Bigpimin117, the .223 and 5.56 are not the same round contrary to popular belief. The 5.56 produces a higher chamber pressure and the should angle on the 5.56 is a bit steeper. The rounds are very similar but not exactly the same and therefore a gun/barrel that is only rated for .223 ammo should not fire 5.56 ammo. If you have an m4 check the barrel. It will be stamped either '.223' or '.223/5.56'.

I have owned a Bushmaster ACR for about 3 months now i have close to 2000 rounds threw mine and i have not had one failure i use the rifle as i would my duty rifle i train with my ACR in CQB and in almost every other environment you could expect in a real world situation and it has never failed me. People complain about the weight i do not see a weight issue if your a real world operator you can expect to be carrying a 8 pound weapon with the right optics and weapon light you can keep the weapon pretty light as far as weight goes if you do it right. As for some screws coming loose thats why they make lock tight nothing is perfect even if you do spend 2800 on a rifle.

.223 and 5.56 is the same round how can you have hang ups with the same round

I purchased an enhanced ACR 2 weeks ago. I fire mine with an AWC systems suppressor. I have fired around 300 rounds through it so far with no issues. Its a little heavy but its made well. The trigger is the same as a standard army m-4. It does much better with the suppressor due to the piston than my ar-15. Overall very pleased. As for FN...... I have fired many of their AR series rifles and would never pay money for one.

Great article! Very concise and detailed evaluation with relevant info only. I've been racking my brain for weeks weighing the pro's and con's and cost/benefits in an attempt to come to a regret-free decision whether or not to buy this beautiful gun. One of the biggest factors in the pro category is that I also am a left handed shooter. Having read this thorough article authored by a fellow lefty, I feel almost like I evaluated the gun myself. All my concerns are addressed here, as well as the features that interest me. Great work!

Just bought one three days ago. I am surprised that after firing 500 rounds through it the screws on the upper are flying off. Bushmaster is sending replacements but really, good luck with that as a military weapon. I could not recommend the ACR. Those screws are either a shoddy design, they should not be popping off.

Amazing weapon fires great a little expensive but definently worth it. First day shot about close to thousand rounds through no stoppages at all barley any recoil easy to zero shoots like a AR/M4 with the durability of a AK truely an epic must have

I've had mine for awhile. The first thing I did was change the trigger, 8.5-9# was too much. Haven't shot it a lot. Looking for suggestions on an accurate load.

people just Complain about the weight. Dealt with it people!!! the guns just way to much for me to buy but. i would love to own one.

I just looked at one of these rifles yesterday at a gander mountain store and I wasn't as impressed as I thought I would be, especially for the $2050 price. I figured for that price the rifle would at least come with would decent trigger. It felt like the same old factory trigger that came in my ar15. i also noticed that the upper and lower halves of the rifle bad a little wobble to them. And like others said, the gun is definitely way too heavy. I think money would be much better spent on a Robinson armament xcr rifle.

looking for some more up-to-date reviews i know the gun has been out for awhile now and im looking at buying one myself.. just curious what the final verdict is on this gun..

Any updates to how your guys' ACRs are treating you?

I've noticed problems firing the .223 also...the bolt won't lock back after firing the last round of a magazine. No problems firing the 62 grain 5.56 though.

Just ordered my basic ACR after some debate. Articles like this helped me make my final choice. Am ex-CANSOF and am looking forward to some great shooting opportunities with what sounds like a very well thought out rifle.

Great rifle! But at 8.3 lbs TOO HEAVY!

I can't say enough about the ACR. Having waited so long for this rifle to hit the market, I can say without a doubt it was worth the wait. Magpul designers, using the AR-180's bolt and piston basic design was a smart move (one that had the army made back in the day, would have set a new standard for rifles (and I can only think of the lack of reliability issues coming from SE Asia)I have the enhanced model, but puchased the original forend because I am a huge fan of the original lines of the Masada. I can't say I have found the stock when folded in the way of the controls at all really. I'm a left handed rifle, and right handed pistol shooter, but practice strong and weak side often, and this rifle is a blessing in that regards. The only thing I can say is that this rifle, when fitted with a solid tac-light, fore grip, etc, can feel a little heavy. The added weight works well though for absorbing an already mild recoil. When the 6.8SPC conversion kits hit the market, I think this attribute will be even more appreciated. I have fired both light 50grn up to 72grn projectiles, using the standard 25 meter zero we use in the army. I have noticed zero impact on accuracy. With my EOTech I have used the same range of rounds to dispatch clay pigons at 100 meters with ease. Some have expressed disapointment with Magpul for selling the design to Bushmaster and Remington, but I applaud them. It's a smart move to take a brilliant idea and make it a reality through outsourcing. Good thing is that the polymer parts are well marked with Magpuls micro logo for the stippling and if you fold the buttstock, you'll see the logo inside the receiver as well. When compaired with other rifles on the market, this is one of the only rifles that affords the operator a truly tooless barrle change. You could change barrels and calibers in under 60 seconds with a little practice. So my hats off to Magpul for the disign, and Bushmaster/ Remington for making it a reality for us all.

I love the ACR soooooooooooooooooooo much!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Would just like to clarify/add, Bushmaster was bought out by remington/cerberus corporation. The bushmaster name lies under remington and will be servicing both public and federal sales.

Recently purchased the enhanced ACR (1/7/2011). I was set on a Ruger SR556, looked at Sig, and REC7, and gave up on HK. After handling the ACR the choice was easy. Also looked at POF, and S&W. Don't regret the money spent. Very well made and versatile weapon. It is a little heavy, and for the money they could have dispensed with the rifle case and provided a smaller tactical case and some spare mags. The identical case can be purchased at K-Mart for $39 without the bushmaster name. Still to early to tell how well the ACR wears, but thus far don't see any problems (1,000 rds). Once magpul sights zeroed accuracy is good. At first the polymer construct of the magpul sights turned me off, however they are pretty robust. Only thing I liked about the Ruger was the troy sights. The stock sucked, as did balance. Did like the sight picture better than the magpuls, however the weapon looks better on the web then in reality. Can't wait to buy another barrel of different caliber. If you are used to an AR bolt carrier, this is another animal. My wife who knows nothing of firearms could take down, clean. In my opinion this is a rifle to pass on to the next generation. The price is a little prohibitive, however doubt anyone will have buyer remorse post purchase.

I bought an ACR basic model in Flat dark Earth. I like it very much. I was not happy the recall, but that is old news. They gave me 2 mags for the trouble. I never had any slam fire or muliple rounds firing, I also only use 5.56. The 1in9 twist does not bother me either because I use 55 grain bullets. When the 6.8 comes out i plan to pick it up. That was my main reason for picking the ACR.

Nice article, I've been following this rifle from its begining. I was hoping for a 6.5 grendel one as well but i see that may not happen at all. So to me this rifle is loosing its appeal as time goes on.

I just received my ACR. before taking it to the range I thoroughly cleaned it and lightly oiled it like you would an AR. I put 200 rounds through it and it worked flawlessly. The only grip that I have with it is that the bolt's 'coating' had already begun to chip off around the teeth. I just hope the same thing isn't happening in the barrel. Also I had to send my ACR back to Bushmaster do to their slamfiring recall. guess all the testing wasnt enough...

purchased an ACR. I like the rifle. However, I did find that recoil was more than my LMT CQB MRP and Noveske N4. I plan to install a PWS FSC556 and see if it reduces muzzle flip. I am still happy with my purchase. I like the easy change barrel and the versatility to be able to change calibers. The LMT gives me that ability as well but requires the use of a torque wrench. If the PWS FSC556 works well, the ACR will become my go to rifle.

I bought an ACR Enhanced. It fires 5.56 ammo just fine, but it slam fires .223 rounds on a regular basis. Google it, some one shot off their big toe during a slam fire.

When talking about the "Remington's proprietary coating", the article says twice that it "dispenses with the need for any additional lubrication", i believe this is a typo and meant to say {without}. By the way I recently purchased an ACR and I love it. Great article and very informative.

Well written article. I liked the attention to detail and clear style. As a left handed shooter, I especially appreciated the extra information that most other folks ignore. It's a very good review of what appears to be a very good rifle. Thank you and well done, Cheers, Dan