Bushmaster XM-15

Variants

The standard XM-15 has a forged 7075T6 aircraft-grade aluminum upper and lower receiver. Barrels of XM-15 firearms have a heavy profile and are hard chrome-lined 4150 alloy steel or 416 stainless steel. In Bushmaster's 2016 sales brochure, all new-production XM-15s are stated to be supplied with a 4150 steel barrel. The standard barrel has rifling of 1 turn in 9".

• E2S Series: The basic E2S is fitted with a 16-inch carbine-style barrel.

  • E2S Target - 20" heavy-barrel target rifle with A2-style stock and carry handle upper, also available with 24" and 26" barrels.
  • E2S Shorty - 16-inch version with a "shorty" handguard.
  • E2S Shorty AK - Shorty variant with 14.5-inch carbine SBR barrel with an AK-74-style muzzle brake permanently welded to the end to increase the overall length to 16 inches.
  • E2S Dissipator - Variant with a Bushmaster-designed 16-inch "Dissipator" barrel. This mounts a disused gas block with a front sight at the 20" position with the actual used gas block in the carbine position and concealed under a rifle-length 12" handguard allowing more forearm support and room to accessorize the rifle.

• QRC Series: Formerly known as ORC ("optics ready carbine"), but now styled as QRC ("quick response carbine"), are flat-top rifles without iron sights, provided with a simple 1x20 red-dot optic. QRC is chambered in 5.56x45mm with a 1:8 twist melonite coated barrel, M16 style bolt carrier group & mil-spec buffer tube.

• Patrolman Series: - 7" or 10.5" barrel "pistol" version with a free-float handguard and no stock. Also available as a military or LE select-fire version.

• Bushmaster M4-Type Carbine Main article: Bushmaster M4-type Carbine

• Carbon 15 Main article: Carbon 15

Notoriety

The Bushmaster XM15-E2S "M4 type" carbine first gained notoriety for its use in the October 2002 Beltway sniper attacks.

A Bushmaster XM15-E2S carbine was displayed in a February 2011 video message by Caucasus Emirate leader Dokka Umarov. Bushmaster rifles were captured by pro-Russian forces during the Russo-Georgian War.

A Bushmaster XM-15 was used in the December 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Just before the second anniversary of the massacre, nine families of the 26 victims of the shooting filed a class action lawsuit in Connecticut against Bushmaster, Remington Arms and others, seeking "unspecified" damages for the defendants' purported negligent entrustment and illegal marketing of the XM-15 rifle. Plaintiffs argued that both theories of liability fell within exceptions to the 2005 Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which affords broad civil immunity to gun manufacturers. The case was dismissed in superior court and was appealed to the Connecticut Supreme Court.

In March 2019, the Connecticut Supreme Court reinstated the wrongful death lawsuit, holding that the plaintiffs successfully pleaded a cause of action for illegal marketing. Remington appealed to the United States Supreme Court, which denied review on November 12, 2019. On February 15, 2022, Remington Arms insurers settled with families of Sandy Hook victims and agreed to pay a total of $73 million to families.

XM-15 rifles were also used in the 1997 North Hollywood shootout (illegally converted to full auto), the 2018 Nashville Waffle House shooting, and the 2022 Buffalo shooting.

An XM15-E2 was captured from Islamic State fighters in Sinjar Mountains by Peshmerga during the Iraqi Civil War.

Legality

As of October 2, 2000, California has banned the Bushmaster XM15 by name in the Kasler v. Lockyer Assault Weapon List, among other AR-style rifles by Armalite, DPMS, Colt, and Eagle Arms, to name a few.

As a result of the Sandy Hook school shooting:

• New York State banned the Bushmaster XM-15 series and assault weapons in the January 2013 NY SAFE Act.
• The XM-15 series is among over 100 named firearms added to the Connecticut state assault weapon ban list in an April 2013 amendment, passed in the wake of the Sandy Hook school shooting.

Users

• Brazil: Federal Police of Brazil
• New Zealand: New Zealand Police
• Papua New Guinea
• Poland: Used by JW GROM.

Non-state actors

• ISIL Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
• [[File:Flag of Caucasian Emirate.svg|22px]] Caucasus Emirate

References

References

1. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/mikegiglio/11-photos-of-us-weapons-used-by-isis-and-some-rockets-from-a
2. (2007). "Sporting Guns: A Guide to the World's Rifles and Shotguns". Macmillan.
3. [http://pdf.textfiles.com/manuals/FIREARMS/bushmaster_xm15.pdf Bushmaster XM15 operating manual, 1999 revision: statistics are for Bushmaster XM15-E2S] {{webarchive. link. (2023-06-19)
4. "Bushmaster XM15 and Carbon 15 user manual, 2005 revision".
5. [https://secure.viewer.zmags.com/publication/c506ea39#/c506ea39/6 Bushmaster Firearms 2016 sales brochure] {{webarchive. link. (2023-06-19)
6. Lee, Jerry. (29 January 2016). "2016 Standard Catalog of Firearms: The Collector's Price and Reference Guide". F+W Media, Inc..
7. Shideler, Dan. (20 August 2010). "Guns Illustrated 2011: The Latest Guns, Specs & Prices". F+W Media, Inc.
8. Carter, Gregg Lee. (2006). "Gun Control in the United States: A Reference Handbook". ABC-CLIO.
9. Harrison, Judy. (11 Nov 2004). "Colt's federal suit against rival firearm firm gets moved to Maine".
10. (December 21, 2021). "Exotic species of the North Caucasus (Pt 2)". Calibre Obscura.
11. (23 Feb 2016). "Video of Adam Lanza Confirmed as Newtown Parents Sue". Newsweek.
12. ALTIMARI, DAVE. "Sandy Hook Families' Suit Against Gun Maker Will Test Federal Law".
13. (20 June 2016). "Gun makers urge judge to toss Sandy Hook lawsuit". CNN LLC.
14. (2016-02-22). "Remington tries for dismissal in Sandy Hook, Bushmaster case".
15. (17 February 2016). "Will a Gun Manufacturer Be Held Liable for Sandy Hook?". The Atlantic Monthly Group.
16. "Fate of Sandy Hook lawsuit against gun maker could be decided by a slingshot". NBC News.
17. (14 March 2019). "Court rules gun maker can be sued over Newtown shooting". Associated Press.
18. (2019-11-12). "Supreme Court Allows Sandy Hook Relatives to Sue Gun Maker". The New York Times.
19. "Sandy Hook families settle with Remington marking 1st time gun maker is held liable for mass shooting". [[ABC News (United States).
20. (2014-10-21). "img1231nb.jpg".
21. Amir Vera. (April 22, 2018). "Waffle House shooter was once arrested by Secret Service for trespassing near White House". CNN.
22. (May 16, 2022). "Massacre suspect said he modified Bushmaster rifle to hold more ammunition". The Washington Post.
23. Conflict Armament Research. (September 2014). "Islamic State Weapons in Iraq and Syria: Analysis of weapons and ammunition captured from Islamic State forces in Iraq and Syria".
24. [https://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/firearms/infobuls/kaslist.pdf Kasler v. Lockyer Assault Weapon List]
25. Kaplan, Thomas. (2013-01-15). "Tougher Gun Law in New York". The New York Times.
26. "Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection".
27. (2013-04-04). "Connecticut Governor Signs Gun Measures". The New York Times.
28. (2 April 2019). "POTD: Brazilian Federal Police with Bushmaster XM15-E2S -".
29. "Replacement due for police rifles".
30. (2010). "The politics of destroying surplus small arms : inconspicuous disarmament". Alpers, Philip.
31. (2003). "Under the gun : the small arms challenge in the Pacific". Victoria University Press in association with the Peace and Disarmament Education Trust.
32. "Fot. 12. 5,56-mm kbk M4A1 firmy Bushmaster (XM-15-E2S) z 40-mm granatnikiem... - Ireneusz Chloupek Special-Ops.pl - Portal Ludzi Akcji".