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Windham Weaponry AR-15 vs. Bushmaster AR-15

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Jim talks about the Windham Weaponry AR-15 compared to the Bushmaster AR-15 and introduces the Surefire 100 round magazine clip.

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34 COMMENTS

  1. My opinion, I would never purchase or carry a new Bushmaster ( unless I tear her down and rebuild her) I have seen numerous quality control issues (bolt and spring malfunctions) from the NY plant rifles compared to the Maine plant. L series numbered rifles from Maine are the Bushmaster you want. Bushmaster's quality was going down as cheaper parts were being substituted as the Bushy quality parts were being phased out. ( to save money) There have been more malfunctions, breakages and complaints when Freedom group took over.. Ask the agencies that didn't renew their contracts. I carried a old school selectfire Bushy for years and had over +25k rounds without any issues, besides a few misfeeds from some serious beat up mags. New BCGs were replaced every 6-8k rounds. Trigger springs were also changed around 15k ..no headspace issues.. Why I changed to Windham over the the newer Bushmasters? I have seen that a majority of NY Bushmasters have consistently failed in numerous rifle courses, apparently having spare parts was the only way to get through a serious hardcore rifle class. Yeah I know, to some of you all I am talking crap. I personally went from Bushmaster to Windham. It wasn't easy admitting Bushmaster dropped the ball. Windham's quality and tolerances blow away the NY Bushmaster. I work on inspect, build ARs (from the ground up) and repair other firearms on a daily basis. I would take my old Bushy or a newer Windham all day long over a new york Bushmaster. Yes, this is coming from a guy that his team depended their lives on that old school Bushy. . I am not looking for any comments or arguments, this is just my point of view and professional opinion. If you want to carry a rifle that you would stake your life on, I would seriously look at what issues and recalls have been out there for your shooting platform.

  2. All Windham Arms Barrels are good to fire 5.56/.223 the 5.56 has a longer leade 1/9 and 1/7 are the twist rate the 1/9 is good for stabilizing bullets from 45-69 grains 1/7 is best for 50-80 grain bullets windham barrels are meant to fire both

  3. Not exactly the correct information. Richard Dyke owned Bushmaster, and sold the company to Freedom Group, the same holding company that own DPMS, Remington, and some others. After purchasing Bushmaster, Freedom Arms group moved production from the Maine facility that was still owned by Richard Dyke to a NY plant. – Since that time it is said that Bushmaster's quality has gone down. – Richard Dyke never liked the facility change, or the way the former employees from Bushmaster were treated, so once the non-compete had expired, Mr. Dyke re-opened the old Bushmaster facility, with the old Bushmaster employees under the new name Windham Weaponry (Windham being the town the facility is located).
    Most people report that Windham quality not only exceeds the current Bushamster, but may even exceed the Old Bushmaster.

  4. My Bushmaster xm15 is stamped "BMP 5.56 NATO 1/9" on the barrel and I fire 5.56 through it all the time with no issues. It also says made in Windham Maine on it and after contacting Bushmaster and having them look up the serial number I was told it was made in 2009 , which was over 2 years after Bushmaster was supposedly sold and moved to New York. I contacted Windham about it but they said all Bushmaster records went with them when they moved. So I have no idea what to make of this whole thing. Apparently I have a Windham made rifle that sat in inventory for 2 years?

  5. The multinational Freedom Group (owner of Remington) purchased Bushmaster then closed the factory in the small town of Windham , half killing the town, and moved production of Bushmaster elsewhere. The former owner of Bushmaster a Mr Dike came out of retirement at 78 and re-opened the factory and re-naming it Windham Weaponry after the town he just saved.

  6. I'm more than just "pretty sure"

    And if it was "X" for no longer in use by the military then there wouldn't be "X"M855.

    The box color doesn't matter. That has more to do with lot and load. (notice how the xm855 tends to come in brown boxes and the xm193 comes in the white)

  7. I'm pretty sure the X means it's no longer used by military. PMC makes an M193 and M855 load but they still mark it with X even though the brass is as clean and shiny as a well polished mirror.

    I'm pretty sure with M193, the white box is legit, the brown box is rejects, but still acceptable.

  8. That is exactly what the "X" stands for. It is military over-run/rejected ammo.

    It still functions fine. But if you look there might be small dings or dents/ discolorations. The military rejects ammo for strange reasons sometimes.

  9. Not saying your rifle isn't a 5.56 (because Bushmaster HAS made 5.56 chambers)

    BUT

    Have you actually checked the headspace? Just because it is marked or isn't showing "signs" doesn't mean it is a 5.56.
    And if you rifle functions fine with 5.56 it's not like it matters….

    BTW Where are you getting Federal M193 M855?

    All I can find is XM193 and XM855. (same ammo loading but "rejected" from the military)

  10. None of the new ones are. They're all marked 5.56. My ORC runs Federal M193 and M855 like a champ. No accelerated wear, popped primers or other signs of true .223 chambering.

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