Project Completed Picture
Specifications:
Bushmaster ACR Basic
Questar’s Non-Restriced .223 wylde chambered 18.7” SS 1/8 barrel
Nightforce 2.5-10 x 24 in a Larue LT-104 mount
Troy BUIS
Accus-Shot Atlas V8 Bipod
AAC Vortex style flash hider
Review:
The Bushmaster ACR is a rifle that I have anxiously awaited since I first learning about the development of Magpul Masada. It was my hope that when Bushmaster assumed the production rights for the rifle, that they would produce a non-restricted variant for the Canadian market. Although this has not yet occurred, Questar International has solved this problem, by producing a match grade barrel for the ACR, and subsequently selling a non-restricted version of the rifle. Of course, I had to have one, and immediately put myself on the list. Last week I was informed that I would be receiving a black basic version of the ACR, and it arrived this week. In response to several PM’s, and two phone calls, here is my review.
Gun Room Report:
The fit and finish of the ACR are excellent. The upper is very tight to the lower, as is the lower and upper tight to the stock. The controls on the rifle are very intuitive, and although the lower and stock are polymer, they feel quite sturdy. I was surprised at how much smaller the rifle appeared in person then in many of the photographs I had observed, and how relatively short it felt with the 18.7” barrel.
Although there have been reports of the rifle being heavy, it did not feel that way to me, and seemed lighter and better balanced than the SA CG (1/7), and SA BS (1/10) I have owned in the past. It feels very natural, although not as ergo dynamic as my old Tavor, with my only complaint being the location of the R. side ambi-safety, which rubs against the side of my trigger finger when the selector is set to fire (I have medium size hands). This will be resolved with a Dremel at a later date, until an aftermarket selector is available. That being said I soon got used to it and it did not effect my shooting at the range.
I conducted several magazine tests, and as BLAXSUN stated in his Restricted ACR review, all the magazines tested seated properly and dropped free (LAR-15, Colt 5/20 & PMags). The only magazine I checked that would not drop free, was the free Bushmaster PMag that came with the rifle. I soon realized that the rivet on the Bushmaster magazine had not been fitted and was protruding slightly. This problem will also be resolved with my trusty Dremel.
The trigger weight on my ACR was about 8 – 9 lbs according to my RCBS trigger weight scale. The two stage trigger also felt gritty during the first stage, but seemed to break crisply. I intend on installing a Geissele trigger, very soon, however I decided to conduct my range report with the stock trigger, as it is what most ACR owners will likely use.
Now for a little bad news, which may or may not affect other ACR’s, but really was a burr under my saddle for two days. During my pre firing check of the rifle at home, I realized that barrel was moving up and down slightly relative to the upper receiver. At first I thought it was just upper/lower wiggle, but soon realized that the origin of the movement was where the barrel extension slid into the upper receiver. I attempted to tighten the barrel further, by using the ratchet system designed for quickly changing barrels, but found that it was as tight as it would go. I was not happy.
I contacted Questar and was told that many of the ACR’s they had handled and test fired had this same wiggle. I was told to go shoot it and then cast my judgment and if I was still not happy I could send the rifle back to be checked out. I was not satisfied with that response.
I conducted some more research and determined that many of the early model ACR’S had this problem, and that it was easily correctable under warranty. A very helpful and knowledgeable customer service rep from Bushmaster told me that some of the early rifles had shims that were too thin (Thousands of an Inch). The solution was to replace those shims with slightly thicker ones. I was informed that if I was in the US Bushmaster would repair the rifle, however since I lived in Canada, I was required to send the rifle to Gravel Agency in Quebec. Gravel Agency subsequently told me that their gunsmith was on vacation until next week, and I could talk to him about my problem when he got back.
Out of curiosity I drove to a local gun store and handled a restricted ACR. I found that it was tight and had no barrel movement, so I was convinced that it was not an intended aspect of the design. The restricted version I checked also had the tri-rail, and although it provides for more mounting options, I found that I prefer the basic MOE style hand guard. It is longer, better protecting the gas block, easier on the hands and is aesthetically nicer with the longer 18.7” barrel.
After conducting all of my research and speaking with some other CGN members (Thanks to BLAXSUN & CHKAM), I decided to build a temporary thin shim, until I could machine a new thicker shim to replace the stock Bushmaster one. I made a small shim out of aluminum (0.02”) , installed it between the barrel extension and the stock shim, and it worked perfectly. The ratchet system locked down tight and the barrel was secure without a smidge of movement. Off to the range.
Range Report:
Once at the range I became immediately satisfied with the quality of Questar’s barrel. I test fired the following ammunition, all at 100 Yds:
1. 55 Gr Remington FMJ Produced 1.5” to 2” groups consistently.
2. 62 Gr Fed Tac Bonded Produced 1” to 2” groups consistently.
3. 69 Gr Win Ranger HPBT Produced 1” to 1.5” groups consistently.
4. 69 Gr FGMM HPBT Produced 0.8” to 1” groups consistently.
I fired five round groups for each type of ammunition with a total of 80 rounds fired with no stoppages of any kind. I found the recoil impulse to be the same, or similar to a 14.5” AR.
55 Gr Rem FMJ
62 Gr Fed Tac Bonded
69 Gr Win Ranger HPBT
69 Gr FGMM
Conclusion:
I really like the ACR despite my barrel shim problem. I have owned all types of black rifles, including SA rifles, Tavors, and all types of high end AR’s and really believe that accuracy is a good measure of the quality of any rifle. For the ACR with a short stroke piston system to produce the kind of groups I was shooting, I was impressed. I believe that the heavy/gritty trigger was responsible for a couple flyers and that a match trigger would really improve this rifle and allow the shooter to maximize the potential of the Questar barrel. Although having to machine a custom shim for my barrel is an annoyance, it is a simple part, and a simple fix, that would be even easier to rectify if I lived in the US. It is a fix I am willing to employ, to have a non-restricted, accurate rifle, of this quality.
Further range reports to follow. Out
Addition on Aug 26, 2011:
As promised, I returned to the range today with a few changes to my ACR.
First of all, I added a Geissele SSA two stage trigger, which was a bit of a pain to install but well worth it in the end. The trigger now breaks crisply at about 4 lbs. Although it is very possible to obtain good groups with the stock trigger, I found it took more focus, and there was a much greater chance of pulling the odd shot.
The second change, was the addition of the machined shim I was provided by P-J. In order to install it, I had to break the barrel down and remove the gas block, but once installed it made for a very tight fit, with room for further tightening down the road if required. I fired about 80 rounds and the barrel remained tight.
I was a little more impatient on the range today, which the extra large coffee was responsible for, however the Questar barrel continued to perform well with both 69 gr HPBT Win Ranger and 69 gr FGMM. I would say that the new trigger made it easier to maintain consistency with my groups and reduce the size slightly. There was little to no improvement with the accuracy of the 55 gr Rem FMJ, but considering that it was shooting 1.4" to 1.8" most of the time, I was happy. You can not expect miracles from bulk FMJ ammo.
1. 55 Gr Remington FMJ Produced 1.4” to 1.8” groups consistently.
3. 69 Gr Win Ranger HPBT Produced 0.8” to 1.2” groups consistently.
4. 69 Gr FGMM HPBT Produced 0.6” to 1” groups consistently.
69 gr FGMM:
69 gr FGMM:
69 gr FGMM - 9 rounds fired rapid rate, with 2 seconds between shots.
69 gr Win Ranger HPBT:
69 gr Win Ranger HPBT:
55 gr Rem FMJ:
Range Summary:
I am still very happy with my ACR and the Questar barrel. One addition I really need, is the enhanced stock, not so much for the folding feature, but the ability to adjust the length of pull. Next stop Arma-Coat for the barrel, as black truly does go with everything.
Addition on September 13, 2011
Well I have received a lot of PM's on the NR Questar ACR's from other NR Questar ACR owners over the last couple weeks. Several other CGN'ers have had problems with their guns, while several have had no problems. It seems that there are two problems that are consistently arising.
#1: The same wiggle problem I had, which can be fixed with a shim, and;
#2: Alignment issues with the gas block, and or M4 extension on the barrel. This needs to be dealt with by Questar.
All the Questar guns, also appear to require the Bushmaster recall parts, which Gravel Agency is willing to supply and install for free. They are the designated Bushmaster warranty center for Canada. So far Jerome and Gravel has been very easy to deal with. Unfortunately, it may take a few weeks to get the recall parts, as Bushmaster was unaware that the Questar guns were in Canada. Regardless, they are honouring the warranty and recall. You can shoot the gun without issue, until you get a call from Jerome to send in your gun. He has promised a short turn around time.
Further to this update, I am posting some pics of my now coated ACR barrel from ARMACOAT. Big thanks to Barret, who always does a good job. Barret will coat the barrel for $80 plus shipping. If you have a restricted model and want to convert it to a NR with a Questar barrel, I would recommend the following:
1. Strip the barrel by pounding out the gas block pins and removing the gas block. A 1/8 punch should work. You'll need a vice and some way to protect the gas block and barrel, so you do not mar, or damage anything. This is best done by a gunsmith if you are not confident, however I was able to do it in my basement without issue.
2. Test fit the NR barrel, to ensure that it will lock tightly with the stock shim. If it maxes out and is still loose, or there is no more room for tightening, than I would recommend you get a shim made. I can supply the specs.
3. Re-assemble the gas parts onto the NR barrel with the appropriate shim and send it to ARMACOAT for coating. This will also cover up any scratches sustained during the gas block swap. You can coat the barrel, gas block, and piston guide all together without affecting function.
Here are some pics:
Addition on October 21, 2011
Added a completed project pic to the top. Also shot a 5 round 2.44" group at 300 yds today. Still impressed with this gun after several hundred rounds.
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