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Posted: 4/7/2010 2:48:02 PM EDT
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I recently sold my Bushmaster .556 ORC and purchased a DPMS Sportical 7.62. I had nothing but trouble with the DPMS. It wouldnt feed any ammunition that I tried to use, no matter what the brand or bullet weight or type. After speaking with DPMS and trying everything they suggested, DPMS just suggested sending in the rifle for them to check out whats causing the feeding problems. Then to top it off there is a shortage of magazines for DPMS .308 rifles. Everyone suggested Magpul, including DPMS, but I contacted them and they are still on back order, and I spoke with DPMS about magazines and even they admitted they are on back order and cannot currently fulfill the demand for their .308 rifles. DPMS also stated that they did have a bunch of rifles go out with bad magazines. So luckily, I am friends with the gun dealer who sold me the DPMS Sportical and he just let me return it. I was then still in need of a .308 "patrol" rifle. He then suggested that I try one of the new Bushmaster .308 ORC rifles. I told him to go ahead and get me one. So, I now have a Bushmaster .308 ORC on the way.
My question is this: I'm curious as to if anyone on here has the Bushmaster .308 ORC and if so whats your opinion of it? I also had him order me 3 extra magazines from bushmaster and I they are pretty expensive. They cost me $35 each and that was at dealer cost. I remember several years ago that Bushmaster was using FNFAL magazines when they used to make .308 rifles. Do they still use FNFAL magazines or did they change when they started back with the .308 recently? |
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According to wikipedia, Bushmaster licensed the old design (FAL magwell) to RRA, and I know RRA's LAR-8 uses FAL magazines. There is no information in regards to the details of the license agreement, whether or not Bushmaster can tread on the market of ARs that use FAL mags. It's very likely that the new Bushmasters use the SR25 type magwells. Something to consider, though it might not mean anything, Cerberus Captial Management owns Bushmaster, DPMS, and Remington...so it wouldn't be surprising if Bushmasters new offering uses the SR25 design since DPMS and Remington both use that as well.
If your new Bushmaster can accept Magpul LR-20s, I would seriously consider finding a place to order a few. There is a reason the Magpuls are harder to come by. I posted this story somewhere else on this forum, when I bought my DPMS LR-308C, I had major problems with feeding and casings being dented. I switched to Magpuls and have not had a problem with them. You know those DPMS factory steel mags are $45 each, so I could have sold them second-hand to someone for $5 or $10 dollars...or more...but I didn't want to sell garbage that carries a risk of injury or worse to someone else. I broke them down and threw them into a scrap metal pile at work. |
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Well, you may wish you had done more research. I am pretty sure that the new Bushmaster .308s are DPMS. They are both owned by Cerebus. The new Bushmaster does have an available chrome-lined barrel. The old Bushmaster .308 design was sold to Rock River.
I'm guessing new Bushmasters use the SR-25/DPMS pattern mag. I have no idea where you looked for mags, but they are readily available for cheaper than they have ever been. C Products are currently around $16 each and you can occasionally do even better during a sale. To the previous poster, DPMS factory mags (like C Products) have a lifetime warranty. All you need to do is arrange to send them back for replacement. |
| Well this is troubling. I bet your correct then that Bushmaster probably dont use the FNFAL mags anymore. This especially makes sense since Bushmaster and DPMS are all owned by the same company. I wasnt able to find out much info on the new Bushmaster.308, which is why I checked on here. So,.... it looks like it will still be another DPMS type of gun. Which is kinda odd since DPMS sells their steel mags for appx $15 dealer cost and Bushmaster wants over $35 for theirs. Well,.... I will be shocked if anyone can find a new Magpul Pmag for a DPMS anywhere. Magpul is on backorder and every major distributor including DPMS is on back order with them, and has been for many months. |
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I think Palmetto State Armory has them PSA
Bravo Company shows stock BCM Brownell's is out, but they will back order and get them to you pretty quick. As long as the rifle is in the configuration that you want it shouldn't be too hard to sort out a feed issue. I have my second DPMS (LR308 AP4) on order and I have been very happy with the first. I am using Fulton Armory mags. I suspect they are C-Products stainless steel with their roll mark on the floor plate. I do plan on getting a bucket load of the P-mags when the money is good. |
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HHMM...the picture on the Bushmaster webpage looks like SR25 type mags. HOWEVER––Bushmaster lists FN FAL mags for their 308 type mags in their part sections. I wonder which it is?
EDIT––just found a review in the industry section for bushmaster. They poster says it takes the SR25 type mags and tat is what is in his pictures as well. |
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Well,..... I'm gonna give Bushmaster a call today and find out for sure, because on their respective websites the Bushmaster says it comes with a 20 round magazine and the DPMS says it comes with two 19 round magazines. So if they are both DPMS style guns,.... maybe the Bushmaster magazines will be better than the ones that come with DPMS, but if they are still using the SR25 style mags, i'm not paying $35+ for each mag when I can get a Pmag or C products mag for almost half that price. Im also not excited about paying appx $200 more for the Bushmaster than for the DPMS, but in comparing the two different guns a DPMS with the same features that the Bushmaster has would cost about the same as the Bushmaster or more. Well,... Bushmasters website was a little confusing because they still list their FNFAL mags for sale but dont list the new ones, but I'll find out for sure whats going on today.
I just got off the phone with Bushmaster and they did confirm that they are using the same basic format as the DPMS and Remington rifles. They did state that they make their own barrels and mill their own recievers, and that theirs are chrome lined. I asked if DPMS makes ANY part of the Bushmaster and I was told, "NO",... but who knows if thats true. Also, I know that many people have DPMS rifles and have never had a problem, but I'm just leary of them right now because I need a reliable duty rifle and so far, DPMS has not been reliable for "ME". I may go ahead and give the Bushmaster a try,..... not 100% sure yet. But I did cancel that expensive magazine order just in time,..... so thanks guys for that heads up. |
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Quoted:
To the previous poster, DPMS factory mags (like C Products) have a lifetime warranty. All you need to do is arrange to send them back for replacement. I called DPMS this morning and asked about having them sent back. I was given a UPS account # to ship against as well as some information about returning it. He even said I could swap them out for Magpuls if I wanted as well. I'm sure what ever magazines I request, there will be some lead time or wait time, but I have a couple of great Magpuls to tide me over. I might go for the DPMS 10 rounders though. +1 for DPMS! One thing that stopped me from sending in the magazines in the first place was that I'm not the original owner of the rifle, however, I looked through the paperwork that came with the purchase and the warranty card is not filled out. So unless there were multiple warranty cards and the original owner sent one in, I think I might be good to go. I'm going to fill out the warranty card and send it in, then I'm going to go back into the scrap pile at work and put the mags back together. It's a good thing I'm the one responsible for what goes in and out of the scrap pile and how often it goes to get turned into dollars. 
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Quoted:
Quoted:
To the previous poster, DPMS factory mags (like C Products) have a lifetime warranty. All you need to do is arrange to send them back for replacement. I called DPMS this morning and asked about having them sent back. I was given a UPS account # to ship against as well as some information about returning it. He even said I could swap them out for Magpuls if I wanted as well. I'm sure what ever magazines I request, there will be some lead time or wait time, but I have a couple of great Magpuls to tide me over. I might go for the DPMS 10 rounders though. +1 for DPMS! One thing that stopped me from sending in the magazines in the first place was that I'm not the original owner of the rifle, however, I looked through the paperwork that came with the purchase and the warranty card is not filled out. So unless there were multiple warranty cards and the original owner sent one in, I think I might be good to go. I'm going to fill out the warranty card and send it in, then I'm going to go back into the scrap pile at work and put the mags back together. It's a good thing I'm the one responsible for what goes in and out of the scrap pile and how often it goes to get turned into dollars.
I did the same thing, had the same experience (UPS account #, swap, etc) and I should have four mags (hopefully PMag LR's) on Friday. |
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