BCM (Bravo Company MFG, Inc) has been around for about 20 years now. In the big picture, they are still a newer company. The company was founded by a US Marine veteran who started the business in his garage shortly after Operation Iraqi Freedom. With BCM, he set out to make quality gun parts and that’s exactly what the company has done. I have always trusted and relied on BCM parts for my AR-15 rifles, and I have never been disappointed.
While BCM is a parts manufacturer, they also make upper, lower, and complete AR-15s. I have owned my BCM4 for years and have put thousands of rounds through it. Finding a good AR-15 is not hard because there are so many companies making quality parts now. The biggest problem is figuring out which rifles are worth the extra money.
You can find a quality AR-15 for less than a thousand dollars, and you can find a quality AR-15 for several thousand dollars. The in-between is where it gets blurry. When you start looking at what makes a rifle a “quality” gun. You need to look at the barrel, BCG, the material the upper and lower are made of along with the quality control and manufacturing process.
Let’s look at the BCM4 AR-15 by Bravo Company and see how their gun lines up in this crowded field of AR-15 rifles.
About the BCM4 AR-15
The barrel on the BCM4 is 4150 CMV, meaning they added vanadium to the steel. This is a standard material for barrels and is extremely durable. It has a 1:7 twist rate and a chrome-lined chamber and bore which is also standard.
All BCM barrels are Magnetic Particle Inspected (MPI) which is not done by all manufacturers. The upper is made from 7075 T6 and has M4 feed ramps machined in. This requires a barrel with an M4 barrel extension. The free-float handguard is aluminum which helps keep the gun light. One thing I don’t care about with this rifle is that the handguard uses the Key-Mod system instead of M-Lok.
My BCM4 has a burnt bronze Cerakote finish. The finish is one of the better ones I have seen, especially when compared to less expensive rifles. The BCG has a Parkerized exterior with a chrome lined inside carrier. The gas key that comes with the BCG is chrome lined and heat treated, but again, this is common. The BCG is High Pressure Tested (HPT) and Magnetic Particle Tested (MPI).
How does BCM compare to other top manufacturers?
One of the best-made AR-15 rifles on the planet is Daniel Defense. I place BCM in this range of firearms when it comes to sharp looks and quality. BCM uses the direct impingement system which is standard, and Daniel Defense uses a gas piston.
I won’t get into the piston vs impingement here, but these are two differences in these name-brand firearms. BCM does outsource some of its products, which helps bring down the cost. They are very picky about quality, but they are made by third-party manufacturers. In comparison, Daniel Defense makes their own stuff, allowing them to set their own standard for quality. This also makes them more expensive. But let’s throw in another brand for comparison.
PSA is known as the “cheap, budget gun.” But most of their parts are made from the same grade of steel and aluminum as everyone else. Their AR-15 parts are mil-spec but they spend less on quality control, and some are outsourced to cheaper manufacturers. The finish on their guns is durable but they use a cheaper process, which also explains why PSA doesn’t offer as many color options.
Where the Money Shines
I have several PSA rifles with lots of ammo through them. They have been abused more than my other rifles because they were cheaper. I haven’t had any problems with PSA’s dependability either. But if I shoot at paper from 200+ yards, the BCM will outshoot the PSA each time. This comes down to the difference in the quality of the barrel.
Summary
Most of the time, price does reflect quality. But over the years, the quality has risen across the board even with cheaper guns. This means a $600 gun is showing much better quality than it did a decade ago. It’s up to you to decide if more accuracy and a better finish is worth the additional $1,200 – $1,700.
And if you want to spend more than that, there are plenty of other higher-priced options like Daniel Defense, Wilson Combat, LWRC, and others. Quality on the lower-end guns has improved dramatically, but it’s still not as good as what you’ll find on rifles that come at a higher price tag.
If you’re looking for a new AR-15 here is how I would pick one.
First, decide what you want the rifle for and how long you plan to keep it. If you want to start out with something simple and plan to buy more rifles or upgrade in the future, start with a cheaper one. If you want to buy one gun that you will keep for the rest of your life, spend more, and buy one with just a little more quality. When comparing the BCM4 to entry-level guns it’s expensive. But when comparing it to other guns with superior quality control and manufacturing standards, the BCM rifle is a great deal for the price.
