Bear Creek Arsenal first impression

[bigalshootmupper]

Not trying to start an argument here, just wanted to report my first impressions with a new upper from Bear Creek. Before I bought it, I almost didn't buy it due to all the bad reviews. But I found most were positive...

I bought the 5.56 1/8 twist 20 in bear claw barrel with right hand charging upper.

You can check the price yourself, but this is about the cheapest upper you can buy.

Well it had not malfunctions with 60 rounds.

It sighted in easily with no special tools at 25 yards. Maybe needed 4 or 5 shots to get it within an inch. Out to 100 it was shooting a foot high, but had it in within an inch in just a few shots. This was with a $100 Simmons Pro Target 4-16X scope.

Once sighted in, I had about a 2 inch group at 100 yards with a 20 shot group. I continued to shoot it and it kept about the same groups. All were with Frontier 68 gr BTHP.

It is heavy, but I knew that and I like it. I know it can shoot better, as I wasn't really trying that hard and I know I can reload better accuracy than any factory ammo.
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[tangolima]

I buy their stuff. Not the best of course, but functional with little or no problem. With some tweaking it actually performs exceptionally well. I quite like their side chargers.

The rifle I'm currently spending time on is an ar-10 in .243 win. The upper is their product. It has 24” light weight barrel, doing 1.2-1.5moa 10-shot R90 at 150yd. Not to shabby for a auto loader with skinny barrel.

I also bought another upper of theirs in 6.5CM really cheap. It has a 20" heavy fluted stainless steel barrel. Haven't shot it yet. Could be doing even better.

-TL

PS. Your rifle in the picture. One of the scope mounts is on the handguard rail. It is not a good idea for accuracy. You may want to have both mounts on the upper's rail. Get a one-piece cantilever mount if you can't make eye relief.

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[stagpanther]

I've always wanted to try a side charger--among other things I think they may become necessary if and when the day comes that semi-auto ARs get banned/restricted. I've just never been that inspired by the bolt-on knobbies to carriers.

[tangolima]

It works. Actually it simplifies a lot of things. No dust cover door. No forward assist. Saves one broach cut. It lowers production cost.

One of the reasons I monkeyed with side charger is idea of gas assisted straight pull. It works. I adjusted the gas way down so that it just unlocked the action and primary extracted the brass. The pull is for ejecting the brass. Recoil spring is reduced to keep the action closed. I didn't keep it though. Went fixed mag instead to be compliant.

-TL

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[ocharry]

Tango...id be interested in hearing how that 6.5 does when you get around to it...i have looked at those a few times during their sales....i dont know how the sell them that cheap

[rickyrick]

I have been considering a side charger from them as my .450BM is still not reliable as a semi automatic. I’ve been considering making it a single shot.

[tangolima]

Originally Posted by ocharry

Tango...id be interested in hearing how that 6.5 does when you get around to it...i have looked at those a few times during their sales....i dont know how the sell them that cheap

Sure will post the results.

They keep the cost down by doing away fancy stuff, the way I see it. Their products tend to be heavy and not the best aesthetically. The machining is minimalist. However functionally they are mostly on par with the others. The side charger is a good example of this philosophy. Their CS is very good too.

Other good thing is the various calibers they offer. It has become the first place I would look when I need something. They have announced bolt action AR uppers. I'd love to get one. Their long action huntmaster too. AR in 300 WM sounds nuts.

-TL

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[bigalshootmupper]

Tangolima, yeah, I noticed that too as I was mounting it. It seems pretty solid but it is two different mounting areas. I'll probably keep it like this for now and if it loses zero or starts drifting, I'll get a one piece mount.

I know the costlier uppers are built with more quality control and finished a little better, but for the price, this is hard to beat. I bought it for shooting at 100 to 150 yard targets from a bench rest. It is heavy, but that's what I wanted.

And the $100 scope is decent too. It came with rings and the flip up covers. It is holding zero and the adjustments are smooth and seem good so far. It is pretty clear. When at 16X the sight picture can be really tight but it still has good consistent eye relief.

[bamaranger]

I have toyed with the idea of a BCA 6mm ARC upper for several months now. Bamaboy built a 6 ARC when the cartridge was first announced. Been shot very little as ammo was VERY hard to find. Of late, the stuff has become more common. We both buy all we see at this point, and have accumulated enough to keep his rifle going and have a supply of brass for loading.

My interest is solely as a modern deer/hog carbine firing more cartridge than the 5.56mm. If it functions reliably and shoots into 2 MOA I'd be happy. If I do, I'll post here of course. But.......

For a bit more money, I could assemble better components and likely come up with a more accurate arrangement. The side chargers are interesting, were I to assemble a 6 ARC it would have a slabside if not a side charge.

[tangolima]

Side charger is different from slick side, although they are all without forward assist. I like side charger for its simplicity and lower price. Same, or higher, price, I still prefer the original rear charger with forward assist.

I could be wrong, but the money difference is more than a little bit. In there other thread, a budget rifle goes for $600 new. Similar rifle from BCA is $400. 30% less is a common figure. 2moa is no problem. With some tweaking it can be even better. Sub-moa is unrealistic.

-TL

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[seanc]

I have a .22LR complete upper from BCA that I've put over 2K rounds through over the past year+ and it's been flawless. I got it on sale for around $130 when I couldn't find any complete uppers from anyone else at that time. It sits on a blem PSA complete lower and I only occasionally clean both after 500+ rounds. I put this together just to play around with in rimfire challenge matches.

After reading so many negative reviews (after I already purchased mine), I'm hesitant to recommend one to anyone else. Just this past weekend at a rimfire challenge, I had a couple people asking about it and told them the same. The lady who runs the womens club at the range said she has one in 7.62x39 and it's run flawless for her for the past couple years and was going to look into the .22LR upper for herself.

[2damnold4this]

I have two BCU uppers. One in 6.5 Grendel and one in 7.62x39. They both work most of the time but I have had to replace the extractors in both. For me, BCA is a good way to try out different cartridges without spending much money.

[taylorce1]

I've always wanted to try a side charger--among other things I think they may become necessary if and when the day comes that semi-auto ARs get banned/restricted.

I think there may be good news in our future on the AWB front. A Federal Judge ruled IL AWB unconstitutional, but I expect that to overturned on appeal. I'm hoping SCOTUS grants cert in Snope v. Brown on the MD AWB, if that happens I don't know if we'll see another AWB or magazine ban in my lifetime.

All that said, I've been looking at Jard and Uintah Precision bolt action uppers. Jard only offers it in .223, where UP offers uppers for both AR-15 and AR-10 platforms in multiple chambers. I've been looking at building a chassis style rifle, but cost is prohibitive for the chassis I like. I'm thinking this might be a decent compromise.

Also if interested, Legacy Sports is importing the pump action Taipan X AR-15 in .223 Wylde, and supposed to have the .300 BO available soon. I've watched a few videos of Australians using this style of upper in .308 on feral camels in the outback. I'm not big into pump action rifles, but it is a neat concept.

BCA uppers in rimfire cartridges have peaked my interest, but haven't purchased one yet.

[berettaprofessor]

I've got a number of BCA uppers. I know they're not the lightest, but cost- and performance- wise, I'm not sure how many premium manufacturers stay in business against them. As 2damnoldforthis stated, I often "try" calibers in BCA that I otherwise wouldn't buy. Hence why I have a 450 Bush and used to have a 224 Valk from BCA.

[jetinteriorguy]

I’m half tempted to try one of the .17HMR uppers just because I absolutely love the .17HMR.

[tangolima]

Originally Posted by taylorce1

I think there may be good news in our future on the AWB front. A Federal Judge ruled IL AWB unconstitutional, but I expect that to overturned on appeal. I'm hoping SCOTUS grants cert in Snope v. Brown on the MD AWB, if that happens I don't know if we'll see another AWB or magazine ban in my lifetime.



All that said, I've been looking at Jard and Uintah Precision bolt action uppers. Jard only offers it in .223, where UP offers uppers for both AR-15 and AR-10 platforms in multiple chambers. I've been looking at building a chassis style rifle, but cost is prohibitive for the chassis I like. I'm thinking this might be a decent compromise.



Also if interested, Legacy Sports is importing the pump action Taipan X AR-15 in .223 Wylde, and supposed to have the .300 BO available soon. I've watched a few videos of Australians using this style of upper in .308 on feral camels in the outback. I'm not big into pump action rifles, but it is a neat concept.



BCA uppers in rimfire cartridges have peaked my interest, but haven't purchased one yet.

That's Miller v Bonta. I also hope the supreme court will hear it.

Bolt action on AR platform is good. Don't care about pump. It is awkward to shoot on bench or prone. Both Jard and Uintah are costly. BCA is coming up with bolt action soon. I will get one if it is compatible with normal AR barrels.

-TL

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[rickyrick]

I read in customer questions that the bolt action upper receiver will work with AR barrels per the response from BCA.

I’m re-thinking my .450. Their barrels are cheap enough to make an attempt to rebarrel my radical firearms upper. The rifle gas system on the Radical upper just won’t work reliably, even after opening up the gas port and lightening the buffer.

However, the 450BM would be a perfect candidate for a bolt action upper if they were available right now.

[tangolima]

Good to know thanks. I'm ready to jump in. Again I'm going pick a funky chambering. Their barrels are not the best kind money can buy. But they are definitely above average.

I wish they have 6mm max.

-TL

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[rickyrick]

I learned several years back that cheap AR barrels aren’t that bad. I slapped together a budget carbine for my wife. I used an Anderson 79$ 16” barrel and to this day it’s the most accurate AR in our collection. All of my ARs are kick around guns, so I don’t really care about cosmetics very much.
Not too many sources for a 450 barrel so I’ll give BCA a shot.
I shied away from BCA because of the low cost, but now regretting it because the upper I ended up with was double the cost of a BCA. I’ve already invested in quite a bit of ammunition, so cost for another barrel is not significant enough to scrap the caliber yet.

[tangolima]

.450 BM eh? Seems like an interesting chambering. But I'm just shy away from straight wall cartridges that headspace mouth, rimmed is actually no problem. They could be a pain when I try to load with different bullets. M1 carbine is one of them.

I may want to try 8.6mm blackout.

-TL

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[stagpanther]

I highly recommend 458 socom if you're thinking 458 in an AR. The development lineage is tops and it's ballistically almost identical to the BM. And it has a small shoulder. Go to Tromix and get your parts there, you'll want a reinforced upper and single-stack follower for your magazines, other than that an easy, straightforward AR build. IMO the big 458's in an AR 15 can be a bit "unsettling" in their report when firing because it seems out of proportion in the rather small dimensions of the AR 15.

[tangolima]

.458 socom is available from BCA. It is on ar-15 platform which is cool. How about brass and bullets? Easy to find? Conversion from .50 AE doesn't seem viable.

Complete upper for $200. Is the single stack follower a must?

-TL

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[stagpanther]

.458 socom is available from BCA. It is on ar-15 platform which is cool. How about brass and bullets? Easy to find? Conversion from .50 AE doesn't seem viable.

Complete upper for $200. Is the single stack follower a must?

I had no problem finding brass--but it's been a few years since I built mine. .458 is the same bullet niche as 45-70 (and is ballistically similar to at closer ranges); so there should be no problem finding bullets. .458 is wide--so yeah, single stack is the best way to go IMO, I guess you could also attempt to make your own. I bought Lancer 5.56 magazines and replaced the followers with lancer's 458 socom/450 BM single stack followers. Presumably, the BCA upper has the feed ramp/extension lugs also aligned for a straight-ahead single stack feed; but I would check to make sure.

If you want to be "the really cool guy with an AR 15 bomber" you could also consider the .375, .358 or .338 Socoms.

[tangolima]

Originally Posted by stagpanther

I had no problem finding brass--but it's been a few years since I built mine. .458 is the same bullet niche as 45-70 (and is ballistically similar to at closer ranges); so there should be no problem finding bullets. .458 is wide--so yeah, single stack is the best way to go IMO, I guess you could also attempt to make your own. I bought Lancer 5.56 magazines and replaced the followers with lancer's 458 socom/450 BM single stack followers. Presumably, the BCA upper has the feed ramp/extension lugs also aligned for a straight-ahead single stack feed; but I would check to make sure.



If you want to be "the really cool guy with an AR 15 bomber" you could also consider the .375, .358 or .338 Socoms.

I looked. Yeah brass is available. $1 per new, and 50 cents once fired. Coated cast bullet 30 cents. Acceptable.

I think the feed ramp is mostly on barrel. Should be alright. But I will bear that in mind. Is the bolt same as Grendel bolt? I don't think one can get any bigger. It is already cut pretty thin.

The brass is fat so it contacts both feed lips, regardless the follower. A correct follower may make feeding better, or even one more round in the mag. Between foredom and JB weld, I may be able to able to make one out of a ordinary follower.

I need to stop talking to you, Panther. Bad influence . I'm already a known nutcase on range with stupid calibers, both on AR and off. One more funky chambering would widen the margin.

-TL

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[stagpanther]

I looked. Yeah brass is available. $1 per new, and 50 cents once fired. Coated cast bullet 30 cents. Acceptable.

I think the feed ramp is mostly on barrel. Should be alright. But I will bear that in mind. Is the bolt same as Grendel bolt? I don't think one can get any bigger. It is already cut pretty thin.

The brass is fat so it contacts both feed lips, regardless the follower. A correct follower may make feeding better, or even one more round in the mag. Between foredom and JB weld, I may be able to able to make one out of a ordinary follower.

I need to stop talking to you, Panther. Bad influence . I'm already a known nutcase on range with stupid calibers, both on AR and off. One more funky chambering would widen the margin.

It has a rebated rim, but you need to make sure you have the right bolt (a .473 Socom-specific bolt). Because of the substantial width of the case the follower needs a pretty deep U-tub like cut to feed the cartridges well, not sure you can get that by whippin out the ole grinder on a conventional AR magazine. I guess you could try just cutting completely flat a 5.56 follower and see if that works (I have NOT tried that). As an aside, Lancer is a top-shelf, best quality tier magazine manufacturer. I bought most of my parts from Tromix (the rest from KAK IIRC)--they are the best in the business for Socoms IMO. I put mine together and it functioned no issues right from the first shot and ever after.

Don't blame me for your penchant to get yourself into trouble--you don't need my help.