Bushmaster MOE Mid-length - a short range report

[Professor Fate]

I got the gun a few weeks ago, but only recently got a chance to try it out.

The first thing I did when I got it was to install a SEI muzzle brake, which is REALLY effective. I would rate the guns' recoil to roughly equal to a trapper-length 30-30. I took 200rds with me to the range to hopefully get it zeroed with both irons and scope, and do an "initial reliability test", ie: blast away with at least one good mag-dump just for the hell of it.

First off, the gun's iron sights would not zero properly. It shot so high that to get them zeroed at 100yds, I had to unscrew the front sight until it was past the detent. This was even with a KNS front sight post that is much taller than factory. Kind of a pisser but not the end of the world, as that can be fixed by doing a little modification to the MBUIS rear sight.

The trigger, well...sucks. But WTH, it's a factory AR trigger. They all suck, so it was certainly no surprise. No biggie, 'cause a Gieselle SSA will be forthcoming.

The MOE stock's ok, but every time I fired the gun, it yanked out a moustache hair. I fixed that with an A2 stock.

I scoped it with a Weaver 3-10x40mm Tactical Grand Slam (a MidwayUSA exclusive, btw), and resides in a pair of ARMS #22L rings with #37 1" inserts. I already had the rings, so I got a set of YHM 3/4-inch long risers to perch them on. The scope zeroed in just a few rounds, but I won't really consider it fully ZEROED until I do it again with a decent trigger in the gun. The scope is a lot of scope for $300, btw. I liked the first one I got so much that I immediately bought 2 more for use on other rifles.

Other than the little problem with the iron sights, the gun performed extremely well. I only got to fire ~30 rds through it though, because a bunch of other people saw me firing it and wanted to try it out, so they shot up all the rest of the ammo.

There was ONE malfunction...never seen a rifle do this. Ya know how limp-wristing some pistols will cause it to malfunction? Well, apparently it is actually possible to "Limp-shoulder" a rifle and make it malfunction. The only jam was caused by a guy that wanted to try it out, but was so apprehensive that as he fired his first (and only) round, he winced so badly that he caused the gun to stovepipe. Overall though, everybody else really seemed to enjoy shooting it.

Almost forgot, ammo used was mainly Federal AE 150-gn ball, with some WWB 150-gn ball also.

I included a couple of pics: the gun as it came out of the box, and as it is now (took that one just a few minutes ago)