4949shooter
New member
Sorry guys....no video. After some NJ firearms ID card red tape, I was finally able to pick up the Windham. Here are my initial thoughts out of the box.
The rifle I immediately noticed is heavier than my R-15. This stands to reason, as the R-15 has an 18' barrel compared to the 20' on the Windham. The R-15's barrel is also thinner. The barrel on the Windham is fluted (under the hand guard as well). It is stainless steel, bead blasted to a dull matte grey finish. It is stamped ".223 Remington," and has a 1/8 inch twist. There is a "WW" in script stamped on the top as well. No .556 here, which doesn't bother me. The barrel I have read has a Compass Lake chamber.
The overall fit and finish of the rifle is very good in my opinion. The upper and lower fit tightly. The rifle itself has a very solid "military" feel. This comes as no surprise considering its roots. I am not sure how they applied the camo, but it seems to be scratch resistant. Time will tell. The winter camo was done nicely, with apparent branches and twigs printed into the pattern. This should work well for NJ hard woods. The camo does not spill inside the receiver as it does on the R-15. The flat top rail has two black aluminum risers on it. I will be using Warne rings.
The trigger really isn't terrible. Windham says it is a polished trigger. I don't doubt it at all. The trigger is much better than mil spec. That having been said, I have a Geiselle SSA-E on order. All my other AR's have Geiselle triggers so I guess I am spoiled. But the stock trigger really isn't bad.
The safety, bolt release, and mag catch release are all standard black as well as the charging handle. They contrast nicely with the camo pattern. The rear stock is A2, with a military sling loop. This comes as a bit of a surprise because it will make it more difficult to use commercial hunting slings. There is a stud on the front handguard, and they supply a commercial loop for it. I may use the included sling, which is standard nylon with plastic buckles. Or I have a Turner Saddlery military sling I may use. The gas block is basic black with Picatinny rail. The serial number and caliber are inletted in Gold. The rest of the stamped information on the receiver is not. I could take it or leave it as it doesn't bother me either way.
The bolt and interior parts are magnetic particle tested. Everything is staked down as it should be, and is the same on all my Windham made guns (Bushmasters).
The supplied 5 round magazine is cheap and chincey. The spring seems okay though. The mag is black with a silver rivet in the front. For what it's worth, the two R-15 mags I have are of much better quality. I purchased the R-15 back when Obama first took office, so I am not sure of the current quality of Remington mags. The WW mag could have been done better. I would expect more from Windham. That having been said I am sure it will work okay. But I will be leaving this one in the bag in my truck as an extra and I'll be using the Remington mags. NJ law allows only 3 rounds to be loaded while hunting any type of animal so the capacity isn't an issue.
I think that's everything. I am hoping to get the scope installed, along with the SSA-E trigger fairly soon so I will provide an update after I get it sighted in.
Good hunting.
The rifle I immediately noticed is heavier than my R-15. This stands to reason, as the R-15 has an 18' barrel compared to the 20' on the Windham. The R-15's barrel is also thinner. The barrel on the Windham is fluted (under the hand guard as well). It is stainless steel, bead blasted to a dull matte grey finish. It is stamped ".223 Remington," and has a 1/8 inch twist. There is a "WW" in script stamped on the top as well. No .556 here, which doesn't bother me. The barrel I have read has a Compass Lake chamber.
The overall fit and finish of the rifle is very good in my opinion. The upper and lower fit tightly. The rifle itself has a very solid "military" feel. This comes as no surprise considering its roots. I am not sure how they applied the camo, but it seems to be scratch resistant. Time will tell. The winter camo was done nicely, with apparent branches and twigs printed into the pattern. This should work well for NJ hard woods. The camo does not spill inside the receiver as it does on the R-15. The flat top rail has two black aluminum risers on it. I will be using Warne rings.
The trigger really isn't terrible. Windham says it is a polished trigger. I don't doubt it at all. The trigger is much better than mil spec. That having been said, I have a Geiselle SSA-E on order. All my other AR's have Geiselle triggers so I guess I am spoiled. But the stock trigger really isn't bad.
The safety, bolt release, and mag catch release are all standard black as well as the charging handle. They contrast nicely with the camo pattern. The rear stock is A2, with a military sling loop. This comes as a bit of a surprise because it will make it more difficult to use commercial hunting slings. There is a stud on the front handguard, and they supply a commercial loop for it. I may use the included sling, which is standard nylon with plastic buckles. Or I have a Turner Saddlery military sling I may use. The gas block is basic black with Picatinny rail. The serial number and caliber are inletted in Gold. The rest of the stamped information on the receiver is not. I could take it or leave it as it doesn't bother me either way.
The bolt and interior parts are magnetic particle tested. Everything is staked down as it should be, and is the same on all my Windham made guns (Bushmasters).
The supplied 5 round magazine is cheap and chincey. The spring seems okay though. The mag is black with a silver rivet in the front. For what it's worth, the two R-15 mags I have are of much better quality. I purchased the R-15 back when Obama first took office, so I am not sure of the current quality of Remington mags. The WW mag could have been done better. I would expect more from Windham. That having been said I am sure it will work okay. But I will be leaving this one in the bag in my truck as an extra and I'll be using the Remington mags. NJ law allows only 3 rounds to be loaded while hunting any type of animal so the capacity isn't an issue.
I think that's everything. I am hoping to get the scope installed, along with the SSA-E trigger fairly soon so I will provide an update after I get it sighted in.
Good hunting.
