Put Up or Hold Up?

[Hoot]

I'm ready to build one of the three Thumpers, but finances are tight. Anyone care to speculate whether there will be a Tax Time sale this year? Was Bushmaster caught with too much inventory and an unexpected economic downturn last year, or is this sale an annual event? The difference would pay for my reloading setup for this new caliber.
Thanks,
Hoot

[thatguy]

It appears that it is an annual event.. they did it in 2008 and 2009

Brian

[Mike]

Define "build".

If you want to build your own, its cheaper than any sale Ive ever seen bushmaster have. I just used an MGI barrel and bolt ($300 with shipping) with a DPMS lo pro upper ($79), Hogue free float tube ($20 shipped thru another websites classified ads), and a generic low profile gas block/tube ($30 thru sherluck). the bolt carrier and charging handle I had layin around, but would have cost me roughly an additional $75 combined. Now, no I didnt add the flash suppressor/muzzle brake as I build my own, and You cant put a price on custom stuff (LMAO). Now, If you have an upper already, it could be as simple as swapping barrels and bolts depending on what variety upper you have.

If you mean build as in buy a complete upper, and put it on a complete lower-your kinda at their discretion.

[Hoot]

I did look at the MGI lineup but felt unsure whether I needed a 7.62x39 carrier and barrel extension also or not. Yes, it would be cheaper by far than a rifle comprised entirely of Bushmaster components. I also read a post by someone who went your route and the barrel was machined crooked or something like that. It is good to hear from at least one other person who went the MGI route as one person's experience is not a large pool for developing an opinion. I got unexpectedly called into work today (a holiday where I work) and wound up working 6 hours at 2.5x rate of pay, so in a couple of weeks I'll have a little more wiggle room finance wise. I have a standing offer to get a complete 20" Bushmaster unit from a distributor out east with a discount for working for an LEO to the tune of $1099 shipped and have that out if I grow impatient waiting for the Tax Time sale or wind up not going the MGI route. Thanks for sharing your experience. I may reconsider the MGI route. Half the fun is searching abut the internet for the best deal or catching wind of one you did not know about. Some strange parallel to hunting and gathering. I have a free floating forearm and bull barrel gas block somewhere, otherwise nothing laying about to use. I'm looking at a CMMG complete lower and either a Tax Time 20" upper, with the only changes being a G27 grip, winter trigger guard and RRA 2-stage trigger. I can cobble up an upper from discreet parts or get a Blackthorne upper for a reasonable price. I've built two ARs from Blackthorne kits and stripped lowers in the past. Both performed perfectly but I sold them when I got bored with 5.56 shooting.
Hoot

[2zero6]

Don't forget you have to open up the ejection port a bit, the_mad_rshn did a great write-up on it See this thread
My next build will consist of a 10.5" barrel from http://www.ballisticadvantagellc.com/450Bushmaster.php
See this thread and a MWG 90rnd snail drum that the Beowulf guys seem to be having luck with. I was seriously looking at MGI's Hydra setup with interchangeable magwells for a universal setup that would be able to use what ever caliber I had an itch to shoot that day.

[Mike]

Respectfully, I didnt forget anything.

The lo pro upper reciever does not need to be modified in any way, it has no dust cover, or forward assist, and the port is larger.

When I put together a 17 rem upper, I tired to contact the ballistic advantage guys, but seemed as though they had better things to do than actually sell products. Maybe you will have better luck.

[2zero6]

Thanks for the info on the port size on the low-pro upper I might have to keep that in mind on my next .450 upper build.

[the_mad_rshn]

Don't forget you have to open up the ejection port a bit, the_mad_rshn did a great write-up on it See this thread
My next build will consist of a 10.5" barrel from http://www.ballisticadvantagellc.com/450Bushmaster.php
See this thread and a MWG 90rnd snail drum that the Beowulf guys seem to be having luck with. I was seriously looking at MGI's Hydra setup with interchangeable magwells for a universal setup that would be able to use what ever caliber I had an itch to shoot that day.

Yes sir. You can watch a YouTube video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhLkrtymmoI

BUt I have a guy at the range who swears that he built an upper without enlarging the port. I saw the gun, but at the time I was not into the 450B, so I cannot confirm.

Good luck. But building your own from scratch for sure is cheaper.

[wildcatter]

Don't forget you have to open up the ejection port a bit, the_mad_rshn did a great write-up on it See this thread
My next build will consist of a 10.5" barrel from http://www.ballisticadvantagellc.com/450Bushmaster.php
See this thread and a MWG 90rnd snail drum that the Beowulf guys seem to be having luck with. I was seriously looking at MGI's Hydra setup with interchangeable magwells for a universal setup that would be able to use what ever caliber I had an itch to shoot that day.

Yes sir. You can watch a YouTube video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhLkrtymmoI

BUt I have a guy at the range who swears that he built an upper without enlarging the port. I saw the gun, but at the time I was not into the 450B, so I cannot confirm.

Good luck. But building your own from scratch for sure is cheaper.

Humm..A 450 round nearly clears an unmodified Mil-Spec upper, so I can imagine that some uppers will work if they are made slightly out of spec.

[Mike]

Not to split hairs, but a lo pro reciever would fall outside the mill spec arena, wouldnt it? ie, no FA or Dust cover????

When you gettin back from Virginia??