Bushmaster and Magpul Team on Advanced Weapon
January 31st, 2008 . by HSLEADER
From Bushmaster Release
Bushmaster Firearms International, LLC (BFI) announced today that it has signed an exclusive license deal with Magpul Industries Corp. for the production, future development, and sales of Magpul’s prototype MASADA weapon system.
The Bushmaster ACR (Adaptive Combat Rifle) will initially be offered in 5.56 NATO, available for law enforcement and civilian purchase second quarter 2008. This release will be followed by military ACR versions in the 3rd quarter of 2008.
Without government funding or outside influence of any kind, the Masada concept was developed from scratch in Boulder, Colorado by Magpul’s Design Group. The Masada concept was first shown publicly at the 2007 Shot Show and its success prompted Magpul to spend a year redesigning the system for production.
The result is the ACR (Adaptive Combat Rifle) which keeps the fundamentals of the Masada concept with added advanced features such as firing pin block and true ambidextrous charging handle.
Among the ACR’s key features are a gas piston operating system, tool-less quick change barrel, multi-adjustable folding stock with integrated storage, and backward compatibility with a number of AR15/M16 parts. Due to similar operating controls, user transition from the M16 series of weapons is easily facilitated with minimal re-training.
The Bushmaster ACR will initially be available in 3 SKUS: Standard Carbine with fixed stock, Entry Carbine with folding stock, and Special Purpose Rifle with Precision Rifle Stock. Live fire demonstration and test and evaluations beginning in the end of March to qualified law enforcement, federal government agencies.
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I had $1500 set aside for the MASADA. Now I may be building an SBR 5.45 Russian or Bulgarian with the money. No thanks. BM will mess this one up.
My check cleared today, thanks Bushmaster!
way to go Magpul, you guys just shot yourselves in the foot. I think im going to save my money on an FN SCAR
Rich- I want my money back. I heard you’ve artificially raised the perceived value of this rifle concept by dragging it across the internet and getting people to jump on the bandwagon thinking they’d get another nice Magpul product. You’ve been getting people to sign up to buy these ahead of time for the last 6 months knowing that if it was sold to Bushmaster they’d never go for it!!
“way to go Magpul, you guys just shot yourselves in the foot. I think im going to save my money on an FN SCAR”
My check had extra zeros and my feet are without holes. In my hand I hold a pile of cash and a Masada…eat your heart out.
By the way, please buy some more PMags. Thanks.
“by the way, please buy some more PMags. Thanks”
yeah I already ordered 6 of them the other day!
is that thing got nucular capabilities? Spiffy lil rifle
So does the mean the AK variations are dead in the water? To the Magpul guys please do not let Bushmaster fuck this up, I prefer rifles that work reliably.
All this internet BS for the last 2 years from Magpul! All this magpul hype, all these magpul threads, all this magpul BS! Now the project belongs to Bushmaster. WTF? Rich quit posting shit on the internet!!!
[...] is now teamed up with Bushmaster on the MASADA [...]
HA…HA!
What are you people complaining about? For a long time there has been concern over the ability of the small company like Magpul to actually produce more than just a prototype rifle. It should be an obvious move to team up with an established gun manufacturer to get these rifles in our hands. If Magpul had not made this move, we’d probabably never see the Masada at all, other than in those glossy gun magazines that we waste too much of our time reading.
Why don’t you wait until the production models are actually out and tested before you start badmouthing it? I wish Magpul and Bushmaster the best of luck in this endeavor, and *shameless plug* I would gladly volunteer my time and effort in testing the Masada as soon as it is available.
So, does this mean my Masada will come with a leaning front sight post?
I’ve had a Bushmaster for over ten years with 0 problems, so whine all you want, I feel this was a good move on Magpul’s part. Like ACME said we might otherwise never have seen the Masada at all. Kudos!
AAHHHH! you are right why jump on the band wagon and make fun of Trashmaster I mean Bushmaster they might pull this one off, and I might become the King of France too! should have had Noveske build it, like the one in the picture looks like a Noveske.
BM, be sure to park under the fsb.
butchermaster will mess this gun up
I sold my first butchermaster 1 month after I bought it new
what a POS
I then bought a cheap olympic arms ar type rifle
that little gun will shoot anything I feed it
and it is very accurate out to 400-500 yards says my leupold
I agree……..go Noveske! He may not be able to push the product quite as fast as a Bushmaster but is why Noveske’s guns are so good…….quality takes time……at least some time. I was stoked about seeing the Masada at Magpul’s booth at the shot show……don’t know what to think now. Guess my two noveske ar’s are still my favorite gun.
My bushmaster has been 100% functions and shoots better than my m-4 back in the military by FN. This is a slight shock but how should magpul have done it otherwise? Any other manufacturer (no offense to Noveske who builds great guns) would have us morgaging our houses for one. As long as it doesnt change I’m still waiting with money in paw.
When they first unveiled the Masada Magpul’s position was always to look for a larger scale manufacturer to team with. Most other firms would have bought the rights to prevent competition or would bury them in the “nice to do” list. All companies put out bad products from time to time and Bushmaster I’m sure is no exception, even our Colt M4’s are showing up with loose barrel nuts straight from CT. I think all the tin cans and paper targets being shot don’t care who makes the rifle so blast away with your Wal-Mart value pack and put your rifle away dirty because you had a “hard day of shooting”…
Let’s get this straight..a company who has never designed a gun before licences it to a company to manufacture it ( who is notorious for buying abortions like the carbon 15, stillborn.308 and the 17s bullpup) and we are supposed to get spooled up? There has NEVER been any test data to support accuracy and reliability/durability but all these internet tools want one? Sad commentary on the general shooter mentality in the US of A.
Good luck, Yanks. I guess anyone with access to Solidworks is now a gunmaker….
I knew they were never going to produce it.
I can’t understand why everyone is so upset, I got paid and isn’t that what you all wanted anyway?
We have a new stock coming out soon so throw away the ones you just bought.
Please buy more PMags, thanks.
It isn’t hype, its Magpul.
Gentleman, business is business in the firearms industry. And our business is to stay in business.
The MASADA rifle is a excellent rifle we produced and tested. We did a cost/production analysis and desided it was prudent to sell the entire project to the highest bidder. Which happened to be Bushmaster. Our business model at Magpul.com has always been to produce the highest quality aftermarket AR type stocks and accessories. The sale of the Masada platform, now the ACR will free up much needed time for R&D to devote to our orginal product line.
Drake
Dr. Drake? I don’t believe you are Drake. Why call yourself “Magpul.com?” I’m pretty sure I’ve heard you refer to Magpul Industries as several other things.
You aren’t going to spend your time on stocks and pistol grips. I think whoever is playing Drake somehow missed that Magpul is also working on other firearms right now as well…
Drake..oh, please. “an excellent rifle we produced and tested”?? What, all the *SLA models* splashed on every gun periodical that would take them? The rifle is a shameless conglomeration of features lifted from legitimate battle rifles.What testing was done? Where are your published testing criteria?
Where are the accuracy validations? To arrogantly compare your recent plastic experiment to the vaunted standard of combat weapons such as the FAL or G3 is shear foolishness. Perhaps you would be well served to learn from the likes of true gun designers such as J M Browning, and deliver a truly innovative weapon instead of your insipid hype.
A gun is merely a tool, and is nothing without commendable performance.
I’m glad to see this rifle will finally make it into production. Give Bushmaster a chance before you bash the shit out of the ACR. Look at Robarms. They put out a great rifle too. The XRC is a great rifle but if they go under in 4 or 5 years or tommorrow what do the XRC owners do? Someone might pick up the slack on the parts but who’s going to work on a rifle that has problems? With Bushmaster taking over the project there is the fact that they can support mass production of the rifle as well as service them. I’ll take a rifle that I know will get worked on versus one that’s questionable down the road. To whoever complained about the Carbon-15 and M17 bullpup, at least they’re bringing products to us civilians. HK complained when a few of their 416 uppers fell into civilian hands. Think about that.
You completely miss the point. I’ll repeat it for you.
A gun is a tool that relies totally on its performance to accurately and reliably launch a projectile into its target. The ACR has NOT been proven to do that. This weapon system is untested. Not ONE shred of acceptable documentation has been produced to justify the MINDLESS HYPE. The Magpul staff has made claims that their pretty coloured models exceed MoD/DoD validated systems such as Herstal’s SCAR. What a brash, immature thing to do, considering they are now going to have a cmpany with qestionable quality cotrol make and market it. I predict a abject failure for this project.
You mention the XCR. Another dismal failure resurrected from the ashes of the USSOCOM SCAR solicitation. There are plenty of viable alternatives to the HK four one six available commercially in the States, why whine?
You completely miss the point. I’ll repeat it for you.
A gun is a tool that relies totally on its performance to accurately and reliably launch a projectile into its target. The ACR has NOT been proven to do that. This weapon system is untested. Not ONE shred of acceptable documentation has been produced to justify the MINDLESS HYPE. The Magpul staff has made claims that their pretty coloured models exceed MoD/DoD validated systems such as Herstal’s SCAR. What a brash, immature thing to do, considering they are now going to have a cmpany with qestionable quality cotrol make and market it. I predict a abject failure for this project.
You mention the XCR. Another dismal failure resurrected from the ashes of the USSOCOM SCAR solicitation. There are plenty of viable alternatives to the HK four one six available commercially in the States, why whine?
[...] MagPul’s Masada rifle to be made by Bushmaster. [...]
Given my past experiences with Magpul and Bushmaster, I’m willing to give one a try.
If it performs as advertised, then it’s exactly what I was looking for. If it doesn’t, I can always unload it on some fanboy.
Then again, I could just engage in the kind of totally speculative praise/damnation of which internet wankers seem so fond.
Thanks for nothing. I had customers lined up for this rifle when it came out, but I’ve lost every sale thanks to Bushmaster. Why can’t they just sell their own trash and leave Magpul alone. Why ruin Magpuls reputation by letting everyone down with yet another Bushmaster POS?????
Wasn’t Bushmaster the only vendor to loose their contract with the military for substandard m-16’s?
Yes, I think they were…
I feel quite cheated by Magpul. I bought into all the hype over the Masada and was set to buy one until this happened.
Bushmaster will most certainly mess this up. It feels like a bait and swith fraud. I’ve lost all respect for Magpul
I don’t know what to think. I will just wait a few years to see what Bushmaster does with it. If so many of the parts, like trigger system, barrel, etc. are interchangeable with higher quality parts made by other manufacturers, it may be worth buying at $900.00 and fixing it up. Probably not though.
Gene St6ner- You make some valid points, there is a lot of hype over a new, and as of yet, untested product. But I think you also have to concede that’s also a part of marketing. From cars to electronics to firearms, everyone does it. Personally speaking my interest in the Masada is based on it being something different than the AR platform. Is there anything wrong with the AR? No, it works, and in my years I’ve taken every variation of it overseas (…and by “every” I refer as M16A1 to A2 to M4). If it works then why did we give up on sailing ships and the musket? Because someone expanded upon what was already there to fix a problem, percieved or real, and fix it. For your avatars sake, Gene Stoner dealt with the similar issues when he intro’d aluminum and plastic to an Army wed to steel and wood. Does the Masada borrow from other weapons? Yes. Once again, it must be conceded that yes, most weapons do, especially when, with respect to the Masada, one of the design goals is to mimic ergonomics to retain the muscle memory habits of decades of training with the AR. Am I defending Bushmaster/Magpul. No, I too would rather have seen Magpul pull it off themselves, but also understanding how quickly it would get out of hand for a small company, I think it was wise to pass the torch to a larger producer. In all fairness time will tell.
I for one, would love to try one. Problem is, all these rifles with the $1500-$2000 price tags us ordinary Joes can’t afford. There goes your sales. Price it down by the Mini-14, and give Ruger a hell of a run for the money. Thank you, and have a great day.
The only problem I ever had with my bushmaster M-4A3 was a defect with the key on the bolt carrier I fixed that my self locktight and staked the bolts,it has not jamed since,hail BUSHMASTER look everybody just come off the hip buy one and wrap it up,I think it will run well.
Oh yeah ill pick up the new SCAR light and the STEYR AUG as well.
Well I actually work in the firearms industry, and I can tell you Bushmaster is one of the top selling, and best quality AR-15 rifles…..yeah you can spend a whole lot more money with a Colt and then not cry if you are the one in a million who has some flaws in function, but these rumors should just stop. You are all showing your agenda, and people who actually want to learn more about the product could be further educated, instead of sifting through a bunch of spoiled brats…..and you are all probably older than me too.
I own a Bushmaster M4 and i love it! I don’t see what the problem is personally. Who would you rather mass produce the rifle? Bushmaster provides quality rifles at a reasonable price. I have never had a jam and have shot well over 1000 rounds through my M4 (I clean after ever shoot, even if i shoot just one mag, just like you should any rifle). I’m gonna start saving money so i can blow it all on this new amazing rifle.
your just like all the other’s,magpul talked a good game for HOW LONG?now bushmaster is got it and now WHAT ANOTHER YEAR -YEAR AND HALF BEFORE THE CONSUMER CAN EVEN PUT AN ORDER FOR THE ACR,why advertise NOT RIGHT GUYS….iam going else ware if it is not out there by second quarter,…like i might hurt you right?
Well let’s see what the second quarter comes before we jump to conclusions.
Well I don’t think you realize that Magpul sold the rights, so stop crying, because it’s out of their hands….if you have the means to produce the Masada then go ahead and sent them a check to release the 7.62×39 version, if not lock it up!
I don’t understand all of the Bushmaster bashing. I’ve had a Bushmaster M4 for years without any problems. I’ve put a lot of rounds through it over the years and it shoots great.
i’m gonna buy one, and i’m gonna like it
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[...] Corp. for the production, future development, and sales of Magpul??s prototype MASADA weapon systhttp://homelandsecurityleader.com/homeland-security/homeland-security/bushmaster-and-magpul-team-on-…Bushmaster A3, 223 Gas Piston Upper - Upper Recievers by Big Sky …Big Sky Guns LLC - bushmaster [...]
[...] offered in 5.56 … The result is the ACR Adaptive combat Rifle which keeps the fundamentals of …http://homelandsecurityleader.com/homeland-security/homeland-security/bushmaster-and-magpul-team-on-…Bushmaster-ACR.com:Your Source for the Bushmaster ACRThe bushmaster ACR Adaptive combat Rifle is the [...]
[...] Constitution baby. Founding Fathers knew what the Army really was. SCAR is very cool though. Bushmaster and Magpul Team on Advanced Weapon | HomelandSecurityLeader.com Need I say more…. so cool the Gov has it Front and Center. __________________ I am one of [...]
I am still on board for the ACR…Bushmaster may redeem themselves…I will have to try one before I can form my own opinion.. I own a NEF 5.56mm that costs around $250 brand new…it is the most accurate firearm i have ever owned I have over 25 confirmed kills on crows over 400 yards away with a 9x wal-mart scope…. so if it is dependable and accurate.. it will be mine oh yeah it will be mine!
[...] webpage [...]
doh.. still nothing.