View Full Version : Dad and his Bushmaster. A venting session.
Sometimes wisdom doesn't translate well into the firearms world. My father always wanted an AR. When I first bought my Colt he started asking about what was recommended. I of course mentioned Colt as I knew he would already know the name and already owns a couple of 1911's with the pony. The only brands that are available locally are Bushy, DPMS, and Olympic. I had my Colt special ordered and it took awhile (slow ass gunshop). Anyway.......he couldn't wait. Bought a Bushmaster for $1100! Yes you read that right. Shot maybe 50 rounds threw it and then ordered a $150 match trigger. Did I mention this is a M4 configuration? He doesnt care about all the OTHER problems that are part of owning a Bushy, just that the trigger was gritty. This man is a very smart fella, just not when it comes to guns. You can lead a horse to water......Sorry for the rant gentleman. Just needed to vent.
Read this, follow the recommendations, and go shooting with your dad as often as you can.
"Oh No! I bought a BM/RRA/Stag before I knew better!"
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=7376
Just be sure to take him shooting and don't say a word about his Sea Sick Sea Serpent. There will come a day when you will give anything just to go shooting with him again- Even with the worst of rifles
We do go every chance we get. I routinely take his guns home to clean them for him from time to time. I am aware of what has to be done. I plan on making the changes that need to be made under the radar for him over time. :secret:
ROFLMAO! And ironically six months from now when your father says "See son? Just as good as a Colt"....
Just be sure to take him shooting and don't say a word about his Sea Sick Sea Serpent. There will come a day when you will give anything just to go shooting with him again- Even with the worst of rifles
+1000,
I have to wait for my birthday to get my dad to come shooting with me.
He owns this POS Bersa .380 that won't even cycle 3 round in a row.
Dads get set in their ways. They do things slow and not always how WE would do them
You just gotta turn your head and be glad that they are with you
We do go every chance we get. I routinely take his guns home to clean them for him from time to time. I am aware of what has to be done. I plan on making the changes that need to be made under the radar for him over time. :secret:
Good plan. You can try to swap out stuff as it breaks, or even carry backup parts/BCG/LPK etc. etc... with you so you look like the best son in the world when your dads Bushy goes "click".
Honestly, what's the harm if he's just using it as a plinker? If he plans on using in a defensive role then set him straight, it's your dad not some a$$hole at the range that you can afford to blow off.
GermanSynergy
02-01-12, 18:53
I simply bought my dad a Noveske N4 carbine and that solved the problem. :cool:
Microalign
02-01-12, 19:36
I simply bought my dad a Noveske N4 carbine and that solved the problem. :cool:
Can I be your dad too? :D
Eurodriver
02-01-12, 19:39
I wish my dad was into AR15s
He bought this thing as a life saving tool. He loves shooting it, but doesn't do it that often. I just dont want it to be a problem for him when he needs it the most. I will make it my little project and keep it on the down low. If he makes a comment about it being as good as I will simply give him the box of Bushy parts and point out the things that were done. I wish I could afford to get him set up with a proper rifle, but getting his where it needs to be is the next best thing.
SpaceWrangler
02-01-12, 19:57
My Dad owned two station wagons.
Some men you just can't reach. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v638/Stretch67/cheeky-smiley-025.gif
ROFLMAO! And ironically six months from now when your father says "See son? Just as good as a Colt"....
HA! This is exactly what is going to happen! At least the day will end with some quality father son time and that's what counts. My dad was a BIG Taurus fan. If he was still around, I might even buy him a Judge just to see him get a huge kick out of it.
Sum: Time is precious. Don't waste it warring over product selection.
I like the idea of bringing the gun up to speed on the sly. BTDT.
Just be sure to take him shooting and don't say a word about his Sea Sick Sea Serpent. There will come a day when you will give anything just to go shooting with him again- Even with the worst of rifles
+1
My Dad wanted me to help him move a fish-tank the other day (120 gallon). I told him I will have 130 hours this pay-period and the day he wants me to move it is on the morning before my last night. I will be very tired after being up for 15 hours already, and have another 12 to go that night. He insisted I only had to take it from the house that it was in, to his trailer. I said "Sure".
I arrived to discover a fully-working aquarium with 120 gallons of water IN IT, FISH, GRAVEL, THE WORKS.
I was pissed. I vented a bit. I still feel that I was lied to by omission, as I was led to believe it was JUST the aquarium, as he made no mention of water, fish, siphoning, and all the other aquariums he has gotten have been empty.
However, I did help him, and I am glad I did, and even though I am still pissed, I know that one day I will miss being irritable over little stupid things like that and would gladly move aquariums or whatever 24/7 to get to spend time with him.
Go shooting with your dad, cherish the time you have, and if anything, just view it as a chance to teach him some clearance drills :D
SpankMonkey
02-01-12, 20:58
I have spoken to my dad maybe four times in the last 30 years. I will be lucky if he calls me in the next decade.
Enjoy your dad sir. Don't lose a second of sleep over a Bushy. Just be happy.
About thirty years ago my retired LEO father asked me to find him a house pistol. Against my "expert" opinion he insisted that he wanted a 2" revolver. So I found him a nice minty Model 60 S&W and threw in a box of good hollow point ammo. On one of my trips back to see him I later found that he had traded off the HPs for a box of RNL ammo that he kept in the gun.
He died in '05 at the ripe old age of 94, still sharp as a tack. The gun is still in our family. Yeah, I might have actually been right, but it was his call and it wasn't my place to 'straighten him out'. I owed him a lot; if his choice in guns was less than ideal, he more than made up for it in the course of a long life. I miss him every day.
Hell, I'm getting to that cantankerous stage in life where I'm a problem to my kids myself. I've earned it.
FChen17213
02-01-12, 21:14
I might get flamed for this, but here goes. I think the Bushmaster might just be fine. If your dad doesn't really shoot the AR15 all that often, what's wrong with the Bushy? As long as it's not a harduse defensive carbine, what's wrong with a Bushmaster for plinking and range work? If the castle nut comes loose, big deal. Go fix it. If the gas key comes loose and the gun starts jamming, you can get it fixed. If the front sight post isn't tall enough to zero, go get another one.....no big deal for a plinking gun right? Lots of these guns are good enough for people who shoot like 100 rounds once every two months or so. I actually think that's how Bushmaster, DPMS, and Olympic Arms get away with their sub-par guns......they realize that most people buy their gun, shoot it once, and let it sit. Honestly, I doubt more than 10% of AR15 owners shoot more than once a month. In fact, I bet less than 3% shoot weekly or multiple times a week. I think less than 1% of the civilian or LEO population shoots more than 15,000 rounds a year.
loganp0916
02-01-12, 21:26
I might get flamed for this, but here goes. I think the Bushmaster might just be fine. If your dad doesn't really shoot the AR15 all that often, what's wrong with the Bushy? As long as it's not a harduse defensive carbine, what's wrong with a Bushmaster for plinking and range work? If the castle nut comes loose, big deal. Go fix it. If the gas key comes loose and the gun starts jamming, you can get it fixed. If the front sight post isn't tall enough to zero, go get another one.....no big deal for a plinking gun right? Lots of these guns are good enough for people who shoot like 100 rounds once every two months or so. I actually think that's how Bushmaster, DPMS, and Olympic Arms get away with their sub-par guns......they realize that most people buy their gun, shoot it once, and let it sit. Honestly, I doubt more than 10% of AR15 owners shoot more than once a month. In fact, I bet less than 3% shoot weekly or multiple times a week. I think less than 1% of the civilian or LEO population shoots more than 15,000 rounds a year.
He paid $1100 for it where he could have gotten a colt from G&R for less.....
I might get flamed for this, but here goes. I think the Bushmaster might just be fine. If your dad doesn't really shoot the AR15 all that often, what's wrong with the Bushy?
As Rob's post says, if it's not a gun you need to depend on, then it's just fine for poppin' cans...
;)
$1100! If it's a 308 he paid about the average price. If it's a 223, someone saw him coming.
Sometimes wisdom doesn't translate well into the firearms world. My father always wanted an AR. When I first bought my Colt he started asking about what was recommended. I of course mentioned Colt as I knew he would already know the name and already owns a couple of 1911's with the pony. The only brands that are available locally are Bushy, DPMS, and Olympic. I had my Colt special ordered and it took awhile (slow ass gunshop). Anyway.......he couldn't wait. Bought a Bushmaster for $1100! Yes you read that right. Shot maybe 50 rounds threw it and then ordered a $150 match trigger. Did I mention this is a M4 configuration? He doesnt care about all the OTHER problems that are part of owning a Bushy, just that the trigger was gritty. This man is a very smart fella, just not when it comes to guns. You can lead a horse to water......Sorry for the rant gentleman. Just needed to vent.
While I agree with you its better than a sharp stick. Maybe YOU should upgrade it by staking the castle nut, get a BCM BCG, possibly get a DD or G+R LPK and just let him enjoy as its apparent he isnt going to be getting the Colt anytime soon.
justin_247
02-02-12, 02:32
While I agree with you its better than a sharp stick. Maybe YOU should upgrade it by stacking the castle nut, get a BCM BCG, possibly get a DD or G+R LPK and just let him enjoy as its apparent he isnt going to be getting the Colt anytime soon.
... and he probably wouldn't even notice, especially if he's already swapped out the FCG. Throw an H-buffer in there while you're at it, too, and make sure he has plenty of good magazines from BCM.
My Dad and I used to fish every great once in a while together. We didn't agree on a lot of things when it came to fishing. None of it really mattered and our "arguing" was good natured fun.
Not too long ago I was telling my ol' lady that I should take him fishing again. It's been years.
He died two weeks ago. I never did take him fishing.
I think you get the point. Just go shooting with him and offer your "spare" parts should anything break or not function properly.
I just wonder where he bought it so that I know not to go there.
Note: I didn't read through the thread.
There will come a day when you will give anything just to go shooting with him again- Even with the worst of rifles
Truth.
Lonestar.45
02-02-12, 12:07
Eh, my Dad is the same way. He's a former Marine, retired LEO, all around gun guy. Bought a S&W M4 type and immediately put a Leupold 2x7 glossy scope on it to hunt coyotes. He's happy as a clam and will probably put less than 50 rds a year through it if that. If the gas key nor the castle nut is not staked well and he's got a 1x9 twist barrel, no big deal.
Now if he had paid $1,100 for it, I would've have had to say something.
Let your Dad enjoy his rifle, I'm sure he will.
Not a big deal IMO, it's not like he's going to a two way range is it? I carry a Bushmaster M4 everyday on duty and have 100% confidence in it. Mine is well maintained by me!
Not my first choice obviously for a defensive weapon, many better options out there. It's issued so I don't have a choice, but it has served over 500 of us across the state very well so far.
I think he'll be OK, other than overpaying.
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