I’m not quite sure how long I’ve had this Bravo Company lightweight midlength AR. It’s been a year or more – perhaps closer to two. Forgive me for this Zen moment, but if I had to identify with any inanimate object, it would be this rifle.
For the longest time, I simply put an optic and a sling on the weapon and went shooting. You’ve probably seen it in photos if you’ve been following the blog for a while.
Whenever I needed an AR, I most often grabbed this one. It was so handy and light that it suited nearly every purpose, and because it was put together right the first time, by BCM, and I saw no reason to modify it, it was always ready for use – and, I might add, always zeroed.
So, in the time that I’ve owned it, it’s come by a bit of wear – honest, real-world, off-range wear. Not much compared to what my issued M4 looked like after a year, mind you, but not bad for a rifle that’s hardly ever been out of the United States.
It was definitely inspection-ready when it arrived, just like all of the other BCM rifles and uppers I’ve seen. This is a photo of another BCM upper’s feedramps – the two are practically identical.
The M4 feedramps are useful in a number of situations, and I wouldn’t have a carbine or midlength AR-15 without them. As you can see below, I have not been keeping the weapon as clean as I could have, but this has not had any negative effect on function.
The only malfunctions I’ve experienced were double feeds with some loaned PMags, and stuck cases with some extremely corroded Silver Bear that confounded every rifle we tried to shoot that ammunition through. With my own mags – aluminum, PMag, Lancer – and ammunition, no malfunctions that I can recall.
I actually do clean the rifle from time to time, but it’s mostly when my hands get black with carbon after I pick it up – which can get pretty annoying.
I finally modified the rifle by installing a Spike’s Tactical midlength SAR rail, which I have found to be a very nice rail system. Installing that rail significantly reduced the overall weight of the weapon. This is due to the SAR’s design replacing a steel barrel nut and delta ring assembly with a titanium barrel nut, and the rail itself enabling me to remove the side sling swivel and FSB rail.
As far as accuracy goes, the last time I sat down at the bench with this rifle, it shot 3-4 MOA with match ammunition. As it was originally equipped with a heavier profile barrel which was then turned down (by Bravo Company) to the lightweight profile after manufacturing was complete, some loss of accuracy was to be expected – and even when new, it was only shooting 1.5-2 MOA. It’s seen a lot of ammunition since then.
Keep in mind, I measure accuracy by strict standards, and many “1 MOA” rifles would not even be 3 MOA weapons by my standards. As far as this rifle goes, I’m going to keep shooting it until it keyholes.
I’ve loaned the rifle out and/or allowed countless other shooters to put their own ammo through it. No one has reported any malfunctions to me, nor would I expect that they would have encountered any. This is one rifle that, put simply, works.
Andrew, what’s your opinion on various piston conversion kits on the market? Do you have any experience with them and would you recommend any of them?
Thanks.
I have bought a few and used others, and see no need for them.
If you want a piston/op-rod rifle, my advice would be to buy one that was designed as such.
I ran my BCM 20″ upper/BCG this past weekend at a Haley Strategic Adaptive Carbine 1 class.
It was hot, muggy, and the range was covered in fine dust that’s mined for producing talcum. In short, diving into prone with my rifle made for lots of dust, having shooters on either side of me with muzzle brakes, made for even bigger clouds of talcum moon dust…
I had zero malfunctions, other than some magazines sticking inside the mag well, due to the intense dust. I love my BCM products and recommend them to everyone, especially in the gun store I work.
Awesome! Kudos for using a 20″ upper in a carbine course.
Travis Haley admired it for a bit and liked the balance.
I did get a few “looks” though, haha.
I love my BCM 16″Lite middy with 12′ DD lite rail. The only thing i don’t like about it is its somewhat lacking in the accuracy department. For me at least. If i could i would get one of the new BFH ones.
Could you tell a significant difference in shootability going from a standard plastic handguard to a free float rail? Some of the armorers I have spoke to are all over the place on this subject as it relates to tactical carbines.
Not really. Unless you really lean on barriers and/or slings. And they both can have weird effects from that. Knowing what they are and how to deal with them is important, whichever route you go. I only have so many rails on rifles because people keep sending them to me…we all have our burdens…
Andrew, what’s your argument for M4 feedramps? The conventional wisdom among the Forum Monkeys is that they’re really only useful for select fire situations. I’d love to hear your opinion on this.
Longer-than-normal or more blunt-nosed projectiles, worn/tired/damaged magazines that don’t feed rounds at just the right angle, temperature variations, all good reasons for M4 feed ramps, especially on carbines/midlengths.
If this rifle had not had M4 feed ramps, do you think the mashed portions of the upper receiver would have instead resulted in rounds not feeding at all? It never saw a select fire lower – if what the forum monkeys say is true, those dents shouldn’t even be there.
Edit – as a side note, after taking and analyzing a ton of high speed video of ARs firing in semi and full auto, I don’t think full auto fire alone calls for M4 feed ramps. There’s not a huge difference in the way the weapon feeds – unless the magazine spring is too slow to keep up, in which case there will be a different type of failure.
“Keep in mind, I measure accuracy by strict standards, and many “1 MOA” rifles would not even be 3 MOA weapons by my standards.”
Could you elaborate, please?
Many folks shoot only three shot groups, then select the very best group and say that this is what their rifle shoots. This is how we hear about BS like .25 MOA M4 carbines – or, for that matter, the vast majority of “sub-MOA” AR-15 carbines. Or AKs that will shoot 1 MOA “all day long.”
I shoot ten shot groups and average three of them. This gives me a much better idea of what the rifle will do the next time I fire it, and for the rest of the magazine as well. “Molon” on M4Carbine has written articles about this.
That sounds very reasonable; 30 rounds is getting pretty close to the PSG-1’s 50 round standard.