Factory AR's

[prepare]

Since most factory AR's source their components from OEM manufacturers and then assemble in house, who do you trust to #1 source quality components, #2 have the best QC, #3 quality workmanship, #4 warranty and customer service? To me BCM ranks at the top of checking all those boxes and then some. BCM has built brand recognition not only with the items listed above but also in the area of product development and T&E. I also like the fact that they put their products in the hands of professionals for feed back. A couple of other consideration are their track record, they seem to have a solid position to weather the fluctuations in a volatile industry and quality is consistent regardless of the market highs and lows.
I'm not saying they make "the best AR". But looking at the AR landscape in terms of a milspec duty grade weapon and/or a trusted source of components if you want to put your own carbine/pistol together I think you can buy with confidence and peace of mind.

There are probably several brands out there right now that won't be around 10 years from now.

[officerX]

I agree with you, but what is the point of this thread?


My iPhone XS Max is better than your android!

[prepare]

I agree with you, but what is the point of this thread?


My iPhone XS Max is better than your android!

There's been a lot of discussion lately about brand name AR's and out sourcing components. Nothing new perhaps other than a lot of interest in who the actual OEM manufacturers are and wanting to know specifics such as gas port sizes.

[RHINOWSO]

Reason I rarely buy full rifles is usually the trigger and furniture are gonna go.

So I usually buy the complete upper I like and put it on one of my Mega lowers.

[everready73]

I make my purchases from companies I trust. Bottom line is your are not going to know where every component on the gun is coming from most of the time so I go with vetted companies that have a good reputation for quality. There are quite a few out there. Some places disclose more than others as far as materials composition, testing, etc. I would personally order from
BCM
LMT
DD- just barrels
Sionics
Centurion
Knights

you could include Colt in the past but have been wary lately

I don't own all of the above, but wouldn't complain. I would probably put DD last because they value isn't there compared to the others, but they are shooters

[magister]

I make my purchases from companies I trust. Bottom line is your are not going to know where every component on the gun is coming from most of the time so I go with vetted companies that have a good reputation for quality. There are quite a few out there. Some places disclose more than others as far as materials composition, testing, etc. I would personally order from
BCM
LMT
DD- just barrels
Sionics
Centurion
Knights

you could include Colt in the past but have been wary lately

I don't own all of the above, but wouldn't complain. I would probably put DD last because they value isn't there compared to the others, but they are shooters


I pretty much agree with this.

[Renegade04]

I make my purchases from companies I trust. Bottom line is your are not going to know where every component on the gun is coming from most of the time so I go with vetted companies that have a good reputation for quality. There are quite a few out there. Some places disclose more than others as far as materials composition, testing, etc. I would personally order from
BCM
LMT
DD- just barrels
Sionics
Centurion
Knights

you could include Colt in the past but have been wary lately

I don't own all of the above, but wouldn't complain. I would probably put DD last because they value isn't there compared to the others, but they are shooters

Frankly, I would list LMT, KAC, and LaRue Tactical at the top of most every list as they manufacture most everything in-house as well as assembly and QC. All three produce top-notch factory ARs. LMT and KAC have been manufacturing ARs and affiliated products for nearly 30 years. LaRue Tactical is a lot more limited on what they offer when it comes to complete ARs. I would follow up with BCM and a few others to include the likes of those mentioned by everready73, but I would also include LWRC and POF.

[SouthwestAviator]

I make my purchases from companies I trust. Bottom line is your are not going to know where every component on the gun is coming from most of the time so I go with vetted companies that have a good reputation for quality. There are quite a few out there. Some places disclose more than others as far as materials composition, testing, etc. I would personally order from
BCM
LMT
DD- just barrels
Sionics
Centurion
Knights

you could include Colt in the past but have been wary lately

I don't own all of the above, but wouldn't complain. I would probably put DD last because they value isn't there compared to the others, but they are shooters

Just curious, why do you include DD's barrels only, and not the complete rifles?
And why wary of Colt?

[mack7.62]

BCM? Oh yeah the company whose lowers may or may not work with Gen 3 PMAG's.

[wetidlerjr]

BCM? Oh yeah the company whose lowers may or may not work with Gen 3 PMAG's.

Oh yeah and HK, POF, Noveske and Spike Tactical.

[SouthwestAviator]

BCM? Oh yeah the company whose lowers may or may not work with Gen 3 PMAG's.

But... But... According to BCM, Gen 3 PMAGs just aren't mil spec! Never mind that every other milspec lower brand has no problem accepting Gen 3 PMAGS across the board, and never mind that G3 PMAGs are literally mil spec because the Marines adopted them. It's Magpuls fault, BCM can do no wrong! Their overtorqued, locktite'd barrel nuts are a feature, not an indicator of mediocre workmanship.

BCM is overrated and overpriced and I hope people are realizing that now.

[czgunner]

I would include the Barrett rifles in that list.

[sig1473]

My KAC SR15 Mod 1 doesn't drop free Gen3 PMags. I'm thinking about getting rid of it.......NOPE.

[Wake27]

BCM is overrated and overpriced and I hope people are realizing that now.

I hate that BCM lowers are picky with M3 PMAGs. But no and no.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[wetidlerjr]

...BCM is overrated and overpriced and I hope people are realizing that now.
Yes, yes! Send all that "overrated and overpriced" junk to me. I will see that it is disposed of properly. :smile:

[CajunCourier]

But... But... According to BCM, Gen 3 PMAGs just aren't mil spec! Never mind that every other milspec lower brand has no problem accepting Gen 3 PMAGS across the board, and never mind that G3 PMAGs are literally mil spec because the Marines adopted them. It's Magpuls fault, BCM can do no wrong! Their overtorqued, locktite'd barrel nuts are a feature, not an indicator of mediocre workmanship.

BCM is overrated and overpriced and I hope people are realizing that now.

My BCM BFH takes Pmags just fine...

[SouthwestAviator]

I hate that BCM lowers are picky with M3 PMAGs. But no and no.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I may have been a little hyperbolic. There's no doubt BCM's run great, are combat-grade, and will never fall apart on you. I just think that for the price, little issues like that shouldn't be present in their products.

[Buncheong]

Seems to me they responded to the PMAG issue being discussed here, awhile back.

IIRC.

[mack7.62]

Seems to me they responded to the PMAG issue being discussed here, awhile back.

IIRC.

Did they? Until I see an announcement like "All BCM lowers after SN xxxxxxx are fully compatible with Gen 3 PMAG's" I will lump them with all the older Colt lowers with oversized pivot pins, sear blocks, oversized FCG pins etc. and I don't have much use for bad lowers. I like their uppers and other parts but face it good lowers are a dime a dozen, and their attitude about what is a easy fix turned me off.

[Doc Safari]

Did they? Until I see an announcement like "All BCM lowers after SN xxxxxxx are fully compatible with Gen 3 PMAG's" I will lump them with all the older Colt lowers with oversized pivot pins, sear blocks, oversized FCG pins etc. and I don't have much use for bad lowers. I like their uppers and other parts but face it good lowers are a dime a dozen, and their attitude about what is a easy fix turned me off.

Same here. Several years ago I would almost not have owned anything but BCM, but Pmags are so ubiquitous now that if a lower doesn't work with them it might as well be an AK that doesn't accept mags from different countries--in other words about useless.

[Wake27]

Seems to me they responded to the PMAG issue being discussed here, awhile back.

IIRC.

They never did. Their official response is along the lines that PMAGs aren't milspec and their lowers work with milspec mags. While I would've preferred that they own up, acknowledge, and fix it (they don't even make mags so I don't see what the big deal is), I'd still be ok if they just quietly fix it.

[3ACR_Scout]

My three BCM lowers (roughly 2012, 2013, and 2016 production) all drop M3 PMAGs just fine. My KAC stripped lower, with a Colt mag release installed, won’t drop M3s or Lancers. The magwell is too narrow and squeezes the sides of the PMAG so they only drop about half an inch. M2 PMAGs sometimes get caught just before they clear the magwell. The top inch or so of the mag gets caught at the rear of the magwell and dangles. I think it will probably smooth out a bit over time, at least with M2s. Of course, this is also one of the KAC lowers with the extra long trigger guard “ears” that needed the special KAC trigger guard.

[Stickman]

How did a thread based on the given question turn into the idiocy of where it is now? Start a new thread if you want to discuss BCM lowers and how they “don’t work” with your PMAG...

When you start the new thread, please make sure you give specifics.

[3ACR_Scout]

How did a thread based on the given question turn into the idiocy of where it is now? Start a new thread if you want to discuss BCM lowers and how they “don’t work” with your PMAG...

When you start the new thread, please make sure you give specifics.
Well, how about we break it down you so you can follow the discussion? The OP wrote:


Since most factory AR's source their components from OEM manufacturers and then assemble in house, who do you trust to #1 source quality components, #2 have the best QC, #3 quality workmanship, #4 warranty and customer service? To me BCM ranks at the top of checking all those boxes and then some. BCM has built brand recognition not only with the items listed above but also in the area of product development and T&E.
I would say that the question of whether BCM lowers work with various brands of magazines could be directly related to all four of the questions he posed, whether you agree with the assessment thst it’s an issue or not.

OffixerX asked a pretty valid question. I think the original topic / questions have been hashed to death here, but that doesn’t mean the subsequent discussion isn’t relevant to the questions.


I agree with you, but what is the point of this thread?
Subsequent posts expanded on the topic with a list of other manufacturers that the posters thought met the criteria that the OP laid out. Another poster challenged whether one of those brands did in fact meet those criteria and gave his personal opinion about why they didn’t. Other posters, myself included, posted examples of why they thought that wasn’t a significant issue in terms of affecting that brand’s reputation as a quality manufacturer that meets the OP’s criteria. How is that not related to the discussion topic?

[Voodoochild]

Not for nothing but this kind of thread/topic has been done before multiple times over.