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Bushmaster Firearms International, LLC
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bushmaster Firearms International, LLC is a manufacturer and distributor of guns which is based in Windham, Maine in the United States. Bushmaster's product line revolves around semi-automatic pistol and rifle variants of the AR-15 design. As of the latest 2003 BATF information on firearm production figures, Bushmaster currently is the best selling brand for AR type firearms in the United States.
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Bushmaster's firearms are typically offered in a 5.56 NATO chambering with forged aircraft-grade (7075-T6) aluminum receivers. Most Bushmaster barrels are 4150 steel, offered in 1:9 twist rate, and chrome-lined to increase durability. Some barrels are available with 1:7 rifling, on special order. Stainless steel or chrome molybdenum barrels are available on certain models.
The Carbon 15 series of firearms use carbon fiber composite receivers and selective external parts. This allows for a reduction of weight, and a claimed increase in the strength of the firearm. The design and facilities to produce the Carbon 15 firearms was purchased from the now defunct Professional Ordnance, of Lake Havasu, Arizona.
The Bushmaster Dissipator is an attempt at a "best of both worlds" AR carbine, combining the long sight radius of the full-length M16A2 with the shorter (16.1"/406mm) barrel of some of the shorter carbines. This combination would allow the most effective use of the iron sights for a carbine with such a short barrel, and may be preferred if the carbine is going to be used primarily with iron sights. Similar modifications have been accomplished in the past by other manufacturers and by depot-level modification, but these earlier conversions sometimes suffered from reliability problems due to the close proximity of the gas port to the muzzle, which throws the timing of the weapon's gas system off and makes it especially sensitive to gas port diameter and port pressure variables introduced by the ammunition. Bushmaster's solution was to use the front sight tower/gas block in its regular, long sight radius position as for the M16, and then fit a second, "shaved" gas block at the normal position for the carbine-length barrels such as the M4 or CAR-15. This second gas block is completely covered by the standard full-length M16A2 handguards, which may be used without further modification. However, some aftermarket rail systems may require minor modifications in order to be properly fitted. Dissipator barrels are available in heavy, fluted, and "M4" configurations, depending on the weight and balance characteristics required by the user.
The Bushmaster M17S is of the bullpup configuration. Designed in-house by Bushmaster, it was the only American manufactured bullpup to be offered commercially. The M17S is a semi-automatic rifle that uses a gas operated, rotating bolt system. It features a short-stroke piston system that is self compensating; this system reduces heat and fouling. Bushmaster has discontinued production of the M17S in 2005.
The BAR-10 was meant to compete in the .308 market against Armalite's AR-10 series rifles and Springfield Armory's M1A Rifle by offering a .308 rifle that could accept the relatively inexpensive metric and inch pattern FN FAL magazines.
Many Bushmaster .308 rifles have suffered broken bolts due to faulty design and heat treatment issues; Bushmaster Firearms International, LLC has replaced hundreds of their broken bolts with a higher quality replacement.
In 2005 Bushmaster discontinued the BAR-10 line of rifles.