New AR question

[Halffast]

I bought a new Bushmaster carbine this weekend at a gun show. Thanks to all of you that gave me advise on whether to buy the BM or the Armalite. I bought the BM mostly because I got a better price on it. I got to shoot it on Sunday and after a few malfunctions that I think were due to the gun being new and tight, it shot very well. My question is that I want to buy another complete upper for it and I see that BM sells them with and without the bolt and carrier. Can I use my current bolt and carrier in another upper, or does the upper have to be headspaced for its own bolt? Thanks.

Halffast

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"I say that big talk is worth doodly-squat." Granny Hawkins from the Outlaw Josey Wales

[dZ]

although you could swap bolts, it is prudent to wear in a bolt & carrier to one set of locking lugs only.

Supposedly the military collects up all the bolts & carriers from issued guns when the President is on base. They all go in one box and randomly get reissued...

with proper head spacing checks, there should not be a problem
but for a personal rifle i would buy each upper it's own bolt group.

Head space is checked on an AR but not really adjusted.
if it spaces wrong you swap in a new bolt
if it still spaces wrong, you re barrel and try the old bolt
if it is still wrong new barrel & new bolt
will fix the issue

a dedicated upper & bolt group is cheap insurance

going for a longer or shorter barrel?

the DCM upper is nice from Bushie
if you want to see a real cool upper check out this one: http://jpar15.com/grade.htm

dZ

[Halffast]

dz

Those JP's are way cool! :cool:

Thanks for the info on the bolts.

I am thinking about a 24" V match upper with the shaved front sight base and a fluted barrel. Then later I could get another lower and have two AR's. :D

Halffast


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"I say that big talk is worth doodly-squat." Granny Hawkins from the Outlaw Josey Wales

[dZ]

welcome to the addiction

i bought a spare bolt for my AR last year

it calls to me
it wants to be a full rifle

;)

dZ

[WalterGAII]

Haffast:

A couple of friends and I shoot Bushmasters. Ours never failed, from the first shot out, with the exception of a friend who tried to use that worthless 10-rd. mag that came with his Bush.

Just wondering whether you used G.I. mags or the Bush mag and whether you field stripped and cleaned and lubed your Bush before you shot it? Also, what kind of ammo were you using???

[Halffast]

Walter,

I was using brand new Colt 20 rnd. mags. I didn't clean the AR before I shot it and that certainly could have been the problem. However I still think that it was probably because the gun was tight. It only malfuctioned 5 or 6 times and after 30 or 40 rounds it functioned flawlessly. I put a total of about 120 rounds through it on Sunday. I can't wait to shoot it again. :)

My ammo is my own stuff. It consists of an IMI 55 gr. FMJBT over 23.5 gr. of AA Data 2200 (this is a government overrun as I understand) and a CCI 450 primer. It is in an unfired military case (from pulled down ammo) that has been resized with an RCBS small base sizer die, cleaned, and had the primer pocket swaged. This ammo has (dare I say it :o ) preformed perfectly in my 3 Mini-14's.

Halffast

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"I say that big talk is worth doodly-squat." Granny Hawkins from the Outlaw Josey Wales

[WalterGAII]

Halffast:

You're shooting exactly the same ammo, down to the tenth of a grain of 2200, that I shoot in my Bush Shorty. I'm getting 100% function and really good accuracy. A friend's new Bush was pretty dry in the bolt carrier/locking lugs area when he got it. I'd bet that you're going to see no failures after you clean and properly lube the rifle.

BTW, I shoot a JP trigger setup; a friend uses the Jewell. You can't go wrong with either. JP is single stage; Jewell, 2.

[Jeff Thomas]

Halffast, I was always taught that it was imperative that you clean a new firearm before making that first shot. I don't know if it is still true, but I think the reason was that there was cosmoline or other preservatives not only on, but also in the barrel.

An instructor at a Gunsite class told us he had a student who ruined a new AR barrel by not cleaning it first.

Again, I've always accepted that advice, and simply followed it. Haven't actually experimented with it, since I was more than a little reluctant to ruin a fine, new firearm.

Enjoy your shorty. Regards from AZ

[goat]

Hallfast; Bushmaster suggests that you do not clean the rifle before you shoot it.They put the right amount of oil on the bolt for it to properly break in.I dissasembled mine and gave it a good cleaning before I shot it.The thing would not cycle one time.Called BM and a guy named Isreal(this guy knows his s%$t)told me to encapsulate the bolt in oil.Worked fine after that.

[Mouse Gun]

I always at least punch the bore, clean the chamber and bolt face before the first firing just to be safe. I generaly do more than that but that would be the bare minimum. Just my .02


Brian

[This message has been edited by Mouse Gun (edited March 10, 2000).]