Bushmaster pistol.

The Bushmaster Pistol was a 5.56×45mm NATO firearm, categorizeable as either a long pistol (under the American legal definition of a pistol) or compact carbine rifle, produced by the Gwinn Firearms Company, and later Bushmaster Firearms Inc.The firearm was a new design, having a tipping-block bolt system combined with a long stroke piston system similar to the AK-47 rifle. An U.S. Army Special Forces veteran named Mack W. Gwinn, Jr. introduced this pistol to the civilian shooting world as a Title 1 firearm in 1972. His company, Gwinn Firearms, began manufacturing a semi-automatic only version of the IMP that was marketed as the Bushmaster pistol. Gwinn’s civilian version is similar to the GUU-4/P in so far as it retains the same basic bullpup anatomy as Colt’s Air Force prototypes as well as the same gas-piston-operating system, but the Bushmaster differs in one critical area: caliber. Gwinn chose to chamber his civilian version for the popular 5.56 NATO cartridge, and he also chose to modify the lower receiver to feed from readily available AR-15/M16 magazines. The Bushmaster also uses a rotating lock bolt head, similar to the AR-15/M16 and even makes use of several AR-15/M16 parts like the grip, magazine-release button, safety selector, hammer, disconnector, firing pin and various springs. At first, Gwinn continued using sheet steel to make the upper receivers of these guns, but then eventually switched to solid aluminum for both uppers and lowers. Eventually, Gwinn Firearms took the name of its introductory product to become Bushmaster Firearms—a company that lives on today as an industry leader in the production of AR-15-type rifles. In fact, Bushmaster’s early corporate logo featured a coiled snake and the profile of an IMP. Although the company ceased production of the gun in 1988, examples can still be found on the collector’s market today. To the 21st-century shooter, an odd duck like the Bushmaster Arm Pistol may seem a relic from five decades past, but it marks an important moment in the evolution of 20th Century small arms when the modern PDW was born. Markings on the pistol are: Reads "BUSHMASTER PISTOL | GWINN FIREARMS | ROCHESTER NH | 5.56 MM and serial number. One interesting feature of the weapon Goepfert is offering is the location of the safety. It’s generally understood that the early Gwinns are the ones with the safety/selector on the forearm above the pistol grip. It was later relocated to the butt area to make more direct use of M16 surplus parts. But this weapon has the selector located in the butt area, and a separate sliding fire-safe safety, a bit like an inverted tang safety with fire forward, inside the trigger guard in a natural position for someone who knows the M1 rifle. The grip can rotate 38 degrees either direction for left or right hand operation. It uses a gas piston system to cycle the action and uses standard AR-15 magazines. The safety is located on the left rear of the receiver and is marked on the right front "BUSHMASTER PISTOL/GWINN FIREARMS/BANGOR MAINE". Fitted with an AR-15 style bakelite pistol grip with checkered side panels