Just got my barrel back from Templar Precision. I bought one of those lightweight non-qd trunnions and had a Colt M4 barrel reprofiled and pin/welded on a Dead Air brake/mount. Gas system is now carbine length and the piston had to be shortened. Hopefully in the next day or two I will have it installed. Waiting for a RPM Tool shorty handguard.



Here are some pics of the Bolt after it was lightened up, still waiting for it to come back from nitriding.

Awesome! I had Dana of templer precision flute my barrel and it came out awesome. I didn't have him repaint the barrel since I am going to get the whole cerakoted soon. He also have him lighten my bolt carrier and it came good as well! He is the guru of customising the acr platform. Hopefully Remington and bushmaster hire him to reamp the acr. It's a great platform and hopefully they will listen to his recommendations. I would like to see the acr popular again. Since ar rifles are everywhere and they have a lack of sales they will turn the acr to their bread and butter of their company.

Right on!

Thanks. 

Are the lightweight trunions still being produced? Haven't been following lately.

Not that i am aware of. The guy I picked it up from didn't end up using his from HKbeltfed's last run.

Got the barrel installed last night.

Be interesting to hear your thoughts on how much more balanced it is now.

Still waiting for the bolt carrier to get back from nitriding, should have it by the end of next week.

I hope so, the rifle been out for 10 years. With ar15 rifles for $400, major ar15 rifle companies need to invest time and resources into other rifle platforms or come up with a new weapon for their income or go broke. You guys have a great platform! Take time to improve it, fine ways to reduce the weight in the front even if you need to make it a fixed barrel trunnion. 80% of customers are not going to change the barrel anyways.

Maybe make a system where the barrel is changed like a scar with torx screws or use a wrench like a ar15. Further reducing the weight of the trunnion and make the trunnions out of aluminum instead of steel. I let my friends try out my acr and all of them agree the rifle is nose heavy.

Make the bolt carrier smaller. I had my bolt carrier milled down to 10.2 ozs. If you do make the new bolt carrier, make the design the same profile as mine modified that would be less material and time machining saving you guys time and money and a better balanced rifle reducing weight of the rifle further. I noticed people say their rifle shoot even smoother after the modifications.

I would move away from manufacturing the ar15 to the dedication to the acr rifle.  Everyone and their brothers are making ar15 rifles and they are getting cheaper year by year.

Make a aluminum lower also as a option that accepts most ar components like grip and FCG. The lower doesn't need to be made out of magnesium other other expensive metals like the Remington version. The lower receiver shouldn't be expensive to make since cnc mills setup for ar15 lowers are kinda similar to the acr lower. Sell them around $200-$250 range. I would buy them at that price. Don't think of selling them above that price because they won't move then. Customers reaction would be I can buy a complete ar for that.

The shooting public that's wants something other than a ar15 or AK that bored them would want a good reliable rifle with the accuracy of a ar15 but cheap! I would know since I was a manager of a gun store. People would come and want something else than a AK or ar15. I gave them alternatives such as the scar, tavor, sig acr etc.and they would be turned away. They were out of their budget. The average budget was $1200. Target the price at that range and you guys will have a winner with the acr! I hope bushmaster takes my criticism and advice in a positive manner as I meaning it in that way.

@brunse09 @BushmasterFirearms All good points!

Just to extend this a bit... The SCAR has a lightweight profile barrel vs the M4 profile of the ACR. Since both are lighter overall, the ACR is going to be much heavier towards the front. IMHO the ACR is really the only quick change friendly option though so I'd either keep the trunnion the way it is (definitely check out aluminum or titanium) or leverage the best of something that requires a wrench. The SCAR is just in a weird middle ground!

I second this! I don't know that I would want an aluminum lower but the way Remington was able to incorporate the AR grip is fantastic. If you don't make the grip changeable, at least make the new one support the new MOE internal storage units which seem to have a few more options! One of the biggest complaints people have of the ACR is the position of the safety which is largely due to the ACR retaining the AR-15 trigger pack. The SCAR uses a 45 degree safety which is also available on the AR-15 and a great solution to this issue. That, and shorter levers.

It sounds silly, but I really like the ambi charging handle of the original Masada. I know you can flip the charging handle fairly quickly but it's not actually ambidextrous. Since it's not reciprocating, I feel like it's a non-issue to have it on both sides.

Beyond that, it's a slick looking gun that I believe feels better than the SCAR (the controls are infinitely better, faster break-down and barrel changes, better furniture) despite the incredible popularity of the latter. With just a little more Bushmaster support, I could see it taking off. Magpul made their entire company off charging $50 for $25 parts, I feel like Bushmaster having its own firearm ecosystem would be a total dream. Keep the base rifle at $1200-1500 retail and have some other options available when people replenish their budget. Show me some options for the safety, the charging handle, maybe some armorers tools like something to strap the trunnion in so I can change barrels (and maybe do a little magic to make regular AR barrels work) or at least flash suppressors. The stocks are great but I'd like to see the PRS version get an integrated monopod or at least a provision for one. Little details that stand out on paper and at the range that shouldn't drive the price up too much.

I would say the Beretta ARX is the best quick change system now, but I've never really understood the quick change setup, especially when no other calibers are offered.  Honestly, if they would go with a normal profile barrel and lose the QD barrel, it would go a long way to lightening the rifle or at least balance it out a bit better.  Or again, just build and release the Rem ACR and call it a day.  It's obvious the M4 isn't getting replaced any time soon and Rem/Bushy are sitting on a gold mine me thinks.  Hell continue to offer the Civ ACR at $1400 or so and then have the "premium" Rem ACR model at around 1700 and I bet people would buy.  


ETA: And release a pistol version 

It appears that the 16" barrels are no longer the M4 profile, but the thinner profile of the 14.5" and 10.5". Someone posted pics of their new ACR on the Bushmaster ACR owners Facebook group and it has a thinner profile 16" barrel. It would be nice if Bushmaster could confirm if in fact the new production 16" barrels are not M4 profiled...

I just bought my ACR less than a month ago and it's an M4 profile. All their replacement barrels are a thinner profile. Would be nice if they were offered with the thinner profile on the firearm to begin with.

I’ve never seen a non m4 profiled 16” barrel.  It’s the only one that kept the profile and I’ve handled several of the new 1/7 ones.

Here's the rifle posted on the Facebook group. As you can see, no M4 profile.

To be clear, that's what I thought too, and that seems to have been the case up to this point. They must have used up old stocks of barrels and changed the new production to the thinner profile.

Again, Bushmaster, it would be nice to get confirmation of what's actually going on.

Maybe ask the guy on Facebook?

Got the handguard today, now just need the bolt carrier back.

So no more heavy M4 profile barrels! That's good to hear. Thanks for the clarification.

Looking good !!!!

I need to save up so I can get one of those hand guards

Thanks!

It is definitely worth it.

Just got everything back and installed. The gun is way more balanced, night and day difference. Templar Precision really did a nice job and was great to work with. Still trying to decide what sights I want to put on this. Will be getting an optic for it down the road too.

In the BUIS world, there is only one option.  KAC 99051 Taupe and a 2-600 m KAC micro rear.  



Okay okay, you don't want to drop $300 on BUIS...fine, I get it, go with the Magpul MBUS Pro's.  They are GTG also.  

KAC it is. I have a rear sight already and love it. Have MBUS pro's on my AR-15.

Will the 14.5" barrel with the AAC 51T FH permanently attached be an option at the retail level? Or will that route require a 16" ACR and then a separate barrel purchase? Thanks.