Is Bushmaster a qualtiy AR-15 and is this a good price??

Everyone will have their own opinion. Each one is just as valuable as the next, since they are all totally subjective. Having said that; here is my own, totally subjective endorsement. I own two AR type rifles, One is a Bushmaster ORC (Optical Ready Carbine) and I am really happy with it. The price on the ad you showed is pretty good, so, if you want to give one a try, you won't be sorry.

ARs are like Harleys, IMHO. Nobody who owns one leaves it stock! You will end up tweaking the sights, stock, sling, rails, handgrip, etc. Have fun and don't spend so much on it that you can't afford to buy a good lower and build your own for the next one! You can't eat just one AR!

I have two Colt AR's, a pre ban Sporter with pencil barrel and the M4 LE 6920. Both are excellent shooters. I probably only shoot with enough frequency to be happy with a Bushmaster, but I'm glad I have Colt's.

I have that exact model by all appearances. I bought it new about 3 years back when prices had begun settling after the election. It's given me zero cause for questioning my choice. That would be zero, to repeat myself. I think I Paid 699 at the time. I would say that yours is a fair price, IMO, but maybe not stunning. My price point is my only reference point and when I buy from my lgs I already know I can beat his price. He's higher but he's close by, small, relatively new and he can use the trade. His lower volumes tend to keep his prices up a bit. But it's not always about just the money.

I'll be honest, I wonder sometimes why I bought into the caliber. I've settled on keeping it, if for no other reason, to work on the coyotes out here on the farm. I won't disgrace my Weatherby by shooting dogs with it. Certainly the 223 is much much cheaper to shoot than an AR10, but that'll be my next in the AR platform. And if I need to trade the Bush to make the deal happen when I've just got to scratch that itch....I'll do it. But I'd rather hold the AR15 for other reasons besides yotes and they are fun to have around.

Heck, go get it and play with and make up your mind over time. If you decide later to move on, you'll have good trade in it. If it itches, you best scratch it. One word from an accessories perspective, IMHO; I made sure that I hung a minimal amount of stuff on mine and the scope and light are transferable to multiple platforms. If you doll it up, particularly with high end, platform specific stuff, you'll take a beating on a trade. And probably cluttered up the weapon as well. Again, IMHO only.

Can't have an AR thread without pics... Like I said, LOVE my Bushmaster - 0 issues and a joy to shoot!

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8165/7...ce021cbf_z.jpg
AR15 / M4 by N0YZE Photo, on Flickr

I have not had personal experience with Bushmaster but I have shot one...or half of one. My buddy has an AR upper or lower I don't remember but it's mated with another AR manufacturer. He has had issues but his issues could be his build or the fact that it's not a mated (same manufacturer) upper and lower. I don't know I am not that knowledgeable about AR's.

Ken

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Originally Posted by kwoodford

I have not had personal experience with Bushmaster but I have shot one...or half of one. My buddy has an AR upper or lower I don't remember but it's mated with another AR manufacturer. He has had issues but his issues could be his build or the fact that it's not a mated (same manufacturer) upper and lower. I don't know I am not that knowledgeable about AR's.

Ken

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Just so you know, you should never have issues using different uppers and lowers, or even different barrels with different upper receivers, etc. You can have 5 rifles from 5 different manufacturers that are 100% reliable and take the uppers and lowers and mix them up, and you will still have that same 100% reliability. Take Centurion Arms, for example. They are releasing lowers, if I'm not mistaken, but up until now, they only offer uppers which you can use on any existing lower.

The thing about Bushmasters, that is a fact and not opinion, is they use somewhat lower quality components and their quality control is not the best. A new Bushmaster will be just fine for most of your average shooters, but there's a chance it will start to choke when pushed hard, though it' also entirely possible it'll function just fine. If they were priced a few hundred under the rifles I'd recommend for duty use or home defense, then I'd probably have no issue recommending them for your average weekend shooter that's not relying on their AR to defend life or even as a dedicated training rig. But, their MSRP is about the same as Colt and a hair more than BCM, when similarly configured, which is basically like a buying a car built for touring that will be fine when going 55 mph and will work for most people, but when you take it to the line against something like a Mercedes SL55, which is designed for touring but also wants to be run hard at high speeds, the deficiencies will show. But, if your goal is to slowly cruise around the countryside, then the much less expensive car that's not built for being pushed hard may be the better choice, but ONLY if it really is much less. If it's priced the same, then who wouldn't buy the more capable, better quality vehicle, or the bigger house in a nicer neighborhood, for that matter?

Stupid analogy, but the best I could come up with right now. Hopefully someone gets the point and doesn't try breaking down and analyzing the analogy!

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Originally Posted by hfjeff

Lately I've begun looking at AR15's and don't know much about them yet. So I don't know which are considered low-mid-high quality or what to look for. Saw this in a local Dunham's Sporting Goods ad and would like some opinions on the gun itself and the price. I know there isn't much info in the ad, and it is a bad picture from the paper, but when I tried to search their website with any zip code it failed to locate a local store. As an IT person that is especially annoying and could be fixed!

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a194/HFJeff/ar15.jpg

I also saw one of the vendors on here had a S&W AR-15 for $599 shipped. Was looking at that one also. Any comments or recommendations are appreciated.

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Where did you see the AR-15 for 599.99 I want that one

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Originally Posted by jayjay5

Where did you see the AR-15 for 599.99 I want that one

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Thread is 10 months old

Bushmaster is an ok AR. Lower end. Local shop now has various models of the Bushy for 950 to 1069 on the rack.
I will now get behind a door as the jabs come flying

"Lazarus, come out!"

Ive heard ars are like mac and cheese no matter how ya fix it its still mac and cheese. That said I really like my Stag arms model 2. Got it for $800 even about 2 years ago. Like you said your not in a hurry take your time and buy what you want. Theres a lot of good ars out there.

Necro thread!!

As far as the Bushmaster ORC, I'd buy one if they were under $400 because that price point matches up with their quality.

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Originally Posted by Smitty901

Bushmaster is an ok AR. Lower end. Local shop now has various models of the Bushy for 950 to 1069 on the rack.
I will now get behind a door as the jabs come flying

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I agree. I wouldn't spend that much on one as we can find 6920's for under $1,150, but for the right price they work. I wouldn't buy one because I've had bad experiences with the two I owned years ago. I'd rather have a PSA for $800 which can be found now at some shops.

Given the way Black Rifle's availabilities are as of today, ah Bushmaster that you can buy today is better then ah Colt, BCM, DD, or LMT; that may take several months to become available if you can't wait it out.

Now back in the salad~days when this thread was started. If within your budget. I'd ah suggested getting ah Colt, BCM, DD, or LMT. Because sometimes it's better to wait ah little while longer to save up enough money to get something of better quality, though YMMV.

Another vote for PSA. Buy a stripped lower from them and build it yourself. They have them in stock for $120 right now.