curious about bushmaster ser#'s

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - curious about bushmaster ser#'s

Posted: 10/12/2004 9:32:34 PM EDT

what does your ser# start with "what letter"

i have 1 i aquired recently with a L21xxxx

just wonderin if the L has any significance.....

i aqired it from a Law Enforcement Officer......

Posted: 10/12/2004 10:05:55 PM EDT

[#1]

"L" is for LMT or Lewis Machine and Tool
the sub that made the lower

Posted: 10/12/2004 11:16:42 PM EDT

[#2]

L is for "Labelle"

Posted: 10/12/2004 11:20:34 PM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
L is for "Labelle"

Posted: 10/12/2004 11:41:47 PM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
"L" is for LMT or Lewis Machine and Tool
the sub that made the lower

Whoop, my Bushie's resale value just skyrocketed!

Posted: 10/13/2004 1:19:40 AM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
"L" is for LMT or Lewis Machine and Tool
the sub that made the lower

Cute, prove your statement.

Posted: 10/13/2004 4:12:19 AM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
Quoted:
"L" is for LMT or Lewis Machine and Tool
the sub that made the lower

Cute, prove your statement.

?

Posted: 10/13/2004 4:36:38 AM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
"L" is for LMT or Lewis Machine and Tool
the sub that made the lower

Cute, prove your statement.

?

I have heard that too. "L" series lowers were reportedly made by LMT. Its been posted on this site numerous times, and the posters I have seen are all trustworthy and knowledgable sources.

I suppose you could call Bushmaster or pose this question in their forum.

.

Posted: 10/13/2004 5:12:26 AM EDT

[#8]

the "L" is no different than the first letter on other AR TYPE guns.

Posted: 10/13/2004 6:15:33 AM EDT

[#9]

"L" is for LMT or Lewis Machine and Tool
the sub that made the lower

More likely the other company that makes lowers and there name starts with an L (LAR). The machining is the same on their lowers as the Bushmaster I have.

Posted: 10/13/2004 11:50:44 AM EDT

[#10]

Take it from someone who hung out with 2 senior Bushmaster employees for about 4 hours over soda and beers... the L means LMT.

Note that BM occasionally uses a second subcontractor, such as during the pre-94 rush and during the 98-99 rush for Y2K. Those lowers have a different letter.

-Troy

Posted: 10/13/2004 1:29:31 PM EDT

[#11]

I got a few out and checked them again. I have doubts that LMT made this Bushmaster lower that I have. The two Lowers I have made by them use a high shelf rear. They machine off the ridges on the forging. The tube threads stop before the end of the detent. The mag insert is shaped differently. And they have a larger size numbering for the serial numbers.
The LAR grizzly lower I have is a perfect match. Machined the same every where I look including a serial number size and style match except the LAR starts with LX.

I have no idea who all have made them but mine matches an LAR. I will try to get some of the new ones with different prefixes and compare them for my own interest.

Posted: 10/13/2004 1:39:45 PM EDT

[#12]

I was on the phone with Bushmaster just the other day setting up an RMA for some parts and I asked about these L marked lowers.

The guy on the phone at Bushmaster says he gets that question a couple times a year at least. According to him it does not stand for LMT. He couldn't tell me what it stood for other than the lowers are all either marked BFI or L.

I have an L marked Bushmaster and a LMT Defender 2000 and they are not the same lowers - not that means much since if Bushmaster was using LMT as a sub they would probably have their lowers made to their specs anyways.

Posted: 10/13/2004 3:03:32 PM EDT

[#13]

I have a pre and a post ban ( not that it matters) Pre is an L prefix.. Post is BFI.. Maybe the switch when that ban happened so that they are easily identified??

Just a guess..

Posted: 10/13/2004 5:52:59 PM EDT

[#14]

Hmm, Troy talks to two BFI employess who confirm it's LMT + Bravo Co. doing same vs. a lone BFI customer service guy who says, "No, but I don't know what it means."

Guess which one I'm picking...

Posted: 10/13/2004 10:13:13 PM EDT

[#15]

dang i was thinking it ment nothing but wasen't sure.......

LMT huh ...that seems to be the guess so far...kinda cool......

i wonder if it means pre 94 though?

like i said above i got this gun from a police officer .. im sure he has some hook ups...

but 1 thing i have one of the newer PLASTIC trigger guards on it and the finish is A++ on the receiver pure black no purple or anything......

that being said i wonder how long they have been using plastic guards ? anyone......

Posted: 10/13/2004 10:14:42 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
Quoted:
"L" is for LMT or Lewis Machine and Tool
the sub that made the lower

Whoop, my Bushie's resale value just skyrocketed!

is there any truth to this?

could these be the best of the best bushys?

Posted: 10/14/2004 1:14:52 AM EDT

[#17]

As far as I understand it (based on conversations with plant managers at various machine shops)
For BM the 'L' is for LMT and some have the 'C' or 'CM' (i forget which?) -for CMT.
Look at RRA - most/all(?) have the CM

I am sure this "code" in not the case for every AR manufacturer, but to my knowlege in this case it should be accurate.

I don't think I can ever prove it; unless I took a job with the BATF and did a audit of the log books

As far the the lower receivers looking different; that is more specific to the AR companies' specs and not to the machine shop doing the work. The shop will machine it to the specs desired by the AR company.
When you order a batch of lowers from the machine shops, you can spec the details like shelf height, weep holes, rear takedown reinforcements, etc. Different spec = different costs
The shop just plugs in a different CAD program into the CNC.

BTW -
Thanks Troy for the info!

Posted: 10/14/2004 4:04:10 AM EDT

[#18]

Was not to long ago eveyone here swore they made there own lowers. Now the debate is who makes the lowers for them. I seen people post that they bought Sendras old stuff and started making them then. The funny one was when the guy toured the CMT plant and let the cat out of the bag about what they were making for them.
The only prefixes anyone has posted about was L nad BFI. Has anyone here got a C marked one?

Posted: 10/14/2004 4:07:48 AM EDT

[#19]

i also noticed the serial # differenes too

and here is what i came up with till recently

L= preban
BFI=postban

but then i bought a stripped lower and it was L prefix
then later bought a complete lower and it was BFI prefix

maybe when the ban came into play they had stripped all the complete ar's they had into stripped lowers and instead of putting lower parts kits back into them after the loopholes where found they decided to just sell them as stripped lowers and sell new manu lowers with the parts kit since it would be less trouble to throw the fcg in while it was already there

then the wouldnt have to go pull all the L prefix lowers off the shelf and install parts into them

just some thought. i have nothing to back up what i just said except for what and how i bought each lower

oh and not only is the prefix differ so is the snake

Posted: 10/14/2004 5:53:04 AM EDT

[#20]

The L prefix has nothing to do with pre or postban, I have a preban with the L prefix and multiple postbans purchased from 2000 to 2002 with it, the only lower I have with the BFI prefix was purchased in 2003