Hey Team,

I have the potential opportunity to acquire an ACR in a trade. Owner claims that it runs just fine, but he hasn't shot it very much. Receiver is stamped Ilion NY and the serial number is ACR0001xxx.

How much can I learn about the rifle from that combination?
Does that plant and serial number indicate any potential problems popping up?
Of the problems that have plagued the Freedom Group ACRs, are there any that can't be reworked with the proper application of Templar Precision products?

The problems i'm aware of are the Freedom Group rust and the accuracy issues caused by the QD barrel loosening while firing. I'm pretty both of these are fixable, but wanted to double check and make sure that there aren't any other issues i'm unaware of.

Thanks!

Mines from the same plant with an earlier serial and has no issues. I don't believe there's anything that can't be fixed on them at this point. Worst case you got one of the rifles that has a loosening ratchet collar on the barrel and you could go to the light weight trunnion that templar makes as a replacement.   The only replacement part that I would suggest upgrading to upfront is the new style dual charging handle actuator assembly.The old style single-sided version tends to shear the roll pin with a high round count. Those are still readily available from a few online retailers though

The Acr issues that Tim from MAC described about the Freedom group Acr's are rare issues that affected all Acr's.  The issues he was describing (loose receiver bolts, and loosening trunnion) happened on all of the manufacturing locations, not just Huntsville, Alabama built ones.

The last generation Freedom group Acr's were the best and most modern Acr's ever built to include the Remdef Acr's.

It is a dead platform.

Do not buy it if you are not comfortable with that.

By the way. I am not selling mine!. I like it.

That remains to be seen.

If Franklin makes the changes people asked BM for when the rifle first came out, and actually markets the rifle to that effect, then I think it could really elevate Franklin to a larger scale company. There are a ton of AR manufacturers, the ACR gives them an opportunity to differentiate themselves.

TBF, Bushmaster did eventually fix the complaints people had for the most part. They lowered the price to a reasonable level ($1600), came out with conversion kits, lighter profile 1:7 twist barrels, updated handguards, and fixed the CH assembly durability issues and issues with the 1st gen brass deflector. They just kind of failed to market it after they did all that for some bizarre reason.

About the only thing left to do to it was to strengthen the gas block legs, maybe add a bayo lug to it, and use a better suppressor mount for the factory FH instead of the AAC 51T. Maybe an aluminum lower for the people who asked for one that would allow them to change grips.

The rifle design has a huge amount of potential.

I still kinda want an ACR, if the opportunity presents itself at a reasonable price down the road I shall FO. I am hopeful for new ones to be made. Who got ownership of the design at the end of it all?

Wouldn't it be nice if Magpul were to buy the rights back to the ACR and drive development?

Bushmaster had no capital. Cerberus took it all while letting go of key personnel, implementing cost cutting measures, and tanking the brands before spinning off the corpses as Freedom Group. Bushmaster taking a decade to release some barrels and a few aluminum handguards for a premium-priced rifle is ridiculous in every way - especially actual time to market and product business performance metrics. Nevermind the total absence of marketing. That's just how crippled they were after Cerberus.

How much is he asking?

If I could find a good deal on one, I'd do an ACR SBR.

A lot of that is due to the personnel installed by Cerberus.  They had big dollar dreams of winning the Improved Carbine competition and selling a hundred thousand $2500+ wundergewehrs to the military.  I recall there being mention of an internal decree that none of the Remington Defense ACR upgrades would be used on the Bushmaster ACR.  More spehshul, more exclusive, more dollars.  It really wasn't until Cerberus loaded Remington with debt, cut them loose, and ejected all their people with their golden parachutes that they finally had the freedom internally to do what they finally did with the ACR, but then lacked the resources to really do it.  Then the debt bomb exploded, taking the company with it.

What would have happened had Bushmaster not been acquired in 2006 by Cerberus?  Would Magpul still have licensed the Masada design to a freer Bushmaster with less resources in 2008?  Would they have approached another company?  Would it have just ended up in the pile of shit that Magpul teases the industry with then smothers?

ACR is a good gun and supported by Templar but that’s really your only shop...

Spare parts are iffy kind of like the Sig 556 guns...so be aware...

As far as the loose screws...just take them off. Apply loctite and torque to 25 in/lbs...

According to this article, Franklin Armory did not get the ACR TDP.

https://www.guns.com/news/2021/02/15/bushmaster-announces-a-comeback



If the design is ever to return, it's on Magpul to do it - provided they aren't tired of making sunglasses and fancy shirts instead.

Franklin has taken over Bushmaster's old Facebook account and they teased back in March a pic of the ACR titled "Soon To Be Perfected..."

Attached File


All I could find digging through the bankruptcy documents was it looked like Remington-RoundHill (the new RemArms LLC) owned the ACR domains and trademarks.  But if Franklin-Bushmaster is teasing it, I'm willing to believe they'll follow through.  There's a lot of incestuous cross-licensing going on, especially around the Remington ammo business.  ACR stuff wouldn't surprise me either.

Despite the fact that you are quoting my post from before the bankruptcy shook out,I tend to agree with you.

Franklin has been implying over social media that they'll put it back into production though.

If they make long plastic hand guard model with a 16” barrel in actual FDE like everyone wanted, I’ll buy one.

If they make the same model as Bushmaster I’ll wish them well, but I’ll never buy one til I can get the iconic dissipator configuration.

I have an ACR with a Franklin Armory trigger and it has been a beast since day once. I would hands down buy another if they made a comeback.

Update: Franklin has stated on social media that they do in fact have the rights to produce the ACR and are looking to have it in production within the next two years. They placed a lot of emphasis on further development before it is released.

They need to place this on the front burner and get cracking!

Yep, I need a coyote one to go with my black one. I would probably leave the QD trunnion on that one and get a bunch of caliber kits for it, I put a Templar fixed trunnion on the one I have now.