Bushmaster XM-15

The Bushmaster XM-15 series (or XM15 ) is a line of AR-15 style semi-automatic rifles, carbines, and pistols manufactured by Bushmaster Firearms International. Variants include the Bushmaster M4-type Carbine, Patrolman series, QRC series, Bushmaster XM15-E2S and the Carbon 15 line.

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 false gas block with a front sight at the 20" position with the real gas block in the carbine position and concealed under a rifle-length 12" handguard.


 * 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.


 * 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


 * Carbon 15

Notoriety
According to Gregg Lee Carter, an American sociologist who studies gun violence in the United States, the firearm was designed to comply with the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban. The Bushmaster XM15-E2S "M4 type" carbine gained notoriety for its use in the October 2002 Beltway sniper attacks.

A Bushmaster XM-15 was used in the December 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Nine families (plaintiffs) of the 26 victims of the shooting filed a class action lawsuit in Connecticut against Bushmaster, Remington Arms and others (defendants) seeking "unspecified" damages, claiming an exemption in the 2005 Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act which would normally disallow such a suit. The plaintiffs alleged that the XM15-E2S was only suitable for military and policing applications, and Bushmaster had inappropriately marketed the firearm to civilians. The case was dismissed in superior court and is being appealed to the Connecticut Supreme Court.

A XM15-E2 was captured from Islamic State fighters in Sinjar Mountains by Peshmergas during Iraqi Civil War.

Legality
As a result of the Sandy Hook school shooting:
 * New York State banned the XM-15 series and assault weapons in the January 2013 NY SAFE Act.
 * The XM-15 series are 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.