BRN-180 vs Piston Conversion…

[Sooter76]

I have an unfired Colt 6920 sitting in my safe that I’m not doing anything with. I’m considering either getting an Adams Arms piston kit and modifying it or selling it and getting a BRN-180. I kinda lean towards the 180 and I love the recoil design, but hate the charging handle and how open the action is when the dust cover is open.

For those with hands on experience, which way would you go and why? What are the benefits of one over the other?

 

[Cascade Hemi]

BRN-180. It's a ground up system, not a conversion. I think there is a perception that the BRN-180 is cheap because it is sold as a Brownells house brand product. It's actually made by PWS. Mine is excellent, most piston conversions are not.

 

[x248716x]

I have the AA conversion on a Colt SOCOM barrel, and a Criterion precision barrel, a few other 5.56's, and a whole bunch of 7.62x39 barrels. I think the point of the AA setup is that you have a barrel that you like (for whatever reason), and you want the cleaner running of the piston setup.

I also have 3 of the BRN-180 uppers, and to me, the main benefit of those is that you can set it up as a side-folder, doesn't need the cumbersome AR buffer tube. The fact that it's a piston gun is just the icing on the cake. The LAW folders don't really count, IMO, still needs the buffer tube to cycle.

it would've been really nice if the BRN-180 system used standard AR-15 barrels, so that you could wrap the BRN-180 system around your favorite barrel(s). That would've been a winner.

 

[GUNNER10]

I have an unfired Colt 6920 sitting in my safe that I’m not doing anything with. I’m considering either getting an Adams Arms piston kit and modifying it or selling it and getting a BRN-180. I kinda lean towards the 180 and I love the recoil design, but hate the charging handle and how open the action is when the dust cover is open.

For those with hands on experience, which way would you go and why? What are the benefits of one over the other?

I have no experience with either the AA kit or the BRN-180, but of the two, I really think the BRN-180 uppers are really cool. not to detract from AA but PWS has a pretty good track record of doing piston guns, and the BRN-180 sort of falls in line with the original thinking behind the AR18 being a low cost alternative to the AR15.

I like the AR18, but at this point, modern AR18's such as the Sig MCX, FN Scar, and B&T APC are all priced above the highest end AR's.

With that being said, I picked up an LMT Piston barrel kit and its awesome. It completely changed the way i think about piston guns. I think If you want to go Piston AR, I think there are some companies that do piston AR's really well, LMT, LWRC, HK, all offer really well though out designs but they do carry a premium price. 3rd party conversion kits may be good to go, but just don't have any urge to try one out.

 

[JS8588]

Just gonna leave this here

 

[Cascade Hemi]

Just gonna leave this here

Proof that Youtube videos are nearly worthless and "content creators" are just as retarded as the most retarded contributor on a forum. Caveat Emptor

 

[JS8588]

Proof that Youtube videos are nearly worthless and "content creators" are just as retarded as the most retarded contributor on a forum. Caveat Emptor

Chris does a ton of training classes and runs his gear hard. Wouldn't take his word as gospel, but it's worth a listen.

 

[Cascade Hemi]

So what. Homie seemed to be more concerned with dripping cool-guy accessories all over the gun than putting some locktite on the screws. The idea that a mechanical device should not require any setup effort prior to use is stupid. I see that mentality amplified in Youtube "tests" all the time. I've stood next to "that guy" in classes. I bet the sights on his shotgun fall off too. The irony is you watched his video and your take-away was there was a problem with the gun. The real lesson is how not to be the dickhead in a class with a deadlined rifle because you lacked the foresight to lock every fastener down.

The BRN-180 is a pretty decent platform all things considered. It isn't idiot proof, nothing is.

 

[JS8588]

He actually instructs the training classes. I agree, his public speaking skills need work and I've given him tips a few times.



He's also active duty. Anyway, I posted it as a data point, not a be all, end all.

 

[MSTN]

I've got a 10.5" BRN-180 that is light, compact, accurate, smooth shooting. It's also a screaming bargain.

 

[GUNNER10]

Regular guy is ok on some stuff, but I think that some of the insights he offers on BRN are a little silly, Screwed in Guide rails are found on other modern ar18 such as the Scar or the APC, both of which are 3 to 4 times more expensive than the BRN. Does FN and B&T do the AR18 better than brownells, of course, you get what you pay for.

Slap .05 cents worth of lock type of and be done with. going all dead in the streets mode bc a commercial plinker is not built to the same durability standard as something like a scar is a little tiresome.

Despite all his criticism he always falls back to it actually functions fine, but its really not as well done as something carrying a 3 to 4 x premium. He also comments that he feels that a complete BRN upper for 850 is super overpriced compared to a complete BCM upper for 1000.

I shoot mostly Knights and LMT, and in no circumstances would I expect the BRN to out perform any of my other rifles, BUT its something different that might be fun to plink with. From various video's and range reports, it seems like the BRN is pretty well gassed and present to shoot both suppressed and unsupressed.

I would like to grab one of the 10.5, 300BO uppers to mess around with subs

 

[GUNNER10]

Fuck me. That was painful to listen to. So the point of that video is a design flaw in the upper receiver that holds the BCG guide rods. Screw keeps coming loose. After 10 mins of that video I kept imagining him as a five year old telling a long convoluted, pointless story to a polite adult.

I can't imagine anyone who is serious about hard use rifles buys a retro rifle off Brownells.

Yeah, its a little silly considering the main marketing page for the BRN-180 simply states the following...

IT'S FUN, IT FOLDS,
IT SHOOTS​

Brownells/PWS nails that.

My fucking LMT piston kit for one of my Chassis cost more fucking money that a complete BRN. Not everything has to be tier 1, built for the end of days, sometimes stuff can be just be fun and work

 

[Cascade Hemi]

Like an active duty supply guy?

88M

 

[NHR]

I'm having a hard time understanding why someone would fuck up a quality 6920 by putting a piston kit on it.

Leave your Colt alone and buy another rifle.

 

[r.tenorio671]

...another "option" is the Law Tactical ARIC, available from Brownells. If you already have a LAW Tactical folding adapter installed, the cost of the ARIC is approximately $400. If not, the combined cost of the LAW folding adapter and ARIC would be approximately $630 or so, still less than the cost of just getting a BRN-180 upper. The benefit (IMHO) of the ARIC is you still have a DI system and retain standard AR parts compatibility with bolts, barrels and gas tubes/blocks that a BRN-180 lacks. Be worthwhile to check out some of the vids on their site.... https://www.lawtactical.com/article_a/273.htm

 

[Ndbowhunter]

i'm dying.

After 10 mins of that video I kept imagining him as a five year old telling a long convoluted, pointless story to a polite adult.

 

[Cascade Hemi]

"....and that's fine." - Chris

"Almost"