Windham ar-15
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horsemen61
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- Oct 20, 2011
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I had one thier SRC as a matter of fact it is a good gun for the money mine really enjoyed 55 grain pills
redneck383
Member
I love my SRC. I've had it a little over a year now and shot a few hundred rounds through it (they got pretty tough to find for a while) with no problems. Accuracy seems very good too, but I've only got flip up irons on it so I haven't tried any really long shots. The local woodchuck population does not seem too fond of it though. I'd buy it again if I had to start over for sure. At that price, you can afford a set of sights, some ammo, and a few spare mags and be shooting your new gun by lunch time. Mine is the original SRC, I haven't had any experience with the carbon fiber model.
Capybara
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I have an SRC, great gun, very reliable and accurate. Shotgun News reviewed the new carbon Windham a few weeks ago and liked it a lot. I think Windham rifles are an excellent value.
monotonous_iterancy
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I've heard that the Windham is a good rifle. On the other hand, for about the same price, you could go with a Palmetto State Armory rifle and get near mil-spec quality for about the same you'd pay for the Windham.
I had a 20" Colt Hbar that was as accurate as a bolt target gun and when I tightened a wedge shaped scope mount on the carry handle with small pliers a little past hand tight it split the weld down the middle. It seemed fragile to me
CharlieDeltaJuliet
Member
I steer clear of any Carbon Fiber AR after the Bushmaster a Carbon problems. I have seen it first hand.
Quote the specs for the specific rifle/model in question and I'd be happy to point it out
1:9 twist barrel, not 1:7. That's a big cost savings on their part right up front on the most important and most expensive part of the entire rifle.
They don't list anything about the receiver extension, so that basically guarantees that it is a commercial diameter 6061 deal rather than a mil spec diameter 7075.
They don't list buffer weight, so it's probably a carbine weight not an H.
What do those three things have in common? They are cheaper than the standard. Not better. Only cheaper.
My dad bought a brand new Colt 6920 for <$900 shipped last month, at my recommendation. You don't want to know how Windham compares to Colt.
I guess we have different opinions of what is 'cutting corners' on quality. 1:9 twist is standard in many AR's and if you're shooting 55gr as most people usually shoot is preferred.
If it is indeed a commercial buffer tube (which I would be surprised but very well could be) than that would be pretty crappy I grant you.
If it is indeed a commercial buffer tube (which I would be surprised but very well could be) than that would be pretty crappy I grant you.
1:9 twist is only standard on cheap/bargain basement rifles, like Windham.
1:7 is absolutely great for 55gr...and the heavier/longer bullets, where 1:9 is not. But the 1:9 barrels are cheaper.
I was pretty sure Windham used commercial receiver extensions before I went looking for the specs for this thread...and they list nothing about it. I'd wager $10 it's a commercial tube based on that. And I guarantee it's 6061 and not 7075 no matter what.
And the buffer weight. Carbine is cheaper than H, that's why they use it.
I'm sure there are other things as well.
Windham uses cheap parts for seemingly no reason other than them being cheaper than the standard.
Now, some people will never notice.
This is not an argument, so don't take it the wrong way. I just fail to see how 1/9 rifling is a big cost saver over 1/7 rifling. Is 1/7 tooling that much more expensive? I just don't get it. I've been told I am easily confused though....
I CAN see how a different material for the buffer tube could be a money saver. I don't see any advantage in making it a different diameter. Why would anyone ever even start this practice?
I don't 'know' either. But everywhere I have looked and everybody who ought to know that I have listened to says that the manufacturing of the 1:9 twist barrels in bargain brand ARs like Windham are less expensive than the 1:7, and the types of rifles you see them in seems to lend some credence to that.
It's a different diameter because it is made via a different process that is less expensive. The 6061 vs 7075 is a pretty straight up material cost comparison that is easy to understand, kind of like Carpenter 158...if the bolt isn't C158 that is an immediately deal breaker no questions asked (the Windham lists C158, doesn't list of it's HPT or MPI though, which again, probably means that it's not)
Steve in PA
Member
LOL....1:9 means a "cheap rifle"???? LOL, since when????
Gun makers choose twist rates looking for the broadest range of bullets being able to be shot from the rifle. I have 1:9 rifles that love 75gr bullets.
As for commercial vs milspec buffer tubes, when was the last time you saw a commercial tube fail???
It's nothing more than bragging rights for certain group of people to say that their "milspec" rifle is better than someone who has a rifle with some commercial parts.
Kind of like the group that says your rifle has to have a little pony on the rifle, or the rifle you have it junk.
Gun makers choose twist rates looking for the broadest range of bullets being able to be shot from the rifle. I have 1:9 rifles that love 75gr bullets.
As for commercial vs milspec buffer tubes, when was the last time you saw a commercial tube fail???
It's nothing more than bragging rights for certain group of people to say that their "milspec" rifle is better than someone who has a rifle with some commercial parts.
Kind of like the group that says your rifle has to have a little pony on the rifle, or the rifle you have it junk.
Uh...really? Never mind.
OP,
You are getting some bad info. Wyndham's are fine rifles. 1:9 is a good in between rifling. My 1:8 shoots 75's great and every 1:9 I've owned all liked 68's or less. The 1:9's also shoot lighter/faster projectiles better than fast twist rate barrels (for the most part). 1:9's do not cost less than any other rifling twist...
I would rather have a PSA or Colt but they are a bit more. The Wyndham will probably serve you just as well but the Colt will hold value and sell better if you want to later.
I have many AR's and my best one has some commercial specs...RRA.
So much for all those 77gr SMK's, or the long TSX bullets, or the plethora of 75gr bullets.
Heck, what about 69gr? You lucked out on that one. Some of them do okay, some don't, it depends on the precise twist rate of the barrel you get (there are some variances) as well as the altitude you shoot at, the specific bullet, etc.
And all manufacturers consider cost when deciding on what to make. Cost is most certainly a factor.
Some of the stock choices out there are only made to fit milspec diamter tubes, not commercial spec.
CharlieDeltaJuliet
Member
Jsab9191, have you ever seen a Bushmaster carbon upper receiver split? I have seen two. Considering I have only seen 4-5 of these in owners hands that isn't good. Some say it is due to 5.56 ammo. That if you run .223 in it, it usually won't give as much of a problem(who really knows). It is a well documented problem. This is what it looks like. I agree once they get all the bugs worked out and the carbon fiber formula down, they will be awesome. The great news is Bushmaster has great customer service toward this problem. My buddy had his rifle back in two weeks and he quickly sold it at a huge loss($550). Until then Aluminum is the best way to go.
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