[KMac29]

Well, I joined the forum back in 2019 when the good guys were still in the Whitehouse (only my personal opinion, don't want to offend anyone). I had just put my hands on a friend's M14 style rifle, an early Springfield with all USGI parts. What a beautiful rifle. It was love at first sight.

I joined this forum and started doing some research (what a great community of people, by the way). Almost 2 years later, to the day, and I still don't know much about these rifles. I figure this will be a life long journey, one learned best with hands on.

So I went out and bought a Bula rifle. Ordered it directly from Bula. They were wonderful people to deal with. I read a lot of good things about all M14/M1A rifle manufacturers, but I was drawn to Bula for various reasons.

I know there have been some issues with Bula from other members' rifles, and I wanted to post some of my personal findings. I have not fired a round yet, but I hope to post some results from a range trip in the not to distant future.

The Good: Well, this rifle is gorgeous. The stock is beautiful, the finish, the grains, I am very pleased. But the real beauty in this rifle is the machine work. I spent some time looking over the rifle closely when I was mounting the scope and bore-sighting it, and I was very pleased. The receiver, bolt, trigger group, gas system, the integrated scope rail, wow. I am blown away to be honest. (Keep in mind, this is my first M14 style rifle, so I am looking at this through a different lens than other more experienced members). The action cycles very smooth. No hang ups, nothing looks fouled. My friend who got me into these rifles even said it feels smoother than his own rifle.

The Bad: I haven't fired it yet, so my review is not complete. Also, I am officially addicted and now want one without a scope rail so I can shoot iron sights only. This will become an expensive hobby and I have already accepted it. Just need to figure out what I am going to tell my wife for the next one. I told her I needed a deer hunting rifle and came home with this one.... I got a lot of side-eye when she saw it. Open for suggestions on future excuses.

About the Rifle: Bula Defense M21DMR with a 22" NM barrel. EOTech Vudu 2.5-10 scope on some Warne Mountain Tech medium height aluminum rings. A TNVC cheek riser, and a USGI sling, compliments of bwaddell on this forum.

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[nf1e]

Nice rig. Can't wait for you function an accuracy report. Well done Sir.

 

[kvesi122]

Huge fan of the machining change on the gas cylinder. The raw forged surface looks nice rather than the machined/forged combo from earlier.

Nice looking rifle!

 

[Bama TEP]

hows this for a excuse. you won your next rifle in a raffle lol. my wife has " won" alot of clothes and make up in " raffles " so i just play along and go uh huh.
oh and it looks like a really nice rifle. cant wait to see the range report on it.

 

[conditionone]

Side eye, huh? Around my house I take it as a compliment

 

[Para Pete]

All firearms-related purchases are investments, and the more left-leaning the current political party in power is- the more valuable the investment becomes. This rationale turns stern looks into a dismissive "Whatever" (and somehow, that hurts less).

 

[Para Pete]

Curious about that pic rail- how does it attach at the front. I looked for a long time to find a short pic rail to attach a compact red dot on a Mini-14, and ended up having to fabricate one for myself. I basically wanted a red dot mounted in front of the action (to avoid ejection interference and allow the use of stripper clips), but behind the typical scout rail mounts.

No one made such a thing, so I ordered a NC Star Mini-14 pic rail (which attaches to the factory Ruger Ranch mounts) and had it cut in the middle- so the back of the front end lined up with the front of the action. That leaves the action completely unobstructed, and the rail overhangs the upper handguard only slightly. Since it's a see-through rail design I get the best of all worlds- I have a red dot, I can seen my iron sights, the action is unobstructed so I have no ejection issues, I can use stripper clips, and the optics/rail does not have to be removed to allow removal of the bolt. I love it.

Seeing your pic rail made me think I could do something similar to my M1A. Sure, I have a Scout Squad with a forward pic rail- but I'm still trying to find a solution that allows me to mount a red dot pretty close, see the iron sights, and not interfere with the action. Just thinking out loud...

 

[nf1e]

Recepticle for the rail is machined into the receiver and it is held in place with nice size cap screws. Superb mounting solution in my opinion. I have a few and they hold fast.

 

[KMac29]

To add onto what Art said, here is the best picture I have of how the rail mounts to the front of the receiver. If you look closely, you can see the surface of the receiver is beveled. I am assuming this is done to prevent any side shift of the rail. Everything I have read supports what Art said about how solid of a mounting system it is.

 

[deuceguy]

I like the M21DMRs. Easy to work with. Clean the mounting threads out and blue Loctite the screws. Get a Nightforce and don't look back.

 

[Para Pete]

So, in theory, that rail could be cut right at the front of the action and be used to mount a lightweight red dot just like the setup I made for my Mini-14. Looks like there'd be at least 5 usable slots. Good to know- thanks!

 

[ptalar]

What brand and model are you using for a cheek riser?

What has been your shooting experience so far? Any issues with your rifle?

 

[KMac29]

What brand and model are you using for a cheek riser?

What has been your shooting experience so far? Any issues with your rifle?

That is a Tactical Night Vision Company (TNVC) Gen 2 Mod. 0 Stock Riser. The riser is okay. Shifts around a little bit. I think there are better options out there and I can say @nf1e probably has recommendations that are better than the TNVC riser. I do like the dope chart pocket, and the riser itself is VERY well made. I am going to make some modifications to this riser that I believe will make it an even better compliment to my M21DMR. If I were to do it again I would go with the Mod. 1. as I really don't see a need to carry a spare magazine on the riser. I will post my feedback on the modifications I make here in the next month or so.

The rifle itself is flawless. It is very accurate when I do my job, and has never had any issues. I get compliments on it everywhere I go. The EOTech 2.5-10 has been a great optic for the rifle as well. Keep in mind I have not shot match ammo through my rifle. Mostly 147 - 150 grain surplus grade. 10/10 would buy from Bula again. I have my eye on their 19" Paratrooper M14 model. I'd love to outfit that with a SE gas lock front sight and an SE flash hider to make a more compact iron sight rifle.

If you have any other questions about the rifle, let me know! Always happy to talk about that rig.

 

[nf1e]

That is a Tactical Night Vision Company (TNVC) Gen 2 Mod. 0 Stock Riser. The riser is okay. Shifts around a little bit. I think there are better options out there and I can say @nf1e probably has recommendations that are better than the TNVC riser. I do like the dope chart pocket, and the riser itself is VERY well made. I am going to make some modifications to this riser that I believe will make it an even better compliment to my M21DMR. If I were to do it again I would go with the Mod. 1. as I really don't see a need to carry a spare magazine on the riser. I will post my feedback on the modifications I make here in the next month or so.

The rifle itself is flawless. It is very accurate when I do my job, and has never had any issues. I get compliments on it everywhere I go. The EOTech 2.5-10 has been a great optic for the rifle as well. Keep in mind I have not shot match ammo through my rifle. Mostly 147 - 150 grain surplus grade. 10/10 would buy from Bula again. I have my eye on their 19" Paratrooper M14 model. I'd love to outfit that with a SE gas lock front sight and an SE flash hider to make a more compact iron sight rifle.

If you have any other questions about the rifle, let me know! Always happy to talk about that rig.

I have a bunch of those TNVCs on field type rifles. For the precision I prefer Tac-Pro over all others including the Bradley. I like the full adjustment range on the Tac-Pro.

 

[Kmc1911]

For the more experienced on the forum, does it look like OPs rifle has a boyds walnut stock (similar to Springfield?) and modified GI contour barrel? It almost looks like the stock contour is somewhat different from my Bula.

Looks great! Can't wait to see how it shoots.

 

[KMac29]

For the more experienced on the forum, does it look like OPs rifle has a boyds walnut stock (similar to Springfield?) and modified GI contour barrel? It almost looks like the stock contour is somewhat different from my Bula.

Looks great! Can't wait to see how it shoots.

Here is a thread I posted from my first trip to the range. I suck at shooting. Practice makes perfect and I continue to hone my skills. The rifle shoots very consistent with the surplus ammo I have been using. Lately I have been shooting IMI 150 grain M80 and that seems to work well.

Range Report: Bula Defense M21 DMR

No clue if it is a Boyd's stock or not. Seems sturdy and well made, although I do like the lines on a GI stock a little better. But that is just me.

I will try and take a picture of the barrel with the hand guard removed so you can better see the profile. It is a Bula "National Match" barrel. I don't know if there are certain specifications that make a barrel "National Match", nor do I know if this barrel meets any criteria of a "National Match" barrel. But it sure shoots well!

 

[Kmc1911]

Here is a thread I posted from my first trip to the range. I suck at shooting. Practice makes perfect and I continue to hone my skills. The rifle shoots very consistent with the surplus ammo I have been using. Lately I have been shooting IMI 150 grain M80 and that seems to work well.

Range Report: Bula Defense M21 DMR

No clue if it is a Boyd's stock or not. Seems sturdy and well made, although I do like the lines on a GI stock a little better. But that is just me.

I will try and take a picture of the barrel with the hand guard removed so you can better see the profile. It is a Bula "National Match" barrel. I don't know if there are certain specifications that make a barrel "National Match", nor do I know if this barrel meets any criteria of a "National Match" barrel. But it sure shoots well!

Yeah I guess I'm curious because I was under the impression their NM barrels were medium weight. I personally prefer the boyds contour. I think, not 100% sure, the comb has less drop on the boyds.