Match grade Bushmaster

[9X19 125]

Does anyone own one of these? I saw a used post-ban XM15-E2S with the full stock. It had a weight in the butt stock. We weighed it on an Bow scale. Damn thing was over 13 pounds. You could take the weight out though. These things must be wicked accurate from a bench..but offhand I don't even want to think about it. Either way I really liked the way it looked. No muzzle brake or comp on it though. Any opinons?

[9X19 125]

Also does anyone know the difference between the L prefix serial numbers and the BFI?

Where the L series receivers made by another company? any Bushmaster Historians out there?

[T Bill 649]

Sounds like it was setup as a National Match Rifle. Weights are common for the National Match course of fire. Done to balance the rifle and steady it.

 

Production levels required an additional machine to increase production rate of lowers. The orginial machine produced the L series, and the newer machine makes the BFI series. Both are of equal quality, no difference exist between them beyond the serial number

[9X19 125]

Thanks T Bill, do you think this could be the DCM model? They were standard with the DCM XM15E2S. I will have to compare some pics.

[T Bill 649]

Not up on the Bushmaster configurations. DCM / CMP rules are very strict on service grade rifles. Best to check carefully if National Match is your choice. I have a Colt MT6700 set up as a service rifle for DCM Competition. Match Rules (on the CMP website) state only certain mods are allowed in each category.

 

Google "The Bushmaster DCM Competition Rifle". Results will display a PDF from Bushmaster that has all the DCM options and configurations available for their DCM Rifle.

[patnemo 2]

I had one, it shot great. The DCM rifle will have a 1:8 twist barrel, not 1:9 and also not have a chrome bore. The Big thing is the free floated Handguard.

If i remember right the rear sight aperture was also threaded the change the size.

Pat

[9X19 125]

Hi Pat what ammo were you running in your DCM. What grain bullet will be best with that barrel. Did you shoot only .223 or 5.56.

The gun that I am considering buying did turn out to be a DCM. Probably made in 2005 before Bushmaster was sold.

[njJoniGuy 2,131]

Take a look at the shaft of the safety (selector) assembly.

If you see 2 set screws when on SAFE and 2 plungers when on FIRE, the rifle contains Bushmaster's 2 stage match trigger.

If that's the case, it's their DCM model.

 

And 13 pounds is not heavy for a Service Rifle! (Makes it easier to shoot better in a match, though not necessarily easier to tote around in the field)

If it's a DCM, the remaining question is about the rear sight: 1/4 minute or 1/2 minute??

[njJoniGuy 2,131]

OP: Just reread your initial post

Beware of used DCMs in gun shops.

Good chance it's been shot out and the high level of accuracy it left the factory with is gone (a few matches ago!)

Throat erosion (burning away of the rear ends of the rifling) increases with every shot taken.

I would ask the shop for a bore-scoping prior to purchasing it and assuming it was good to go (competition-wise)

Even with a shot-out match barrel, it will probably group as well as an non-match barrel would.

(Many top competitors will rebarrel their ARs at about 5K rounds)

[patnemo 2]

I forgot about those triggers, they are a pain ! I replaced mine with a rock river. My pet load for that and my white oak at 200-300 is 24.5 varget and a 69 smk at mag length.

[Scrap 4]

I have spoken to a gunsmith / assembler for Bushmaster back when Bushmaster *was Bushmaster* and they were a smaller but popular top quality producer in the Northeast? or wherever. ANYWAY he worked for them for a while , explained to me their positions on several different "options" and "configurations" etc. and why they did what they did / how they did / chose to work certain ways with certain parts/setups etc. And he was there when they got bought, when it transformed, etc. did some work and wound up leaving.

 

He brought up a few interested points and I really took a lot out of this , he said, Bushmaster used to inspect each rifle, and they had their quality control focused on each aspect of each rifle. As part of the Freedom Group's you know, Business Plan or whatever, they started BATCH Testing rather than RIFLE testing. So while you would assume one rifle bad meant a batch got thrown out, it was quite the opposite. If they tested say The Finish of Drunken Assemblyman #1 over here, and his finish looked fine, they Approved! the batch of 20 rifles he had in front of him. They did not test the finish or the other stuff of the other 19 rifles... they had already Approved! that batch. This led to LARGE amounts of bad substandard rifles. And therefore led to large amounts of complaints and calls for Bushmaster's head / they're sudden downgrading from top tier AR company to below substandard and internet fodder for jokes.

 

 

What really had happened was some disgruntled workers started letting their problems get the better of their work and some young / in experienced and unqualified /untalented workers made bad rifles and bad decisions. They had actually traced problems one time back to a particular worker working a particular shift who was failing to complete an entire step in the finishing process, leading LARGE entire batchs and huge amounts of rifles without a finish (Like without a coat of bluing or without a parkerized this that or the other, something like that.) They found one guy who was really upset that the new Freedom Group guys did not raise him or promote him /pay him more /bonus him etc. he was purposely leaving screws out or something untightened that needed to be tightened etc Stuff like this was happening ata large rate but the Batch Testing was making these errors not realized or not even seen for a LONG LONG TIME.. but by the time they got around to noticing the Bushmaster name had been ruined on the Internet and the brand has suffered arguably irrepairable damage and will most likely never recover. The Bushmaster ACR could probably had saved them and their name (in MY opinion that is ) but the fiasco that was the ACR just cemented them as downright down the drain IMHO. I love them and loved my Bushmaster but I can't defend them on the net anymore, its an unwinnable battle.

[9X19 125]

Interesting posts guys, Thanks. This gun was puchased at Ray's around 2005 or 06. The original owner states the it was in his safe the whole time and never got to fire it. He sold some other guns to the shop which also looked unfired. I examined it briefly and it looks to be the case. I am pretty sure that The Freedom Group (Remington would not be able to tell me when it was made. Are there any serial# lookup links for Bushmaster on the web for this? Also what would be the best ammo to shoot out of this gun? .223 only or is 5.56 OK? Also what grain bullet will shoot the most accurate with a 1/8 Twist.

Thanks.

[patnemo 2]

If i remember right the DCM barrels were .223, and some of the earlier ones were done by compass lake. Factory ammo, 55 or 62 was ok, but would not compare to 69 grn. smk hand loads. If you don't reload try Black Hills Ammo. I also had a standard chrome lined 1-9 twist bushy 20" at one point, but sold it after i shot the DCM rifle, mine was from about 2001 or so.