Bushmaster not backing up their guns?

[The Haymaker]

Everybody raves about Bushmaster rifles. Here's something to think about. This rifle was being used by a friend of mine to teach a gun safety course. The bolt failed and set off a second round in the magazine. The shooter and one of the students was hurt by shrapnel. He was using Lakeville (Federal) loads and there was not a squib.

Bushmaster will not go good for the bolt failure, first blaming too hot a load (Again, Lakeville) and then squib (barrel is clear). They did seem to have an issue with spreading the word they will not back up their product though.

Skip is no novice shooter. He does the majority of the gun safety and concealed carry courses in Washington County Maine, is the range master at the Eddington Maine Boyscout camp, along with holding awards for shooting skills. I have to throw that in there because I'm sure there will be posts saying everything he did wrong.

 

[Gator6x4]

I have a friend who owns a Bushmaster. I sent the information to him. He advised Bushmaster had a warning in the owners manual about if the Cam Pin in the bolt group was left out, cracked or damaged the rifle would still fire but would explode. I am not familiar with the Bushmaster Cam Pin but if I owned a Bushmaster I would think about it every time I fired the weapon and hope I had installed it correctly and it was not damaged or cracked.

 

[The Haymaker]

I have a friend who owns a Bushmaster. I sent the information to him. He advised Bushmaster had a warning in the owners manual about if the Cam Pin in the bolt group was left out, cracked or damaged the rifle would still fire but would explode. I am not familiar with the Bushmaster Cam Pin but if I owned a Bushmaster I would think about it every time I fired the weapon and hope I had installed it correctly and it was not damaged or cracked.

Cam pin will only install one way, and you can see it in the picture taken into the magazine well. This was not first round fired.

But, yes, you are right. Firing without it would be akin to forgetting to remove your rod on a black powder rifle. You'll only do it once.

 

[dmccarty]

Was he using US Federal government ammo made at Lake City or commercial Federal ammo? The Lake City would be a 5.56 round while the commercial Federal round might have been .223

Is the rifle made to fire 5.56mm or .223 Remington? Was he using 5.56 NATO rounds in a rifle chambered for a .223 Remington round? Using a .223 Remington in a rifle chambered for 5.56 NATO is ok. The reverse is problematic.

Later,
Dan

 

[The Haymaker]

Was he using US Federal government ammo made at Lake City or commercial Federal ammo? The Lake City would be a 5.56 round while the commercial Federal round might have been .223

Is the rifle made to fire 5.56mm or .223 Remington? Was he using 5.56 NATO rounds in a rifle chambered for a .223 Remington round? Using a .223 Remington in a rifle chambered for 5.56 NATO is ok. The reverse is problematic.

Later,
Dan

One of the very first things he told me when I was looking to buy my first AR was to be positive it was chambered for 5.56. Also, while there are no pics of the barrel stampings, the magwell in the pics states ".223-5.56". You are right, the 5.56 will cause overpressure issues in a .223 chambered firearm because of tighter tolerances and a hotter load in the 5.56.

 

[Katahdin]

I think you mean "Lake City" ammo?

FYI, the Bushmaster company that made that rifle is gone. The corporate owners closed the shop and moved that name out-of-state. The shop was reopened by the original Bushmaster folks as "Windham Weaponry." If the owner wants to replace the rifle from the same people that made the Bushmaster name good, then buy from Windham Weaponry.

 

[PoorPlowboy]

This happens when the bolt is not separated from the BCG and properly cleaned during the course of routine service. The bolt is a piston with rings,when full of carbon the piston locks and allows it to fire out of battery. This is a possibility with ALL AR platform rifles. Clean them periodically.

 

[Notforhire]

This happens when the bolt is not separated from the BCG and properly cleaned during the course of routine service. The bolt is a piston with rings,when full of carbon the piston locks and allows it to fire out of battery. This is a possibility with ALL AR platform rifles. Clean them periodically.

I was about to ask if maybe it fired out of battery. That is what it looks like to me.

Bill

 

[dodge man]

Bolt failed and fired a round in the magazine? I'm no expert, but like the others, I don't buy that story. I'm not saying your buddy did anything wrong, but looking at the pictures, its whats known in the gun world as a Kaboom! Its usually caused by a double charge, and incorrect charge, or something lodged in the barrel. If this was factory ammo, the chances of a bad load are small. Same with a squib load, not likely if its factory ammo, but possible. I'm kind of leaning on what some other people said, the round went off before it was fully in the chamber.

 

[wrooster]

This happens when the bolt is not separated from the BCG and properly cleaned during the course of routine service. The bolt is a piston with rings,when full of carbon the piston locks and allows it to fire out of battery. This is a possibility with ALL AR platform rifles. Clean them periodically.

You'll have to explain to us how an AR15 fires without the bolt forward and rotated behind the barrel extension lugs. Debris on the boltface, possible though highly unlikely. First, the geometry of Stoner's mechanism is such that firing pin protrusion from the boltface is insufficient unless the bolt is against the chamber face; and second, the carrier has come forward enough to rotate the bolt via the cam pin -- otherwise, the hammer can not contact the end of the firing pin.

Wrooster