Bushmaster Carbon 15

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They are not polymer; they are carbon fiber. My Bushmaster Carbon 15 M21 pistol held up very well, no failures, etc. And yes, $650.00 seems a good deal. The carbon fiber receivers are about 40% lighter than the aluminum receivers. One oddity is that when you dry-fire the carbon models, the hammer striking the firing pin makes a "clunk" sound. Of course, you can't hear that "clunk" when you're firing live ammo, now can you?!

Geno
 
They were on sale for $599.00 around Christmas and it is a good price and excelent gun.

A. The only Carbon Fiber parts are Upper and Lower Recevier housing all other parts are metal.

B. I am getting fed up with people giving opinions that have their heads in the darkest recesses of their chairs. And know nothing about what they are talking about.


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Same gun as the one in the ad. Just dressed up.

Jim
 
My brother owns one and I have shot it extensively. I shoot it much better than he does! Compared to other, more traditional AR's it looks cheap and feels flimsy in it's factory form. That being said, it's an accurate, reliable AR.

It just plain works.....he has mentioned the fact that he wishes he had just bought a plain ol' AR. Take this post for what it's worth, nothing, plenty of people are happy with the Carbon 15.
 
Excuse my stating it was polymer, instead of carbon fiber. I'd just woken up, and hadn't had any coffee.

Jim243; is that a UTG railed handguard on yours?
 
They are not polymer; they are carbon fiber.
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Actually, it is a carbon fiber composite. It is carbon fibers (chopped or milled) in a polymer matrix. Nothing is made of just carbon fibers. They are not terribly useful by themselves.

I think everyone was against glocks when they first came out also. I guess time will tell.
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While I can not comment on how good the composite ARs are, there is an important difference between a carbon 15 and a glock. Glocks were designed from the ground up around a composite frame. The carbon 15 represents an attempt to adapt composites to an existing design while maintaining compatibility with all of the existing parts used on aluminum receivers. This is a very different problem due to the very different properties of composite materials when compared to metals. I am not sure how successful they have been.

Now, a SCAR or ACR is a very different animal as their designs incorporated composite receiver from the start.
 
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I remember seeing some KABOOM threads about these, but I've also read good reviews. I actually went to my local GM to check them out but they weren't NY legal. I instead decided to build the AR that I wanted and finished it last night. I have a bit over $700 in it. By the time you pay tax and all that crap, you could have what you want.
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I work at a Gunshop. We had them on a blowout deal for $750 and they were flying off the shelves. Sounds like you may have picked it up for "below cost." Congratulations... I dont care if the gun is made out of old news paper and poop, thats still a great price for an AR. I personally wouldnt buy one, but to each their own.
 
I wouldn't buy one but a buddy has had good luck with his for the last few years. Shoots anything including steelcase and is reliable. Nice trigger for milspec. He paid $1000 in Nov 2008. Ouch!

Still I'd throw in a little more than $700 and get a better AR.
 
Crap. Don't waste your money.

Oh and,

I wouldn't buy one but a buddy has had good luck with his for the last few years. Shoots anything including steelcase and is reliable. Nice trigger for milspec. He paid $1000 in Nov 2008. Ouch!

Still I'd throw in a little more than $700 and get a better AR.
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This gun is FAR from mil-spec.

I second kwelz recommendation. The cheapest AR I would buy would be those two but you would still be better off saving your pennies and buying from BCM, DD, LMT, or Colt.
 
I'd like to hear from the guys posting, "Crap" and "Avoid" to give a few more specifics as to why they dislike the bushmaster carbon 15.

For instance, have they ever shot one or are they just running their mouths? Is it a predjudice against bushmaster or carbon or both?

Facts would be much more helpful than hyperbole.

I own a Bushmaster Carbon15 pistol and have enjoyed owning it thoroughly. I've run several thousand rounds through it since I bought it two years ago and haven't had any problems with it's performance.

What are the most common failures with a carbon AR system?
 
At christmas, Sportsman's Warehouse had a Bushmaster Carbon/polymer on sale for $599. Not sure what the original price was. They also had a S&W M&P15 on sale for $749. Their normal price was $949, and normal retail was $1069. I also got a S&W $100 rebate.

So, $599 for a plastic bushmaster, or $749 for a S&W M&P15 "Real AR", and a $100 rebate coming later.... which one did I choose. The M&P15 without even thinking about it. Not even close.

Now; would I pay the normal $949 M&P price over a $599 bushmaster? No I wouldn't. But that doesn't mean I'd buy the bushmaster either. Simply means I wouldn't have bought either. i would have waited and looked around until I found a quality AR in the $600-$700 range. Sorry; but the bushmaster just isn't it.

Ok; I guess it would be fair to at least say WHY I won't buy a bushmaster; especially a plastic one. I shoot a lot of rounds. I shoot a lot of different types/brands of ammo. This includes a lot of steel case ammo. "Lets not debate the steel case issue. I believe unless you're reloading, if you're not shooting steel case and your rifle has no problem with it, then you're simply wasting money". But it's your money. do whatever. Anyway; whenever I look at ammo reviews. BRASS AND STEEL CASE, I look mainly at the people who are having problems with the ammo. i don't need someone telling me it's GREAT AMMO. I only care about the "Problems". And sorry to say, but the overwhelming majority of people who have had complaints about a certain type of ammo, seem to start off their review with something like: "When i shoot this in my Bushmaster......". I owned a bush many years ago. it was ok. Then again, a lot has changed. Point is, I have determined that bushmasters are very picky with the ammo it shoots. And because I shoot any type of ammo that I can find, especially for plinking, I want a weapon that will shoot anything you feed it. An M&P15 will do that. I won't take a chance on a Bush. The carbon/poly part is simply another reason. I won't own a glock either; but that's just me. I do own a Kel-tech 9mm pistol, which is 1/2 poly; but if I'm going to spend $600+ on a rifle; especially an AR; I want a "REAL" one. Not something made by mattel.
 
Cracks in the lower receiver, severe accuracy issues, and constant malfunctions are all part of the package you get with a Carbon-15. Add to that the typical Bushmaster failures like not staking the carrier key, incorrectly sized chambers that won't function well with 5.56 ammo or steel cased, non f-marked front sight, commercial receiver, and numerous other problems. Just say no.
 
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