Few rifles have had as bumpy a ride through the annals of firearms history as the AR-180. This 6-plus-pound lightweight was fitted with an 18-inch barrel and a 1-in-12-inch twist rate, which was ideally suited to that popular 55-grain .223 bullets of the day. Its unique chambering for 5.56mm meant it would fire both 5.56mm NATO and .223 Remington rounds, a feature ahead of its time.
This one, the AR-180B, offered by the reconstituted ArmaLite in 2001, essentially an updated version of the original design, had a polymer lower receiver and used AR-15 magazines. “Building a new AR-180 was just a natural progression for us,” commented Mark Westrom, president of ArmaLite. It was light, had great balance, and offered some feature improvements, including the non-detachable compensator with the option of match-trigger upgrades. It was appealing in its law-enforcement competitive price of $660 to cash-strapped departments.
Despite technical merit and kind reviews from gun enthusiasts, the AR-180B sold poorly and was finally discontinued in 2007. It appeared that it was doomed to be lost in history except to a small core following of enthusiasts.
However, quite to the surprise of everyone, interest in the AR-180 had begun to revive. In 2019, another successor in this AR-180 family tree made the WK180-C, once again putting the interest up among firearms enthusiasts. As it is a product of Canadian origin, Kodiak Defence WK180-C, and was made by order of Wolverine Supplies, it gave an excellent overall feature base from the AR-180 while allowing compatibility with the AR-15 in barrels, muzzle brakes, and triggers, if not other parts.
The Kodiak Defence WK180C is made in Canada and provides recreational services for shooting and hunting with very good values in affordability, reliability, and lightness. GEN 2 was introduced in the year 2022, featuring many new improvements; the most notable are enhanced ergonomics thanks to the lightened lower receiver, a new non-reciprocating cocking handle, an external bolt catch, and an extended handguard. The upper receiver is fitted with a STANAG 4694 rail system, through which the upper receiver will allow mounting of optics or iron sights, with a free-float railed handguard featuring over fifty M-Lok slots for attachment option.
Essentially another improved version of the Armalite 180B, it is very much similar to the WK180C. Both rifles are semi-automatic, non-restricted, and from the .223 cartridge family. Available in 5.56 / 223, 224 Valkyrie, and 7.62×39, the WS-MCR has received many updates to known construction issues from early models. One major issue that failed under accuracy testing—the firing pin retaining pin—has been replaced with a much better pin in newer models.
Both the WS-MCR and the WK180C feature the interchangeability of parts with AR rifles, providing the ability to configure one’s rig with AR stocks, triggers, barrels, forends, muzzle devices, and grips. The WS-MCR is somewhat heavier than the WK180C by having steel side panels on its receiver, a medium-profile barrel, and a 15-inch handguard. It has a 7-pound break, which is a bit of a far cry from the 12-pound trigger of the WK180C model, an improvement in that regard.
While the build quality was somewhat suspect early on, it has shown the WS-MCR to be a pretty solid platform for long-term use in competition. With the recent fixes it received for its receiver rail and a more closed-up action, the WS-MCR can be more easily recommended. Sub-MOA accuracy was experienced using Federal Gold Medal Match 77-grain ammunition, which allows the rifle to be potentially competitive in most matches.
In the final analysis, the legacy that is the AR-180 remains very much in the making; its modern iterations, of which the WK180-C and WS-MCR, among others, now carry forward this story-filled rifle. As firearm enthusiasts and competing shooters, both begin to scrutinize their options, this junction of military ingenuity with civilian adaptability that characterized the AR-180 remains relevant as ever.