Hello everyone. I'll be getting my first AR15 within the next month or so. This past weekend my girlfriend and I went to a "shooter's show" at a local indoor gun range. Firearm vendors offered their guns to shoot for free, with no range fee, just the cost of ammo that had to be purchased at the range. Besides the handguns we shot (she's a new shooter and we were checking out 9mm carry guns for her) we shot a Bushmaster and three Armalites. The only other AR15 vendor there was DPMS, and we didn't even look at those. This was our first time shooting an AR15.

The Bushmaster was their "16in M4 Type Carbine with Bird Cage Flash Suppressor" and A3 upper, the Armalite AR-15 was the same M4 style as the Bushmaster. I don't see it on Armalite's site or in their catalog, but it was like their M15A3 carbine but with the step down barrel. It had a Leupold 1-3x14 Mark 4 CQ/T scope. The other two Armalites were the AR-10A4 SPR, scoped with a Leupold something or other, and their AR-50 ($5 a round, and she got to shoot that for free). I was surprised to see the AR-10A4 on Armalite's site as an infantry weight barrel because I didn't remember it as that. Is it possible it was a heavy barrel? They only show infantry weight barrels on their site and in the catalog.

She liked the Bushmaster more than the Armalite AR-15, and said the Armalite was heavier. I'm 90% sure we were shooting the Bushmaster M4 style 16", not the shorter barreled model with the Izzy. Could the scope have made that much difference? My memory is of the birdcage suppressor, not the Izzy, on the Bushmaster; and I'm positive both it and the Armalite had a step down barrel. One thing we both disliked about the Armalite was the buttstock on it was smaller than on the Bushmaster, and the stock didn't extend as far either.

The AR-10A4 was nice. I used to have an HK91 and this seemed the same in recoil. I liked the Armalite better than the HK for stock fit and overall handling. Bushmaster didn't have their .308 there, as far as I know. The AR-50 was a loud kitten. Recoil was a soft push, not a slap.

When we got back from the range, she made a shopping list: coffee, batteries, AR15, ammo. My plan is to get the Bushmaster.

GL

Sounds like someone had fun...

Welcome...

Bushmaster is good to go.  Welcome.

Max

Both are among the very best manufacturers of ARs - you'll be very happy with either of them.

The Armalie you fired is porbably their SOF carbine. They set it up with the carbine gas-system and M4 barrel (with grenade launcher cut-out) unlike the mid-length gas systems they usually have on their carbines.

I can't remember what kind of profile Armalite has under the handguards on the SOF model, but if your G/F said it was heavier than the Bushy, chances are it was HBAR (heavy barrel) under the hand guards unlike the Bushmaster.

You can't go wrong with either of them, Bushy has a 1 year warranty, Armalite has a lifetime warranty.

There's a good chance you'll never have to use either because thry are both great rifles.

WIZZO

EDIT: Welcome

What's interesting about the weight issue is that we talked to each of the vendors about the perceived difference and they both looked sort of stupified. Of course there was no suggestion from either of them that we compare the two models side by side at one or the other's table. No-one mentioned the possibilty of the barrels being different beneath the forearms, and it didn't occur to me either.

I'm surpised Armalite uses the shorter, 4 position, collapsible buttstock. Their catalog says the extended length is 9.5". Bushmaster's collapsible is a 6 position. I can't find the extended length specification anywhere on their site or in their catalog but it's definitely longer at full extension than the Armalite.

I'd like to mention, on the topic of vendors acting towards customers as if their competitors do or don't exist when they're right there in the same room, that almost the first bit of information the Bushmaster guy said to us was that Armalite and DPMS were there too.

GL

......and the hook is set!

The Bushmaster is a great choice, as they make good ARs, have good service, and a full line-up of options.

Too bad the Colt guys weren't there, or you may own one already (j/k, down boys)

Seriously the BM is a good buy, especially the A3, with either the birdcage, ro the new Izzy. There are 2 izzies however. One is a brake, and one a flash hider, depending on your state laws.

The site (AR15.com) has a special group buy on the BM M4 A3 right now.

You can see it ----------by clicking here

only down side.......waiting until December to get your hands on it!

Plenty others available now, if you look in the right place.

Enjoy, GunLogic...... and welcome to AR15.com

Quoted: I'm surpised Armalite uses the shorter, 4 position, collapsible buttstock. Their catalog says the extended length is 9.5". Bushmaster's collapsible is a 6 position. I can't find the extended length specification anywhere on their site or in their catalog but it's definitely longer at full extension than the Armalite. GL

Read this thread. It has all the length of pull measurements in it plus a whole lot mere good stuff on stocks