Bear Creek Arsenal

[NyleRN]

What are 90% of people going to do with an AR, other than zero it (maybe) and throw it in a safe until BLM burns another downtown, at which point it might come out of the safe and lean against a wall or get thrown in a pickup. Very few will see the kind of hard use that people think they will be putting one through in their SHTF EOTW fantasies. Most "operators" here should worry more about where they are going to get their insulin and Lipitor than what rollmark they have on their lower.

Don't disagree at all. If you want to spend the least amount of money on an upper then knock yourself out. I won't. I just wonder how many have this mentality with everything else they purchase. Do they buy the cheapest cars? The cheapest appliances? The cheapest groceries? The cheapest tools they can find? The cheapest clothing? The cheapest electronics?

 

[Tombs]

What makes them not as good? Are they not as accurate? Do they not run reliably? What does a $900 upper do that a $250 BCA won't? If they both cycle ammo and shoot accurately, in all reality, aren't they just as good?

Well money alone doesn't make something good.

But typically what you get with more money spent is durability and a reliably good product. You can always get lucky with a 1 off and have it made amazingly, but to have thousands of them all be equally as good usually is going to cost a lot of money.

Materials used on more expensive stuff are going to be sourced from more dependable places and usually be better. Barrels are going to be made with better steels and processes that provide the same accuracy over tens of thousands of rounds, and better controlled for thermal drift.

You're also paying for inspection and testing processes that further the reliability of quality levels.

Assuming that $250 upper shoots as well and runs as well as that $900 upper out of the box, the difference is going to be in how long it stays shooting that well. And how much abuse it will take before something fails.

If your use case is shooting a silhouette at 100 yards a few times a year, there isn't going to be a noticeable difference.

 

[Goodcat]

BCA is hot water trash. Any friends who have bought one, I always end up having to work on them.

 

[Goodcat]

Well money alone doesn't make something good.

But typically what you get with more money spent is durability and a reliably good product. You can always get lucky with a 1 off and have it made amazingly, but to have thousands of them all be equally as good usually is going to cost a lot of money.

Materials used on more expensive stuff are going to be sourced from more dependable places and usually be better. Barrels are going to be made with better steels and processes that provide the same accuracy over tens of thousands of rounds, and better controlled for thermal drift.

You're also paying for inspection and testing processes that further the reliability of quality levels.

Assuming that $250 upper shoots as well and runs as well as that $900 upper out of the box, the difference is going to be in how long it stays shooting that well. And how much abuse it will take before something fails.

If your use case is shooting a silhouette at 100 yards a few times a year, there isn't going to be a noticeable difference.

All of this. Can you buy a PSA stripped lower that will be “just as good” as a KAC, HK, or LMT? Could you end up with a BCA that goes 5,000 rounds no issues? Sure. But it’s a roll of the dice. You pay for QC and engineering of parts. Oversized trigger pin holes, walking out triggers, sear burrs, poor torquing techniques, bad barrel installs, bad rifling, out of spec BCG, etc occur, and quite often in budget brands.

If it’s a range toy you’d never grab to defend yourself, so whatever. If it’s a go to weapon, at a minimum, get a SOLGW. Solid rifles that aren’t too expensive, and they really know what they are doing.

I have seeing someone with two PSA’s or BCA’s instead of one decent rifle.

 

[ckcollins2003]

BCA is hot water trash. Any friends who have bought one, I always end up having to work on them.

What have you had to do with them? I've had an extractor break on one pretty early, but after a new one it's been good ever since.

 

[ckcollins2003]

All of this. Can you buy a PSA stripped lower that will be “just as good” as a KAC, HK, or LMT? Could you end up with a BCA that goes 5,000 rounds no issues? Sure. But it’s a roll of the dice. You pay for QC and engineering of parts. Oversized trigger pin holes, walking out triggers, sear burrs, poor torquing techniques, bad barrel installs, bad rifling, out of spec BCG, etc occur, and quite often in budget brands.

If it’s a range toy you’d never grab to defend yourself, so whatever. If it’s a go to weapon, at a minimum, get a SOLGW. Solid rifles that aren’t too expensive, and they really know what they are doing.

I have seeing someone with two PSA’s or BCA’s instead of one decent rifle.

Completely agree. If I'm going into combat, I'm probably not going to take the side charging BCA, but if we're being realistic, maybe at the very most 1% of everyone here on INGO is going to use their rifle in a defense scenario, let alone any sort of combat where it really matters.

For the guys who go to the range, the PSA's and BCA's are fine. I know a guy who took a PSA to a rifle training class which was 1,000 rounds in a single day and had no issues. For 99% of the population, those cheap ones will do everything that the expensive ones will because they aren't going into combat situations and they aren't getting into harsh environments that may actually effect the performance of the rifle.

 

[Tombs]

I've had an extractor break on one pretty early, but after a new one it's been good ever since.

That's an example of something that a highend rifle wouldn't experience early on. Would absolutely get you killed in a serious situation but is just an annoyance for a range session.

 

[ckcollins2003]

That's an example of something that a highend rifle wouldn't experience early on. Would absolutely get you killed in a serious situation but is just an annoyance for a range session.

Meh, it was in the Grendel, which is actually common for that caliber. JP Enterprise makes a good, yet expensive extractor for 6.5 Grendel which I might invest in if I have any more issues. The first one broke after roughly 400 rounds and so far the new one is at about 350, so we will see what happens soon lol! But, I've personally seen one break on an Aero after roughly the first 150 rounds. It's just common with that caliber for whatever reason. Luckily, it's just a range gun and hunting rifle.

 

[Tombs]

Meh, it was in the Grendel, which is actually common for that caliber. JP Enterprise makes a good, yet expensive extractor for 6.5 Grendel which I might invest in if I have any more issues. The first one broke after roughly 400 rounds and so far the new one is at about 350, so we will see what happens soon lol! But, I've personally seen one break on an Aero after roughly the first 150 rounds. It's just common with that caliber for whatever reason. Luckily, it's just a range gun and hunting rifle.

Ah yeah it makes sense there because of the larger case head. You don't see knights and LMT chambering stuff like this for a reason.

And the upper end companies who do usually end up with proprietary parts to get the durability up to a reliable point.

 

[johntheplinker]

I have the 20" 223 wylde also I'm trying out and I agree it's been reliable but heavy, or are we just getting weaker as we get older?

That thought did occur to me! Also seems the hills around here are getting taller, also.

 

[Airtevron1]

Just ordered an 18" .223 Wylde upper from them, cant wait to get it.

 

[bdj357]

I’ve ordered several… zero issues, but not hard use uppers. Probably under 500-1000 rounds in each. I had no issues with the .350 Legend which I’ve heard others have had.

 

[ed1838]

Have had to open up gas port drill. Must been smoked drill, hole was correct size at top but tappered about .025 under in the bore. Also check to be sure everything is torqued correctly. As far as the rest they have shot fine.

 

[morve80]

If all you do is drive back and forth to work and go to the grocery store, a Kia is as good as a Mercedes.

Probably better.

Don't get me started on how much I hate Kia. Lol.

To keep in line with the thread. I like my bca stuff. Haven't had any issues.

 

[fullmetaljesus]

I was looking to buy another upper and found that Hardened Arms is out of business. But stumbled across these guys in North Carolina called Bear Creek Arsenal. Has anybody used them? They have some really good pricing, but i don't want to buy garbage.
Thanks!

I have two uppers and one lower. For my experience I'm a fan. If I were to do another build I'd go to them first.