OT: Follow up Bushmaster LR-308 carbine

[olyinaz]

As previously reported with a great deal of excitement, I got a Bushmaster 308 ORC (similar to an AR-10) for Christmas. Unfortunately it's not run correctly since I got it. Extremely frustrating. It jams up, usually due to a failure to extract properly which leads to a failure to eject. If I load one round in a mag the one round would often wind up just sitting there on top of the mag with the bolt locked back. This video illustrates the issue I'm having VERY well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgsY89cs ... ata_player

I sent the rifle off to Bushmaster and they didn't do squat. "Polished the feed ramps" and function tested it. Got it back and it had the EXACT same issue. Gee thanks. At least it only took two months for this useless process that cost me money to run its course.... I have no idea what ammo they use to function test at Bushmaster, but I took the rifle directly to the range with six different brands of .308 WIN and 7.62 NATO ammo and the only brand that would run was Bear Silver (zinc plated steel case).

That is exactly as it was before I sent it off and what's interesting is the rifle has always fired Russian steel cased .308 just fine. Extracts and tosses them like a champ. I suspect that the stiffer rims and perhaps slightly lower pressure (I've always found new Russian made commercial ammo - not Russian mil-surp - to be mild by comparison to other types and in my view it explains the "sooty" complaint that you often hear about this ammo).

Everything else was a complete disaster out of three different mag types - Bushmaster steel, C Products steel, and Magpul polymer.

I discovered that this malfunction is EXTREMELY common with DPMS LR-308s (search the internet and you'll be swamped with the issue). I tried all of the standard suggestions one at a time looking for the golden BB - new mags, polished any sharp points on the extractor, polished the chamber (such as you can with a chromed chamber), ran it wet, tried to get a few hundred rounds through the gun. Nothing did a dang thing to help.

So I could send it back to Bushmaster at MY cost - shipping a gun is not cheap - or I could throw in the towel and start buying parts to try and fix it. I even went so far as to seriously consider just buying a new JP Enhanced bolt assembly and a new chrome plated bolt carrier. Long story short I ordered the Armalite extractor spring kit (3 piece kit) and a new DPMS extractor. It now runs with all brands of ammo but with some not well. What is clear is that the gun is over gassed (and I have seen this complaint from other 308 ORC owners). The rims of ejected cases have a very pronounced indentation from the extractor and the rims are indeed bent back by the extractor. Not to the point that I'm worried that they'll rip right off, but I would not think that anyone would try to reload this brass it's so damaged. It's greater or lesser depending upon the brand and loading. As before, Bear Silver runs like a champ and the cases look completely undamaged. I found one brand of brass that runs quite well also.

So here I sit. I've got a rifle that runs, but not what I call "runs well", and I'd not trust it for hunting where I'd want an assured follow up shot. I assume that what has happened is that I've got a rifle that, due to "tolerance stacking" would not run as put together at the factory. I think it's still not going to run well unless I put an adjustable gas block on it. I only paid $800 for my 308 ORC but in my opinion that does not excuse anything. That's a lot of money for some folks and I am one of those folks.

I will never buy another DPMS product. The more I've read up the more I've become convinced that they are "cheap" ARs in general. It's too bad that Bushmaster has been purchased by and will likely be ruined by DPMS's parent company, and I suspect that's already underway with this LR-308 product as marketed buy Bushmaster.

I'm always interested in comments and suggestions, but that's my story and given my experience with this rifle and Bushmaster's junky warranty service I'm sticking to my opinions.

Best,
Oly

[FWiedner]

I built an LR-308 from parts and kits over the holidays. I've had it to the range several times to break it in. Setting it up as a Hawg-Slayer.

The squatting range gurus never fail to warn me of this seemingly common problem every time I break it out.

I've only single fed about 250 rounds (UMC 150gr FMJ) from a single 4-round DPMS mag, but so far it seems solid. Dunno, maybe it's the mag. I'll try a different one next time I'm at the range.

Sorry for your troubles and I hope you find the trick to resolving them, because then you'll be the guru.

I just hope I don't run over the same speed-bump.

[AJMD429]

Interesting stuff, and especially so to me since I traded 'up' (?) to a DPMS LR-308 this winter. It has fired Greek Milsurp and Remington factory ammo without problems so far, but I've fired less than 50 rounds total through it.

My DPMS AR-223 is awesomely accurate and functions fine, but I did notice two differences with the 'larger' AR - one is that the upper and lower fit was sloppier (a JP rear tensioning-pin fixed that), and the other is that the ejection port seems so small relatively to the cartridge size. So far it works, though.

Bushmaster used to have a very friendly and helpful attitude over the phone, but after the "DC Beltway" sniper stuff, they got cranky and almost hostile when you'd call them. I think their company has grown to the size where they aren't as 'customer-friendly' anymore.

I didn't know DPMS had purchased Bushmaster.

[olyinaz]

I just hope I don't run over the same speed-bump.

Yeah, me too. Well let's face it - the percentages favor your good outcome. But still, the problem is common enough that they ought to simply start fitting the guns with a nice adjustable gas block. Why screw around like this? I'm sure I'll be able to get the thing to run, but by the end of the road I'll probably have in it what I would have paid for an AR-10.

Speaking of percentages, that's what distinguishes a top shelf manufacturer from a bargain bin dweller. As most always, you get what you pay for.

Best,
Oly

[soon 2 retire]

). I will never buy another DPMS product. The more I've read up the more I've become convinced that they are "cheap" ARs in general. It's too bad that Bushmaster has been purchased by and will likely be ruined by DPMS's parent company, and I suspect that's already underway with this LR-308 product as marketed buy Bushmaster.

Best,
Oly

Isn't the parent company the same one that owns Remington that purchased Marlin. The people at the Marlin Forum are saying the same things about Marlin quality.


Bob in NE Indiana

[olyinaz]

Interesting stuff, and especially so to me since I traded 'up' (?) to a DPMS LR-308 this winter. It has fired Greek Milsurp and Remington factory ammo without problems so far, but I've fired less than 50 rounds total through it.

My DPMS AR-223 is awesomely accurate and functions fine, but I did notice two differences with the 'larger' AR - one is that the upper and lower fit was sloppier (a JP rear tensioning-pin fixed that), and the other is that the ejection port seems so small relatively to the cartridge size. So far it works, though.

Bushmaster used to have a very friendly and helpful attitude over the phone, but after the "DC Beltway" sniper stuff, they got cranky and almost hostile when you'd call them. I think their company has grown to the size where they aren't as 'customer-friendly' anymore.

I didn't know DPMS had purchased Bushmaster.

Same situation with me - I've got a DPMS AR-15 that runs like a champ. It's several years old now and I'm told that DPMS has only slipped over that time.

The merger scene is complicated. As far as I know the same company that purchased Remington and Marlin has also purchased DPMS and Bushmaster. They cancelled Bushmaster's troubled AR-10 line (Rock River owns it now and they've worked out the bugs) and have pushed the LR-308 on Bushmaster in the consolidation. What appears to be happening is that Bushmaster is simply buying DPMS parts - their large frame ARs appear to be 100% the same as a DPMS product. Same goes for Remington.

If they'd aced the warranty work I'd have no problem with this. They didn't. They didn't do a dang thing to fully investigate my claims and disrespected me as a result. Blew some of money as well.

They're OUT as far as I'm concerned. Never again.

Best,
Oly