Bushmaster ORC II
- Category
- Carbine
- Barrel
- 406 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.95 kg
- Introduced
- 2023
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Bushmaster ORC II (Optics Ready Carbine, second generation) is a flat-top 16-inch AR-15 carbine in 5.56 NATO designed as a ready-to-build platform for the shooter's choice of optic. It features 7075 forged receivers, a 16-inch heavy barrel with carbine-length gas system, a free-float BFI M-LOK handguard, a B5 Systems grip, an A2 flash hider, and a mil-spec trigger. The ORC II PRO upgrades the rail and furniture, and BFSIII variants add a Franklin Armory binary trigger.
The 'Optics Ready Carbine' concept stripped away iron sights to sell an affordable flat-top base gun for buyers who already had a preferred red dot or LPVO in mind, a formula that made the original ORC one of Bushmaster's best-selling entry-level rifles before the brand's revival reintroduced it as the ORC II.
MSRP approximately $890 (PRO). The ORC lineage dates to the original Remington-era Bushmaster Optics Ready Carbine. Offered in standard, PRO, BFSIII binary-trigger, and California-compliant configurations.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Bushmaster Firearms International
- Category
- Carbine
- Country
- United States
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 2023
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 406 mm
- Overall length
- 902 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.95 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated direct impingement
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 30
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Aluminum alloy
- Barrel
- Chrome moly steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Salt bath nitride
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 945 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 1755 J
- Effective range
- 500 m
- Maximum range
- 3600 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Optics ready
Flat top upper
Free float handguard
M lok handguard
Carbine length gas system
Heavy barrel
A2 flash hider
B5 grip
Forged 7075 receivers
Mil spec trigger
Adjustable stock
Made in usa
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 141 5.56x45mm NATO carbines | 2.95 kg | 2.95 kg | Near the median |
| Overall lengthAmong 144 5.56x45mm NATO carbines | 902 mm | 838 mm | Longer than about 80% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 150 5.56x45mm NATO carbines | 406 mm | 406 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 150 5.56x45mm NATO carbines | 30 | 30 | Near the median |
Answers
Questions about the Bushmaster ORC II
How much does the Bushmaster ORC II weigh?
The Bushmaster ORC II weighs 2.95 kg (6.50 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Bushmaster ORC II?
The Bushmaster ORC II is chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO.
How many rounds does the Bushmaster ORC II hold?
The Bushmaster ORC II holds 30 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Bushmaster ORC II?
The Bushmaster ORC II is 902 mm (35.5 in) long overall, with a 406 mm (16.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Bushmaster ORC II?
The Bushmaster ORC II is made by Bushmaster Firearms International (United States).
When was the Bushmaster ORC II introduced?
The Bushmaster ORC II was introduced in 2023.
How does the Bushmaster ORC II operate?
The Bushmaster ORC II uses a gas operated direct impingement action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
Provenance
Confidence in this record
75%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/bushmaster-orc-ii' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "bushmaster-orc-ii", "name": "Bushmaster ORC II", "manufacturer": { "id": "bushmaster", "name": "Bushmaster Firearms International", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1973, "website": "https://www.bushmaster.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:43", "version": "03ce3f7c1eccaa2ca96d02509bf7ac8fd765e20d3dc759b45ee02f86a4c6348e" }, "category": { "id": "carbine", "name": "Carbine", "description": "Shortened rifles for close-quarters use" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 2023, "barrel_length_mm": 406, "weight_empty_g": 2948, "action_type": "gas_operated_direct_impingement"}