KE Arms WWSD 2020
KE Arms LLC · Carbine · In Production · 2020
Also known as: WWSD2020, What Would Stoner Do 2020, Brownells WWSD 2020
Overview
The KE Arms WWSD 2020 is an ultra-lightweight semi-automatic carbine chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO, weighing roughly 2.25 kg (5 lb) unloaded - exceptionally light for a 16-inch AR-15. It is built on the KP-15 monolithic polymer lower receiver, injection molded from 30% glass-filled nylon, which integrates the buffer tube, fixed A1-length buttstock, pistol grip and trigger guard as a single part. The upper pairs a 16-inch Faxon pencil-profile barrel with a 1:7 twist and mid-length gas system to a carbon-fiber free-float M-LOK handguard, a slick Young Manufacturing bolt carrier group, and an A2 flash hider. In keeping with the project's minimalist philosophy the upper has no forward assist. Ambidextrous safety and magazine controls make it equally usable left- or right-handed. The result is a deliberately stripped-down 'fighting rifle' that proves a high-performance AR-15 can be both featherweight and affordable.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 2250 g (79.4 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 2680 g (94.5 oz) |
| Overall Length | 838 mm (32.99") |
| Barrel Length | 406 mm (15.98") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Direct Impingement |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Trigger Pull | 20 N (4.5 lbf) |
| Magazine Capacity | 30 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 945 m/s (3100 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 1730 J (1276 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 500 m (547 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 3600 m (3937 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 178 mm (7.01") |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Polymer |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Polymer |
| Finish | Nitride |
Calibers
- 5.56x45mm NATO · primary · 5.56x45mm NATO — also known as 5.56mm NATO, 5.56x45mm, .223 Remington, .223 Wylde
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety Selector, Ambidextrous Safety
- Features: Monolithic Polymer Lower, Integral Fixed Stock, Integral Pistol Grip, Ambidextrous Controls, Mid Length Gas System, Faxon Pencil Barrel, Carbon Fiber Handguard, M Lok Rail, Free Floating Handguard, No Forward Assist, A2 Flash Hider, Young Manufacturing Bcg, Flared Mag Well, Rotating Bolt, Flat Top Receiver, Picatinny Rail
Variants
- WWSD 2020 OD Green — Color
- WWSD 20" Rifle — Barrel Length
- California Compliant WWSD 16" Rifle — State Compliant
Production
Production years: 2020-present
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Russell Phagan / Karl Kasarda / Ian McCollum
Notes
Complete WWSD 2020 rifles retail around $1,700 through Brownells. The 'WWSD' name stands for 'What Would Stoner Do,' referencing AR-15 designer Eugene Stoner's emphasis on lightweight, efficient design. The rifle deliberately omits a forward assist and uses a fixed A2-style stock. A 20-inch rifle-gas variant was added in 2023 to extend the platform's effective range, and a California-compliant 16-inch version is offered.
Background
KE Arms is the spiritual successor to Cavalry Arms, the company that pioneered the CAV-15 monolithic polymer AR-15 lower receiver in the early 2000s. After Cavalry Arms closed in 2010, the CAV-15 intellectual property passed through Sinistral Shooting Technologies to KE Arms, which refined the concept into the injection-molded, 30% glass-filled nylon KP-15 receiver. The receiver molds the buffer tube, fixed A1-length buttstock, pistol grip and trigger guard into a single part, eliminating the wobble and parts count of a conventional two-piece AR lower. The platform became the foundation of the 'What Would Stoner Do' (WWSD) project, a collaboration between KE Arms' Russell Phagan, InRangeTV's Karl Kasarda and Forgotten Weapons' Ian McCollum, distributed through Brownells, that set out to build the lightest, most cost-effective fighting rifle possible in Eugene Stoner's minimalist spirit.