$340 out the door Bear Creek Arsenal side charger

[Bret]

Just seems like they bought cheap rifles for the hell of it to see what happens.

This is the primary reason that I bought it, the side charger being the secondary reason. I did detail in the first and second paragraphs issues that I found right out of the gate. Owning several high quality AR15's and having built quite a few others, I knew how to resolve the issues. A newbie likely wouldn't have been able to do so unless he just happened to be mechanically inclined. For this reason alone, I wouldn't recommend one to a newbie. The question now is how do they perform from here on out.

[Bret]

I took my $340 BCA side charger to the range today. I shot the following:
1) 20rds '09 IMI 5.56x45 M193 55gr FMJ
2) 20rds Norma 223Rem 55gr FMJ
3) 30rds '09 IMI 5.56x45 M193 55gr FMJ
4) 30rds Norma 223Rem 55gr FMJ

The rifle functioned 100% without issue. It and the Scar 16S that I shot both put the spent case about 6' away. The BCA's spent cases ejected to around 1:30. For reference, the Scar went to around 2:00. I was expecting it to be over gassed, so this was a pleasant surprise. The spent cases looked fine, save for a slight scratch on some where they appeared to have hit the ejection port on the way out and some ever so slight case head smears on the IMI cases. Accuracy was good, but I only had metal to shoot at. I'll do accuracy testing the next time I take it to the range. I think the handguard is a little to small in diameter for my taste, but then the Scar's handguard diameter is a little to large in diameter. As for the side charger, while it worked, I came to realize how little the charging handle on an AR15 is actually needed. If I didn't intentionally make myself use it, I would have literally only used it once as it locked back on empty magazines every time and the charging of new magazines was reliably done with the bolt release. I knew this already, I just just hadn't thought of it. I guess that I'm used to charging AK's every time I insert a fresh magazine. Bottom line: if the bolt locks back when the magazine is empty, the location of the charger isn't near as significant as if it doesn't lock back.

Here it is along with the Scar that cost ten times as much as it and the ACOG with cost almost three times as much.

[Bret]

Today I put the BCA upper half on my M16A1 lower and ran 2x20rds and 2x30rds of Fiocchi 223Rem 55gr FMJ through it. It ran 100% on both semi and full auto.

[mikeusa]

I have a BCA 10" 300 Blackout that works perfectly and has never misfired. It eats all ammo subs or supersonics and even the weird stuff we have been shooting during COVID. it even seems pretty accurate.

OP - You are supposed to get a $1500 rifle and then put a $300 scope on it. Not the other way around