not be overcome by Armalite and they lost the race to be have the AR-10 adopted, the Springfield Armory T-44 was adopted as the M-14 rifle in 1959. However, in 1956 U.S. Army officials asked ArmaLite to develop a lighter smaller caliber version of the 7.62 caliber AR-10, the rifle developed was a 5.56 mm cartridge development model called the AR-15.
The AR-15 was too late to be considered against the T-44 and T-48 and did not fit into the long-range marksmanship doctrine of that time period. Armalite then turned its attention to the international military market and the AR-10 was licensed to the Dutch Artillerie Inrichtingen for sale on the international military market. Sales were very limited at best, no one had ever seen a rifle like this, it was radically different from the more traditional wood/steel models already in use or being purchased. Armalite licensed the designs and trademarks of the AR-10 and AR-15 to Colt in 1959 (eventually selling them completly to Colt). In 1959 Armalite developed the AR-16 based upon the AR-10 design but the AR-16 was dropped in development. The AR-16 was a sheet metal version of the AR-10, it never entered production but elements of its design influenced the 1995 design of the AR-10B.
Colt had managed to have the newly acquired (from Armalite) patent AR-15 design adopted by the U.S. military. Armalite was in trouble, they had sold the AR-15 patent too early to Colt, and the AR-10 had failed to attract its intended market and they had sold that patent to Colt as well. Armalite needed to recover from those errors and began development of a new rifle that would not violate the Stoner gas system patents which now belonged to Colt in the AR-10 and AR-15 patents. When the U.S. military adopted the AR-15 it gave legitimacy to the 5.56 mm cartridge, Armalite needed to compete in its effort to replace the AR-15, the result was the AR-18 using the 5.56 mm cartridge beginning development in 1963 and becoming the Armalite primary focus for about 20 years. The AR-18 used the things learned from the AR-15 and AR-16 development and was a sheet metal AR-15 with a different gas system using a Tokarev style sliding gas cylinder under the handguards. The U.S. Army was directed to re-evaluate the AR-18 in 1969, however, the AR-18 failed to displace the AR-15 which by 1969 had been completly standardized by the U.S. Army. There were eventually two versions of the AR-18, the standard AR-18 with selective fire and the AR-18S with selective fire and short 10.12 inch barrel that had a cone shaped flash suppressor. The AR-18S was manufacturered by Sterling, sometimes its incorrectly thought and argued the 'S' in the designation stands for 'Sterling' but it doesn't and stands for 'short' in recognition of the 10.12 inch barrel. Nederlandsche Wapen-en Munitiefabriek (NWM) of Den Bosch, the Netherlands, received a production license for the AR-18 but its not factually known if any AR-18's were actually produced by them. There have been a few claims over the years of at least 20 being made by NWM but the claims have never been substantiated and there is no documentation of manufacturing, shipments, or production schedules which indicate any AR-18s were made by NWM. Its thought that NWM after receiving the AR-18 license also began getting overtures from Stoner for the Stoner 63 platform and decided not to produce the AR-18 as a result.
The AR-18, designed at ArmaLite by Arthur Miller along with George Sullivan and Charles Dorchester in 1963, has been the inspiration for later weapons such as the British SA-80, SAR-80 and SR-88 from Singapore, Austrian Steyr AUG, Heckler and Koch G36, and the Japanese Howa Type 89. After rejecting the AR-18 for military use the British copied the AR-18 design into a bullpup version called the SA-80 which was adopted by the British military as the L85, the bullpup conversion from AR-18 to the SA-80 was by Enfield. Another bullpup version of the AR-18 was the Australian Bushmaster M17S.
With military market sales being a failure, Armalite shifted to the commercial market and produced a commercial semi-auto only version of the AR-18 called the AR-180. Production of the AR-18 continued by Armalite for about 20 years and all production of the AR-18 line ceased in 1979. Howa ceased production of the AR-18/AR-180 in 1974 when Japanese government export controls forced Howa to cease all small arms production. Sterling produced both the AR-18 and AR-180 from 1975 to 1983, but then continued with just limited AR-180 production until 1985 then ceased production.
And thats how the AR-180 came to be. In 2001 Armalite resurrected the AR-180 in a somewhat modified form as the AR-180B intended for the civilian and law enforcement markets. The AR-180B featured the same AR-18 layout and action but used a molded polymer lower, has a standard AR-15 trigger group and rear sight parts along with an AR-15 magazine release and uses standard AR-15/M16 magazines, but excludes the original AR-18/180 spring loaded dust cover for the cocking handle slot. The AR-180B replaced the original folding buttstock and flash suppressor with a plastic fixed buttstock of the same shape and a muzzle recoil compensator.
Had it not been for the Armalite AR-10 the AR-15 would not have existed and Colt would never have gotten the contract for the U.S. military rifle adopted as the M-16 and from that evolving into todays military and civilian M4 type platform would not exist. Had the AR-15 not existed its likely the military and commercial markets would be seeing use of an Armalite developed and marketed design in the AR-10 lineage through the Armalite AR-18 and AR-15 platform and Colt would probably not be in business today. From 1994 to present, Armalite has produced an 'M4' platform available, marketed, and sold to civilian, government/military, and law enforcement markets except they call their series the M-15.
All original AR-180's are collectors items. Among those prized as collectors items are those AR-180s produced by Howa between October 1970 and 1973. Its the fact that most of those Howa produced AR-180s during that period never made it to their intended market which makes them a rare and prized find. The Irish Republican Army illegally acquired a number of those Howa produced AR-180s, estimates place the number at around 70% (up to possibly 75%) of the Howa production during that time period. The IRA loved the AR-18 and had dubbed it the 'Widow Maker' but AR-18 production was very limited by Howa and the ones produced were mostly on an as needed basis to fill orders from recognized government entities and thus very few went to the open market so it was difficult for the IRA to get enough AR-18s and they turned their attention to the AR-180. The IRA knew the AR-180 was the AR-18 in a semi-auto only version and with very little effort they could add auto-fire capability to the Howa AR-180 in about 15 minutes and thus have the AR-18 they favored. The IRA actions caused the Japanese government to stop all exports of AR-18 and AR-180 rifles in 1973 (but later resumed export of the AR-180 until 1974). So if you come upon an original AR-180 its a collectors item, and if you come upon a Howa produced AR-180 manufactured between October 1970 and 1973 its a prize and its a good chance its either one of the few from that period which did make it to market which makes it very rare or one of the ones the IRA had gotten their hands on which later found its way into the second and third party sales markets and is even more rare.
Notes for the above time periods: In 1967 production of the AR-18 began at the Howa Machinery Company of Nagoya, Japan. For political reasons the Japanese government restricted rifle sales to only non-combatant non-Asian nations and during the Vietnam War the AR-18 could not be exported to the United States. Howa also produced AR-180s. In mid-1968 ArmaLite set up pilot production in its Costa Mesa plant and produced 1,171 AR-18s and 4,018 AR-180s between July 1969 and June 1972. The Japanese government subsequently eased export restrictions and allowed the Howa AR-180 to be exported to the U.S. and by the late 1970s U.S. production halted. The Japanese restrictions on export of the AR-18 and AR 180 forced ArmaLite to move production to a new licensed producer, Sterling Armament Company of Dagenham, England, in 1974.
ArmaLite imported the Sterling rifles into the U.S., Sterling and ArmaLite both tried to market the rifles internationally. Sterling manufactured 12,362 AR-180s between the 1975 and 1983 (when ArmaLite and Sterling were both sold). Of the Sterling AR-180s, 10,946 were exported to the United States. There were only 1,171 AR-18s and 4,018 AR-180s produced in the U.S. at Costa Mesa, all others are Sterling or Howa produced. Howa produced 3,927 AR-180s between October 1970 and February 1974 and allowing for the IRA illegally procured AR-180s this leaves only approximately 1,178 Howa produced AR-180s exported, the exact number exported to the U.S. is not known, however, estimates place the number at approximately 900 Howa AR-180s exported to the U.S.
For import/export considerations: Considering the possibility all of the Costa Mesa AR-180s were not exported but were sold in the U.S., and considering the possibility that all Sterling produced AR-180s imported into the U.S. remained in and were sold in the U.S., and considering the possibility that all (estimated approximately) 900 exported to the U.S. Howa AR-180s remained in and were sold in the U.S. - this makes for possibly approximately 15,864 AR-180's sold in the U.S.
The exact number of AR-180's manufactured between 1963 and 1967 is unknown. However, some estimates have placed it has high as approximately 1,100 and some estimates have placed it lower at approximately 400. The exact number has possibly been lost to history as Armalite changed ownership multiple times.
Note: Stoner 63 platform rifle, carbine, commando, and light machine gun varient configurations were adopted by the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Navy (one adoption) in the designations; XM22 (Stoner 63 rifle 1:12 twist barrel), XM22E1 (Stoner 63A rifle 1:12 twist barrel), XM22E2 (Stoner 63A rifle 1:9 twist barrel), XM23 (Stoner 63 carbine 1:12 twist barrel), XM23E1 (Stoner 63A carbine 1:12 twist barrel), XM23E2 (Stoner 63A carbine 1:9 twist barrel), XM207 (Stoner 63 light machine gun 1:12 twist barrel), XM207E1 (Stoner 63A light machine gun 1:12 twist barrel), XM207E2 (Stoner 63A light machine gun 1:9 twist barrel), Mk 23 Mod 0 (U.S. Navy, their only adoption of the Stoner 63 platform - Stoner 63A1 commando configuration 1:12 twist barrel)
The AR-180, modern day AR-15, M-16 and todays M-4, lineage actually began with the Armalite AR-10. In 1955 the Army wanted a replacement for the M1 Garand, Armalite submitted the 7.62 mm AR-10 for consideration. No one had seen a military rifle like the AR-10, it had an aircraft grade aluminum receiver and weighed less than seven pounds, the bolt locked into a steel extension on the barrel and not into the receiver itself, its stock and furniture were plastic. The Springfield Armory T-44 and T-48 (which was a version of the FN FAL) were submitted earlier than the Armalite and they used wood and traditional steel/forged construction. The head start Springfield had could not be overcome by Armalite and they lost the race to be have the AR-10 adopted, the Springfield Armory T-44 was adopted as the M-14 rifle in 1959. However, in 1956 U.S. Army officials asked ArmaLite to develop a lighter smaller caliber version of the 7.62 caliber AR-10, the rifle developed was a 5.56 mm cartridge development model called the AR-15.
The AR-15 was too late to be considered against the T-44 and T-48 and did not fit into the long-range marksmanship doctrine of that time period. Armalite then turned its attention to the international military market and the AR-10 was licensed to the Dutch Artillerie Inrichtingen for sale on the international military market. Sales were very limited at best, no one had ever seen a rifle like this, it was radically different from the more traditional wood/steel models already in use or being purchased. Armalite licensed the designs and trademarks of the AR-10 and AR-15 to Colt in 1959 (eventually selling them completly to Colt). In 1959 Armalite developed the AR-16 based upon the AR-10 design but the AR-16 was dropped in development. The AR-16 was a sheet metal version of the AR-10, it never entered production but elements of its design influenced the 1995 design of the AR-10B.
Colt had managed to have the newly acquired (from Armalite) patent AR-15 design adopted by the U.S. military. Armalite was in trouble, they had sold the AR-15 patent too early to Colt, and the AR-10 had failed to attract its intended market and they had sold that patent to Colt as well. Armalite needed to recover from those errors and began development of a new rifle that would not violate the Stoner gas system patents which now belonged to Colt in the AR-10 and AR-15 patents. When the U.S. military adopted the AR-15 it gave legitimacy to the 5.56 mm cartridge, Armalite needed to compete in its effort to replace the AR-15, the result was the AR-18 using the 5.56 mm cartridge beginning development in 1963 and becoming the Armalite primary focus for about 20 years. The AR-18 used the things learned from the AR-15 and AR-16 development and was a sheet metal AR-15 with a different gas system using a Tokarev style sliding gas cylinder under the handguards. The U.S. Army was directed to re-evaluate the AR-18 in 1969, however, the AR-18 failed to displace the AR-15 which by 1969 had been completly standardized by the U.S. Army. There were eventually two versions of the AR-18, the standard AR-18 with selective fire and the AR-18S with selective fire and short 10.12 inch barrel that had a cone shaped flash suppressor. The AR-18S was manufacturered by Sterling, sometimes its incorrectly thought and argued the 'S' in the designation stands for 'Sterling' but it doesn't and stands for 'short' in recognition of the 10.12 inch barrel. Nederlandsche Wapen-en Munitiefabriek (NWM) of Den Bosch, the Netherlands, received a production license for the AR-18 but its not factually known if any AR-18's were actually produced by them. There have been a few claims over the years of at least 20 being made by NWM but the claims have never been substantiated and there is no documentation of manufacturing, shipments, or production schedules which indicate any AR-18s were made by NWM. Its thought that NWM after receiving the AR-18 license also began getting overtures from Stoner for the Stoner 63 platform and decided not to produce the AR-18 as a result.
The AR-18, designed at ArmaLite by Arthur Miller along with George Sullivan and Charles Dorchester in 1963, has been the inspiration for later weapons such as the British SA-80, SAR-80 and SR-88 from Singapore, Austrian Steyr AUG, Heckler and Koch G36, and the Japanese Howa Type 89. After rejecting the AR-18 for military use the British copied the AR-18 design into a bullpup version called the SA-80 which was adopted by the British military as the L85, the bullpup conversion from AR-18 to the SA-80 was by Enfield. Another bullpup version of the AR-18 was the Australian Bushmaster M17S.
With military market sales being a failure, Armalite shifted to the commercial market and produced a commercial semi-auto only version of the AR-18 called the AR-180. Production of the AR-18 continued by Armalite for about 20 years and all production of the AR-18 line ceased in 1979. Howa ceased production of the AR-18/AR-180 in 1974 when Japanese government export controls forced Howa to cease all small arms production. Sterling produced both the AR-18 and AR-180 from 1975 to 1983, but then continued with just limited AR-180 production until 1985 then ceased production.
And thats how the AR-180 came to be. In 2001 Armalite resurrected the AR-180 in a somewhat modified form as the AR-180B intended for the civilian and law enforcement markets. The AR-180B featured the same AR-18 layout and action but used a molded polymer lower, has a standard AR-15 trigger group and rear sight parts along with an AR-15 magazine release and uses standard AR-15/M16 magazines, but excludes the original AR-18/180 spring loaded dust cover for the cocking handle slot. The AR-180B replaced the original folding buttstock and flash suppressor with a plastic fixed buttstock of the same shape and a muzzle recoil compensator.
Had it not been for the Armalite AR-10 the AR-15 would not have existed and Colt would never have gotten the contract for the U.S. military rifle adopted as the M-16 and from that evolving into todays military and civilian M4 type platform would not exist. Had the AR-15 not existed its likely the military and commercial markets would be seeing use of an Armalite developed and marketed design in the AR-10 lineage through the Armalite AR-18 and AR-15 platform and Colt would probably not be in business today. From 1994 to present, Armalite has produced an 'M4' platform available, marketed, and sold to civilian, government/military, and law enforcement markets except they call their series the M-15.
All original AR-180's are collectors items. Among those prized as collectors items are those AR-180s produced by Howa between October 1970 and 1973. Its the fact that most of those Howa produced AR-180s during that period never made it to their intended market which makes them a rare and prized find. The Irish Republican Army illegally acquired a number of those Howa produced AR-180s, estimates place the number at around 70% (up to possibly 75%) of the Howa production during that time period. The IRA loved the AR-18 and had dubbed it the 'Widow Maker' but AR-18 production was very limited by Howa and the ones produced were mostly on an as needed basis to fill orders from recognized government entities and thus very few went to the open market so it was difficult for the IRA to get enough AR-18s and they turned their attention to the AR-180. The IRA knew the AR-180 was the AR-18 in a semi-auto only version and with very little effort they could add auto-fire capability to the Howa AR-180 in about 15 minutes and thus have the AR-18 they favored. The IRA actions caused the Japanese government to stop all exports of AR-18 and AR-180 rifles in 1973 (but later resumed export of the AR-180 until 1974). So if you come upon an original AR-180 its a collectors item, and if you come upon a Howa produced AR-180 manufactured between October 1970 and 1973 its a prize and its a good chance its either one of the few from that period which did make it to market which makes it very rare or one of the ones the IRA had gotten their hands on which later found its way into the second and third party sales markets and is even more rare.
Notes for the above time periods: In 1967 production of the AR-18 began at the Howa Machinery Company of Nagoya, Japan. For political reasons the Japanese government restricted rifle sales to only non-combatant non-Asian nations and during the Vietnam War the AR-18 could not be exported to the United States. Howa also produced AR-180s. In mid-1968 ArmaLite set up pilot production in its Costa Mesa plant and produced 1,171 AR-18s and 4,018 AR-180s between July 1969 and June 1972. The Japanese government subsequently eased export restrictions and allowed the Howa AR-180 to be exported to the U.S. and by the late 1970s U.S. production halted. The Japanese restrictions on export of the AR-18 and AR 180 forced ArmaLite to move production to a new licensed producer, Sterling Armament Company of Dagenham, England, in 1974.
ArmaLite imported the Sterling rifles into the U.S., Sterling and ArmaLite both tried to market the rifles internationally. Sterling manufactured 12,362 AR-180s between the 1975 and 1983 (when ArmaLite and Sterling were both sold). Of the Sterling AR-180s, 10,946 were exported to the United States. There were only 1,171 AR-18s and 4,018 AR-180s produced in the U.S. at Costa Mesa, all others are Sterling or Howa produced. Howa produced 3,927 AR-180s between October 1970 and February 1974 and allowing for the IRA illegally procured AR-180s this leaves only approximately 1,178 Howa produced AR-180s exported, the exact number exported to the U.S. is not known, however, estimates place the number at approximately 900 Howa AR-180s exported to the U.S.
For import/export considerations: Considering the possibility all of the Costa Mesa AR-180s were not exported but were sold in the U.S., and considering the possibility that all Sterling produced AR-180s imported into the U.S. remained in and were sold in the U.S., and considering the possibility that all (estimated approximately) 900 exported to the U.S. Howa AR-180s remained in and were sold in the U.S. - this makes for possibly approximately 15,864 AR-180's sold in the U.S.
The exact number of AR-180's manufactured between 1963 and 1967 is unknown. However, some estimates have placed it has high as approximately 1,100 and some estimates have placed it lower at approximately 400. The exact number has possibly been lost to history as Armalite changed ownership multiple times.
Note: Stoner 63 platform rifle, carbine, commando, and light machine gun varient configurations were adopted by the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Navy (one adoption) in the designations; XM22 (Stoner 63 rifle 1:12 twist barrel), XM22E1 (Stoner 63A rifle 1:12 twist barrel), XM22E2 (Stoner 63A rifle 1:9 twist barrel), XM23 (Stoner 63 carbine 1:12 twist barrel), XM23E1 (Stoner 63A carbine 1:12 twist barrel), XM23E2 (Stoner 63A carbine 1:9 twist barrel), XM207 (Stoner 63 light machine gun 1:12 twist barrel), XM207E1 (Stoner 63A light machine gun 1:12 twist barrel), XM207E2 (Stoner 63A light machine gun 1:9 twist barrel), Mk 23 Mod 0 (U.S. Navy, their only adoption of the Stoner 63 platform - Stoner 63A1 commando configuration 1:12 twist barrel)
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Refresh my memory-
Was it the 180 that was prone to break hammers?
I had a lot of rifles in the late 90's. Most of the evil ones went through my hands at some time. As I recall, it was a 180 that snapped a hammer in two just after I got it.....
Was it the 180 that was prone to break hammers?
I had a lot of rifles in the late 90's. Most of the evil ones went through my hands at some time. As I recall, it was a 180 that snapped a hammer in two just after I got it.....
In some depending on who produced the 180. There was a very rare factory parts kit that was not marketed or sold commercially that had an improved hammer included and you could get an improved hammer from Armalite at one point many years ago which is even more rare.
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OP
storeyteller
Well-known member
Guns is for shootin not lookin at.
45Wheelgun
Administrator
Very nice
Is that the complete serial number in the pic? Looks like there is a hint of another digit after it or is that an optical artifact of some sort? If there is another number behind that 3 for a total of five numerical digits then yours was manufactured in February 1974 (according the the info I have been able to get, see serial number list below).
This is all the information I have pertaining to serial numbers for AR-180's - got it from a friend yesterday after a PM I got asking for serial number information.
Costa Mesa AR-180 serial numbers (all manufacturered in July 1969):
S0001 thru S0012
S0014 thru S0050 (except S0030 which was manufactured out of sequence)
S0030
S0077
S0101 thru S4067
Total Costa Mesa AR-180's produced = 4,018
Howa AR-180 serial numbers:
X000001 thru X000012 - manufactured October 1970
S000001 thru S001000 - manufactured October 1970
S10001 thru S12915 - manufactured February 1974
Total Howa AR-180s produced = 3,927
The first 1000 Howa AR-180's produced were really AR-18 uppers and had the serial numbers on the upper receiver hand stamped to add a zero behind the AR-18' to make it read 'AR-180'. The added zero on some of them is not properly aligned with the 18 so its easy to tell.
Sterling AR-180 serial numbers:
S15001 thru S27363 - all manufactured from 1979 to 1985
Total Sterling AR-180s produced = 12,363
******************************************
The above serial numbers do not include variations, special production runs, development, prototypes, or the undocumented production runs, and the serial number list is not complete.
There are also four different variations on the AR-180, some claim there are a few more, don't know the serial numbers for these and they are not included in the above. The variations are the AR-180 SCS (Phil Hart sporter) with a serial number prefix of PH (there were approximately 380 of these produced) - AR-180 Police Carbine (short barreled rifle) with a serial number prefix of SS (estimates are approximately 200 of these produced but its never been confirmed) - AR-180 Sniper with serial number prefix of SW (some estimates say 100 of these were produced but its never been confirmed, its more likely that only 1 was ever made) - AR-180 SP (pistol) with a serial number prefix of SP (some estimates say approximately 20 of these were made but its never been confirmed)
Is that the complete serial number in the pic? Looks like there is a hint of another digit after it or is that an optical artifact of some sort? If there is another number behind that 3 for a total of five numerical digits then yours was manufactured in February 1974 (according the the info I have been able to get, see serial number list below).
This is all the information I have pertaining to serial numbers for AR-180's - got it from a friend yesterday after a PM I got asking for serial number information.
Costa Mesa AR-180 serial numbers (all manufacturered in July 1969):
S0001 thru S0012
S0014 thru S0050 (except S0030 which was manufactured out of sequence)
S0030
S0077
S0101 thru S4067
Total Costa Mesa AR-180's produced = 4,018
Howa AR-180 serial numbers:
X000001 thru X000012 - manufactured October 1970
S000001 thru S001000 - manufactured October 1970
S10001 thru S12915 - manufactured February 1974
Total Howa AR-180s produced = 3,927
The first 1000 Howa AR-180's produced were really AR-18 uppers and had the serial numbers on the upper receiver hand stamped to add a zero behind the AR-18' to make it read 'AR-180'. The added zero on some of them is not properly aligned with the 18 so its easy to tell.
Sterling AR-180 serial numbers:
S15001 thru S27363 - all manufactured from 1979 to 1985
Total Sterling AR-180s produced = 12,363
******************************************
The above serial numbers do not include variations, special production runs, development, prototypes, or the undocumented production runs, and the serial number list is not complete.
There are also four different variations on the AR-180, some claim there are a few more, don't know the serial numbers for these and they are not included in the above. The variations are the AR-180 SCS (Phil Hart sporter) with a serial number prefix of PH (there were approximately 380 of these produced) - AR-180 Police Carbine (short barreled rifle) with a serial number prefix of SS (estimates are approximately 200 of these produced but its never been confirmed) - AR-180 Sniper with serial number prefix of SW (some estimates say 100 of these were produced but its never been confirmed, its more likely that only 1 was ever made) - AR-180 SP (pistol) with a serial number prefix of SP (some estimates say approximately 20 of these were made but its never been confirmed)
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45Wheelgun
Administrator
Very nice
It that the complete serial number in the pic? Looks like there is a hint of another digit after it or is that an optical artifact of some sort? If there is another number behind that 3 for a total of five numerical digits then yours was manufactured in February 1974 (according the the info I have been able to get, see serial number list below).
Actually the serial number is "S 0003xx" which I think puts it in the October of 1970 Group below.
My gun has the characteristics you describe above. Serial number on the upper. The "S" in the serial number was done to a different depth and not centered with the rest of the serial number. The "0" in 180 was stamped lighter and not spaced the same as the rest. Both are ever so slightly crooked. Also you can see where the word was ground off at the center position of selector switch and the final position ground smooth and re-labeled "Fire".
Kinda thought there was something after the 3.
Yep, you are correct. Couldn't tell from the pic at first but going back and looking more closely at it now I see where it was ground off. Thats an AR-18 upper.
Looks like you got one of the first 1000 produced by Howa. Thats a genuine piece of firearms history. Congratulations
Not really sure, but would probably sell for around $3,500.00 to $4,000.00 today in the collectors market or maybe at auction in some cases. Have you had it apraised for value?
If it were mine, i'd never fire it again. I'd pack it away carefully in a proper container (or maybe enclosed display case all its own) and i'd also make sure its insured.
Yep, you are correct. Couldn't tell from the pic at first but going back and looking more closely at it now I see where it was ground off. Thats an AR-18 upper.
Looks like you got one of the first 1000 produced by Howa. Thats a genuine piece of firearms history. Congratulations
Not really sure, but would probably sell for around $3,500.00 to $4,000.00 today in the collectors market or maybe at auction in some cases. Have you had it apraised for value?
If it were mine, i'd never fire it again. I'd pack it away carefully in a proper container (or maybe enclosed display case all its own) and i'd also make sure its insured.
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45Wheelgun
Administrator
Something I have never quite figured out. The 1000 AR-18 uppers used in October 1970 to build the first Howa AR-180s, were they left over from the AR-18s produced in 1967 and not allowed to be exported? If not where did they come from? It would seem like they must have been produced (the uppers) prior to October of 1970.
Heard something like that before. I've heard two different versions of answers, from what I understand, and i'm not clear on the exact timing;
Version 1: Howa had planned to start producing a run of the AR-18 in 1969 and had made the uppers but never finished assembly of the final AR-18 for some reason using those uppers. They had them on hand when the first orders for AR-180s started coming in and used the A-18 uppers on hand to satisfy the order.
Version 2: Howa had planned to start producing a run of the AR-18 in 1969 but had completly tooled up for AR-18's only, then later to do the AR-180 as well. When the orders started arriving for the AR-180 earlier than anticipated they weren't set up to stamp the uppers properly so they used AR-18 uppers and hand worked them to fill the AR-180 orders.
Both of those are pretty similar, each points to a plan by Howa to do a run of AR-18's in 1969 but I don't think thats correct so I don't put too much faith in those answers.
So, i'm not really sure. I have my thoughts but nothing firm and just hints of things here and there over time. However, they must have done one of two things - either they were not tooled to stamp the uppers properly and manufactured them as AR-18 uppers and then hand worked them, or, the AR-18 uppers were already on hand some way or another and they hand worked those. I know there was something that I read once that said they wern't completly tooled up for the AR-180 when they first started getting orders and there was some delay in getting them out and I know they were making AR-18s at the same time as AR-180s. So i'm thinking they made AR-18 uppers, or used uppers already on hand from previous AR-18 production, to fill the AR-180 orders and simply did not have the capability to properly mechanically stamp the uppers as AR-180 when the first batch came off the line so they just used AR-18 uppers (which is the same upper except for the auto fire postion) and hand worked them to fill the production order.
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So these rifles are completely stamped steel like the AK47? They look cool and the production costs must have been economical. They should have kept making them. They look way less complicated than the AR10 and 15 series of rifles.
Dave,
Does your Armalite Scope have the thick post coming down from the top? I once had a Costa Mesa with orginal scope that was like that. I always loved the AR-180 but sold mine off because of the lack of spare parts and mags. I did modify some M16 20 round mags to work, I think what is did was pull the guts and inserted a piece of flat bar held in a vise and used a hammer to flatten out the bump on the left side. Then cut a slot with a dremel. They worked and a lot cheaper than orginial mags, I still have a few of these along with a 30 and 40 round Sterling mag. Here is a little Stoner trivia, the first 5.56 weapon he ever designed was the Stoner 63 weapon system, the M16 was adapted from the AR-10 by someone else with Stoner input. Also the AR-18 was proceeded by the AR-16 a 7.62 x 51 rifle which also had someone else adapt to 5.56 with Stoner input.
Does your Armalite Scope have the thick post coming down from the top? I once had a Costa Mesa with orginal scope that was like that. I always loved the AR-180 but sold mine off because of the lack of spare parts and mags. I did modify some M16 20 round mags to work, I think what is did was pull the guts and inserted a piece of flat bar held in a vise and used a hammer to flatten out the bump on the left side. Then cut a slot with a dremel. They worked and a lot cheaper than orginial mags, I still have a few of these along with a 30 and 40 round Sterling mag. Here is a little Stoner trivia, the first 5.56 weapon he ever designed was the Stoner 63 weapon system, the M16 was adapted from the AR-10 by someone else with Stoner input. Also the AR-18 was proceeded by the AR-16 a 7.62 x 51 rifle which also had someone else adapt to 5.56 with Stoner input.
45Wheelgun
Administrator
As I look at my gun, I have to wonder..aren't both the upper and lower from an AR-18? Why else would they need to change the words for the selector switch? That is on the lower and was clearly a three position switch at one point.
Mack: My scope has standard crosshairs. I also need the leather caps for my scope.
From my understanding the lower externals varied, sometimes they were AR-18 lower externals with what you have and sometimes AR-180 without that appearing. I think most of the ones from Howa during that period were like what you have. I guess its possible also they simply pulled some already completed AR-18s off the line and re-worked them into AR-180s. Mine doesn't have all that on the lower like yours.
There were some from Costa Mesa done the same way as yours with first production. Not sure about the Sterling.
Other than that, I don't know. I guess its just one of those things lost to the past.
It wasn't like the AR platforms we have today where a lower is made with semi-auto use in mind. Back then with the AR-18/180 the same lower internals were used for both. In terms of todays AR platform, The AR-180 is probably as close as any civilian legal weapon straight from the factory has come to being a military weapon with auto fire. With the exception of a few minutes of modification to remove auto-fire selection the AR-180 was an AR-18, restore the part in a few minutes and you have an AR-18 - thats what made the Howa AR-180 attractive to the IRA.
There were some from Costa Mesa done the same way as yours with first production. Not sure about the Sterling.
Other than that, I don't know. I guess its just one of those things lost to the past.
It wasn't like the AR platforms we have today where a lower is made with semi-auto use in mind. Back then with the AR-18/180 the same lower internals were used for both. In terms of todays AR platform, The AR-180 is probably as close as any civilian legal weapon straight from the factory has come to being a military weapon with auto fire. With the exception of a few minutes of modification to remove auto-fire selection the AR-180 was an AR-18, restore the part in a few minutes and you have an AR-18 - thats what made the Howa AR-180 attractive to the IRA.
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ACP230
Well-known member
I have never fired an AR180 but I did get to shoot an AR18 a few years
ago. Just a mag or two of crummy steel-cased Russian ammo but the gun
fired it without a hitch.
Fun to add another full auto to my list.
ago. Just a mag or two of crummy steel-cased Russian ammo but the gun
fired it without a hitch.
Fun to add another full auto to my list.
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