44 Minutes of Hell

The Bushmaster XM-15 “Dissipator” is one of a long line of AR-15 type carbines marketed under the XM-15 brand. “Dissipator” carbines are AR-15 carbines with the handguards and front sight post of an M16. They usually have the real gas block under the handguards for improved reliability. This particular weapon is modeled off one infamously used in the North Hollywood shootout, which lasted 44 minutes and resulted in the deaths of the bank robbers and many more police officers and bystanders wounded.

About Bushmaster

Founded as Gwinn Firearms in Bangor, Maine, they soon moved the Windham. They were one of the first companies after Colt to manufacture and sell AR-15 semi-automatic rifles to the US consumer market.

In 2010, the company was acquired by Cerberus Capitol Management with DPMS and Remington to form “Freedom Group.” In 2011, they shut down the Windham factory. Said factory owners would continue operations as Windham Weaponry, and would succeed as Freedom Group was mismanaged to death.

Bushmaster XM-15

The Bushmaster XM-15 is a line of semi-automatic AR-15 rifles. They were popular as they were cheaper than the Colt rifles, of comparable quality, and more closely resembled the M16 and M4, in form at least.

Unfortunately, the XM-15 series of rifles have been employed in heinous crimes such as the 1997 North Hollywood shootout, 2002 D.C. sniper attacks, and 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. These, and other mass murder incidents involving similar weapons, have sparked considerable debate regarding the place of firearms in American society, which I shall not discuss as this isn't the place to do so.

This Rifle

This particular weapon is modeled off the Bushmaster XM-15E2S Dissipator used by one of the suspects during the 1997 North Hollywood shootout. This particular rifle, like the one used in the shootout, is fitted with M16A1 handguards, a Beta C-Mag 100-round double-drum magazine, and converted into a select-fire assault rifle. This weapon is a testament to the lengths which greed takes people.

North Hollywood Shootout

Two men who I shall not name, motivated by greed and inspired by the 1995 movie Heat, robbed a Bank of America in broad daylight, firing their weapons indiscriminately into the ceiling. Known as the “High Incident Bandits” by LAPD for their tactics, they targeted banks and armored cars, and have already stolen millions of dollars and wounded and murdered guards. To say they were armed and dangerous is an understatement.

Wearing homemade but effective body armor, and carrying semi-automatic rifles illegally converted to full-auto and fitted with drum magazines (including this weapon), the botched robbery quickly turned into a massive shootout as the two men faced superior numbers of LAPD officers armed with semi-automatic handguns and pump-action shotguns.

After 44 minutes and over 2,000 rounds fired by all, both suspects were neutralized, with one dying hours later due to concerns of a possible third suspect preventing the timely arrival of an ambulance. While many officers and bystanders were wounded, it is fortunate none were killed.

The North Hollywood shootout raised concerns about the ability for officers to respond to such incidents, which spurred the procurement of semi-automatic rifles, SWAT teams, and armored vehicles, for better or worse. Today, the weapons, armor, and clothing of the robbers, including this rifle, are on display at the LAPD museum.