Yeahhh... I sold a pre-ban Oly KB3 during the ban, for $1,500... I'm so ashamed... :p
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I am familiar with BMs, I wouldn't pay $300 for a previously owned complete bushmaster lower. Heck I wouldn't pay 275 either.
IF I was out to buy a new lower, I would buy a stripped from someone who has a reputation for constantly producing lowers to spec. holes in right place and shape, threads right etc. and has the customer service to fix things when the odd lemon slips through.
Or I would buy a complete lower from bravo.
Just my two cents.
I have 2 BM's, have had one for 10 years and the other for 8 years, have shot thousands of rounds through them and haven't had one single problem with either(btw...both of them are stock). In my opinion, BM make good rifles. In the other hand, I believe $275 is still high for a used lower assy. For that much $$$, you can probaly build a new BM lower youself.
Just my $.02
DeltaSierra.... That's why they are called opinions (as you state). What I here addressed is based upon MY personal life experience. You might have a different opinion and I respect that.... in the other hand, it seems you get offended by every thread I reply to... I'm old enough not to let your lack of discipline upset me. Your opinion is YOUR opinon and mine in MINE.
I run a complete BM lower (mil spec) with a BCM upper with no problems. You should be good. It's the upper/barrel combo from BM that you want to avoid.
We have discussed this numerous times. YOUR particular BM may run fine. There are plenty of documented issues of these not running. I had 500 of them when I was in Iraq and there were all a complete nightmare. Unstaked castle nuts, shitty stakings on the BCG, commercial tubes, etc....
Let me make it clear that, I don't agree nor disagree with anyone here. I'm not in disbelief that BM (as well as many, many other manufacturers) may have had one, a few, hundreds or thousands of rifles manufactured that have given the operator some sort of problem/trouble but that's not my (specific) case.
Like all others in this same thread, I have given my real life personal opinion. Some people here(in this exact thread) have mentioned that they have had no problems with the stripped lower, just the internals. Some others have had no problems with the lowers but the uppers and some have had problems with the whole rifle as a package.... I haven't and I don't need to agree with those that have.
Once again you, like many others, have had all sorts of problems with BM rifles and such is life. Me, in the other hand, have been lucky (or whatever it's called) with both of mine and I posted such.
I haven't had the oportunity to read all other threads about BM rifles being POS... then again, that wouldn't change the fact that both of mine run like champs and I state such victory in this thread!
That your rifles works doesn't change the fact that BM can't even build to the quality they used to (as in comparing BM of today verse BM of pre 2000) let alone to the quality of the likes of Colt, Bravo, Noveske and a few others.
Like you, I have a BM that runs like a champ. I bought it over 10 years ago. I also have a newer BM, it doesn't run anywhere near "like a champ". I wouldn't trust my life on it working. Heck, I can't even trust it to complete a 50/60 round national match course. I bought mine before the choices of today were available. I hold on to it because of the legal realities of California and one of these days I will get around to fixing it. If I didn't live in California, I would sell it off in a hart beat.
There was a time BM did in fact make a fairly decent rifle and it got the job done for what the vast majority of people did with an AR back during this time. Plink at the range. Back then it was Colt and just a couple of other choices if you wanted an AR. If Colt wasn't an option for you for any number of reasons, BM was the rifle to get. That was then...the past....
Lots has changed over the years. Today more and more people are buying ARs not as "toys", but as rifles to get work done with. Personal defense, home defense, hunting, Patrol rifles for law enforcement etc. In these new "market conditions", BM quality of their finished product isn't up to these new demands. And that their quality has slipped even comparing against their own product from a decade ago...they are rapidly limiting them self to the segment of the market that is still buying ARs as "toys".
But here is some food for thought for you. Even if you are buying an AR as a "toy" verse a "work tool", if you can get your self a basic Bravo, or Colt for same to less...why would you buy a BM? Because someone like you or I have old samples that happen to run? not very wise if you ask me.