My Travis Haley Blackwater "Iraq" Bushmaster clone

[Renegade04]

After a subliminal message from a FB buddy a while back, I began building a Travis Haley Blackwater "Iraq" Bushmaster clone. Here it is.

Rifle:
Bushmaster XM-15E2S HBAR A3 Target (Windham, ME)

Accessories:
Leupold Mark 4 LR/T 3.5-10x40mm (30mm) M1 Illum. Mil Dot
A.R.M.S.® #22™ Throw Lever® Rings (High) NSN 5365-01-562-0979
A.R.M.S.® #32™ Throw Lever® Adapter for Harris-type Bi-pod NSN 1005-01-574-2195
A.R.M.S.® #40™Std. A2 Flip Up Rear Sight
A.R.M.S.® #59™M S.I.R.® System NSN 1005-01-574-2540
Harris Bipod 6-9 Inch Notched Legs - Swivel (BRM-S)
S-Lock for Harris "S" Series bipod
AN/PEQ-2 battery box (airsoft)

I tried the #22 Medium rings as was spec'd, but they were to low to work with the AN/PEQ-2 battery box (yes, airsoft) and have enough clearance for the rear sight.

The inspiration

https://i.imgur.com/i2Tmuvn.jpg

The "Clone"

https://i.imgur.com/MJoKmz5.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/cOFufgo.jpg

[VARIABLE9]

Thumbs up

[Hound]

It certainly looks the part.

[duece71]

Looks good, how much invested? Just a ball park. Thanks.

[Renegade04]

Looks good, how much invested? Just a ball park. Thanks.

Right around $2700.

[BG94591]

That thing is sweet! How's it shoot?

[Renegade04]

That thing is sweet! How's it shoot?

Thanks. Getting it to the range next Wednesday morning.

[Jwknutson17]

Job well done. Congrats!

[Renegade04]

https://i.imgur.com/i7NjjHq.jpg

[themonk]

Very nice

[LOBO]

Looks great!

[nightchief]

Cool idea and nice execution! Looking forward to the range report.

[shiv]

That’s quite a different theme I’d never thought of before. You nailed it for sure.


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[Krazykarl]

Barrel 1:9 HB? You know, the usual offering, or something more exotic?

[Renegade04]

Barrel 1:9 HB? You know, the usual offering, or something more exotic?

1/9 HBAR

[Hammer_Man]

Wow looks good! 20" rifles with fixed front sights get me all kinds of excited, and yours is a unique and refreshing take on it.

[JWlineman]

Always putting together some great stuff!

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[diving dave]

Pretty slick, well done.

[jpmuscle]

OP,

So, how does it shoot? Well enough to plink fish in a barrel or???


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[Mr. Goodtimes]

OP,

So, how does it shoot? Well enough to plink fish in a barrel or???


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https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180204/234e4eb33989793b0369f284f371f1cd.jpg



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[jpmuscle]

OMG

🤣


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[contax_shooter]

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4573/26883105119_11d83000f9_b.jpg

[Renegade04]

OP,

So, how does it shoot? Well enough to plink fish in a barrel or???


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Not sure as yet. I am going to get it to the range later this week. Most likely Wednesday or Thursday. Hopefully, the Geissele SAA-E I ordered from Primary Arms will be here before then. Travis did say in one of his videos that the actual rifle had a match trigger in it, but did not say which one. I suspect it may have been either a LMT, RRA, or KAC given the time period. I decided the SSA-E would be an excellent choice.

[Renegade04]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180204/234e4eb33989793b0369f284f371f1cd.jpg



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:cool:

[jpmuscle]

OP your a good sport. Kudos to you


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[Hammer_Man]

How much does the whole thing weigh?

[AndyLate]

Deleted due to low knowledge base.

[Kain]

How much does the whole thing weigh?

I am curious about that myself. I had a SIRS rail on a bushy carbine and the rail could have been used, easily, as a club. The full rifle rail? Dear lord, I don't want to think about that.

Oh, and yes, OP, it is a sick looking rifle for a homage to a video I remember watching when I was in high school. Sent one of hte pics to a buddy and he pegged it in an instant. Well done. Enjoy the fruits of your labors.

[Renegade04]

How much does the whole thing weigh?

I just put it on some scales and it comes in right around 12 1/2 lbs with the empty magazine.


I am curious about that myself. I had a SIRS rail on a bushy carbine and the rail could have been used, easily, as a club. The full rifle rail? Dear lord, I don't want to think about that.

Oh, and yes, OP, it is a sick looking rifle for a homage to a video I remember watching when I was in high school. Sent one of hte pics to a buddy and he pegged it in an instant. Well done. Enjoy the fruits of your labors.

Thank you. :)

[WTF?Shane]

Good job!

[Pappabear]

Well done. Cool build.

PB

[Renegade04]

Well, since I found out that Haley had a match trigger in the Bushmaster he used in Najaf and not knowing which one (probably a LMT, RRA, or KAC), I decided to use the Geissele SSA-E. It arrived a short while ago and is now installed and ready for the range in the next couple of days.

[LowSpeed_HighDrag]

Boy, that is heavy! But very cool.

[AndyLate]

Deleted due to low knowledge base.

[Hammertime]

Great build. Hope it groups well and shoot the hell out of it!!

Enjoy in good health.
B

[Renegade04]

Thanks guys. I am really looking forward to shooting this thing. I am pleased with how it has turned out thus far. This project was a long time in the coming.

[Renegade04]

I finally made it to the range this morning with this rifle and an A4 clone I just built. Once I had the scope dialed in (only 100 yards), I was able to reset the turret caps to the zero settings. I love how this scope works. I only took some American Eagle XM193 and some ZQ1 SS109/M855 with me. Sighted in with the 55 gr. and had a little fun with it. Then, I moved onto the 62 gr. and had a little more fun. The 1/9 barrel really delivered some good accuracy with both of the types of ammo. After getting on target, I decided to shoot at some wood fragments laying up on the berm. It is nice to have the accuracy to shoot at a small piece of wood from about 120 yards away and bounce it around. This rifle is a keeper.

[HelloLarry]

It looks very shootable.

[BillB]

Now that's different, different enough to be cool as he'll. I love it.

[jlorenzo]

Good lord that thing is awesome. I remember wanting to build one myself. Really dig the setup. Going to do a gun that's similar but not identical soon. Very, very cool.

[Randall]

OP,

So, how does it shoot? Well enough to plink fish in a barrel or???

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No dude, its not a fish shoot, "Its a F****in Turkey Shoot" lol

[sgtrock82]

Very cool build! For possible future builders' reference, other heavily used match triggers of that era were the Jewell and the Krieger-Milazzo. Armalite also offered a decent match trigger too although It could have also been something from JP enterprises

I should convert my old NM AR service rifle into something similar or a mk12 but so far im to nostalgic to disasdemble it.

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[Mygrainman]

Very cool build. Something about those ARMS rails. Heavy and bulky but just look at it!
Beautiful!

[Renegade04]

Very cool build. Something about those ARMS rails. Heavy and bulky but just look at it!
Beautiful!

Thank you.

[Esq.]

You know, as much as people hate on Bushmaster, more than one "Pro" has carried them in harms way ..Paranto too...

[wrxdwpsti]

great idea for a clone. Nice to see something retro-ish and different from the crowd. A+

[bigjoe7757]

Great Job, looks great

[Renegade04]

Thanks guys.

[hk_shootr]

Always great to see your builds James

[EDDAKA]

That is a really clean build. Usually not a fan of big spr type rifles, but this one looks great.

[Renegade04]

That is a really clean build. Usually not a fan of big spr type rifles, but this one looks great.

Thank you.

[HKGuns]

Nice rifle Sir.

This makes me wonder if there is a market for a James Yeager "old yeller" model? Sort of the antithesis of your rifle, covering both ends of the specturm. We deserve a reminder of this coward every few years or so........Sorry to thread jack.

https://youtu.be/NphgWi1nUt4?t=2038

[Prxr88]

Nice rifle Sir.

This makes me wonder if there is a market for a James Yeager "old yeller" model? Sort of the antithesis of your rifle, covering both ends of the specturm. We deserve a reminder of this coward every few years or so........Sorry to thread jack.

https://youtu.be/NphgWi1nUt4?t=2038

Lol!

Awesome clone build