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.