The Bushmaster AR-15 Review: XM-15 Rifle

Bushmaster has waded through the tides to become the AR-15 supplier of choice in the USA. One of their most excellent lines is the XM-15 line. If at all you are looking for an AR 15 gun, it is only logical that you start your search within the Bushmaster line, with the XM 15 being given a lot of preferential treatment.

But why are we lauding this rifle that much? This Bushmaster AR 15 review explains the finer details, benefits, and cons of the Bushmaster XM 15. It will, therefore, help any buyer to make informed decisions whether to buy or not to buy it.

Bushmaster AR-15 XM-15

Bushmaster joined the gun industry in the 1970’s and ever since, they have been committed to designing and construction of durable, dependable and above all, very accurate weapons. The XM-15 is not left out. In fact, this is one of the trademark arms that have propelled Bushmaster to higher popularity levels.

Special Features

  • AR 15 rifle style
  • Quick Response Carbine
  • Contour Chrome-Moly barrel
  • Mini Red-Dot Optic that can quickly be detached
  • Polymer stock
  • Anodized corrosion resistant hard coat
  • Receiver-length Picatinny rail type for optic mounting
  • Reversible rotating selector safety feature
  • Flash hider muzzle device is A2 birdcage-type
  • Hand guard types are the Oval M4-type
  • Six-position “Telestock” handgun grip type
  • 4150 chrome-Moly steel barrel with w/chrome-lined chamber/bore

Bushmaster XM-15 Gun Specifications

  • 1:8-inch barrel twist rate
  • 16 –inch barrel length
  • 32.5-inch overall length
  • 35 inches when fully extended
  • 5.56 NATO/223 Remington caliber
  • 3.5 MOA, RT5 Mini Red Dot sight
  • 30+1 magazine capacity
  • 6-pound overall weight

The Rifle Construction

This rifle type generally is based on the standard AR 15 build, though some lines within the brand come with a few variations. The guns are generally gas operated semi-auto carbines, featuring high-grade aluminum receivers.

The barrel has been crafted from 4150 steel and is chrome-lined thereby ensuring durability. The Bushmaster XM15 rifle features a 20-inch barrel.

Few guns have thought outside the box and are just using the standard or rather common finish materials. However, for the Bushmaster XM15, an impressive manganese phosphate finish has been incorporated. This finish is aimed at offering extreme firearm protection against corrosion and rust. Gas operated weapons such as the XM-15 especially need maximum corrosion and rust protection as the extreme heat they produce can subject the gun to very severe rusts among others.

The rifle is also FNC treated thereby boosting its longevity. The durability of the gun can be attributed to the FNC treatment among other well-engineered features and procedures.

There are different lines within the XM-15 platform, with the M4 option having been Mil-spec engineered and constructed. It is, therefore, an impressive option for those gun accessory lovers.

In a nutshell, the Bushmaster XM15 review breaks down a gun that has been designed and constructed in the USA and abiding by the gun quality standards the country’s manufacturers are known for. The XM-15 has been built with ergonomics and toughness in mind. As a result, you are guaranteed of durable comfortable and reliable shooting experiences.

Shooting and Performance

The XM-15 rifle is shipped, ready to shoot. Coming with Bushmaster engineering and Mil-Spec flash suppressors, the variant is super accurate and user-friendly. Its average firing rate is 45 rounds per minute, which is very impressive. They have been designed to reduce the felt recoil, are simple to handle and are known to produce precision long range shooting.

As mentioned earlier, the weapon features advanced engineering technologies and intelligence that are credited for having boosted the reliability as well as the durability of the rifle. As a result, peak performance for even decades is assured.

Safety Features

For about half a century now, Bushmaster has been known to manufacture user-friendly guns. Even without any additional safety feature, being user-friendly offers safety use already. The XM-15 is user-friendly just as is the case with other products from its producer company. It comes with straightforward lever safeties, with the gun having been designed and constructed with rare malfunctions.

The gun has also been assembled in such a thoughtful way that heat is well dissipated. It comes with a flash suppressor that helps in preventing the adulteration of the user’s vision. Rarely do you find a gun manufacturer factoring in safety features in the magazine but Bushmaster does.

The gun has been designed for easy customization, no wonder it can easily be assembled, disassembled and reassembled. Based on the standard Ar-15 platform, it should regularly be cleaned. You will need very few tools for basic manipulation but if you want to do a comprehensive customization, a tool kit can be acquired from Bushmaster.

Accessories

The weapon variants don’t disappoint those accessory enthusiasts. This is because the weapon has been designed in such a manner that it can accommodate, accept and be compatible with almost any AR 15 accessory out there. Many accessory options for the XM-15 are produced by Bushmaster and these include: mounts, flash suppressors, sights, variant triggers, special stocks & grips, lower & upper receivers, specialty magazines and sights among others.

Other than those produced by Bushmaster, you may also want to use other accessories by other companies with the sights being the main accessories that you may want to outsource. The gun is capable of accepting, or rather mounting just any sights out there. Because of the different scope needs depending on shooters, you are sure that any sight you like will easily be mounted on the XM-15 rifle.

Benefits and Drawbacks

Pros

  • Durability: The main selling factor of Bushmaster rifles, the XM-15 inclusive is their durability. All its components have well been selected and engineered with strength and reliability reigning supreme
  • Smooth Shooting Performance: The gun has been ergonomically designed to offer simplistic handling thus making it comfortable to hold. And with highly reduced felt recoil, you will enjoy your shooting experiences, probably more than you do enjoy shooting from your current AR 15 rifle.
  • Super Performance: The gun has been designed for precision long range shooting, producing an average effective firing range of about 600 yards, with the maximum firing range at around 3800 yards. Now, this is super impressive!
  • Reputation: I don’t think twice when buying a product that has highly been lauded for years, even decades for its quality construction and performance. Being the most popular AR 15 rifle in the USA, there is no doubt that it features a quality construction hence the whole buzz

Cons

  • It doesn’t come with the best sights. You may want to replace them.

Pricing and Availability

The Bushmaster XM 15 offers one of the most diverse platforms hence it's logical for it to have a wide price range. All the different variants fall within about $600 and $1,000. There are also aftermarket or rather second-hand buying option, which may be cheaper but it is important you ascertain the authenticity of the product being sold second hand. It is, however, important to note that the average resale value of the XM-15 is pretty high. You should therefore not expect the price to be considerably low.

As we have already mentioned, you can buy the gun second hand, or you can opt for a new factory product. New ones can be bought from major gun stores, online and offline. Some of the most reliable online stores you can get the gun from including Cabelas and Brownells among others.

User Reviews

Most of the users who have reviewed it reveal how much Bushmaster is a celebrated brand within the public domain. But even though a number of the users have used the Bushmaster brands for quite some time now, the Bushmaster XM15 reviews by the same users depict how to stand out the XM 15 model is.

In general, from the Bushmaster XM15 review, you come get to ascertain that the model is truly a great gun that works as advertized. It is a very nice forearm, featuring good features even for its price. It is accurate, dependable, and reliable and will never disappoint. The fact that it is accurate right out of the box makes more shooters even happier.

Conclusion

Going through the features, specifications, performance and Bushmaster XM15 reviews gives you a jest of why it is a popular and favorite of many in the USA and beyond. With a number of rifle and carbine lines within the model, I would highly recommend to consider going for the Quick Response Carbine. It is not because it is any better than the other variants but just because it is my personal preference. All in all, the XM 15 is a dependable, accurate and durable firearm that works best for the law enforcement agencies, hunters and recreational shooters etc.

12 thoughts on “The Bushmaster AR-15 Review: XM-15 Rifle”

  1. Recently purchased the A3M4 version with carry too handle. Very well made and high quality, with a price of 799.00 plus a mail in rebate for a free drago range bag, I couldn’t pass it up. Sure a high dollar AR might have a few extra bells and whistles but for an Awesome Quality gun that’s ready when you are and plenty of room for accessories that you can add to suit your taste, I’d go with Bushmaster again and again.

    Reply
  2. right out of box fired 3 times & stove piped every time had to beat out casing cleaned rifle every time and same results.i have been purchasing ar type rifles for many years and this has been a terrible experience.they have the rifle now and let’s see what happens.buschmaster ?

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  3. I’ve just got my new XM 15QRC and right out of the box it’s on target.it shoots smooth and I’m just really impressed with right out of the box it’s hitting the bulls eye at 50 and 80 yrds good job .

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  4. I’ve just got my new XM 15QRC and right out of the box it’s on target.it shoots smooth and I’m just really impressed with right out of the box it’s hitting the bulls eye at 50 and 80 yrds good job .

    Reply
  5. Just like with anything popular in life real gun guys will hate it! The will make claims that qc at bushmaster is down with no proof or real information. By the numbers bushmaster sells a huge amount of ar’s and you see very little in reguards to failures. For some reason “real” gun guys hate them and will steer you to very high end guns. I worked at a pd with bushmasters, we replaced our colts which failed in real life situations all the time. We switched to bushmasters and our fail rate went to nothing. The bushmaster sailed through out qc testing and beat all other riffles.

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  6. I own the Bushmaster Varminter in 223 and its a tack driver. I am now looking for one in 6.5. The search continues.

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  7. Bought my XM15-M4 in 2009 (10 years ago) and have had no failures I can remember. I have modified it slightly with a Geissele SSA-E, Midwest Industries 15″ free-float quad rail, Vortex Strikefire red/green dot with a 1/3 co-witness mount, and I went to a Bushmaster 1:7 M4 profile 16″ barrel because I shoot a lot of 75gr match bullets. I also trued the receiver threads, polished the M4 feed ramps, installed a Magpul ACS Stock, etc.

    What more can I say except that I love my Bushy! VERY accurate & reliable rifle.

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  8. I have my XM15 carbine 5.56 now for a few years. Extremely accurate and high quality. I did have a trigger job from a gunsmith and I would recommend it if you want it to be EXTREMELY smooth.
    Never had a jam up with all types/brands of 5.56 and 223 ammo. It is worth the higher price it retails because quality cost more!

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  9. As a MARINE(1975) I have known the history of Bush from ARs buyout and current mil contracts. (Usmc,navyseals,FBI,swat, etc) I’ve left my XM 4 pretty raw! Too much tec in true combat might be foolish too rely upon! As my DI would say, “when ammos out!” The 16s a “damn GREAT expensive spear and club! ” practice ” OPEN FIXED SIGHTS! ” as combat goes folks. “KEEP IT SIMPLE! ” sooner, later! It’s a club. Bushmasters real deal! Trust it.A Life might need too! Later.

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  10. Bushmaster guns are pieces of junk and the company does not honor their warranty if you are the 2nd owner. Furthermore, their limited warranty is only good for 2 years after the date of mfg.. So it’s very possible for you to buy a NIB gun from a FFL dealer that was built 2 years ago, but with no warranty. Their guns are very fragile and susceptible to breaking, and CANNOT be repaired! If anyone ever offers to sell you one, simply laugh, tell them them good luck, and move on. Cheers & happy shooting.

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