BCM barrel accuracy.

**308sako** · 02-23-20, 20:26

I have had several BCM barrels, a pair of 11.5 LW and ELW, a 14.5 ELW and now a 16" Mid ELW and since I don't shoot 193 style ammunition I expect and receive far better precision than I see generalized in the above comments. I've also shot a LaRue Stealth 12" that just plain sucked, sent it back and they said it was good... Recently brought a Spikes supposedly FN 11.5 which was a definate MEH performer. A Rainer ultra match 18" that also was not to my standards, The gas port was about 15 degrees off from the barrel extension and the gas tube wasn't about to align. Also a few (4) Colts which while decent were not as consistent as I would like. Find a load that matches your barrels desire and then rock on.

The newest BCM 16" ELW with 69 Sierra TMK's and @ 100 yards with a 1 x 6 optic. There were only 70 rounds through this barrel at the time.

**morpheus562** · 02-23-20, 21:40

My wife's BCM shoots about 4 moa @ 100 yards using red dot and M193 ammo. Not best methods to test by any measure, but it's acceptable for what it is. This is their standard 14.5" BFH LW barrel before the ELW's were released. Interesting to note is how quickly this upper chews through gas rings.

Some friends have experienced horrible accuracy with BCM BFH and SS barrels, and they were using much better glass and ammo than my wife runs. They no longer own BCM after how poorly they performed.

**Norman** · 02-23-20, 22:32

I have a BCM 16" mid length upper. It’s a 2.25moa gun. Ammunition really doesn’t matter much. Fed GMM and other premium loads don’t shoot noticeably better than anything else. 5.56 ammo does group tighter than .223.
Most of my accuracy testing was done using a 1.5-6 variable.
For comparison, I have other AR’s that group 1.5moa and under. Including an Aero Precision that groups below 1moa with several loads.

**MistWolf** · 02-23-20, 22:51

Originally Posted by kirkland

...Is this just a recent phenomenon?

It's been an open secret for years.

**kirkland** · 02-23-20, 23:44

Originally Posted by MistWolf

It's been an open secret for years.

I've read about them being slightly less accurate than say a Colt barrel, but not wildly inaccurate like >4 or even 6-8 MOA like some people are reporting now, especially on TOS

**Vegas** · 02-24-20, 03:03

My SS410 barrel has shot in the .4 and .5 MOA range at its best. .7 and .8 MOA is fairly standard. Seems like this comes up once in a while so there has to be something in it. For the SS410 barrels, I have wondered if there was a bad batch at some point and BCM just didn't want to own it. 4 MOA for a precision barrel is not acceptable neither was their response.

**Canonshooter** · 02-24-20, 04:56

I too had a SS410 16" that was consistently sub-MOA with match ammo, and I had a standard 16" government profile that might do four MOA on a good day.

My current BCM (declared a keeper for many reasons) is a 16" mid-length ELW BFH that holds around 1.3 MOA with my preferred loads of 75 grain Gold Dot .223 and most makes of 77 grain OTM 5.56, which I consider more than acceptable for a lightweight carbine. In the same rifle the 55 grain FMJ crap isn't nearly as good.

Though there will always be exceptions, it seems accuracy (precision) potential increases with the better barrels BCM offers and the use of premium ammo - not exactly a startling revelation.

**lsllc** · 02-24-20, 07:12

Originally Posted by Vegas

My SS410 barrel has shot in the .4 and .5 MOA range at its best. .7 and .8 MOA is fairly standard. Seems like this comes up once in a while so there has to be something in it. For the SS410 barrels, I have wondered if there was a bad batch at some point and BCM just didn't want to own it. 4 MOA for a precision barrel is not acceptable neither was their response.

I own two of the SS410 uppers myself, and they were the model for his decision to purchase one. He had poor barrel life with WOA 416 barrels but excellent accuracy. After shooting my 16” S410 that had a few thousand rounds on it, he saw it was sub-MOA and had to have one. He bought the 18”. Oddly enough, my 16” chronographed the same speed as his 18”.

After their response, he was determined to make it work. First he thought their flimsy KMR was the problem and replaced it with a Geissele rail. In that process he also found that the barrel fit loose in the extension. He ended up ordering a VLTOR MUR for it. Ultimately, the work he put into it brought it down to around 2 MOA with factory match ammo. He shot some of my hunting handloads which shoot 1/2 MOA in my rifle and it wouldn’t stabilize them. It shot around 6 MOA and appeared to have a few keyholes. After exhaustive work he finally found one load recipe that works, 69 gr tipped matchking and Varget. It’s slow and expensive but the only thing nearing MOA he can get. Guy isn’t well off, and he won’t pass a lemon off to the next guy. I feel bad for how it turned out for him.

I no longer make recommendations to friends. I just say “this is what I use and this is why”.

My KD4 upper shoots dang near everything into 1.5 MOA; even crap ammo. I can’t get anything to shoot consistently better though with the 77 gr SMK which it was cut for. Only bullet that seems better is the 75 gr Hornady.

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