Bushmaster Carbon-15?

[awp101]

Saw one yesterday in the used gun rack of a shop in .22. I know the lower is polymer and I think the upper was as well. AZ address and the asking price was $600 IIRC.

There was a little flip lever near the rear takedown pin that looked like it was protecting a pin holding the buttstock on but I couldn't figure out it's purpose. Is it there just to keep the buttstock pin from being removed?

Do these take "regular" uppers and buttstocks or is it Bushmaster/Carbon stuff only?

[FunkyPertwee]

The new ones look more like traditional AR rifles. Looking at pictures, it seems as if the only parts that are carbon 15 are the lower and upper receiver. They seem to be using traditional AR stocks and barrel assemblies now.

[awp101]

Found a pic, looks like this one:

[FunkyPertwee]

I don't know about them specifically, but the other .22 AR clones, the GSG, and the Sig-522 seem like better deals. Especially the Sig IMO.

I do remember that the old professional ordnance carbons had receiver issues, and so did the early Bushmaster versions with the funky furniture and slabside upper receiver. The new ones looks just like A3 receivers but polymer.

I wouldn't mind a new style 9mm model though...

Here is a new one (not my auction, just an example I found):
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=236349651

[imanaknut]

The lever on the left rear of the receiver locks the stock in place.

On the old Carbon-15s you removed the stock first, unscrewed the recoil spring/buffer tube and removed it first. The Carbon-15s had a shock buffer that had to be removed before you could split the upper from lower.

One bad thing about the Carbon-15 that Bushmaster fixed was the proprietary bolt and locking system. A standard AR15 bolt will not work in the Carbon-15 and that just happens to be the weak link in that rifle. I enjoyed my old Carbon-15 until the bolt broke, and there are no replacements available. Bushmaster will update the Carbon-15 upper to use new bolts for a mere $350 or so. Mine is now a paper weight in my basement.

The current Bushmaster is a nice rifle. What I did like about the Pro-ordnance Carbon-15 was the light weight. Just wish Bushmaster would make a few bolts for those oldies.

[awp101]

Hmmm, this one has the Bushmaster name on it so I figure it's not the "old" C15. It's the A3 style upper as well but it does not appear to be listed by Bushmaster anymore. It's on their website but the more info link isn't active.

The $64 question(s) are: can I put any .223, 6.8, etc upper on it or am I limited to what Bushmaster offers? Is the FCG proprietary? (I think I've read that somewhere)

[imanaknut]

I can just speak for the old Carbon-15. It did have a proprietary lower. When my bolt broke I tried fitting a standard AR upper, but it won't fit. Pin pattern is different.

[cevulirn]

The carbon 15 I had wouldn't take a standard upper either.

[gpwasr10]

I have to admit, I have always been interested in getting one of these as a "Grab n' go" weapon. BUt you can make a real light AR with aluminum components as it is....

[imanaknut]

I tried building the lightest weight AR I could using standard AR parts. Managed to build one with an unthreaded pencil barrel that weights 6 pounds 6 ounces, still 2 pounds heavier than the Carbon version.

It does beat my daughter's competition AR-15 that tips the scales without weights or ammo at 10 pounds!

[awp101]

Went back today and they have a S&W .22 AR for the same price. IF I do anything, it'll be the S&W but it felt like a plastic lower as well.

Will the Smith take regular uppers?

[gpwasr10]

I tried building the lightest weight AR I could using standard AR parts. Managed to build one with an unthreaded pencil barrel that weights 6 pounds 6 ounces, still 2 pounds heavier than the Carbon version.

It does beat my daughter's competition AR-15 that tips the scales without weights or ammo at 10 pounds!

Still though, 6 and a half is a damn light rifle. Hell my Mini-14 Tac weight in at 8, and it feels very light and handy...

[tank_monkey]

The old style Carbon 15 was built during the CLINTON BULLSHIT AW BAN of 1994-2004. Remember that there was a fucking WEIGHT limitation on pistols, and they wanted an AR pistol that passed Clinton's stupid arbitrary weight limitation of 54 oz. Which is why you got the really ugly abomination like the Olympic Arms OA-98. So the lower is all synthetic like the upper. Then they made a carbine to go along with the pistol to maximize the market for the new style of AR. It is SUPER LIGHT, but the buttstock is proprietary. You are right that the bolt is proprietary, it had to be. If you could add Milspec parts to it, you could build a gun that exceeded the weight limitations, and then ATF would not have allowed it to be sold in the U.S.

I don't know what changes they made to the new ones, post expiration of the AW ban.... since I totally lost interest in that line of weapons. I just thought the super light synthetic upper and lower 'felt' flimsier than the traditional AR. I may be wrong, but that was my perception.

[O.S.O.K.]

For $600 you have a del-ton or similar rifle kit and stag or similar lower. And it will be fully compatible with whatever AR stuff you want to flip it to.

I just got a flyer from Midway -they have a complete (with bolt) DPMS ultralight 16" upper for $369. Buy a stipped lower and a lower kit and you're money ahead with that too.