Some thoughts on Bushmaster Rifles

H

HCKJMN

New member
Just shot my new BM with the removable A3 upper and 20" bbl. The gun took 14 clicks right to get it to zero. Then it started to "short stroke" after about 40 rounds. Took it home gave it a good bath and back to the range. Problem was worse. Gun would fire and eject fine but would not chamber another round. Most of the time it would not pick up a new round at all. Occasionally the bolt would strip a new round but then travel over it creating a jam.

Needless to say I called Bushmaster. They were very nice and told me to send it back to them and they would make it right. The ammo I was using was UMC (yellow box. Mags were USGI 3 and 1 thermold. Strange how the first 30-40 rounds went without a hitch then the short stroking started. I remember a Mini14 I had back in the 80s that did the same thing when it was new with Remmington Ammo. I switched to winchester and no probs after that.

Well it's going back to BM this week and I'm sure they will fix it. BM has great customer service (thank goodness) and overall a good product (once the bugs are worked out) However, they would be a great company if there quality control was better. I'm not at all sorry I bought a BM as the gun is obviously well made and at a good price. Bm just needs to pay a bit more attention to the details before shipping out there guns.

Oppinions appreciated


Jay
 
i'm sorry to hear that you got a lemon :(

i've heard other folks report that the windage had to be set to 10 clicks left or right to zero a bushmaster.

i guess i got lucky with mine; it is dead on windage-wise with the windage set at mechanical 0. the front sight had to be raised quite a bit to zero, but that wasn't any problem.

good luck getting yours fixed so that you can get down to
the serious business of enjoyin it! :)
 
Sorry about that experience. Mine only experienced two malfunctions in the first 500 rounds and I was really wringing it out. Shot it as fast as I could pull the trigger, sideways, one handed, mag after mag after mag, half a mag, switch mags then back to the other one. Got the barrel so hot that when I set it back down the part that accidently touched the case melted right through it.

As far as adjusting the windage, I followed the directions in the manual and had to go about 6 clicks.

Best of luck with the fixed weapon.
 
Did you "generously" lube the bolt and carrier? Did you check to see that the gas rings were not in line? Either of these would cause the problems that you describe.

I shoot nothing but my reloads through my Bushy Shorty, and I NEVER have a failure.

I was at the range the other day and a guy was screwing around with a new, $1500 Wilson AR. He kept having failures to feed. First, he was using Wolf ammo, which was pretty dumb. Second, the rifle was completely dry. I showed him how to remove the bolt carrier and where to lube, then he was back in business, with no failures.
 
I'm having the same problems with my BM too. I have the DCM rifle and I've only put 8 rounds through it. The first 5 fed fine and then after that it was "short stroking" for the next 3. The ammo was PMC 55gr FMJ. I fired one three shot and then one five shot group @ 25 yards. The sights were in the proper 25 yard sighting position and it is shooting 6" low. I was using a sling in the sitting position. The front sight is already screwed all the way down so I can't get any more elevation there. And when I tried to click the rear sight up it GOT STUCK! So I called Bushmaster (they were really polite and helpful) and the fella said that a burr of aluminum was probably stuck in the drum. So I had to take a punch and disassemble the whole rear sight! When I cleaned it off and put it together it worked perfectly. When the rain clears up later this week I'm going to go to the range to make sure that I wasn't the problem. I really hope it was just me having a horrible day and that I'll be dead on when I go to the range. This many problems with a $1000+ rifle is very disappointing. I might trade for a DSA FAL...

Dan
 
I read threads like this, and wonder what's gone on in the manufacturing world during the last ten years or so.

I've owned four Colt AR-15s; one was a "home-brew" I built up from pieces. Four Mini-14s, and now a Bushmaster match target. Lessee, add in an HK 91, an M1-A and the Garand I still have.

I've always used the barest minimum of lubricant, always at a minimum rust-protection level. (During extensive firing of a few hundred rounds, fairly rapidly, slobbering on some sort of lubricant into the action keeps things working...)

Never had a failure to feed, from any brand of 20-, 30- or even a 40-round mag for a Mini.

In other words, sign me,

"Puzzled"
 
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