Definitely NOT a cowboy gun ...

[Walt OReagun]

... but has anyone shot (or perhaps own) one of these?  Bushmaster pistol in .223?

[Sergeant Smokepole]

I have and the blast is horrible.

[Delmonico]

Does that surprise you Sarge?

[Sergeant Smokepole]

Delmonico,
I was issued, for a very short time, an XM177E2. It was an M-16 with a 10 inch barrel and a 6 inch flash suppressor. I used it on one night op. The fireball blinded me and the blast was so intense that it attributed to the ringing in my ears today. It actually did more damage than repeated firing of the 105's.  I deep sixed that thing and went back to the standard M-16 A1 or a Chicom SKS that I had liberated from Sir Charles.

Thjat little thing was nice to carry but IMHO, was worthless when the feces struck the whirling impeller blades. The loss in veocity made the round all but useless, and the bullet had a horrible base yaw caused by the muzzle blast. My .45 was more effective on live targets within 50 yards. Past 50 yards, you were pulling your plums trying to hit and stop anyone with either.

[Delmonico]

I have a friend who has one, yes it has all the paper work.  I have shot it, but only with 22 LR with the adapter, don't know if I want to try it with 5.56 Nato (223 Rem).  With 22 LR though it is a hoot.  22 LR on full auto is pure fun.

I've seen the 223 in Contenders and XP-100's being shot, never interested me.  The worst one I ever seen was a 35 caliber round on the 284 case in a 12 inch XP-100.  The fella said it was fer Elk, but a Remington 700 in 35 Whelan would have made more sense to me at far less cost.  At they were still makin' them then.  Guess to each his own, but I like my handguns to be able to ride on my hip.   Oh and yes it was nasty, heard rumors that someone was thinkin' bout whoppin' the fella with a Dewey rod.   The tin roof on the cover kinda rang.

[Walt OReagun]

Soooooo ... I probably wouldn't want one for carry.

[Delmonico]

An expensive toy with very limited usefulness.  To small to be a real rifle, to big to be a real pistol.  Kinda of a cross between the two takin' on most of the faults of each and none of the usefullness.

Course you know what ya call the cross like that between a rifle and a handgun?
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A handful.    There might be some sort of game someone has thought up that uses one of these, don't know that.

[Mustang Gregg]

I have & still carry (at certain times) a Colt XM-177 select fire in 5.56mm.  It is terrible load.  When I practice with it, I use plus AND good muffs.

Mods:
(1)  I installed a home-built compensator (Cutts-type) that makes it even louder, but absolutely STOPS any climb. 
The sound & concussion to the operator is hard to describe when on full-auto. 
It has a resoundin' pulse that actually shakes the windows of a neighbor 1/2 mile away.

(2)  It used to be terrible fast cyclin'.  It was like a MAC-10.  You could not tap off less'n 3 or 4 shots on auto mode.
I also messed with buffer spring tension & bolt carrier weight & gas port size.  It now shoots around 800 RPM.  Much more manageable.

I understand the one you depicted above has been designed to shoot slower on auto.

Have fun!!!
MG (which might also stand for Machine Gun)

[Pat Riot]

I shot one of those a few years ago. The darn thing nearly gave me a nose bleed from the concussion and my 29db noise reducing earplugs didn't work all that well while shootin' it. I wouldn't shoot one again.

[Mustang Gregg]

Heya Walt:

I was a-lookin' through my kit bag (low & behold), there was my li'l XM-177 jus' sayin', "Take me out & play!!!" 
So I did.  I got the urge to go out & blast 2 magazines full (50% tracer) through my Colt companion.  What a rush.  I reckon the locals got woke up a might early here.   It was 'round 05:00 or so. 

Tracers are beautiful jus' afore sun up.  As long as they are out-goin'.

You gotta get one of these or somethin' close!! 
BTW:  I have been sellin' mostly Bushmasters over them Armalites, Rock Rivers & Colts here lately.  They are good weapons!!!

MG

[Mustang Gregg]

Delmonico:

You were ponderin' on a "shorty's" usefullness.

My observations (an' they are "SHORT" sighted):
(1)  Intimidation factor
(2)  Close quarter combat
(3)  Aircrew compactness (more firepower over an M-9)
(4)  Nice weapon for some 3-gun combat matches
(5)  Shootin' coyotes
(6)  Destroy upper hearin' levels
(7)  Plinkin' & ice-bustin'

I have used mine for 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

Yup, you're right, Pard.  It IS a toy!!!

Your Amigo,
Mustang Gregg