I recently picked up a Bushy Carbon-15.

I'm not sure if this is an early model or not.  How can I tell?
It has the fluted stainless barrell,
snap-ring removable flash suppressor
raised flat-top carbon upper,
carbon lower
carbon stock and fore-end
Houge grip
silver finish bolt

It doesn't say 97 or 97s or 21

Also, unlike my V-match and any other 16, m4 or ar I've taken apart, nothing holds the buffer back when separating the receiver halves.  Is this the way they are designed?  Just seemed odd.

Thanks in advance...

did you buy it new?


did you try comparing what you have to what bushmaster offers at their site?

If it has an eliptical hand guard and a top rail that has sights front and rear it is a 97S, and similar to the original Professional Ordnance design, with the exception that the buttstock attachment and lugs and holes for the upper/lower connections are standard AR-15 Spec.  The Pro-Ord guns were not standard and could not be interchanged with anything else.  The Bushmaster Carbon Upper and lower can be paired with an aluminum upper or lower.

The odd buffer configuration you speak of is common to both the bushmaster and Pro-Ord guns.  The buffer plunger is of a size that it spans the junction of the upper and lower, thereby eliminating or reducing wear that might occur from abrasion of the joint by the steel edges of the plunger.

Take a look at the Bushmaster website and their display of the Carbon guns available and you can easily figure out which one you have.

I am guessing it's a 97, as it has the short rail, but still has the fluted barrell and the silver finished bolt.  

Thanks for telling me to check the BM site, I already had, but on going back, I found the Carbon15 manual.  That exlplains a lot.  

Does anyone know where I could find a lower sight rail for the Carbon upper?  I've read complaints about BM's having the raised rail, but never any mention of where to find a replacement.