Bushmaster M17S
Encyclopedia
The Bushmaster M17S is a semi-automatic
bullpup
rifle
that was manufactured by Bushmaster Firearms International from 1992 until 2005.
. Two prototypes were developed, one for the 5.56x45mm NATO, the C60R, and the more revolutionary C30R
that used caseless ammunition
. The C30R was developed hastily and an out-of-battery ignition resulted in a prototype exploding during a high-profile demonstration.
The Australian Army adopted a licence-built version of the Steyr AUG
, leading to the sale of the Armtech design to another Australian company, Edenpine PTY Ltd. Edenpine improved the design resulting in the ART-30 and SAK-30. The salient features of the M17S were in place but some Finnish Valmet parts were used instead of AR-15
parts to save money. Edenpine expressed interest in selling the design on the United States
market and subsequently licensed the design to Bushmaster for local manufacture thus avoiding import restrictions. This rifle was sold from October 1992 to 1994 as the "Edenpine M17S Bull-Pup rifle." The distributor was Edenpine (USA) Inc., the American branch of Edenpine of Australia, headquartered in San Jose, California
.
When Edenpine folded in 1994, the totality of the rights passed to Bushmaster, who manufactured it as the "Bushmaster M17S", starting just a few months before the approval of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban
. The M17S was the only American made bullpup rifle to be offered commercially, and the only one not banned by name. The BATF approved a version with a longer barrel sleeve which covered more of the muzzle thread. This made it impossible to securely attach the M16-style "Birdcage" flash hider.
. Instead of the sheet metal receiver of the AR18 and SA80, the ART30 uses an extruded
7075T6 aluminium
receiver that serves as the stock and foregrip as well. This method of construction is particularly efficient and was subsequently copied by other designs, FN Scar as an example.
The ART30 features a short-stroke fixed piston system that is self-compensating. The rifle chambers the 5.56x45mm and accepts STANAG (M16 rifle
) magazines. The main drawback of the subsequent modified design, reported by some users, was the tendency of its aluminium handguard to become hot after one or two magazines were emptied in rapid fire. This was only The Bushmaster version. The original ART 30 had internal heat shields. Bushmaster discontinued production of the M17S in 2005.
Semi-automatic rifle
A semi-automatic rifle is a type of rifle that fires a single bullet each time the trigger is pulled, automatically ejects the spent cartridge, chambers a fresh cartridge from its magazine, and is immediately ready to fire another shot...
bullpup
Bullpup
Bullpups are firearm configurations in which the action is located behind the trigger group and alongside the shooter's face, so there is no wasted space for the buttstock as in conventional designs. This permits a shorter firearm length for the same barrel length for improved maneuverability, and...
rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
that was manufactured by Bushmaster Firearms International from 1992 until 2005.
History
The design of the M17S dates back to 1986 when the Australian company Armtech Ltd. developed the prototype as a prospective military rifle for the Australian ArmyAustralian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
. Two prototypes were developed, one for the 5.56x45mm NATO, the C60R, and the more revolutionary C30R
Armtech C30R
The Armtech C30R was an assault rifle concept using 5.56mm similar to the H&K G11..-See also:*Heckler & Koch G11*Gyrojet*Steyr ACR...
that used caseless ammunition
Caseless ammunition
Caseless ammunition is a type of small arms ammunition that eliminates the cartridge case that typically holds the primer, propellant, and projectile together as a unit...
. The C30R was developed hastily and an out-of-battery ignition resulted in a prototype exploding during a high-profile demonstration.
The Australian Army adopted a licence-built version of the Steyr AUG
Steyr AUG
The AUG is an Austrian bullpup 5.56mm assault rifle, designed in the early 1970s by Steyr Mannlicher GmbH & Co KG . The AUG was adopted by the Austrian Army as the StG 77 in 1977, where it replaced the 7.62mm StG 58 automatic rifle...
, leading to the sale of the Armtech design to another Australian company, Edenpine PTY Ltd. Edenpine improved the design resulting in the ART-30 and SAK-30. The salient features of the M17S were in place but some Finnish Valmet parts were used instead of AR-15
AR-15
The AR-15 is a lightweight, 5.56 mm, air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed semi-automatic rifle, with a rotating-lock bolt, actuated by direct impingement gas operation. It is manufactured with the extensive use of aluminum alloys and synthetic materials....
parts to save money. Edenpine expressed interest in selling the design on the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
market and subsequently licensed the design to Bushmaster for local manufacture thus avoiding import restrictions. This rifle was sold from October 1992 to 1994 as the "Edenpine M17S Bull-Pup rifle." The distributor was Edenpine (USA) Inc., the American branch of Edenpine of Australia, headquartered in San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
.
When Edenpine folded in 1994, the totality of the rights passed to Bushmaster, who manufactured it as the "Bushmaster M17S", starting just a few months before the approval of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban
Federal assault weapons ban
The Federal Assault Weapons Ban was a subtitle of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, a federal law in the United States that included a prohibition on the manufacture for civilian use of certain semi-automatic firearms, so called "assault weapons"...
. The M17S was the only American made bullpup rifle to be offered commercially, and the only one not banned by name. The BATF approved a version with a longer barrel sleeve which covered more of the muzzle thread. This made it impossible to securely attach the M16-style "Birdcage" flash hider.
Design
The ART 30 is a semi-automatic rifle that uses a gas operated, rotating bolt. The design takes the operating system of the Leader T2 and moves the pistol grip forward in a manner similar to the British SA80SA80
The SA80 is a British family of 5.56mm small arms. It is a selective fire, gas-operated assault rifle. SA80 prototypes were trialled in 1976 and production was completed in 1994....
. Instead of the sheet metal receiver of the AR18 and SA80, the ART30 uses an extruded
Extrusion
Extrusion is a process used to create objects of a fixed cross-sectional profile. A material is pushed or drawn through a die of the desired cross-section...
7075T6 aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
receiver that serves as the stock and foregrip as well. This method of construction is particularly efficient and was subsequently copied by other designs, FN Scar as an example.
The ART30 features a short-stroke fixed piston system that is self-compensating. The rifle chambers the 5.56x45mm and accepts STANAG (M16 rifle
M16 rifle
The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
) magazines. The main drawback of the subsequent modified design, reported by some users, was the tendency of its aluminium handguard to become hot after one or two magazines were emptied in rapid fire. This was only The Bushmaster version. The original ART 30 had internal heat shields. Bushmaster discontinued production of the M17S in 2005.