Can you share your experiences and preferences of RRA VS Bushmaster ARs with me?  I am new to ARs and trying to make up my mind as to which brand is better.  Thus far, it sounds like most prefer the RRAs.  I had previously heard that DPMS was good, but not so sure after reveiwing this board.

Interested in a quality arm for target shooting and plinking, no interest in serious competition.  Prefer A2 syle.

Thanks for your advice.  Rick

Barrel selection is the biggest difference.  None of the barrels made by one company or the other are the same.  Decide which barrel specs you want and pick that manufacturer.

Length?
Chrome lined?
Profile?
Twist?

etc.

I have to agree.  Choose the tube you want and buy from them.  Personally I would take a RRA but thats getting into religion.  I've sold both and never had one come back.

I couldn't seem to make up my mind which i prefered over the other, so..........i now have a Bushmasters upper on a RRA lower with a NM Trigger.  I really like it too...........Look out Prarie Dogs come June.
     
                                      Orddy
[usa]                [usa]                [usa]

im split also, running rra 24" on a bushmaster lower. havnt shot it yet but it sure looks mean.

How long has RRA been manufacturing ARs?  Thanks much,  Rick

I like RRA.  They make one mean varminter.

[:D]

Get Both......[:D]

RRA started makeing AR's after the ban and actually way after the ban. Around 99 or 2000 is when I remember seing them pop up but maybe I am wrong about the year. They bought the PWA tooling for lowers and IMO that is why they were/are successful with their lowers. PWA had it right, so hard to mess that up.

But don't let how long they have been around fool you. Olympic Arms is one of if not THE oldest manufacturer of civillian marketed AR's and I think most would agree that they are close to the bottome when it comes to quality fit and finish..... Hell the first BM lowers were actually made by OLY and now BM is at the top.

Now as for RRA, some of their other parts, i.e. ft uppers and non chrome lined barrels, they seem to be working out the bugs here but have had problems in the past. And I believe they offer chrome linned as option now.

I like RRA as far as new kid on the block makeing quality AR's. But Bushmaster is by far metter in all aspects (IMO again) except maybe price. BM is as close to MIL SPEC as it comes i.e. as close to what I carry in the military.

I think that RRA is being used by a lot of members here because they offer quality at a bit lower price. That lower price partly comes from the non mil spec parts i.e. (lower rec parts, ft uppers non chrome lined barrels) but also RRA charges less that BM when it comes to just about everything they sell . Includeing, as someone here pointed out, identical items (6 pos stocks)??????

If you compare only the LOWER RECEIVER of the two, they are identical in quality except for the name. RRA sells theirs for less. So when someone goes to build they lean towards RRA.
But when compareing BM to RRA quality for the rest of the weapon, BM comes out on top (if mil spec is your means of measurement)again IMO

All that being said, my SPR build consist of a NM RRA US Property marked lower with matched FT upper, w/ an OLY SUM SS barrel FF RAS and all the rest of the bells and whistles.... Actually no BM parts.

I also own any OLY 9mm upper conversion, On BM lower.  I bought this long before RRA started makeing their 9mm uppers or I would have one of theirs. But all the rest of my AR's are true BM all the way. M4, Dissipator, ans 20" Gov't profile A2.

One thing I have learned about buying / building ARs is to not let price be your leading or only factor in what you buy. If you do you will usually end up replaceing all the inferior parts and in the long run spend more money. You can use this reasoning in just about ALL gun buying. Do the reaserch and decide what is best for you. Then try and find the best price on the best product. You really can't go wrong with BM or RRA.

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Really depends on what you want to do with it.  As far as CMP legal service rifles RRA has pretty much become the standard, especially as tuned by John Holiger of White Oak Precision.  Bushmaster is, the last I saw anyway, the biggest seller in the AR market and probably the closest to mil-spec if that floats your boat.  Armalite is generally considered the top of the line of the non-custom shops tho I think that is based more on perception that real differences.  Oly gets flamed but mine worked exactly as advertised and their target/varmint barrels are some of the best out there.  Friend has a DPMS and it works just fine.  

Basically they all make a quality product.  They can all put out the occasional lemon. I've never been convinced there is all that much difference between the major companies.  

I own m4's from both bushy and rra,,,, and they both are excellent weapons,,,, I prefer the rra trigger,,, but love the actual 14.5 inch barrel from bushy,,,, if you get the bushy,,, in an m4 configuration,,, get rid of the mini ycomp muzzle brake and get an a3 from kurts kustom firearms,,, its the best thing i ever did for my bushy!!!!!!!,,,, otherwise,,, all things considered,,, they are equal,,, give or take 100 bucks,,,lol

IMHO, The only edge that Bushmaster holds over RRA is 4150 steel barrels. Past that, I'm squarely for RRA, with better finish (purple), better triggers (NM *stock*), and lower prices.

I have an Oly lower and RRA upper. Works perfectly. I would defenitely go with a chrome lined barrel, though.

[8p]
Purple!!! Your living in the past man. Hippie off.

Ok I've said it once and ill say it again.....If RRA made barrels out of Milspec steel and chromed all their Bores/chambers...There would be NO discussion....And everyone would say "Bushmaster who?"

I have two bushmaster uppers. They are both 9 twist carbines and are accurate. Two out of two tells me the barrels are quality.

Actually, it's far from a thing of the past; a month ago my friend returned a violet lowered rifle to BM.

It did come back quickly, though, to their credit.

I love my Bushmaster, My friends RRA is a great shooter too.