The Bushmaster XM-15 M4 A3 7.62x39mm

Bushmaster is the leading supplier of AR-15 type firearms. The brand is popular with hundreds of law enforcement organizations around the country and with the military of more than 50 countries world wide. In addition to law enforcement and military sales, Bushmaster is popular with civilian consumers for security, hunting, recreational and organized competitive shooting applications. Blah, blah, blah…

A look through the Bushmaster catalog, or virtually every other AR manufacturer’s catalog, will illustrate a couple of things; marketing is directed at our ever more federalized police or at men and women who are not sure where their genitals end and their firearms begin.

Page after page of images depicting police in helmets, camo and body armor launching assaults on civilians or dramatic images of soldier lookalikes slogging though rain and muck on a mission. I’ve been out of the military for some time but, as I recall, individuals were issued weapons, they were not purchased by individuals.

So if I am being so caustic about AR Marketing, why is this firearm appearing on this page? Because if you toss the stupid imagery and narratives that casts law enforcement in a negative light and brand consumers as doomsday preppers and law enforcement as military wannabees, you’ll find a reliable and versatile firearm with many applications for the average, well adjusted person.

The Bushmaster XM-15 Patrolman’s Carbine is a solid utility AR with features that make it useful for a myriad of applications.

This particular model has a flat top receiver with Picatinny rail for electronic/optical sight mounting and a detachable handle with metallic integral rear sight. The sight is two aperture, short and long range, with 1/2 MOA windage and elevation adjustment.

Below, the ejection port cover, forward assist knob and mag release are in all the old familiar places. The handle, removed, in the foreground and scope mounted on a 1″ riser for quick install/removal.

The six position collapsible buttstock locks positively into each position providing a 3 5/8″ range of adjustment to suit just about any shooting technique or position.

The 7.62x39mm and the search for more AR power

The 5.56 NATO 14.5″ barrel version of the M4 Carbine has an effective range of 500 meters, or roughly 547 yards. In military and police applications the round’s ballistics have been proven to be effective. It is certainly flat shooting and capable of excellent accuracy, however, for an all purpose farm, ranch and hunting firearm, many see it as a little light.

Moving up to a 308 Winchester AR 10 standard or derivative typically results in adding pounds of extra weight and a size increase, Subsequently, the search for a more powerful round than the 5.56 NATO that will function in an M4 size firearm and no surrender reasonable range continues on. The result has been rounds like the: 6.5 Grendel, 6.8 SPC, 300 Blackout, and 7.62x39mm.

For all of the ink the 300 Blackout and 7.62×39 get, they don’t actually add that much above 5.56×45’s performance, as the light bullet 30s relatively low ballistic coefficient causes velocity to be shed velocity relatively quickly. Some folks suggest ballistics are comparable to the 30-30 WCF, but as bullet weight drifts up to the typical 30-30 WCF 150 and 170 grain bullet weights, the 7.62×39 quickly falls by the wayside. The 6.5 Grendel and 6.8 SPC both outperform the rest in terms of velocity, energy and flat trajectory.

Conclusion

The Patrolman’s Carbine was comfortable to shoot and steady in hold. It didn’t jam, fail to feed or eject and it held sight adjustment. Magazines were easy to fill and quick to change. Recoil was minor. The Bushmaster XM-15 is a standard; reliable and well finished. It is a basic institutional model that would provide years of service in any chosen caliber. It is, however, kind of a snooze as sport firearms go.