KE Arms WWSD 2020
- Category
- Carbine
- Barrel
- 406 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.25 kg
- Introduced
- 2020
About
What it is, and why it matters
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.
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.
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.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- KE Arms LLC
- Category
- Carbine
- Country
- United States
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 2020
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 406 mm
- Overall length
- 838 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.25 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 2.68 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated direct impingement
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Trigger pull
- 20.0 N
- Capacity
- 30
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Polymer
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Nitride
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 945 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 1730 J
- Effective range
- 500 m
- Maximum range
- 3600 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
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
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 141 5.56x45mm NATO carbines | 2.25 kg | 2.95 kg | Lighter than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 144 5.56x45mm NATO carbines | 838 mm | 838 mm | Near the median |
| Barrel lengthAmong 150 5.56x45mm NATO carbines | 406 mm | 406 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 150 5.56x45mm NATO carbines | 30 | 30 | Near the median |
Its place in the rankings
Answers
Questions about the KE Arms WWSD 2020
How much does the KE Arms WWSD 2020 weigh?
The KE Arms WWSD 2020 weighs 2.25 kg (4.96 lb) empty and 2.68 kg (5.91 lb) loaded. It is the 6th lightest of 141 5.56x45mm NATO carbines in the catalogue.
What caliber is the KE Arms WWSD 2020?
The KE Arms WWSD 2020 is chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO.
How many rounds does the KE Arms WWSD 2020 hold?
The KE Arms WWSD 2020 holds 30 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the KE Arms WWSD 2020?
The KE Arms WWSD 2020 is 838 mm (33.0 in) long overall, with a 406 mm (16.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the KE Arms WWSD 2020?
The KE Arms WWSD 2020 is made by KE Arms LLC (United States). It was designed by Russell Phagan / Karl Kasarda / Ian McCollum.
When was the KE Arms WWSD 2020 introduced?
The KE Arms WWSD 2020 was introduced in 2020.
How does the KE Arms WWSD 2020 operate?
The KE Arms WWSD 2020 uses a gas operated direct impingement action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
Provenance
Confidence in this record
78%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/ke-arms-wwsd-2020' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "ke-arms-wwsd-2020", "name": "KE Arms WWSD 2020", "manufacturer": { "id": "ke-arms", "name": "KE Arms LLC", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 2015, "website": "https://www.kearms.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-05-26 23:17:02", "updatedAt": "2026-05-26 23:17:02", "version": "068cfd11b20abe21513ec339f8e2bbdb829813c741d270fcc2f4b504aae0aa32" }, "category": { "id": "carbine", "name": "Carbine", "description": "Shortened rifles for close-quarters use" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 2020, "barrel_length_mm": 406, "weight_empty_g": 2250, "action_type": "gas_operated_direct_impingement"}