Everyone knows that the AR-15 platform makes for terrific firearms for women; their adjustability and customizability practically guarantee that. But when an AR-15 manufacturer sets out specifically to make a rifle for women, that’s very exciting news. It’s even more exciting when that AR-15 manufacturer is Bushmaster—a company that once appeared to be a casualty of the Remington bankruptcy. Bushmaster is back, bigger and better than before!
The biggest news for NRA Women is that Bushmaster is releasing a new rifle chambered in the meaty .450 Bushmaster caliber … and it’s lightweight. What’s really interesting about that is that under normal circumstances, a larger caliber combined with a lighter-weight firearm will usually result in increased felt recoil. Not so with the .450 Bushmaster.
“Our engineers actually designed this rifle using me and some of our other female employees as a ‘model,’” said marketing manager Isabelle DeCocco. Lifting it into my hands, I was immediately impressed with how little it weighed (let’s just say that I don’t work out much). “The secret is our Snakecharmer muzzle device,” she shared. “It reduces perceived recoil so much that we could lighten the rifle without making this gun hard to shoot.”
This optics-ready black rifle has a fixed stock, 20” barrel and an overall length of 40”. A Picatinny rail awaits whatever aftermarket device you’d like to install, and a very nice two-stage trigger. The rifle comes with a five-round magazine and is compatible with all manner of larger-capacity mags.
That, however, is not the best part. The best part is that this rifle is 100% made in America using parts sourced from America. That means that there are no components stuck on a boat in any American port … and that means that Bushmaster has them in stock. MSRP $1329.99; bushmaster.com
