Press release: Huntsville, AL – Bushmaster Firearms International (“BFI”) is proud to announce today, its latest modern sporting rifle offering – the Minimalist-SD. The Minimalist provides exceptional accuracy, reliability and performance in a rifle that is highly featured, lightweight and economical. The Bushmaster Minimalist-SD is available chambered in 5.56mm NATO (91056) and 300 AAC Blackout (90924). Both chamberings are offered with a MSRP of $1,169.
Bushmaster Minimalist-SD Feature and Benefits:
Overall Average Weight 6lbs – Perfect for all shooters and plenty of saved weight for accessories.
16-inch, lightweight, 4150 FNC treated barrel – For easy handling without compromising barrel life or ammo compatibility
Rifle Length AAC Square Drop Handguard – For fast solid attachment of KeyMod accessories at seven different angles
ALG Defense Advanced Combat Trigger (ACT) – Consistent, smooth 5.5-pound trigger pull
Mission First Tactical Minimalist Stock – Comfortable and versatile with QD cup and rounded rubber buttpad
Mission First Tactical Grip and Magazine – High-quality furniture and magazine with similar styling
About Bushmaster Firearms International
Bushmaster Firearms International (“BFI”) is the leading supplier of AR15/M16 type rifles in the United States for Law Enforcement, security and private consumer use. Headquartered in Madison, NC, BFI supplies aluminum platforms in calibers ranging from 5.56mm, 7.62NATO, to 50BMG. These and associated accessories manufactured by BFI meet the tactical rifle needs of US customers as well as Military, Law Enforcement and Security clients from over 50 countries worldwide. Visit our web site at www.bushmaster.com.
The weight is nice, and there is nothing wrong with the ALG trigger. But no iron sights on an $1100 rifle? Who is kidding who? At that price, there is a huge profit margin in this gun. Even worse, it’s a Bushmaster.
I am 62 years old. if I try to use iron sights I can not focus on either sight or the target. It’s optics, or pry and spray. no iron sights is a good thing in your geezer years.
Yep. I’m 59 and I put an Aimpoint T1 on my BSR (black scary rifle) It does the third co-witness nicely.
If I have to, the mount and T1 comes off in a blink of an eye, but unless you are playing sniper, for its intended purpose, hard to beat the red dot.
yall are missing the point. it is an 1100 USD rifle, it should come with SOMETHING.
Whats wrong with Bushmaster? I have one of their rifles, works well enough and no issues with it.
Dunno ’bout you but anything associated with the Freedom Group I am very sceptical of.
Before Bushmaster became part of the Freedom group, there was nothing wrong with bushmaster rifles. When they became part of the freedom group, they went downhill far and fast.
1. Keymod? Really? It’s 2016 already. Magpul knocked it out of the park, get with the times.
2. 1-8 twist? Come on now, this debate was settled years ago.
“this debate was settled years ago.”
Who won?
1in8
The M4 begs to differ. 1-7 will stabilize everything that you can feed through an AR. Since there is no such thing as “over stabilization” one is clearly superior to the other.
Not Keymod, Square drop. Rumor has it its compatible with Keymod and MLok, so you don’t have to choose between the two.
Am I the only one having the MFT stock hung up behind my shoulder in tight quarters?
I’m never going to BUY a factory AR (never), but I like some of the MFT parts.
I have a build planned…
.300 “Redout”
Strike Industries red anodized buffer tube, forward assist, safety, charging handle
MFT Minimalist Stock, modular grip, trigger guard (all in Gray)
ALG defense M-Lok handguard (also in gray)
ARs are more fun to build than to shoot!
Glad to see that someone else feels that way.
I have way, way too many ARs. Just for the fun of building.
Yes, sounds good to build our own do you have pics of the one you are speaking about? I would like to get into building one can you send me some specifics as your choices sound pretty good. Tks
Minimalist. “You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means.”
Mark N. is right, $1100 seems like a lot for this rifle.
Just to clarify, minimal would be a light profile barrel, no muzzle brake, smooth hand guard, skeletonized receiver, smooth lines with no forward assist, no deflector, no chamber dust cover, etc. Minimal is not just weight.
No forward assist, no deflector, no dust cover? So it’s non-serious purpose only then?
Unless you’re a lefty the defector is useless/meaningless waste. The FA is as useless as tits on a boar (or an appendix). Dust cover meh, mostly gimmick. What else you got.
I was giving examples of minimalist features, not a list of requirements. Minimal equipment does not necessarily mean that it will be as functional as a better endowed model, so yes, I would prefer a better equipped rifle/more sturdily built rifle for serious use.
@neiowa
I am a lefty, as are quite a lot of people. It’s also a nice addition if a righty ever needs to fire off the left shoulder.
There is quite a correlation between a closed dust cover and enhanced reliability:
thefirearmblog.com/blog/2016/02/24/tangofoxtrots-rifle-dust-tests-mini-14-aug-arx-100-scar/
youtube.com/watch?v=YAneTFiz5WU
Now, the forward assist: it is NOT useless. On a push-feed gun, where the extractor does not snap over the rim until the round has headspaced, a means to force the gun into battery and thus engaging the rim is a necessity. Scenario: dirty action; the bolt just picked up a round; and it stops just slightly out of battery (failure to feed/chamber), with the extractor behind the rim (which happens when the BCG is dragging; a dirty chamber otherwise will cause the extractor to engage). A tap-rack right now will lead to either a double-feed or a kaboom, as the next round is driven into the primer of the partially chambered round. People don’t notice this because when they train on pistols, a tap-rack will usually extract the partially chambered round, as the breechface of a pistol is flat, and thus the extractor of a pistol engages the round as soon as it’s stripped from the magazine (1911, Glock, HK). Even if this is not the case (usually it’s a SIG), the much shorter OAL of a pistol cartridge makes it easy to fall off the chamber during the violent tap-rack motion. Both of these are not the case with an AR15, whose breechface has a ring to support the case head, preventing this early engagement.
The dished spot center of the bolt carrier was originally intended not just to pop the dustcover open, but also be used to nudge the bolt completely closed. If you have to ram your palm into the forward assist you have a problem that should be addressed.
@beardedrambler
For one, your comment validates the need for the forward-assisting mechanism. Be it the slide itself of a pistol, or a reciprocating charging handle. The AR has neither, but a dedicated forward assist. Or maybe 2 of you count in the divot on the BC.
For two, I don’t see any difference between pressing on the divot to push the BC home, and pressing on one of the many divots, throught the FA, to do the same, if not the latter being much easier and with much more oomph. If the shooter is just silently closing down the bolt, the divot is indeed a better choice for it saves on the rachets. But that’s not what I’d do when people are firing at me.
I will echo the question of what’s wrong with the bushie?
I have a 3 different AR’s a Colt, a Spikes and my wife’s Bushmaster M forgery happens to be the most accurate one of the bunch.
None have ever malfunctioned and I am happy with 1.5 inch five shot groups at 100 yards from a rest with Wolf Gold ammo using an Eotech red dot
I am sure using a magnifier would result in even smaller groups
I painted it Bengal Tiger stripes using Duracoat!