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Posted: 12/31/2005 5:53:48 PM EDT
I have a Bushmaster 20" A3 flat top.  I have seen some people call my rifle an A4 and others call it an A3.  Bushmaster calls all of their flat top rifles A3's, but is calling it an A4 wrong?  

It is essentially the same thing as an M16A4, so I think calling it an A4 is fine, but I don't know.


Link Posted: 12/31/2005 5:59:48 PM EDT
[#1]
A3 was the designation the manufacturer gave the flattop before the military adoption of the A4.
Link Posted: 12/31/2005 6:01:02 PM EDT
[#2]
Thanks.  So would calling my Bushmaster an A4 be incorrect?
Link Posted: 12/31/2005 6:02:06 PM EDT
[#3]
Tough call.
Link Posted: 12/31/2005 6:03:03 PM EDT
[#4]

Quoted:
Thanks.  So would calling my Bushmaster an A4 be incorrect?



I don't think it matters.
Call it a nice rifle.
Link Posted: 12/31/2005 6:03:56 PM EDT
[#5]

Quoted:
Tough call.


If I call my Bushmaster a 20" A4, I would think that would be like a Beretta 92FS owner calling his pistol an M9.

Link Posted: 12/31/2005 6:04:28 PM EDT
[#6]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Thanks.  So would calling my Bushmaster an A4 be incorrect?



I don't think it matters.
Call it a nice rifle.


Link Posted: 12/31/2005 6:08:52 PM EDT
[#7]
RRA uses the distinction “M4,"Bushmaster uses the “A3" terminology, you have an A3 upper
Link Posted: 12/31/2005 6:53:01 PM EDT
[#8]

Quoted:
Thanks.  So would calling my Bushmaster an A4 be incorrect?


Hell man, it's your rifle. You can call it "baby cakes" if you want.
Link Posted: 12/31/2005 8:16:12 PM EDT
[#9]
Just call it evil, the root of all evil, or Charlene if you liked Full Metal Jacket. I like to call mine "Betty"
Link Posted: 12/31/2005 8:26:13 PM EDT
[#10]
A3 and A4 are used interchangebly in the civilian world to denote a flat top upper.  Call it whatever you want.  A3 and A4 have their own military definitions as well, A3 being an M16A2 with full auto instead of burst (called an M16A3), and A4 being an M16A2 with a flat top (called an M16A4).  Confused yet?
Link Posted: 12/31/2005 10:23:35 PM EDT
[#11]

Quoted:
A3 and A4 are used interchangebly in the civilian world to denote a flat top upper.  Call it whatever you want.  A3 and A4 have their own military definitions as well, A3 being an M16A2 with full auto instead of burst (called an M16A3), and A4 being an M16A2 with a flat top (called an M16A4).  Confused yet?


Thanks for the explanation, and nope .

I didn't realize the M16A3 was denoted as the full auto version of the M16A2.
Link Posted: 12/31/2005 10:29:18 PM EDT
[#12]
You'll be less confused if you realize that it's not an M16.  As such, the Bushmaster XM15E2S series of rifles are named whatever Bushmaster calls them.

As explained before, civvie uppers are called "A3" or "A4" interchangeably with "flat top".  This sort-of reflects the military designations, but not really.

It's kinda like how everyone calls every AR-pattern rifle an "AR-15" or every AR with a 14.5-16" barrel an "M4".  It's technically incorrect in almost all cases, but it's the common names of the weapons as far as the general public is concerned.
Link Posted: 12/31/2005 10:31:15 PM EDT
[#13]

Quoted:
Just call it evil, the root of all evil, or Charlene if you liked Full Metal Jacket. I like to call mine "Betty"



My Bushmaster's name is "Elena"
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