There is a guy on Gun Broker that does AR-180 mags from new Brownel AR15 mags and he does modify the follower, back of the magazine, press in the 15 bump and cut the slot rather neatly for about $40. I believe his will drop free and rather imagine they might work in AR15s still though I do not know for sure.
I use mainly magazines for an AR15 that were modified by the guy that runs Paladin Armory back when we were just college kids. Because most of the AR15 magazine hole bump is still on them they do not drop free. They also all still work in AR15s. He tested them all in his Cosa Mesa gun before giving them to the other three of us that all had AR-180s at the time......one now dead and his rifle sold in the estate, one traded to a Marine NCO for a very nice Winchester 52 sporter and mine in the safe over there and he still has the Cosa Mesa.
I have one (1) Armalite marked 20 that came with the Sterling gun. It was damaged in the original shipping from 1977, is ugly but works. It came with a magazine limiter to 10 rounds that was removed when cleaning the magazine initially.
Back when I first bought them the old Ramline 3 in one magazines did function in an AR15, AR-180, and a Ruger Mini -14. they were not drop free in any, but they fed fine. Fast forward 30 plus years mostly in storage and they worked in nothing.....just saying in case you run across one that age apparently maters for Ram-lines choices of plastic and springs.
I believe and outfit called Federal offered AR-15/180 magazines for a bit but can not vouch for them.
The Thermold were offered in the 30 and their 30/40 designs for a bit around 1982 or so. The 30/40 was an odd duck made for the Canadian military supposedly. The magazine body was two pieces, one fitting in the other and sliding. Normally one loaded 30 round in it and then stored it as it was loaded. Before use the magazine base was pressed upward to a snap which placed more tension on the magazine. it was thought the magazines could thus be safely stored for years with 30 rounds in them and still be reliable by compressing the spring with the inner magazine body. Without pressing in the inner magazine body one could load 40 rounds in the magazine. Ee-ha.
I was disappointed in the AR-180b, though I did like the idea of being able to use standard AR15 magazines.
Has anyone here with an AR-180 (no b) experienced the primer piercing the new replacement titanium firing pins are supposed to cure?
-kBob
