Windham Arms

[Art]

Our son just came in for a few days before deploying again and he picked up a brand new Windham AR 15. He said it was hard to find one with the carrying handle but he succeeded. Anyway, I used the things with the Military and Law Enforcement but having no interest in them much I was wondering if anyone could let me know about the quality of the Windham guns.

Thanks

[P. Greaney]

It was started by the former employees of Bushmaster after Bushmaster was bought by Remington who abandoned the former manufacturing site and employees.
Last time I checked, they had a reputation of producing a fine weapon.

[Art]

Thanks, I checked it out and it seemed very well made, glad to have my first impression confirmed.

He got it for $850.00 N.I.B. at a gun show. It went begging because it was a carry handle model and he wanted a carry handle one so this rifle with the detatchable carrying handle being available was sort of a perfect storm. Remember right after the last election when these things were going from $2,500.00 to $3,500.00 if you could find one??

[bd1]

Anybody shopping or evaluating M4gery type AR's, if you don't do anything else go to the thread below about Who's Closest to Mil-Spec and the sub-thread link within it to the M4 chart .pdf file. The creator hasn't had time lately to update the chart, so there are probably a few mfrs that deserve to be added favorably (Noveske, PSA, and maybe Windham come to mind), but it's still the best one-stop resource.

[Art]

Anybody shopping or evaluating M4gery type AR's, if you don't do anything else go to the thread below about Who's Closest to Mil-Spec and the sub-thread link within it to the M4 chart .pdf file. The creator hasn't had time lately to update the chart, so there are probably a few mfrs that deserve to be added favorably (Noveske, PSA, and maybe Windham come to mind), but it's still the best one-stop resource.

Thanks, I checked out the chart. Not surprising that Colt is closest to Mil Spec since they have the tooling and materials to make rifles for the 'gubmint on hand. Since Windham is using the Bushmaster plant and machining it's reasonable to think that the rifle would be more or less a Bushmaster. The boy actually wanted an M16A2 clone but none were available, at least not for what he wanted to pay. It was sort of an impulse buy. I'm supposed to take him out to the gun club to shoot it tomorrow.

[kar66]

Yes I have been thinking my wife may have problems selling my ARs. They are all built with A1 type uppers. I believe in the KISS principal and have no need of a A2 sight or a flattop. Maybe reto will be in by then.

[da gimp]

Armelite makes very fine rifles too............ Both Major Culver & our own Master Guns Gus Fisher recommend them...........Our youngest daughter shot a borrowed one in Service Rifle competition until we got John at WhiteOak Precision to build one..

[Andouille]

Yes I have been thinking my wife may have problems selling my ARs. They are all built with A1 type uppers. I believe in the KISS principal and have no need of a A2 sight or a flattop. Maybe reto will be in by then.

Retro is velly muchly "in" before then, Sahib:

http://www.ar15.com/forums/f_3/123_.html

And

http://www.retroblackrifle.com/

You will be very surprised at what the Retro elves have been up to at the ARFCOM site, if you've never had a good lookit around there.

[harrisd27]

Well Considering Armalite Is the Original Manufacturer of the AR15...
Armelite makes very fine rifles too............ Both Major Culver & our own Master Guns Gus Fisher recommend them...........Our youngest daughter shot a borrowed one in Service Rifle competition until we got John at WhiteOak Precision to build one..

[Dienekes]

I bought a Bushmaster (Bugsmasher?) carbine with the fixed carry handle back in '06. Carried the M16 back in '66 and always liked the carry handle and the simpler sight. After I got it I found that my 60 year old eyes couldn't use iron sights any more! Put a compact 1.5X ACOG on it and I was good to go.

There is a certain amount of contumely put on the BM/Windham guns, but after a bit of tweaking and 3K rounds through it I still like the little fellow. Like all ARs it could stand a better trigger; I put in a nonadjustable Jard 3# pull, and that was a distinct improvement. After about 300 rounds I got a couple of double feeds; I beefed up the extractor with a "D-Fender" grommet, and that was the end of those. Later on I put in a heavier "H" buffer on principle. I also checked and further staked the bolt carrier gas key for insurance. But the upshot is that it has been a decent llittle gun.

By way of comparison I previously owned a Colt CAR in the mid-80s, and have some recent experience with new Colts. The BM/Windham doesn't have the cachet or resale of the Colts or some other Tier 1 ARs, but no complaints here.

Don't care for the .22 adapters, though. Had a CMMG and dumped it in favor of a S&W 15-22...

[Dienekes]

I bought a Bushmaster (Bugsmasher?) carbine with the fixed carry handle back in '06. Carried the M16 back in '66 and always liked the carry handle and the simpler sight. After I got it I found that my 60 year old eyes couldn't use iron sights any more! Put a compact 1.5X ACOG on it and I was good to go.

There is a certain amount of contumely put on the BM/Windham guns, but after a bit of tweaking and 3K rounds through it I still like the little fellow. Like all ARs it could stand a better trigger; I put in a nonadjustable Jard 3# pull, and that was a distinct improvement. After about 300 rounds I got a couple of double feeds; I beefed up the extractor with a "D-Fender" grommet, and that was the end of those. Later on I put in a heavier "H" buffer on principle. I also checked and further staked the bolt carrier gas key for insurance. But the upshot is that it has been a decent llittle gun.

By way of comparison I previously owned a Colt CAR in the mid-80s, and have some recent experience with new Colts. The BM/Windham doesn't have the cachet or resale of the Colts or some other Tier 1 ARs, but no complaints here.

Don't care for the .22 adapters, though. Had a CMMG and dumped it in favor of a S&W 15-22...