Bushmaster Firearms is under new management, and they’ve hit the ground running with a new straight-pull bolt-action rifle, the BA30.
GunsAmerica editor True Pearce called it one of the fastest bolt-action guns he’s ever shot, and we had a blast putting the BA30 through its paces at this year’s SHOT Show Range Day.
The BA30 is manufactured with all-American parts and will be initially offered in 18- or 24-inch barrels chambered in .308 Win. or 6.5 Creedmoor. The 308 barrel will have a 1:10 twist rate and the 6.5 Creedmoor will have a 1:8 twist rate.
The straight-pull bolt-action design is legal in all 50 states, but it’s much faster than a traditional bolt gun, which takes four motions to cycle the action rather than just two. The action is spring-assisted for even quicker cycling, and the upper and lower receiver feature Type III hard coat anodizing.
The charging handle can be switched to either side to accommodate both left- and right-handed shooters. Bushmaster also plans to offer a straight bolt handle for those who don’t prefer the traditional angled profile.
Plus, just like an AR-10, users can swap bolts, barrels, handguards, and magazines for easy caliber conversion. The .30-caliber AR-style rifle platform isn’t as interchangeable as the AR-15, but users can still change calibers using different parts from Bushmaster’s proprietary XM-10 line.
The trigger is Bushmaster’s Dedicated Marksman 2-Stage (DM2S), which features a 4.12 – 4.56 lbs. unlubricated pull weight and a 3.12 – 3.71 lbs. lubricated pull weight. Users can swap this trigger for any aftermarket AR-15 trigger, and we found it to be crisp and clean.
The stock is affixed using a picatinny rail, which gives users a wide range of foldable options. Users can adjust comb height and length of pull with Bushmaster’s BFI Adjustable Stock, which comes standard on every BA30.
MSRP on the BA 30 is $1,799.
I WOULD SAY THIS IS THE NEW AND FINAL PINNACLE OF BOLT GUN EVOLUTION. NOT ONLY IS IT A STRAIGHT PULL ACTION, ITS A CHASSIS RIFLE TOO OR HYBRID PRECISION RIFLE WITH AR STYLE CONTROLS. WE HAD THE SAVAGE IMPULSE COME OUT LAST YEAR WITH TWO MOTIONS WHICH WAS AWESOME, DOWN FROM THE TRADITIONAL 4 MOTION BOLT GUN. WITH THE NEW BM-BA30 WE NOW HAVE ONLY ONE MOTION. ONE PULL BACK AND IT CHARGES BY ITSELF. YOU CANT GET ANY FASTER THAN THAT UNLESS ITS A SEMI-AUTO. THIS IS THE FUTURE. MAYBE NOT IDEAL FOR HUNTING BC NO ONE IS SAYING ITS WEIGHT. ? NOT EVEN BM.COM BUT FOR LESS COST THAN A SIG CROSS ITS STILL PRETTY DANG COOL.
NO MUZZLEBRAKE,FLASH HIDER-YES!,LONGER 308WIN BARREL,LIGHTER TRIGGER PULL[3 LBS]
IS IT LEGAL IN MARXIST NYSTATE?
LEFTHAND ONLY
I would love to have a bolt action upper that would drop in on a standard large frame lower.
I built my first of many AR-15’s on an original Bushmaster stripped lower and a purchased complete Bushmaster 20″ Ribbed Stainless H-Barrel Upper in the A2 style… doesn’t look like that anymore front sight and carry handle upper removed and replaced with flat rails and fitted with ATN Night Vision… it’s now my goto “Silent Knight” !
Glad they are back in BLACK! 👏🏽👍🏼☺️
A logical product in an increasingly illogical market.
But…. ayeeeee-gawd! that stock is hideous.
Happy to se B.F.I. land on their feet but in the liberal Nevada? I guess liability shields are better there, no?
Todd.
Interesting offering from Bushmaster. Three years ago, as an experiment to see what the inherent accuracy of the AR platform I built a heavy 24″ barrel 223 on a Bear Creek side charging upper receiver. I eliminated the gas tube and rotated the gas block 180 degrees to block the barrel gas port. The rifle experiment demonstrated the platform to be exceptionally accurate in the configuration. I later sold the rifle to a friend. I should have gotten a patent on it!