Brownells has been on a roll with their Retro series rifles. I love it that they are breathing new life into otherwise forgotten designs. I had a front row seat to the introduction of a few brand new products.
The first is the new BRN-180, a new spin on the legacy design. The nice part is that the upper receiver is AR lower-compatible and is self-contained and will allow the use of folding stocks. The upper is chambered in .223 Wylde. A complete rifle is also offered.
Brownells went back to square one – literally – with their rendition of Stoner’s ‘Serial Number One’. This rifle is about as close to the one that started it all as you can get. The rifle shows meticulous attention to detail including the front sight tower, charging handle location, and brown stocks.
Of interest is the fact that Brownells even went to the trouble to make period-correct 25-round straight magazines. These will be available separately as well.
Brownells also introduced a line of optics. These include two very different product lines: a Retro 4x Colt-style carry handle scope and a feature-rich family of PRS-focused long range scopes.
Brownells is also moving ahead on their line of GLOCK-style slides. Keep an eye out for more cool GLOCK-ish products to come this year.
It’s worth keeping an eye on Brownells going forward. As these new items demonstrate, they have become much more than just a gun parts company.