Bushmaster M17S bullpup rifle

theprisoner

New member
I've been looking at these for a while and saw a used one in a local gun shop going for $530. It was in very good shape and came with a scope mounted on already. Now I have heard good and bad about these but I was wondering what you all here thought. Is this a good price? Are they reliable? Accurate? I would appreciate any feedback, thanks.

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Just saw new one 2/13/00 for $735 in N. IL. A couple of good 'ol boys looking at the "thing" speculated that it was Isreali. Didn't have the heart to tell them it was a Bushmaster since they hated the looks of it soo much!
 
I had one that didn't work worth a darn. It was a preban and I think it may have been an early model, so the bugs may not have been worked out yet. They look cool but are very heavy to cart around much. For the price it's probably worth trying out, you could almost certainly get your money out of it later, but I wouldn't waste my time.
 
At that price, I'd take it. If you do, think about a red dot type scope for it. A friend of mine has one set up that way and it's a blast to shoot. I've put at least 500 or 600 rounds though it myself, and I've yet to see a malfunction or FTF. As soon as I get the heck outta this state, or we get some of these socialists out of office and repair the damage they've done, I'll be in line to get one myself. Plus, they are still in production, so parts are very easy to find. One thing you may want to check is which version it is. The early pre-bans have no iron sites and are an "optics-only" deal. The very last batch of pre-bans had both the flash suppressor AND the iron sites (with the see-through scope mount). These are the most desirable. The post-ban version has the iron sights and no flash suppressor or muzzle brake. These are easier to find, so they tend to be a little cheaper. Either way, a price of $650 - $700 is good for a new one, with used running from $500 to $650 (post ban) to $750 (pre-ban w/ sights). Sounds like the one you found is a pretty good deal especially since it comes with a scope (assuming it's in good shape). If it's a pre-ban, it's a steal. I'd go for it. If you decide to get it, let us know how it works for you. Good luck.
-John
 
I've been lookng hard at the Bullpup myself. My dealer has a NIB, 30rd mag incl, can't remember if it had the flash suppressor or not. He quoted me $650 (which includes 7% sales tax).

What is the maximium effective range for this rifle?

I've got a Aimpoint Comp XD (3 moa) red dot sight not being used at this time, how well would this work on the m17S?

BTW, my dealer has a used one avail also, don't know his asking price.

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[This message has been edited by bk40 (edited February 17, 2000).]
 
I too want one of these, but I've heard they don't run well, so I would also like any additional experiences anyone has on these, esp. with regard to reliability.
 
bk40 - sounds like a god deal. Your red dot scope should work like a charm. As for the effective range, keep this in mind... a Colt Target H-Bar has a barrel length of 20". The shorty's (m-4 included) have a barrel length of 14-16". The super-duper heavy stainless bull-barrel versions have a barrel length of 24-26". The Bushmaster M17S has a "Chrome lined Match-Grade Heavy Barrel" in a 21.5" length. That would give you slightly better results than a Target H-Bar or the "Issue" type AR-15 A2, but not quite as good as the full blown precision rifles. IMO, the barrel will outshoot the shooter, mainly due to the less-than-ideal configuration of the bulpup design. Not that that's a bad thing, just part of the trade-off for the compact size and quick handling of the bullpup. I'd go for it, but you probably already knew I'd say that. Good luck.
-John
 
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