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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Bushmaster or Colt??? (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 5/17/2004 4:08:38 PM EDT
| Could someone please let me know which rifle is better, Bushmaster or Colt? I'm in the market for a new rifle and I'm trying to decide. If one is better than the other, please tell me why? Thanks for your feedback!!! |
Oh man, my favorite thread subject!  I'll start this love fest off by asking what configuration you are thinking about getting for your next rifle? I tend to lean towards Bushmasters because of the chrome-lined barrels but I do like the Colt 6400c M4 model. I liked it so much I bought one  With the 6400c you get a chrome-lined, 1:7 twist barrel and M4 feed ramps. Give us some idea about what type of rifle you are looking for and what it's intended purpose so we'll be able to help you pick the right one. |
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Because somebody is going to post it eventually... Tactical Forums Thread Tweak's Thread 
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ARMALITE... This is an every week topic ,which is better armalite or bushmaster or colt or r.r or is the mini 14 . just keep your ears and eyes OPEN ,look on the problems board . |
Well, in this case my vote goes to the Colt. Like I said earlier you get a 16", 1:7 twist, chrome-lined, 4150 barrel and M4 feedramps. You also get a M4 stamped upper (above the gas tube), T numbered flattop, "H" buffer, fatter M4 handguards, side-sling mount and a "M4 Carbine" stamped lower (a little cool factor thrown in there). However, that is not to say the Bushmaster M4 will not serve you well because it will. I just liked the little extras that the Colt has. As far as function and reliability I would trust either one of them so really (at least for me) it just boiled down to a few "extras". The Colt does cost a little more so if you are on a budget I would suggest going with the Bushmaster and using any extra cash for magazines and ammo. I think I bought my 6400c for $965 shipped so that's less than $100 over what the Bushmaster M4A3 cost. That's not too bad for some but like I said, if you're on a budget.... There is one more thing you need to be aware of (if you are not already) and that is the fact that the Colt uses oversized (.170") hammer and trigger pins. This doesn't sit well with some but you will have to decide if that matters to you. Don't let people fool you, replacement parts are very easy to get, even Bushmaster sells them. You'll have to decide if that is something that will bother you or not. It's not that big of a deal to me but I certainly understand the other side of the argument. Good luck man! |
Exactly. Both are great and it really depends on personal preference. Don't know if I'd pay the price of a brand new Colt though, but if you have the $$$ go for it. Bushy is also a great rifle, some say better. I usually stick to my ABC's (Armalite, Bushmaster, Colt). RRA is also a good rifle but I don't own one so I can't say much. Good luck. |
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Both should be banned! But other than that COLT is the superior rifle by far. I've had three bushy uppers, none of which the mechanical zero was correct. They're not off enough to throw a tantrum, but it's a pet peeve, babe! Both Colts, on the other hand were right on. |
Bushamster uses 4150 barrel steel (which is the milspec steel), Armalite uses 4140. Although Armalite uses the midlength carbine system rather than the traditional. So I guess it evens out. Colt, Bushmaster, ARmalite, and Rock River are the current cream of the crop, so you should do well with any of those. |
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Don't forget that Colt halted all of their civilian sales for 2 years. Deuteronomy 7:26 "Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: [but] thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it [is] a cursed thing." Get the Bushmaster! |
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I was a major Bushmaster fan for years, but have recently learned a few things about Colt that put them in a more favorable light, such as finding that they make their barrels in-house. Also, part of the price difference is in Colt's union labor force. I expect to see a few changes in Colt's product line and, perhaps, their attitude. It appears that they are reaching outside the box. |
Please enlighten me here; why and when did Colt halt all civilian sales? Really, I'm not trying to be a smart-ass or anything but I'd like to hear more details before I pass judgement. Was it during GWI? Was it during a major contract delivery? Was it just because they are assholes? Got any more details? |
Really? Very interesting! Got any scoop you can share? |
Would you please show me a reference that states 4150 is the current milspec ?? Thank you. 5sub |
I have a Bushmaster, Colt makes fine rifles, but they're politically RKBA shaky. (Apologies in advance to some) I'm generally distrustful of unions especially ones who give lots of money to the people who want to take our guns away. Buy Armalite, Bushmaster, Colt or RRA who has the features that you want. These debates are old, boring and silly. |
Colt voluntarilly suspended sales of it's commercial AR15 line after Patrick Purdy killed 5 children while shooting up a schoolyard playground in Stockton, CA with an AK-47 rifle in 1989. This was the same incident that led GW1 to ban the importation of so-called "non-sporting" firearms. Colt was out of the commercial market for a little less than a year and during the same time was going through one it's numerous corporate reorganizations that also likely played a large factor in their absence. Upon resumption of commercial sales, the bayonet lug disappeared and once the existing supply of "AR15" marked lowers was exhausted, the supposedly more politically correct Blue Label "Sporter" series was introduced complete with larger sear/trigger pins, blocked lower receiver, shaved bolt carrier, and 5 round magazines. |
Got a link ?? 5sub From the B/M site. Can't find a thing about 4150 steel.
www.bushmaster.com/shopping/uppers/post-ban/default.asp |
I totally agree with this statement. |
From the ArmaLite site:
www.armalite.com/fromThePres/philosophy.htm 5sub |
From the Bushmaster site...
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Bradd, what I've been trying to determine for months is what IS the current milspec. Is it 4150 or is it chrome moly vanadium ?? (I THINK the current milspec is chrome moly vanadium but am NOT certain.) 5sub |
Understand and thanks. Now is the military spec'ing 4150 ?? (I've heard this forever but have never found any outside source.) 5sub |
5subslr5, Forest gave you the reference above. As far as a link, I'm not sure if it is on the web anywhere. Does anyone have a PDF of this or something? The 4140/4150 debate isn't a big deal for most people. 4150 just stands up to heat for longer periods of time, therefore it is added insurance for rapid or full auto fire. I doubt 99% of us could shoot so much and so rapidly in a short period of time that it would make a real difference. Like I said, it's added insurance. Which is probably why the military specifies it as it is more than it normally needed, but styrong enough that they will not have a barrel failure in a case of theoretical extremes. |
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No problem, Just want to set the record straight. This misconseption does not bother me near as much as the one where people say chrome moly barrels are better than chrome line b/c the chrome is in the steel..... The chrome line barrel is chrome moly too! Just had another process after to make it even more wear resistant. |
I think that one (chrome moly barrels are better than chrome line b/c the chrome is in the steel.....) may have been started by a certain former AR15.com advertiser who is no longer on the board, deservedly so. |
All MIL specs are available online at www.dsp.dla.mil. You must have clearance to view some of them, but most are general distribution. MIL-B-11595 (BAR, METAL AND BLANKS, STEEL (UNDER 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER) FOR BARRELS OF SMALL ARMS WEAPONS) is viewable at assist.daps.dla.mil/docimages/0000/17/57/9234.PD4 . Everyone here should go read it, to prove the point once again that the term MILSPEC , as it is used on this board, doesn't mean a damned thing. No one in the civilian firearms community seems to understand it. The only possible way to find out what steel is supposed to be used in the barrel of a MILSPEC M16 is to go look at the drawing of the barrel. The Milspec only lists the conditions that must be applied to certain steels when they will be used for barrels. It covers three steels: 4150, 4150 resulphurized and chrome-moly-vanadium. Any of these steels (and possibly more ) can be specified by the designer. You cannot know which is correct for a specific rifle unless you have the current drawing package for that rifle. 5subslr5, if you are looking for evidence of what is the proper barrel steel for the M16 family, the only source that can tell you that is ARDEC (U.S. ARMY ARMAMENT RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND ENGINEERING CENTER ) drawing number 9349000. Any other source is just guessing. Also note that 4150 is not a Cr-Mo-V steel, nor are 4130, 4140, 4340. None of these steels contain vanadium. |
I love it when guys make statements about what Colt will do AFTER the ban sunsets.  Like anybody really has a clue?
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| They don't need to block the lower anymore with the large fire control pins. The reason for the block was to prevent the use of M16 parts in the AR15. With the large pins, that concern is taken care of using a different route. So this will give you more leeway as far as match triggers that needed the block removed is concerned. |
Colt stopped using a protruding sear block in the early nineties. This is my 6400C: 
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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Bushmaster or Colt??? (Page 1 of 2)
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