I received my 1st AR a few days ago. A new Bushmaster 20" for $760. My primary reason for the purchase was to introduce the platform to my son who plans on joining the military next year. Though this is the only AR I've owned, having spent 8 years in the Marine Corps I feel I know my way around the rifle. However, compared to the M16s I used to play with, this BM is extremely tight. Bolt Carrier dissassembly (cam, bolt, etc) had to be encouraged. If memory serves, the M16s were so loose they almost fell apart once the firing pin retaining pin was removed. I haven't fired it yet (will tomorrow) but was wondering if this tightness was inherent in the Bushmaster, was common in most new ARs, and would loosen up after a lot of use. Just curious.

With the better ARs its quite common.  Break it in with lots of shooting and it'll smooth out nicely.

my dad noticed the same thing when he took my bushmaster apart. but he was in the army and was used to the loose parts on the broken in rifles.

Full auto and a lot of beating around can do a lot to loosen a gun up [;)]

I just recently posted a thread on this, I was wondering the same thing. Every AR I have ever shot over the years which has been many, was a loose rackety rifle, but always shot fine. After years and years of jams, I became quite disenchanted with the AR. Recently however, I rebuilt my pre-ban OLY with an A2 upper and complete lower parts kit. First, let me say those who have issues with Oly should check out their more than excellent newer stuff, I see no difference between the new Oly stuff and the Bushmaster stuff. I recently saw an M&A upper at a show ans like my Mama always said if you ain't got nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all, so I won't. I have seen more than one bushy at the shows with very loose awful and I mean awful fit. Not to take away from Bushmaster, I think they make the finest AR on the market. Anyway, I posted a thread about my upper being just a little tight because I too was used to the slop and the good fellas here at AR15.com set me straight. After firing thise new rifle I fired it until it ran out of CLP which is the only thing that caused a jam. To say the least I have a re-newed love for the Stoner rifle. Being a Falaholic, it is hard to admit, but now at the range I just cannot put the AR down, the accuracy is absolutely amazing and this is an Oly!!! Standard 20". You know what's weird and this has nothing to do with anything but the first AR I ever shot was in the early 1980's when people would literally pay you to take them, nobody wanted them. It was a semi-auto A-1 that my late Father and I built. My Dad used to work for the Navy and back then and I do remember this, there were literally spare parts everywhere on base that you could trade for ciarettes, playboys or just buy for peanuts. Parts were EVERYWHERE. Yep, the old tri-angle handguards and all. Anyway, all these rifles we shot until the Communist party micturated on the 2nd ammendment in '94, I don't remember one of them being tight, they were all loose. Now, being the years between maybe 78-85 when we built them, these were obvioulsy left over Vietnam parts. Loose as a two dollar Naval base whore. But never ever, ever a jam. I bring this up because on gunbroker I have been seeing some SP1's for sale. 20 years ago, they were so cool. Now I think the A1 sights and the tri-guards look antique, which is cool. Hey guys, a few more years and some may be C&R??? A man can dream. This sure brings back memories of being a little kid sitting in a Cobra helicopter and seeing the fighters that made Khadafi think about what he did. I was telling my Mother the other day the endless opportunities I had as a kid to go up in fighters for a ride and I was a chicken sh*t little kid and wouldn't go. Could you imagine as an adult having carte blance to go up with navy fliers? Hell, you wouldn't be able to hold me back!! I miss America. To sum it up this rifle went together super tight but if you understand friction, tolerance and wear, you know the rifle will break in and it will be beautiful. Now, the minute it starts to jam, I will get pissed again. I don't think it will, it is nice and I love it and now I want another. Question is, do I get it now or wait until America is liberated in September '04. I really, really want a Bushy. Anyone know a good place online to pick up good deals on pre-bans?

I had the same tightness issue with both my new AR's. After about 200 rounds they got comfortably loose.

I own three ar's, and have the chance to shoot them reguarly as I live on a wide spread type ranch.  
Anyway.. im much past the 200rd mark on the rra's and they are tighter than drums.. the bushy on the other hand, well its almost new (bought it from my friend for $650 with all his gear) and i believe it will get loose.
If i have a choice. i wont buy anything other than rras from now on.
(i also only get malfunctions every 60-100 rds with the rra)

I'd be disappointed with a malfunction every 60-100 rounds with my RRA lower/Bushy upper.  That's well into the unacceptable range in my book.

If your gun is clean and you're shooting decent ammo, you might want to start looking closely at your mags to see if there's one in particular that's causing a problem (like failure to feed).

I have only fired my Bushy 20" Hbar twice since buying it last November.  (I had fired different M16A1s from the very early 70s through the early 90s.)
I fired 50 rounds indoors in December, and 350 rounds outdoors in May.  I did not have a single jam, malfunction, etc., and was using Wolf (150 rounds), Winchester, Federal and LC (the other 200 rounds.)  I was using used 20 and 30 round mags I purchased here.  I would have been upset with a problem every "60 to 100" rounds- something is wrong.  Funny, but I didn't think it loosened up much yet either (and I did find it tighter than the junk I shot in the Army and Army Reserves over the years.)

I put ~1500 rounds through my Bushmaster carbine during a two-day CQB class this past April.  I didn’t have a single problem with the rifle.  Not one single failure was encountered.  If I had a jam every 60-100 rounds, I’d consider the rifle a POS.

tight? lol try a Rock River Arms if ya wanna see a TIGHT fit. does loosen up after a few hundred rounds. :)

Congratulations. You have just experienced a Virgin AR-15. One that no other men have had there way with. You get to loosen it up all  on your own.
I was lucky enough to get a wife like that too. [;)]