Starscream
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Alberta
Guy named OMD picked up a production model bushmaster ACR and posted up his review of it in a 16 page long thread.
http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=2&f=28&t=187779
Fast summary:
$2200 USD and heavy. Not as bad as was penned before, as the rifle itself seems to be fairly good, but still not quite as good as it could've been.
Extended point summary:
-The barrel is marked 5.56 NATO 1/9, so possibility of export looks bleak
-US Dealer pricing is $2000, landed street price expected to be around $2100 to $2200, with $200 to $300 more for the enhanced version. However Bushmaster looks to be releasing them in tan and brown as well.
-Trigger better then most production AR15s, not as nice as tuned triggers.
-Weight is a disappointing 9.3 lbs loaded, somewhat sad for a polymer rifle. However he also reported the rifle to be well balanced and ergonomic, which may or may not offset the heavier weight. However, remember that we are talking about a carbine here rather then a full assault rifle. DMR variants are going to be even heavier. A comparable M4 is 6.9 lbs loaded.
-Overall 'feel' of the rifle seems to be solid and well made. This is subjective.
-Accuracy is acceptable as a fighting rifle, OMD reported 1" groups with occasional flier. He does say it's consistently making tighter groupings then his AR.
-Barrel trunnion system was loose from factory, causing detrimental effects to accuracy. Rifle must be re-zeroed each time the barrel trunnion is adjusted tighter or looser. Set, lock, and don't mess with is seems to be the golden rule.
-Barrel profile is the standard M4 profile, and if fact does appear to still be a modified AR15 barrel. OMD speculates that you could potentially still take a mid length AR15 barrel and modify to the ACR. Bushmaster however will NOT sell the gas parts necessary to adapt a new barrel separately, therefore the point is moot, as it may as well still be a proprietary barrel. Still no official word as to whether they really are just modified AR barrels of if they cut from blanks.
-The rifle can and will retain a zero if the barrel is removed and put back and the trunnion set to the exact same point as before. OMD had to use index marks on the trunnion to do so, and bushmaster would be well advised to add said index marks from the factory.
-OMD believes that repeated use of the trunnion system can and will wear it down. Again, set, lock, and leave it alone.
-Take down seems to be an odd cross between an AR and a SCAR.
-Bushmaster manual states: "The bushmaster ACR is designed to operate without lubrication and after cleaning, all action parts should be wiped dry." OMD has stated that the rifle does run fine dry or lubed, although many others have stated skepticism at the no lube whatsoever claim. Time will tell if this holds true.
-Recoils is comparable to other AR15 systems, although taking into account the heavier mass of the rifle, it may be that the gas system is generating more recoil but the felt recoil is being adsorbed by the heavier rifle.
-The lower can be detailed stripped without tools and very quickly. The FCG comes out as a single housed unit. All trigger components are standard AR15 components EXCEPT the selector and selector bar. From an armorer point of view, maintaining the lower receivers would be a simple matter of keeping on hand a stock of spare FCG units and swapping them in and out as rifles come in for service.
-The basic does come with Magpul iron sights that can be attached or detached from the rifle.
-The firing pin is spring captured, not free floating. The bolt assembly appears to be slightly more complicated then an AR's but not significantly so. However the firing pin spring is under tension so one does have to take care when removing said pin. Another poster has remarked that the ACR's bolt group bears remarkable similarity to the AR-18's.
-Piston ran decently clean, although popping it out once in a while to knock the carbon out seems to be a good idea.
Personal opinion:
Bushmaster would have to mark the barrels 223 for any possibility to see these suckers in Canada, and landed I think they're going to be pushing well into Swiss Arms rifle price range.
The lower receiver design is a step forward in terms of maintainability, and looks almost soldier proof.
The weight is sorely disappointing. IIRC not even the XCR with a heavy 18.6" barrel weighs that much.
http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=2&f=28&t=187779
Fast summary:
$2200 USD and heavy. Not as bad as was penned before, as the rifle itself seems to be fairly good, but still not quite as good as it could've been.
Extended point summary:
-The barrel is marked 5.56 NATO 1/9, so possibility of export looks bleak
-US Dealer pricing is $2000, landed street price expected to be around $2100 to $2200, with $200 to $300 more for the enhanced version. However Bushmaster looks to be releasing them in tan and brown as well.
-Trigger better then most production AR15s, not as nice as tuned triggers.
-Weight is a disappointing 9.3 lbs loaded, somewhat sad for a polymer rifle. However he also reported the rifle to be well balanced and ergonomic, which may or may not offset the heavier weight. However, remember that we are talking about a carbine here rather then a full assault rifle. DMR variants are going to be even heavier. A comparable M4 is 6.9 lbs loaded.
-Overall 'feel' of the rifle seems to be solid and well made. This is subjective.
-Accuracy is acceptable as a fighting rifle, OMD reported 1" groups with occasional flier. He does say it's consistently making tighter groupings then his AR.
-Barrel trunnion system was loose from factory, causing detrimental effects to accuracy. Rifle must be re-zeroed each time the barrel trunnion is adjusted tighter or looser. Set, lock, and don't mess with is seems to be the golden rule.
-Barrel profile is the standard M4 profile, and if fact does appear to still be a modified AR15 barrel. OMD speculates that you could potentially still take a mid length AR15 barrel and modify to the ACR. Bushmaster however will NOT sell the gas parts necessary to adapt a new barrel separately, therefore the point is moot, as it may as well still be a proprietary barrel. Still no official word as to whether they really are just modified AR barrels of if they cut from blanks.
-The rifle can and will retain a zero if the barrel is removed and put back and the trunnion set to the exact same point as before. OMD had to use index marks on the trunnion to do so, and bushmaster would be well advised to add said index marks from the factory.
-OMD believes that repeated use of the trunnion system can and will wear it down. Again, set, lock, and leave it alone.
-Take down seems to be an odd cross between an AR and a SCAR.
-Bushmaster manual states: "The bushmaster ACR is designed to operate without lubrication and after cleaning, all action parts should be wiped dry." OMD has stated that the rifle does run fine dry or lubed, although many others have stated skepticism at the no lube whatsoever claim. Time will tell if this holds true.
-Recoils is comparable to other AR15 systems, although taking into account the heavier mass of the rifle, it may be that the gas system is generating more recoil but the felt recoil is being adsorbed by the heavier rifle.
-The lower can be detailed stripped without tools and very quickly. The FCG comes out as a single housed unit. All trigger components are standard AR15 components EXCEPT the selector and selector bar. From an armorer point of view, maintaining the lower receivers would be a simple matter of keeping on hand a stock of spare FCG units and swapping them in and out as rifles come in for service.
-The basic does come with Magpul iron sights that can be attached or detached from the rifle.
-The firing pin is spring captured, not free floating. The bolt assembly appears to be slightly more complicated then an AR's but not significantly so. However the firing pin spring is under tension so one does have to take care when removing said pin. Another poster has remarked that the ACR's bolt group bears remarkable similarity to the AR-18's.
-Piston ran decently clean, although popping it out once in a while to knock the carbon out seems to be a good idea.
Personal opinion:
Bushmaster would have to mark the barrels 223 for any possibility to see these suckers in Canada, and landed I think they're going to be pushing well into Swiss Arms rifle price range.
The lower receiver design is a step forward in terms of maintainability, and looks almost soldier proof.
The weight is sorely disappointing. IIRC not even the XCR with a heavy 18.6" barrel weighs that much.
