Brownells’ new Retro series contains five AR-15 rifles, two of which are retro prototypes of the first M16s. It also includes a retro XM177 M4 carbine and the Model 605 — a copy of the very first M16 modified into a 15.5-inch-barreled carbine with triangular handguards. I chose to test the Model BRN-601 AR-15 rifle, and it is the coolest AR-15 I have ever had the pleasure of testing!
The AR-15 Details
The BRN-601 features distinctive green polymer triangular handguards and an A1 stock with smooth pistol grip. There is no storage compartment in the buttstock. The receiver is the original slab-side style with no “fence” around the magazine-release button. The slick-side bolt carrier group is hard-chromed, and the charging handle is the original small triangle style. The safety/selector operates as it always has. Of course, the BRN-601 fires in semi-automatic mode only.
The Vietnam-era 1×12 twist 20-inch pencil-thin barrel is topped with a three-prong flash hider of the same type used on the later M16s. These were eventually replaced by the birdcage-type flash hider on the M16A1. The barrel is equipped with the standard bayonet lug.
Sights are the A1 configuration with the front sight providing elevation adjustment and the rear providing windage. Once set, they are impossible to knock loose.
Each rifle includes a classic-style, 20-round, carbon-steel waffle-pattern magazine. Total weight of the BRN-601 is 6 pounds, 11 ounces.
Brownells BRN-601 Specs:
| Action | Direct Impingement |
| Barrel Length | 20 inches |
| Capacity | 20+1 |
| Cartridge | 5.56mm NATO |
| Front Sight | A1 |
| Length | 40 inches |
| Muzzle | Flash Hider |
| Rear Sight | A1 |
| Stock Material | Polymer |
| Weight | 6 pounds, 11 ounces |
Time at the Shooting Range
I added a spare military nylon sling to complete the package and headed to the range with SIG Sauer’s new 55-grain .223 Elite Practice ammo, which has a muzzle velocity of 3,250 feet per second. I also brought along modern 20- and 30-round spare magazines and a can of Birchwood Casey Barrier spray lubricant.
After lubing the bolt carrier group, I loaded 15 rounds into the waffle mag and started testing the round using a B27 silhouette target. Functioning was flawless, and the same held true with the modern magazines.
The BRN-601 shot like any other AR rifle — smoothly and easily controlled — with one minor variation: The prong flash hider works like a tuning fork and makes an audible “ring” with each shot fired. That’s a very cool blast from the past.
Groups were what was to be expected from any pencil-barrel AR, with more than adequate accuracy. The SIG ammo never missed a beat.
The Proof Is in the Clay Test Block
I set up a 25-pound clay test block and fired a single round of SIG FMJ ammo into it from 20 feet away.
As you can see from the photo, the results were incredible. A chunk of clay whacked me in the arm as it was blown off of the log. The top ripped open into two large chunks, and a portion of clay was melted onto the log.
The BRN-601 fired so forcefully that the clay block was blown off of the log, hence the visible stuck-on mulch. (Photo by Scott W. Wagner)
The cavity measured 11 inches long by 9 inches wide. The bullet had yawed when it entered the moist clay, which it shattered into hundreds of little fragments. This is representative of the wounding effects of Vietnam-era M16s. There was never a cry for soft-point or hollow-point rifle ammo during that war. Those requests were only made after the military went to the faster 1×7 barrel twist rate (which eliminated bullet yaw). The 1×12 barrel twist rate is designed strictly for 55-grain bullets. If Brownells had not used a 1×12 twist, I could not call these rifles true reproductions. I applaud the company for its attention to detail!
Final Thoughts on the Brownells BRN-601
The Brownells BRN-601 is not a curiosity. Assuredly, it is ready to go to work without modification and could be the ultimate survival rifle. This gun is not only a working tool but also a tribute to the men who fought and died in Vietnam. If you want to tinker with an AR, buy something else. I am so impressed with the BRN-601 that I have been carrying it in my cruiser, where it is ready to meet any law enforcement challenge.
The BRN-601 is currently on sale for $999 on the Brownells website. It’s a great price for a rifle that required all new parts to build. It, or one of the other Brownells Vietnam-era replicas, would make a great tribute gift to honor the service of a Vietnam veteran.
Sources:
Brownells: Brownells.com
SIG Sauer: SIGSauer.com
Birchwood Casey: BirchwoodCasey.com
About Scott W. Wagner
Scott W. Wagner has been a law enforcement officer since 1980, working undercover in liquor and narcotics investigations and as a member, sniper and assistant team leader of a SWAT team. He currently works as a patrol sergeant. He is also a police firearms instructor, certified to train revolver, semi-automatic pistol, shotgun, semi- and fully automatic patrol rifle, and submachine gun. Scott also works as a criminal justice professor and police academy commander.
