TACOM has awarded a contract for Standard A USGI service rifles to a new contractor, that is Bushmaster:
https://aais.ria.army.mil/aais/award_web_08/W52H0908D01200000/000000.pdf
Last time that happened is when FNMI was awarded the M16A2 contract in 1988.
Thanks to D. Watters for pointing this out.
Wow, this is huge news.
The link isn’t working though.
Bushmaster fans are going to raid, rape, and pillage most firearms Internet forums like Vikings with this info. 
…and Rob will be berated with request to update the list so BM is equal to or better than Colt. :rolleyes:
It came up blank for me too, had to click a option manualy for it to show up.
The list of USGI Standard A rifles suppliers is a short one. This is worth bragging rights.
However, the products Bushmaster makes with the TDP supplied by the Goverment are for use of the contract only. In other words, they won’t be allowed to use these drawings to make stuff for us. Seems like a bit of a conflict of interest issue, huh?
DELIVERY SCHEDULE:
FIRST ARTICLE TEST REPORT(FATR)
DUE 407 DAYS AFTER ISSUANCE OF
INITIAL DELIVERY ORDER.
PRODUCTION QUANTITY OF 700 RIFLES
DUE 646 DAYS AFTER ISSUANCE OF
INITIAL DELIVERY ORDER WITH ANY
ADDITIONAL QUANTITIES DUE AT A
RATE OF 700 RIFLES PER MONTH
UNTIL COMPLETION OF DELIVERY ORDER.
Well it looks as if they have, almost two years, time to develop a QA/QC process & get compliant with USG requirements.
It’s not quite like calling LMT… I need 400 m4a1 uppers, 200 extra barrels, 50 m203’s, 20 extra 9"PIP barrels & getting them in a couple weeks.
Have not read the whole thing yet, but yes, looks like a FATR is required, and that we are a long way away from that.
Correct, supplying Standard A service rifles is quite a bit more complicated then that.
I have my popcorn ready.
Are these some of the Iraqi Army issue rifles?
You called?
j/k, I really don’t care one way or another about this. Although if it helps get Bushmaster, a popular civie AR brand to bring their product up to mil-spec, it will benefit everyone.
Nope, these are USGI, USMC and USN to be specific.
You know me better then that Dinger, USGI stuff is my thing.
That is what I was thinking initially, until I made an unfortunate observation where it dictated that a portion of the A4’s be delivered to USMC spec with no BUIS and the carry handle attached. :rolleyes:
If Bushmaster was to apply the Govement supplied TDP to products going to other customers, like say us, they would be in violation of the above linked contract and subject to a rather nasty lawsuit.
Not worth it, won’t happen.
As I pointed out in another thread here at M4C, the initial order is for M16A3 for delivery to the US Navy. TACOM is not obligated to order any additional rifles from Bushmaster beyond this initial order.
Standing by for all of the Bushmasters are “just as good as” posts. :rolleyes:
Bushmaster has the ability to make a fine rifle… I have one of their carbines produced in the 1980s that will rival any of the Colts I have seen of the same vintage… It was correctly assembled, torqued, staked, MPI proof tested, shot peened, and the like…
Back in the evil preban days it was advised that shooters follow the ABCs (Armalite, Bushmaster, & Colt) when buying an AR… There was a reason for this…
Something happened to Bushmaster in the 1990s that led to poor quality control and a shaky reputation… They lost all their government contracts for the M203 and Colt sued to prevent them from making anymore M4s for the military… They were tooling up to build M4A1 carbine clones for the civilian market, and apparently trying to find a reliable source for the correct parts was not easy… They made a poor long term business decision banking on the fact that at the time people, would buy anything…
Be assured Commandant Hagee, who now sits on Bushmaster’s board of directors, will not allow sub-standardly assembled or parts, on a weapon that is going into the hands of the Marines…
Whatever it was, hopefully it has gone away and a new quality control standard will work it way through all of Bushmasters product lines across the board. Then we will start to see rifles that are truly worthy of the name they built up in the 1980s…
Just my .02
Buck
I find that really hard to believe. These were the days of purple lowers and shallow mag well bevels.
Something happened to Bushmaster in the 1990s that led to poor quality control and a shaky reputation… They lost all their government contracts for the M203 and Colt sued to prevent them from making anymore M4s for the military…
They never made any M4s for the military.
Whatever it was, hopefully it has gone away and a new quality control standard will work it way through all of Bushmasters product lines across the board. Then we will start to see rifles that are truly worthy of the name they
Bushmasters civilian product line will not change. They will not update to MP tested bolts, F marked FSBs, etc. Bushmasters market and product line is geared toward several types of novice buyers (including novice LE).
Their product line is very comprehensive but is geared toward the average gun buyer. All this stuff doesn’t matter anyway as upgrading to USGI specs will be in violation.
What you should be fearing is DPMS parts cross appearing in Bushmaster guns now that both companies are owned by the same parent company.
All manufacturers including Colt, have had problems in the past, and can make dogs… Recently S&W had a problem with the gas blocks on their M&P15Ts, but that does mean that all of their products are junk…
Yes they did… If you follow the link to the lawsuit that Colt filed against Bushmaster they acknowledge this fact and at that time filed suit to prevent the Army from buying anymore…
We will see…
QC issues are not the same as leaving out quality components.
Colt has never has chronic, teething, or other systemic problems.
Yes they did… If you follow the link to the lawsuit that Colt filed against Bushmaster they acknowledge this fact and at that time filed suit to prevent the Army from buying anymore…
I’m going to let someone else tackle this. I don’t have the energy.
I find it very hard to believe that if Bushmaster started such things as MP testing all their bolts, using F height FSB’s, improved QC, or properly staking carrier keys they would get a lawsuit from Colt.