Bushy A3 AR Dissipator...what's the deal?

[TOU]

So...I've been getting more serious lately about getting my first AR and the one I lean to the most is a A3 Dissipator. When I was researching them a few years back during the days of the Ban...it seemed to have been one of the" ones to get. However with all the AR talk on this forum, the Dissipator's seem to not be getting much air time anymore. Did they fall out of favor or what?

 

[The Deer Hunter]

Well they look funny.

But I think its somethig like you get a carbine length(16") gun with a 20" gun sight radius.

 

[hqmhqm]

It seems like a great idea. I get significantly better accuracy using my 20" AR15 over my 16", due entirely to the difference in sight radius.

 

[TOU]

Exactly! Yeah, I guess they do look "funny" in the sense that they look different from the standard M4's you may be used to looking at. But from a logical point of view the same short 16" barrel, long hand guards, and longer sight radius make sense to me. They are just minus the exposed grenade launcher band. Actually, some of them still have that band but it is covered up by the long hand guards....also unless you order it differently, they also have the same gas system as the M4's with a cut of front sight under the guards. So is that it, the look of them is what has people discing them of late?

 

[Frog48]

Why bother getting the A3 flattop on it? The whole point of the Dissipator is the sight radius when using iron sights... if you use the A3 flattop to mount a scope, sight radius is irrelevant.

 

[txgolfer45]

You can put a backup iron sight (BUIS) on the flat top and have your optics too. If the optics fail, you have the backup rear sight to flip up and work with the front sight.

 

[DMK]

the Dissipator's seem to not be getting much air time anymore. Did they fall out of favor or what?

I see most folks using optics on ARs these days (a lot of ACOGs, Eotechs and Aimpoints). As Grant48 said, that makes sight radius mostly irrelevant, or at least less important when merely using them for back up to your optics.

I think Midlength barrels might be pushing into their sales a bit too. It's really a better option and with a Govt. profile, is lighter than even a standard M4.

Keep in mind that the Bushmaster Dissy is basically an HBAR CAR or an M4 (depending on which barrel you order) with an extra sight block added in conjunction to the gas block still under the handguard. This adds extra weight up front.

M4 Dissipator

HBAR Dissipator

 

[igpoobah]

I have one, I like it.

 

[Eightball]

Go here:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=287750

Read it and learn. I did, which is why today, I just bought a 16" middy.

 

[BusMaster007]

My Dissipator is the LAST rifle I'd part with...

Yep. I think the Bushmaster Dissipater is the shiznit.
I don't care what anybody else thinks.
I also think the A3 flat-top would be a really good thing, except that I bought the A2 because the A3 wasn't available when I bought mine.

There's an article on the internet that says the 16" bbl. is an excellent choice and that the Dissipator with the 20" sight radius is pretty darn right-on!
I'll look for the link.

Get the carry handle with the A2 sights, and you've got everything you'll need except the ability to attach a bayonet...
If you need a bayonet, get the A3-20!
Otherwise, the DISSIPATOR
is super-cool!!!
GET IT!

Here's a pic of my "Y2K" set-up:

The A3-20:

 

[Dionysusigma]

I gotta say, I've always hated the look of the Dissipator...

... but BusMaster007, that's a really cool rifle! What mods are those?

 

[BusMaster007]

Well, at that time, I had a bunch of stuff on the rifle, so I could be 'versatile'.
The idea was to be able to walk down the street and shoot Y2K Zombies!

In that photo, it had:

Vortex FS.
KNS hooded front sight.
Hogue freefloat forend.
"Leatherwood" style scope A2 scopemount ( very comfortable to use witht the 'carryhandle' as it places your hand for good balance --- and needs to be removed to use the open sights ).
Old Redfield Accu-Range 3-9 Lo-Pro Widefield scope / Butler Creek flip-ups.
Redi-Mag extra mag holder with Colt 20-rd. mags ( also works with the Chinese 120-rd. drum magazine - wind up type - with the tower feed ).
Hogue grip.
Somebody's cheekpiece ( won't work without scope - open sights require this part be removed or your head will be too high to see through the apertures ).
Somebody's buttstock pad ( good part ).
1 1/4" nylon sling.


I figured I could leave the house with extra ammo and use whatever parts were needed to get to wherever I needed to be!
At this time, it's been restored to its regular format, including the A2 FS and standard forend, plus a SureFire flashlight and CAA mount. Kept the Redi-Mag, and that keeps it simple. No scope.
Plain old AR15 now!

That was a fun configuration, though!

 

[TOU]

Thx for all the replies. So...$859 +$15 shipping a good deal on a Bushy Dissy A3?

 

[BusMaster007]

That's better than what I paid for mine years ago during the 'ban'.

 

[TOU]

After reading the above post and the link....I just wish it was available with the mid-length gas system. For that it looks like I have to goto CMMG but at nearly $1100...I can probably do with out it.

 

[TOU]

So...since I'm wishing for a Dissy style AR with a mid-length gas system, (which I understood Bushmaster does not make.) I think it may be forcing me into building my own to get what I want. Basically what I want is a 16", flat top, full length handguards, and a full sight radius...I guess I could live with detachable/flip up sights as well but am not locked on them. So...can I buy this anywhere in a factory configuration for $850'ish???

 

[Prince Yamato]

Armalite sells them I believe.

 

[geekWithA.45]

I like the dissy, but if I had it to do over, I'd wish for a lightweight barrel with a mid gas system, rather than the hbar with the carbine gas system.