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Thread: BMI M4 Carbine

  1. #1
    Senior Member Broondog's Avatar

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    BMI M4 Carbine

    my Wally World has a B.M.I. M4 carbine in the rack and i was peeking at it for a sec but i will admit right now that i know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about any AR platform/style rifles. so naturally i have a few questions.....

    first off, is BMI actually Bushmaster? i did a quick search and one of the first hits was a page at Bushmasters site. IIRC Bushmasters are one of the better brands, right?

    now again, i know nothing about these rifles but the pricetag was $900. good? bad? middle of the road? i don't know if it has any funky options as i have not handled it nor would i know much of what i am looking for other than a toaster hanging on a rail.


    the only reason i ask all this is i am thinking of taking the plunge into the .223 realm for a lightweight varmint rifle. i was actually there with the intent of really looking at the Mini-14 they had in the case but it was gone so i spied the M4 and decided to ask these questions.

    i'm really leaning towards holding out for the Mini. out of 3 gun stores, 4 pawn shops and WW, i didn't find what i was looking for (Mini-14 Ranch Rifle w/ wood stock) though i did see one Mini sporting a tac-black synthetic stock. still i am curious about the M4 i saw.

    all was not lost on the shopping run though. i did come home with a used Steyr M40-A1.
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    Administrator imanaknut's Avatar

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    Bushmaster is one of the better AR variants. It used to be considered that the better AR-15s were by the "ABCs" as in Armalite, Bushmaster, and Colt, but today with all the other manufacturers making great rifles, like Rock River and many of the specialty shops like Double Star, there are many good ones to choose from.

    Personally $900 is too much for an M4gery. I had J&T (Double Star) custom build an M4ger upper for me, and installed it on a Rock River lower for around $700. (been a while so I don't remember the exact $$$ but I know it was well under $900.

  3. #3
    Senior Member American Rage's Avatar

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    You can buy a better rifle for less.

  4. #4
    Moderator circuits's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by Broondog View Post
    first off, is BMI actually Bushmaster? i did a quick search and one of the first hits was a page at Bushmasters site. IIRC Bushmasters are one of the better brands, right?
    Bushmaster, of Windham, Maine, was know as BFI - Bushmaster Firearms, Inc. That company no longer exists. They were bought out by the freedom group, and their operations were moved to New York. I believe they still use most of the same tooling - but which of their personnel made the move, are they still as good, etc - the jury is still out. The new company is Bushmaster Manufacturing, Inc. They are the successor business to BFI, though, so they'll handle warranty issues for BFI products, even though they're now BMI.

    now again, i know nothing about these rifles but the pricetag was $900. good? bad? middle of the road? i don't know if it has any funky options as i have not handled it nor would i know much of what i am looking for other than a toaster hanging on a rail.
    Normal for a Bushmaster at regular retail. Nothing special.

    the only reason i ask all this is i am thinking of taking the plunge into the .223 realm for a lightweight varmint rifle. i was actually there with the intent of really looking at the Mini-14 they had in the case but it was gone so i spied the M4 and decided to ask these questions.

    i'm really leaning towards holding out for the Mini. out of 3 gun stores, 4 pawn shops and WW, i didn't find what i was looking for (Mini-14 Ranch Rifle w/ wood stock) though i did see one Mini sporting a tac-black synthetic stock. still i am curious about the M4 i saw.

    all was not lost on the shopping run though. i did come home with a used Steyr M40-A1.
    You can do better for a first AR, and for a target AR, but the Bushy's not bad. It costs more than the Mini-14, but it's inarguably a better firearm. A different AR-15 that costs less than that Bushy will still be a better, more versatile firearm than the Mini-14, but at less of a price difference.

    The Mini-14 is still a neat rifle, for a .223 rehash of the M14, but with a lighter, whippier barrel, and less available, more-expensive magazines.
    Last edited by circuits; 03-23-2012 at 02:11 AM.

  5. #5
    Team GunsNet Gold 05/2011

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    Smith and Wesson has a sport version of the M&P 15 for about $200 less.

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    Moderator & Team Gunsnet Platinum 07/2011 O.S.O.K.'s Avatar

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    Normally I would steer you to Del-ton or other build site - but from what I hear, they are backordered....

    I suggest that you do your research quickly and make the buy and then get a good supply of ammo.

    The run is on...
    ~Nemo me impune lacessit~




  7. #7
    Senior Member Broondog's Avatar

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    thanks for all of your input guys!

    being an AK man i was mostly curious, bordering on the insanity of actually buying the rifle. i would for sure buy an AR if it was of the Viet Nam era style with the triangular fore end and such. i did run across just such a pre-ban in a pawn shop going for $1300. alas, i don't have that much money to spend.

    i am thinking i am going to roll with the Ranch Rifle. i saw this one on GB last nite. i like the look of the laminate stock. http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=278458924

    it just might be in my future. the only thing that sucks about the whole deal is that i will have to stock yet another caliber. i'm already stocking 21.
    I'm the one that's gonna die when it's time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to.
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  8. #8
    Senior Member American Rage's Avatar

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    Looks nice, best of luck in your decision

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    Team GunsNet Gold 05/2011

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    Thumbs up

    At least the Ranch Rifle eats Wolf.

  10. #10
    Senior Member Helen Keller's Avatar

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    I walked into my walmart the other day and they already had AR/SIG rifles on the rack.
    PRAISE KEK
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    Moderator & Team Gunsnet Platinum 07/2011 O.S.O.K.'s Avatar

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    That's a good price on the stainless laminated version - I'd go for that.

    The new minis are much more out of the box accurate than the older versions. You can expect 2", 100 yard groups or better. And yes, they eat anything and have a self-cleaning piston.

    Stick with factory mags though.

    Looking forward to the pics and range report!
    ~Nemo me impune lacessit~




  12. #12
    Senior Member Penguin's Avatar

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    Is ruger selling regular mags for the Mini 14 or are they only selling the low capacity ones still?
    Doobie Doobie Doo..

  13. #13
    Forum Administrator Schuetzenman's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by Penguin View Post
    Is ruger selling regular mags for the Mini 14 or are they only selling the low capacity ones still?
    You can get factory 30 and 20 round mags. However you can get 2 or 3 Magpul 30 round mags for the money it takes to purchase 1 Ruger factory magazine.

    To Broondog, you can build your own for less than 9 bills and use no tools to do it. Simply buy a complete lower and a complet upper. Drop upper on lower, push in the two push pins to secure the upper to the lower and tah-da you are done. You should be able to get a complete lower with buttstock for $250 ish and an upper for $500 ish give or take 50 bucks. The more rails and crap you want the more expensive the upper gets. Same for the buttstock / lower assembly. If you can be hapy with the T6 military stock $250 is very do-able. You want a Magpul or Veltor stock then you can dump another $100 into the lower. Same for grips, stock M16 grip or some upgrade like a MOE for example will boost the price $30 or more.

  14. #14
    Moderator circuits's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by Penguin View Post
    Is ruger selling regular mags for the Mini 14 or are they only selling the low capacity ones still?
    Ruger has partially debanned, and now makes new factory 20rd mags available to non-LE/non-Ateam. 30s are still naughty and expensive.

  15. #15
    Senior Member Helen Keller's Avatar

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    30's are out too.


    about $4-6 more than the 20's, but they sell out fast
    PRAISE KEK
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  16. #16
    Team Gunsnet Silver 02/14 - Moderator recon's Avatar

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    This new company have a lot of the workers that didn't go to the New Bushmaster company. Supposedly there selling really well. Did see one at the local fun show this past weekend. Looked really good. Price was $850. Might be a place to look at.

    http://www.windhamweaponry.com/default.asp
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  17. #17
    Senior Member Broondog's Avatar

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    i won the auction for the Mini and sent off all of the required documents and payment today. hopefully i will have it in my hands next week.

    now i gotta find me some reasonably priced .223/5.56. yeah right! like that's gonna happen!
    I'm the one that's gonna die when it's time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to.
    Jimi Hendrix


    NRA Benefactor Member & 03 FFL

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