About Bear Creek Arsenal .308 uppers

[mekrebs]

 

I own several and am generally pleased.  My latest is this .308 upper: https://www.bearcreekarsenal.com/308-22-bn-light-weight-barrel-1-10-twist-rifle-15-mlok-forged-upper.html

I'm still finishing it. But so far, so good. Picture below.  Just waiting on a buffer tube.

 

According to BCA's FAQ:  What platform pattern are your AR10 Uppers?
Our uppers are made based on the DPMS Gen1 Low Profile model.  With the AR10, there are many different designs and models out there, and each company tends to create and design its own unique platform.  For that reason, we cannot guarantee the fitment of our uppers to any other companies lower other than our own.

AR10 are their words; not mine.  Thanks to this forum, I now know the difference. 

Any way, according to me:  BCA's prices are hard to beat but :

• Most of their barrels are heavy
• Most of their barrels are parkerized 
• Part of their strategy to keep prices down is that they (usually) don't do any machining they don't have to.  Owning and operating CNC machinery is expensive.

Let me know if there is anything else I can share about my BCA experiences.

Mark

[StarWolf]

I'm interested in your experiences. I've avoided their large receiver uppers. I tend to use Aero M5 lowers and matching DPMS High pattern uppers when possible. 4 of the other receivers I have presently are also high rail height guns. Only the PA-10 is a DPMS Low pattern.

I've picked up a few components for small frame ARs that I think were Bear Creek, relabeled as the vendor's house brand. I've picked up a 12.7x42mm (.50 Beowulf) upper from them. I've used a barrel or two direct from them in 6.5 Grendel and .243 Winchester. I have a HEAVY 24" .243 Win AR Stoner barrel that I've decided is too darned heavy to mount on anything but a bench outfit or a crew served weapon that I think was produced by Bear Creek for Midway.

I'll mostly agree with you concerning the Heavy Profile of their barrels. It seems they have shifted more toward Nitride and/or Parkerized barrel finishs the last few years. Before that they did a lot of stainless and offered more lighter weight profiles with fluting including some non-standard spiral flutes and the like. More recently they've gone to thicker profiles, gas journals on the larger size and muzzle devices on the larger caliber guns that look like they were designed on the cheap.

They have had some attractive prices from time to time. I picked up an upper for a friend and a BCG and barrel for another to get them started on 6.5 Grendel. I've been VERY tempted by some of their oddball caliber uppers but haven't managed to convince myself to bite on them the last year or so.

 

 

[MikedaddyH]

I have a couple of BCA barrels in AR-15 guns. They are great shooters. Haven't used one of there barrels in 308 yet. Just post us an update.

 

[StarWolf]

Got an email from them last evening. Seems like they are selling .308 guns for less than $600.

I am going to pass on that.

If they made a fluted SS 7mm08 20" barrel preferably fluted I might bite.

[StarWolf]

Mark,

You owe us some pictures.
May I suggest an array of parts if you took a BEFORE picture. Then any progress photos that seem relevant.

Also, maybe a build list of the parts you are putting in it capturing both 'standard' BCA items as well as any selected items from other vendors or custom touches? For example who made the rubber recoil pad on that Mil-spec-ish carbine stock?

 

Edited February 24, 2023 by StarWolf