The concept of the Bushmaster is very simple: Take a standard M1903 Rifle and cut the barrel and stock down to make it handier for jungle combat. Other than that, nothing was changed. Ordnance Dept. records show that about 4,700 M1903 rifles were converted to the carbine configuration, which featured a barrel length of just 18”, as well as a noticeably abbreviated stock. (All photos I have seen of the carbine show that the bayonet lug has been removed.) The conversions were done by the U.S. Army within the Canal Zone, and apparently the workmanship was crude. Ultimately, the Bushmaster Carbine was only used for training, and never left the Caribbean for combat duty.