This might be a part of milling in the manufacture process, or I might have a defective Bolt carrier, Bushmaster experts please help.
I can email a picture if my description doesn't give you the idea of the problem.

I just put 120 rounds through my Bushmaster yesterday after it was returned from the factory- had to have the front sight re-indexed, and a new barrel put on (original one didn't have chrome lining all the way to the crown) and the gas tube had soot around the front sight, making me wonder about a gas leak.  Not a good start, but I am trying my best to love this rifle, and Bushmaster has been very cooperative in fixing my original problems.

Anyway, with a total of ~300 rounds through it, I decided to give the bolt carrier it's first good scrubbing with a toothbrush and CLP to get the built up crud out.  As I was cleaning it, I was able to remove the soot from all but one area.  As I peer down into the chrome lined hole of the bolt carrier where the bolt lives, with the carrier key at the 12:00 position, I notice an odd 2mm divot at the 3:00 position, right where the bolt carrier tapers down to a smaller size. The size of metal that appears to be missing could best be described as about the size of one of those super large salt crystals you get on a pretzel- small, but my concern is it will be the birth point of a stress fracture and failure after enough use.

I only would expect to see a divot where a retaiing pin or screw passes through on the outside of the bolt carrier, but there is nothing on the other side of the bolt carrier at this point, making me wonder if this is a chip from original manufacture or blown out after a few hundred rounds.  Again, I can mail a picture if my description is not adequate, but would like to know if this is a common mark in all Bushmaster Bolt carriers, or mine is damaged.

Thanks in advance.

I don't know much about the BC but I would think it should be smooth as that is where the gas rings ride, this is the part of the carrier you are talking about correct? It is amazing how many people are sending their uppers back for reindexing, I sent mine back 4 times and they still did not get it right.

If it were me I'd send it back for another one. That doesn't sound like anything I'd want to have on my BC.

After reading horror stories here about Bushmasters, I'm oh so thankful I bought a Colt & Armalite.

After reading horror stories here about Bushmasters, I'm oh so thankful I bought a Colt & Armalite.

BobCole that is my feeling, I have nothing but horror stories about bushmaster, I'm done with them, it is Colt for me.

I am pretty sure I understand what part of the carrier you are referring to and it should not have any pits in it unless you are looking beyond the bolt's seating area at the cut out where the retaining pin slides through, but that is much farther down the carrier than what you described although it is the only cut out that should be at the 3 o'clock position. I don't know if that is a potential stress point, but I would like to see a pic. Soot around the front sight is no big deal, I had it on every AR15 and M16 after firing.

Not another Bushmaster with problems? Geez! What is up with this company anyway? Every day there is several new "I am having this problem or that problem with my Bushmaster" threads popping up. This company must be having some major QC problems. I think I will stick with Rock River Arms for all future AR projects. Bushmaster is just too hit and miss these days. Sad, evidently they once had great products. But with the amount of problems I am hearing about, I would just be too afraid of getting a lemon if I bought from them. Maybe they'll get it right again someday.

Quoted: After reading horror stories here about Bushmasters, I'm oh so thankful I bought a Colt & Armalite. BobCole that is my feeling, I have nothing but horror stories about bushmaster, I'm done with them, it is Colt for me.

all brands have there horror storys...things happen. dont judge the brand just because a couple people had a problem.

all brands have there horror storys...things happen. dont judge the brand just because a couple people had a problem.

You are correct, but after attempting to fix on 4 differant occasions and refusal to replace, I'd say there is a big problem.

oneshotonekill,

I fired off a picture of the unusual divot to your email.  If anyone here can easily post a pic, I reduced it down to 87K, let me know and I'll fire it off your way if you're generous enough to post it in this thread.

Ed, got your pic. I will post it in a few minutes. To me it looks more like a small piece of hardened carbon which is not uncommon in this area of the bolt carrier, have you tried to scrape it witha spare firing pin or simlar tool?

Here is the pic of Ed's bolt carrier, what do you guys think about the divot at 3 o'clock? Now that I had a closer look at it, it does appear to be a divot, it is a very good pic but I can't tell for sure. if it doesn't come out after a good scraping, then contact the mfg and send them this pic. Keep your gas rings spaced properly. It shouldn't cause any problems unless you have a case head seperation, which will make this the least of your problems anyhow.

oneshot1kill, thanks for posting the pic- I'm pretty sure it is a divot unfortunately, as I poked at it with a brass tipped scraping tool when I first noticed it, running the tool around the inner rim of the carrier lightly, and noticing it dip down when it hit that point.

It almost appears as if it is chromed, making me think it was there from manufacture, but sometimes it's tough to tell chrome lining from freshly exposed metal.

Will probably email Bushmaster with the pic Monday- would like to just return the bolt carrier and bolt, but if they replace it, I don't know if a new bolt carrier can just be dropped in- I imagine I may need to send the whole upper for a headspace check after installation.

Thanks for all your help guys.

Yep, I have the samething in my bolt carrier. It is a real hard piece of carbon. Used a flat blade screw driver and scraped it out. Since the carbon is not in the bore where the piston rings ride, it probably won't hurt you, but estethically it doesn't look too pretty. My bolt carrier is stamped with the letters SE on the side, so I think its made by Smith Enterprises.

Quoted: all brands have there horror storys...things happen. dont judge the brand just because a couple people had a problem.

I agree.  It's not fair to bash Bushmaster.  There are so many complaints about their products because BM has sold more ARs than all the other companies combined.  There are more BM rifle holders, thus potentially having more complaints.  They get so many orders that they sometimes screw up.  If you have a problem, you could always send them back to fix em up.  Good customer service.

Quoted: all brands have there horror storys...things happen. dont judge the brand just because a couple people had a problem.

A "couple"? I've read of about two dozen here alone. Why don't I read of that many Colt stories? Even though Colt has made many many more AR-15s than Bushmaster?

I would venture that you hear more bushmaster stories because more of them are used and shot regularly.  Alot of folks also buy colts.  Alot of those are purchased at premium price and are kept for collecting and safe hanging.  Bushmaster owners buy them to shoot.

I won't buy new Bushy rifles.  The Varmit one yes, but the others nope.  Since, BM has gone up in populatity it's quality has gone down.  If you deside to get a BM get a preban or older post.  More and more people I know that buy new BM rifles have had problems.  I think Rock River Arms is going to be the next BM.

Quoted: I won't buy new Bushy rifles.  The Varmit one yes, but the others nope.  Since, BM has gone up in populatity it's quality has gone down.  If you deside to get a BM get a preban or older post.  More and more people I know that buy new BM rifles have had problems.  I think Rock River Arms is going to be the next BM.

UrbanMarine:  I'm looking into getting my first AR-15. I was settled on the Bushmaster Varminter. Why is this model different from the others? Why would this model not have the problems that the others are posting?

Thanks.

Urban Marine, don't be so sure that RRA is going to be the next Bushmaster.  I've owned several Bushmasters with nary a problem. However, the very first RRA I bought, the 2001 LEGP, had an indexing problem.  When I had problems with their customer service, I bought an A2 upper and put the LEGP barrel on it.  RRA's customer service is piss poor.  If you can get them to answer the phone it's a miracle. Leave a message and it will be an "Act Of God" if they return it.  When you make as many rifles as Bushmaster you'll have more complaints than others.

I'd rather put a bayonet on my Bushmaster, if it ever malfunctioned, and keep fighting than ever own a Colt.  I can't believe anyone would own a weapon from such a sell-out, government whore of a company.  

Quoted: I would venture that you hear more bushmaster stories because more of them are used and shot regularly.  Alot of folks also buy colts.  Alot of those are purchased at premium price and are kept for collecting and safe hanging.  Bushmaster owners buy them to shoot.

Hogwash, Sir. Rarely does someone buy a Colt merely for hanging. Colt has sold ARs for years, long before Bushmaster was a wet dream. As for premium prices, post ban Colts are about $50-100 more than Bushmaster's. Quality is worth paying for.

Quoted: I'd rather put a bayonet on my Bushmaster, if it ever malfunctioned, and keep fighting than ever own a Colt.  I can't believe anyone would own a weapon from such a sell-out, government whore of a company.

Last I heard, CA owners don't/can't own ARs. Has this changed?

[:K} [:K}

Quoted: Quoted: I'd rather put a bayonet on my Bushmaster, if it ever malfunctioned, and keep fighting than ever own a Colt.  I can't believe anyone would own a weapon from such a sell-out, government whore of a company.   Last I heard, CA owners don't/can't own ARs. Has this changed?

Correction, you can still legally own them if they were registered by the deadline date specified by the law, but you can not legally buy them unless they have been converted to fix 10 rd mag.