One of the things I like about the current crop of Palmetto JAKL and Brownell BRN-180 guns is that they use a 99% bog-standard AR lower. (The JAKL requires you to swap to a slightly modified bolt release paddle.)

Anyway… since both of these platforms use unmodified AR lowers, it’s convenient to keep an eye open for SBR’d lowers that come up for sale. Then I can just pull the upper off of the ‘pistol’ it sits on and mate it up to the SBR’d lower giving me the ability use a real stock and not have to look over my shoulder at the range.

While I do have a couple SBR’d AR’s, one of the drawbacks to the AR design is the buffer tube that does not lend itself to a folding stock. Do you really need a folding stock? Depends on who you ask. Personally, when I buy a firearm it almost always is with an eye towards how it would be used ‘in a prolonged crisis of some kind’ (cough*EOTWAWKI*cough). If, Crom forbid, I have to throw my gear in the back of the truck and head off to the beta site, space will be at a premium and being able to tuck a .223 carbine in my backpack will have some value.

Lately I’ve been playing with the Gen2 Brownell BRN-180. It’s modernized version of the AR-180 and has all the same benefits and drawbacks of the original AR-180’s from way back when. What the AR-180 brings to the table (and so does the JAKL) is a more ‘hygienic’ operating system. The JAKL and BRN-180 both use designs that keep operating gases out of the action. The JAKL through the use of a long-stroke gas piston, and the BRN-180 with a short-stroke gas piston system. Or, put another way, the AK system and the M1 Carbine system. The direct impingement system of the AR15 is great, and makes for an accurate semi-auto rifle but there is, in my opinion and experience, a bit of a reliability issue in the AR system because of the operating gases being vented into the action and bolt. Some people shoot a thousand rounds from the AR with no cleaning and no issue, some fire 200 rounds and have things get gummy. Your mileage may vary. But with the non-direct impingement guns it isnt even on the map as a potential problem. Sure, keep on top of cleaning, squirt some lube into bolt from time to time, and you can probably go forever without cleaning. But, some day you may not have the time, resources, or ability to clean your rifle after a couple hundred rounds and thats when things like ‘ability to endure neglect’ become important.

Again, your milage may vary…I’m only speaking about my experiences.

Since I was wanting a carbine that could be made into the smallest footprint possible without compromising too much performance, I needed something that didnt require the buffer tube. Thats pretty much every non-AR out there – JAKL, AK, AR-180, HK93, Mini14, etc. So, I ordered up an 11″ BRN-180 upper , picked up a stripped Poverty Pony lower that had been SBR’d by the folks at Iron Mountain, slapped a CMMG parts kit in it, added a Midwest Industries folder, put on some Magpul BUIS and a sling, and got this:

Pretty fetching, dontcha think?

Took it out to the range and it ran just fine. Threaded a Gemtech Abyss onto the end and it shot well enough but I had a few failures. Didnt realize that I had forgotten to change the setting on the gas block to ‘S’ (suppressed) from ‘U’ (unsuppressed). That cleared it up. With the can on the end the thing is just at the same OAL as a unsuppressed AR carbine. I also have a 16″ BRN-180 as well with a Leupold 1-4x Patrol scope on it and it’s a light, handy gun.

Theres the saying that when all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. Is a compact folding-folding-stock SBR my first choice for running out the door? Not if I can get away with a 16″ barrel AR, AK, or similar arm. But for the circumstance where high portability and compactness matter? This might not be a terrible choice.