Official AR15 type rifle personal review tread

[sandman1212]

1. Make model of your ar15? mixed Plum Crazy Lower and Surplus Arms and Ammunition upper

2. All original or mixed parts. If mixed parts what parts? the upper was built by SAA using parts, Aeron Precision Barrel.

3. How many rounds fired ? If unsure give low estimation if you know type of ammo thats good as well.
700 rounds of PMC or Tula

4. Ever used in competition and if so how did it perform? never in Competition

5. Ever used in combat or law enforcement , Hunting , if so how did it perform ? NA

6. Any problems if so please explain ? None, 100% reliable

7. Harsh conditions its been in and still performed or not. light rain, worked great

8. Have you shot wolf ammo how many rds how did it perform? Tula, never a problem!

9. How accurate is your rifle? better than me...

10. How reliable is your rifle? 100%

11. Any additional comments you want to add or note ?

12. Type of mags used? Pmag and mil surp

13. Did you buy it new or used? new

14. Cost. $430

 

[Bob D]

My Newest:

1. Make & Model: CMMG LEP II Upper with Gas Piston and Revolution hand guard system. DPMS Lower. Mapgul Flip-ups, UBR Stock, and Angled foregrip.

2. Original or Mixed parts: Upper is all original parts machined from scratch to Mil-Spec in the USA in February of this year. Lower is off the shelf at my local gun store.

3. Rounds fired? 1,000+

4. Used in Competition: Not officially, but speed tests with my own practical exercise courses have been most excellent, in the whipping rain and mud.

5. Any problems: None.

7. Harsh conditions: Pouring rain, unlubed, six straight magazines rapid firing, dirt, sand and mud all over it. I really put it through the ringer.

8. Wolf Ammo: No. Federal m855 green tip 62 grain.

9. Accuracy: It's as accurate as my eyeballs. Iron sights, 3 inch group at 50m.

10. How reliable is your rifle? Extremely, thus far, though it's still very new. Over a thousand rounds through it in two days with no malfunctions.

11. Any additional comments you want to add or note? I'm incredibly impressed with CMMG's gas piston system. The design and performance both suggest a very reliable and smooth-operating system. Their machining quality is top-notch, and the cold-hammered barrel performed well even once it was so hot raindrops were evaporating three inches from it. Their modular hand guard/rail system is a lightweight thing of beauty and functionality. +1 for CMMG Inc, despite everything I've experienced in the past. They aren't just .22 modders anymore.

12. Mags used? Standard 30-rd Mil-Spec spring with green follower.

13. New or Used: All new.

14. Cost. Upper: $750. Lower: $300. Magpul junk: $350. Total: Too much. But it will probably turn out to be my most durable and reliable AR. It's already my favorite.

 

[Kevatc]

I am the only owner of a Bushmaster 16" HBAR, Midwest Industries forearm, MIAD grip, Magpul mags, some inexpensive broomhandle foregrip, EoTech up top. Gun is 10+ years old with 4000 +/- rounds. Has been 100% reliable and did an 800 round AR course at OFA in rain both days and no cleaning without a single uninduced malfunction. Not used in LE/military, competition, or hunting. Based on my experience I would not hesitate in buying another Bushy.

 

[mattdomes]

1. WVA 16" shop build w/ modifications (old pic)


2. New parts: Troy free float tube, Troy Low profile gas block, LaRue RISR on Magpul CTR, Magpul furniture, Vortex SPRC on LaRue QD mount, LaRue SPR QD scope mount and M223 2-8x scope w/ cat tail (not pictured), PWS compensator (really loud), Spikes FA MPI Bolt Carrier Group, etc.

3. Round count: 3000-4000

4. No comp's (yet)

5. No

6. No problems yet.

7. Shot in rain and wind a lot, not snow yet, hot summers no problem!

8. No Wolf ammo.

9. Accuracy:


10. Very reliable.

11. Total cost (less the optics) is around $1050. Not too bad for a sub MOA rifle!

12. Magpul PMAG's M2 & M3

13. New

14. See #11

 

[ch139]

I play along a little bit.

Answer the following

1. Make model of your ar15? Colt 6921

2. All original or mixed parts. If mixed parts what parts? all original

3. How many rounds fired ? If unsure give low estimation if you know type of ammo thats good as well. maybe 4000

4. Ever used in competition and if so how did it perform? not yet

5. Ever used in combat or law enforcement , Hunting , if so how did it perform ? nope

6. Any problems if so please explain ? none what so ever - unless you figure the cost of ammo being so high its prohibitive to get to shoot much any more

7. Harsh conditions its been in and still performed or not? gets wet in the rain

8. Have you shot wolf ammo how many rds how did it perform? yes, maybe half of the above number - say 2000 rounds

9. How accurate is your rifle? still holds about 1 MOA, but I need a good scope and good ammo to do it

10. How reliable is your rifle? never any malfunctions

11. Any additional comments you want to add or note ? great rifle, but then I drink the Colt Kool Aid

12. Type of mags used? USGI

13. Did you buy it new or used? new

14. Cost. can't remember, but want to say it was about $1500 + $200 for NFA tax

_

1. Make model of your ar15? Bushmaster M4

2. All original or mixed parts. If mixed parts what parts? all original Bushamster, but bought the lower and upper separate - barrel is 11.5

3. How many rounds fired ? If unsure give low estimation if you know type of ammo thats good as well. about 2500 now give or take

4. Ever used in competition and if so how did it perform? several times and has always done well

5. Ever used in combat or law enforcement , Hunting , if so how did it perform ? nope

6. Any problems if so please explain ? none what so ever - unless you figure the cost of ammo being so high its prohibitive to get to shoot much any more

7. Harsh conditions its been in and still performed or not? gets wet in the rain. didn't clean it for a while once.

8. Have you shot wolf ammo how many rds how did it perform? most of it was Wolf ~2000rds maybe

9. How accurate is your rifle? holds about 2 MOA, but I need a good scope and good ammo to do it

10. How reliable is your rifle? never any malfunctions

11. Any additional comments you want to add or note ? this was a cheap rifle and has done very well over many years of use.

12. Type of mags used? USGI

13. Did you buy it new or used? new

14. Cost. can't remember, but want to say it was about $800 t $900 in the upper and lower then +$200 for stamp
-

1. Make model of your ar15? Colt 9mm SBR

2. All original or mixed parts. If mixed parts what parts? the original barrel was a cut down piece, but eventually swapped off for a 635 barrel

3. How many rounds fired ? If unsure give low estimation if you know type of ammo thats good as well. no idea, but its used all the time, maybe 10000 through the first barrel and another 5000 or so through the 635 barrel

4. Ever used in competition and if so how did it perform? nope, just a fun range toy

5. Ever used in combat or law enforcement , Hunting , if so how did it perform ? nope

6. Any problems if so please explain ? the barrel wasn't a problem, but I was able to trade straight out of it and have the work done so jumped on that. the hammer, trigger and disconnector were replaced a few years ago as they had worn out and the gun was starting to malfunction from time-to-time, a few new parts and all has been perfect

7. Harsh conditions its been in and still performed or not? none

8. Have you shot wolf ammo how many rds how did it perform? no, just a lotta, lotta reloads

9. How accurate is your rifle? will hold about 1-2 inches t 50-yards with reloads

10. How reliable is your rifle? just wore out the fire-control parts, was fine before and has been fie ever since replacing trigger, hammer and disconnector

11. Any additional comments you want to add or note ? great rifle, but then I drink the Colt Kool Aid

12. Type of mags used? only Colt

13. Did you buy it new or used? used

14. Cost. $1400 +$200 for NFA tax

-

1. Make model of your ar15? DPMS Panther Bull 20

2. All original or mixed parts. If mixed parts what parts? original

3. How many rounds fired ? If unsure give low estimation if you know type of ammo thats good as well. maybe 100

4. Ever used in competition and if so how did it perform? never got around to it

5. Ever used in combat or law enforcement , Hunting , if so how did it perform ? nope

6. Any problems if so please explain ? That rifle was the biggest piece of junk ever! Many things wrong right out of the box, a few were... Extractor pin hole in bold drilled too far inboard (extractor would not "pivot" ...couldn't chamber a round from day one. Gas block loose - wouldn't cycle. Was told hard-coat anodize - it wasn't. Was told forged receivers, the lower yes, the upper no. "match" trigger broke like a wet 2x4. Barrel not "centered in free-float handguard. Pistol grip didn't fit correctly. There was more, but thats all I've got off the top of my head at the moment. We had ordered two identical rifle and both had numerous problems. DPMS would stand behind them as they were "custom." I got my rifle up and running, but sold it after a while as it was a real POS.

7. Harsh conditions its been in and still performed or not? never got to shoot it that much

8. Have you shot wolf ammo how many rds how did it perform? nope, never got to shoot it that much

9. How accurate is your rifle? It would shoot about 1-inch at 100 yards, no better than my other rifles, pretty crappy for a "custom" "accurate" rifle to not be beating out the standard carbines

10. How reliable is your rifle? never functioned correctly

11. Any additional comments you want to add or note ? DPMS rifle was a giant turd

12. Type of mags used? USGI

13. Did you buy it new or used? new

14. Cost. about $1100 IIRC

 

[eldbillbo]

OK just to bump it to the top and some good info for those building a 5.45x39 ar15. Remember do not post questions or comments but feel free to pm me.

1. Make model of your ar15? Spikes lower, Spikes NIB bolt carrier group, Smith and wesson Chrome lined M4 barrel . Upper reciever i don't remember . simmons Actec 4x10x44 scope RRA 2 stage trigger and Wolff extra power springs . This is a DI system

2. All original or mixed parts. Read above

3. How many rounds fired ? If unsure give low estimation if you know type of ammo thats good as well. a little over 1080 Update 2/5/16 just over 3000 rds on it . Still shoots great except last time out i was shooting wolf and it was key holing at 50 yards. Gonna have to take it back out again with some of the surplus ammo to see if its just a ammo issue.

4. Ever used in competition and if so how did it perform? no

5. Ever used in combat or law enforcement , Hunting , if so how did it perform ? Nada

6. Any problems if so please explain ? Not really- I worked out most of the bugs with the first barrel i had on it and the upper prior to this . so out of 1080 it has 1 mag where it was having feed problems . A friend of mine loaded the mag and it failed i unloaded the rest of that mag and reloaded and never ever had another issue.

I had a standard FCG first with many failure to fire then added the wolff extra power springs and trigger pull was like pulling teeth so i was reading about people installing Geissele triggers in then and there was no wall in heck i was going to use a $200 trigger with corrosive ammo so i experimented putting a RRA 2 stage in with the wolff extra power springs and i could never be happier. If fact i prefer the RRA with the extra power springs over regular springs . Its nice and crisp and always goes bang.

7. Harsh conditions its been in and still performed or not? Lots of Rain its my rain gun. Then i was out the barrel in the shower there was one day i put 500 rds through it. it was raining and i didn't bring any extra lube somewhere around the 400 mark i had to use the forward assist to start each mag

8. Have you shot wolf ammo how many rds how did it perform? yes, and nasty corrosive surplus ammo

9. How accurate is your rifle? Not the best but i can kill a 8" plate at 100 yards every shot. on paper its not horrible i would say a 3" grouping but i only papered it once when zeroing.

10. How reliable is your rifle? Read #2

11. Any additional comments you want to add or note ? great rifle My favorite hurts a lot less than .223 when i pull the trigger. (in the pocket book that is)

12. Type of mags used? ASA and C-products

13. Did you buy it new or used? new and used

14. Cost. can't remember, less than $800

Will post picture soon.

 

[CitadelGrad08]

1. Make model of your ar15? It has been a while so I don't remember the exact model. Bushmaster lower with a piston upper. This was one of the first piston models that came onto the market. I picked it up around 2007.

2. All original or mixed parts. If mixed parts what parts? Mostly original. had an extended charging handle. Added a few accessories like a Tango Down stubby grip and mounted a Surefire onto it. I used an Aimpoint Comp M4.

3. How many rounds fired ? If unsure give low estimation if you know type of ammo thats good as well. At least 5000 rounds through it. Used all sorts of ammo. My DI system couldn't handle some bad Greek ammo, but the piston ate it up.

4. Ever used in competition and if so how did it perform? N/A

5. Ever used in combat or law enforcement , Hunting , if so how did it perform? I used it a lot while training with a security/ firearms training contractor based in Vegas. Performed very well in many adverse conditions.

6. Any problems if so please explain ? Not really. I did burn the heck out of my hand while doing vehicle work. I grabbed the gas block and could hear the "sssssss" of my hand being seared.

7. Harsh conditions its been in and still performed or not: Performed in desert and in the wonderful wet weather of the PNW.

8. Have you shot wolf ammo how many rds how did it perform? N/A

9. How accurate is your rifle? I never really measured. I was able to put rounds on steel at 650 meters with a 50 meter zero.

10. How reliable is your rifle? Very. As stated above it handled ammo that my DI would not.

11. Any additional comments you want to add or note ? While this was a great rifle, I am personally not a fan of piston over DI. After a while of using it, I went back to my DI. The rifle performed very well, but I was not a fan of the extra weight and the lack of interchangeable parts for the piston. I found that I would spend just as much time cleaning it as I did my DI, but I would have to clean the area around the gas block in addition. I reassembled my DI Bushmaster and used it for a while in the same conditions. No problems until my bolt would not hold open on an empty mag, so I just replaced the parts and am good to go. My DI Bushmaster now serves as my backup to my Colt 6920. With proper maintenance, lubrication, and cleaning I have found that DI works just as well as a piston. I am no expert, this is just what I have experienced over the years.

12. Type of mags used? Steel GI and Magpul Pmags.

13. Did you buy it new or used? New.

14. Cost. Around 800 for the original DI Bushmaster and more for the piston. I am not 100% sure because the upper was a gift from my father.


The picture is of my setup. The piston upper is above the DI. She aint pretty...

 

[eldbillbo]

I was digging through old post and thought i would reserect it. I'll be inserting a new review here in this space soon to follow my own rules of the thread.

 

[rdb241]

Ok Bill, I'll play too. I have posted this pic before here on the sight but have not really got into detail. This could get rather long with 6 different rifles. So here we go!

Top to bottom.........

1. Spikes Tactical lower receiver with a Delton pre assembled upper
2. DPMS LPK, Super short pistol buffer set up(can't remember manufacturer), HK sights, 7.5" barrel, Noveski Flamming Pig brake.
3. Maybe a couple of hundred rounds test firing
4. No
5. No
6. Runs like a Swiss clock
7. N/A
8. N/A
9. I am suprised it is pretty dead on. It does shoot a little to the right but I have not adjusted the sights.
10. Very reliable, no issues
11. Fun gun to shoot
12. Magpul Pmags
13. I bought the stripped receiver and built the rest of the gun
14. Right around $700.00

NEXT.............


1. PNW lower receiver/Oly Arms A1 .45acp upper. 10.5" barrel/pinned and welded flash hider.
2. Bushmaster LPK,
3. My guess would be about 2,500 rounds
4. Yes, It preformed perfectly. I have won many competition shoots with this carbine.
5. No
6. It runs very well but beats up brass
7. It ran well in a pouring down rain storm at a competition shoot
8. No
9. It's a tac driver
10. After all the bugs were worked out after the initial build it runs just fine
11. This ranks as one of my favorite guns I own, I have had this gun for over 20 years.
12. 30 round surplus Grease gun mags
13. This is the very first gun I ever built. Started with a stripped lower
14. About $750.00

Next...............

1. White Stag lower, Complete Delton .223 M4 upper
2. DPMS LPK, Bushmaster BCG
3. Maybe 100 rounds test firing
4. No issues at all
5. No
6. Like a good clock should
7. N/A
8. No
9. I have not sighted it in yet
10. Nice lite little carbine
11. It's a keeper
12. Magpul Pmags
13. I bought the receiver and built the rest.
14. $800.00


NEXT..........


1. Matching Mega Maten Upper and lower AR10
2. DPMS LPK, DPMS BCG
3. Maybe 100 rounds test firing
4. Everything runs like it should
5. No
6. Like a well oiled machine
7. N/A
8. No
9. I have not sited it in yet
10. Packs a lot more punch than an AR15
11. I like
12. Factory DPMS 20 round mags
13. I bought a complete parts kit minus the receiver, found a receiver and built the rifle.
14. Right around $1,000.00


NEXT........


1. Original Colt SP1 lower and matching Colt A2 upper
2. Original Colt LPK, Chrome lined 1 in 9 CMP barrel
3. Around 2,500 rounds
4. Runs like it was designed to do
5. Yes, it has scene action qualifying Expert Marksman when I was in the Navy reserves. lol
6. Not a single problem ever
7. N/A
8. No
9. This rifle is probably the single most accurate AR I have ever shot. When I qualified for my ribbon, it out shot almost all of the issued M16's in the unit.
10. Very comfortable shooting this rifle.
11. I will never part with this rifle. I have had this one for over 20 years also.
12. Factory 20 and 30 round Colt GI mags
13. I bought it for $650.00 back in the 90's




Last but not least...........

1. Polymere 80% machined lower, dedicated .22lr polymere complete upper asembly
2. DPMS LPK
3. not even 30 rounds test firing
4. seems to run just fine, no issues during test fire
5. No
6. so far so good
7. N/A
8. No
9. I have not even attemped to see
10. Fells OK, very lite with the Polymere receivers
11. Just put it together in the last 6 months
12. Black Dog .22lr mags
13. under $400.00