Bushmaster or DPMS?'s, New to Assault Weapons.

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sigbear

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I know nothing of assault weappons, however, I recently fired my 2 buddies guns, one was a Base Bushmaster AR-15, the other a decked out DPMS (not sure which model) both .223 and appx. 16" barell.

We shot about 100 rounds with each gun, the Bushmaster had no failures and the DPMS had 1 failure to feed and put a nasty dent in the bullet.

Having shot only these assault guns Bushmaster basic model and the loaded DPMS (scope etc.) it was hard for me to pick which one I liked better, however, the DPMS had one failure, so, I would pick the Bushmaster based on that. I know both guns were cleaned prior to our outing.

What is your opinion as to which mfg. is better?

How reliable are these guns as far as jams and parts breaking?
Are they easy to breakdown and clean?

Sigbear
 
Semi automatic rifles are extremely reliable if you do regular maintenance (which is really easy), and replace the parts as preventative maintenence every so often (after quite a few rounds). Always keep AR's running wet with lube! I'm pretty sure DPMS and bushmasters are equal in quality. If you plan on just plinking either brand is fine, but if you plan on using an AR in carbine courses then you will want a top notch AR (which is neither).

Either DPMS or Bushmasters could be made more reliable overall if one replaced the BCG and bolt with a Bravo/LMT. But, if you plan on plinking theres no point really.

I had a bushmaster that would eat any ammo and never had one problem, even when it ran really dirty.
 
personally i prefer bushmaster, but that is because i have owned several, ran several hard, took training courses with em and fired thousands and thousands of rounds through multiple models. they have always been reliable, and accurate enough.

thet are easy to clean and maintain. i have over 5k rounds through the ar that i have now which is nothing really compared to others and thier ar's. never had a single issue with it.
 
Between these two guns, there is so little difference I would say go either way.

I am also of the opinion that the law of diminishing return starts right about here. You can spend a LOT more on an AR, but you will not get a proportional return in quality.

An interesting exercise is to just build your own. At least the lower. Surprisingly easy and inexpensive. Then if you want to spend more on a better completed upper receiver, you have some room to work with.

Go to brownells.com and order their FREE AR parts catalog. All kinds of stuff you never knew you needed until you saw it in there.
 
Anyone who knows me, knows what is coming.

None of the above!

For the Money get a BCM or LMT. Much higher quality and much better QC.
 
Are you aware that Bushmaster and DPMS are owned by the same company?
I have both and either one would do fine.
 
Look into buying the upper and lower seperate. Shop around, can save $200 or $300 off compared to buying complete rifle. I just got a STAG Upper for $439 and a Rock River Lower w/national match trigger for $275. Shoots like it was made to go together and the price was sure nice
 
In general, I think I would go for the Bushmaster, if the price difference wasn't too great.

There have been a lot of terms (often deliberately) misapplied, so please understand if some of us are a little touchy about language.

Assault rifle: selective (semi and full automatic) rifle firing an intermediate cartridge. (More powerful than a handgun, but less powerful than the old full-power cartridges such as .30-06 or .303.)

Assault gun: self-propelled howitzer used in a direct-fire role to support infantry.

Assault weapon: a meaningless "catch all" term to describe all high-capacity firearms deemed unsavory by some politicians.

John
 
NEW... they are 2-300 dollars cheaper than an equivalent AR built by Bushmaster, smith and wesson, rock river, or any other well known/well built ARs.
 
Based on personal experience , the bushmaster is an excellent rifle and better yet, their customer service is beyond reproach. They are quick, knowledgeable and responsive to your needs.{ I wish my ex- wife had had only two of these attributes too!}
The bottom line is what you want to spend for the rifle. you can get an M4 carbine from bushy and spend the difference on the options, scopes, hand guards, etc. The other route is going with the upper end of AR's and waiting for the toys. It all depends what you want to do. Hunt or have fun or home defense. The senior members of THR can recommend the best choice for you if you let us know the parameters for your purchase and complete budget.
Just remember, I told you so,"After you buy one, there is no reason not to buy another or more." Hence the ex-wife.
Good luck, the forum will not lead you in the wrong direction, but, it might confuse the crap out of you.
Good Luck.
 
their customer service is beyond reproach. They are quick, knowledgeable and responsive to your needs.{ I wish my ex- wife had had only two of these attributes too!}
Click to expand...

i got a grin out of that
 
i have a bushmaster and i love it. it is cheaper getting the lower and upper separate. my next ar will be the 20" a2 upper with full stock. wish they made it in 6.8 spc.
 
That chart is quite outdated. and it only compares certain models from quite a few years ago.

Actually having handled and looked at the rifles in that chart will show it is false!
 
I've shot a couple Bushmasters before and they're excellent rifles. I went with the Smith & Wesson M&P15 myself just because I wanted a different brand from all my gun buddies, plus I managed to get mine for 100 dollars cheaper.

If you buy an M&P15 you can get five free magazines from S&W too!
 
I have 2 DPMS and like them both very much. I have shot many others and, for the price, I stick with DPMS. I have shot tactical courses too very successfully. If it fires, it is going to be more of the handler than the rifle as to which is better on a given course.
 
What's an assault weapon? That stupid term only exists in a few crap states. It's a semi auto rifle. And 30 rounds is not "high capacity" it's normal capacity, which to some politicians is higher than they feel YOU should have.
 
Have a new unshot DPMS that while smooth and looks good will be turned into a "proper" AR now that I have my other AR built----most likely a DD barrel and BCG---YHM upper rec--upgrade the stock and buffer components otherwise leave the lower and guts alone.

Just leave the DPMS upper as a back-up.
 
im in the "save your money a little longer for an LMT" boat. but im sure you wouldnt be disappointed with either, my brother has both and is quite pleased with them.

but strictly colts for me.
 
Originally by Evenflo76:
That chart is quite outdated. and it only compares certain models from quite a few years ago...
Click to expand...
Really? Did you even look at it, or just went by memory from the original chart?
BCM just got on a month or two ago. Daniel Defense just got on.
 
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