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Bushmaster PATROLMAN'S CARBINE 16" AR-15 Upper Receiver
Bushmaster Firearms, Inc
P.O. Box 1479
Windham, ME 04062
1-800-998-7928 VOICE
1-207-892-8068 FAX
There are two primary pieces to any AR-15, the LOWER RECEIVER and the UPPER RECEIVER. The lower is the part that the BATFE considers to be the firearm. It contains the trigger group, safety, and the hammer which strikes the back of the firing pin. It also houses the magazines and has the stock attached to it.
It does NOT contain the firing pin, bolt, bolt carrier, chamber, barrel, or sights. Those are housed in the upper receiver. Anyone can buy an upper receiver through the mail direct from the manufacturer or from a reseller. There are no restrictions on them. Now that the "Assault Weapons Ban" has sunset, there are no restrictions on what features you can have on your upper receiver in most states. Bayonet lugs, flash hiders, and more are all legal for everyone except for those that chose to live in states such as California, New York, and a few others that have excessive legislation.
The only real restriction on upper-receivers is that the barrel must be a minimum of 16" long for normal civilian ownership. This can be accomplished with a barrel that is 16" long, or with a shorter barrel and a PERMANENTLY ATTACHED muzzle brake, flash hider, or compensator that brings it to 16". The 11.5 barrel with a 5.5" permanently attached flash hider is one example of this coinfiguration. You can also got the Class III route and pay the $200 tax stame fee and go through the hassle of setting up an SBR (Short Barreled Rifle) which won't require the permanently-attached flash hider, but you may or may not want to go that route.
While the shorter barrels may seem to be more convenients for home defense, with a shorter barrel you sacrifice muzzle velocity for a very small amount of convenience. The bullet accelerates only while the gas from the burning powder is propelling it. Once it leaves the muzzle it begins to decelerate. Velocity is a factor in bullet fragmentation and hollowpoint expansion.
I personally recommend a 16" barrel. While it is true that the military M4 is a 14.5 barrel with a flash hider mounted on the end, you will find that in practical application from a physical space perspective there isn't much difference between 14.5" and 16". There is a major difference in terms of velocity. That's not to say there isn't something to having an M4 - or at least a firearm that looks like one
Most people make what they call M4geries. COLT holds the trademark for the M4, and they get a bit touchy when people start making something called an M4. But there are plenty of M4geries out there.
We wanted to recommend an upper that will allow our readers - both LE and non-LE - to build a firearm that has application in both worlds, and that gives the look and feel of an M4. Part of the attraction to having an AR-15 is being able to have something that looks what what our military has. What's wrong with that?
While it is easy for anyone to put together an AR-15 Lower Receiver, the Upper Receiver is a bit more involved in terms of tools needed like torque wrenches and the ability to line things up within relatively tight tolerances. If you have the right tools you can do it easily, but many individuals don't. In addition, some LE department armorers won't go beyond the bolt/carrier assembly - putting on a barrel is out of the question. We needed to locate and recommend a reliable, complete Upper Receiver assembly.
After looking at a variety of 16" uppers from several manufacturers - we elected to recommend the PATROLMAN'S CARBINE upper from Bushmaster. This upper matches well with the MEGA Gator Grip Lower which we previously recommended, and being from Bushmaster there isn't any question about the quality.
It features a chrome-lined bore and chamber (5.56mm NATO) and their dark black anodized finish. The barrel is an M4 profile (meaning that it has thinner sections to facilitate the mounting of the M203 grenade launcher, making it lighter in the process) with a 1/9 twist, and ordering it in a "pre-ban" configuration includes a threaded barrel, an A2-type flash hider, and a bayonet lug.
Bear in mind that a standard M9 bayonet won't fit correctly on a 16" barrel in this configuration. It is designed to fit on the 20" M16/AR-15 or the 14.5" M4. If you use one on the 16" AR-15, the ring won't locate over the flash hider. There ere are other accessories that are designed to take advantage of the bayonet lug, so we still recommend having one. Why sell yourself short?
This upper assembly is available as an A2 [integrated carry handle pictured at the top of the article], or in the A3 [flattop] configuration with or without detachable carry handle. We recommend getting the A3 with a detachable carry handle. This configuration offers the greatest flexibility no matter what the primary application is when you buy it - or what it becomes later in your career or life. The removable carry handle adds $99.95 to the final price. It is pictured here...
It can also be ordered with standard or M4 handguards. The M4 handguards are more oval shaped and are preferred by many. They are an additional $20. We tested a few options here and found that the Fobus M-44S handuards worked well enough to facilitate mounting an EOTech 552.A65 and a Fobus VG-1 grip for a good CQB configuration.
The cost for this complete upper assembly is $545. It is available for $405 without the bolt carrier assembly and charging handle.
When ours came in from the factory, I noted that it smelled clean - but could smell that it had indeed been test-fired at the factory as advertised. Quality control is a good thing in the world of firearms! That's one of the major plus points to buying a Bushmaster upper.
I cleaned it again myself, verified the lubrication, and took it to the range. The carry-handle sights needed minimal adjustment, and there were no problems. I ran a hundred rounds through it, then took it back to the office for another cleaning.
That afternoon I removed the carry handle and bore-sighted an EOTech on the upper and took it to the field for some "bunny blasting" and target shooting. After 300 rounds there were no malfunctions. Removing the EOTech and re-seating the carry handle caused no problems - zero was well maintained.
I eventually opted to mount the EOTech in a co-witness position using a set of M-44 handguards from FOBUS. They are not ideal but they do work well enough - and boresighted again. This is the configuration which I elected to maintain and use for all purposes. I added a few other accessories as well.
I have had great luck with this Bushmaster upper. After putting thousands of rounds through it over a one year period I can report no problems. The groups were tight, and the unit never jammed, FTF'd, FTE'd, etc. Keep it well cleaned and properly lubricated and you should expect the same results.
There isn't a LOT to say about most uppers - they either work or they don't. However, there are differences in the finish quality from one manufacturer to another, even differences between the same item from the same manufacturer. What I can say about Bushmaster uppers is that they make a consistent, quality product, and their attention to making sure things work shows. The finish is clean and the parts fit together well. They are well within the standard tolerances for AR-15 parts, and this upper works VERY well with the Mega Gator-Grip Lower. If you buy an upper from Bushmaster, I don't think you will be disappointed. They stand behind their products.
I didn't have to change any of the stock parts that come on the Patrolman's Carbine upper with the exception of the handguards to make it work for our recommendation. This is a solid platform and I recommend it for whatever 16" carbine or M4gery you are building.
ORDERING NUMBERS:
M4 Upper/A2 Fixed Carry Handle w/Bolt Carrier Assy = BURA2B 16M4
M4 Upper/A3 Flattop w/Bolt Carrier Assy = BURA3B 16M4
M4 Upper/A2 Fixed Carry Handle w/o Bolt Carrier Assy = BURA2 16M4
M4 Upper/A3 Flattop w/o Bolt Carrier Assy = BURA3 16M4
-- James Bell Jr. - JeepGunner / ATVGunner / HondaGunner