When it comes to firearms, in general, the bigger holes the bullet makes in the target, the better. Bigger bullets tend to deliver better terminal ballistics than smaller ones. Unfortunately, the AR-15-type rifles that have armed our troops and law enforcement for over 40 years have proven to be less than effective in Iraq and Afghanistan, with many instances of bad guys being shot repeatedly to render them non-threatening.

The military has responded to the .223’s overall lack of lethality by equipping many troops with old M14 rifles to the point where there are no more left in stock. Meanwhile, there is a need in law enforcement for a carbine with better terminal ballistics than those of standard ARs. Bushmaster has stepped up to the plate to deliver more bang for the AR buck by introducing the Bushmaster .450 carbine.