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  1. #1
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    Is BCM having QC issues?

    I recently purchased a new BCM 14.5" upper with a pinned A2x FH. I shot it for the first time about two weeks ago and was very dissapointed with it's performance.

    I started off at the 50yd range to sight it in and it would barely stay on the paper. No matter what I did I could not get the thing to group. I emailed BCM and they sent me a call tag to send it back in.

    About a week later I got a email from them saying that they were swapping out the barrel. They did not say what they found wrong with the barrel or why they decided to change it.

    Since then I have read on other sites of about four different people with similar problems with their BCM 14.5" middies. It makes me wonder if they got a bad batch of barrels from a supplier. The thing is though I thought they had a top of the line QC process so that makes me wonder how they let these barrels slip out the door.

    I have also been reading that their uppers fit a lot looser onto the lower than most others. I know that some play is normal and even desireable but these have been far looser than the norm.

    I wonder if they are suffering from growing pains and their QC is slipping. It does seem to be a pattern I have been seeing.

  2. #2
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    It is hard to blame it on the QC when it is a bad barrel. They don't make the barrels themselves. Every company goes through some problems eventually. It is just inevitable. The good news is that they took care of you by sending you a call tag. As far as the play, you are never guaranteed a 100% fit when you mix and match uppers. My LMT upper/Bushmaster lower are rediculously tight that I need to use a punch or screwdriver to separate the upper from the lower. LMT's are known to run a little tight. As long as the pins aren't falling out when you shoot, I would sweat it.

  3. #3
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    I'm just curious how they let that barrel out the door if they are checking them. Plus this seems to be mostly affecting 14.5" middy barrels.

  4. #4
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    Keep us posted.

  5. #5
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    A barrel can pass HPT/MPI and still not be a shooter. I suspect it would have gone on to a happy, long life of shooting mediocre groups.
    S/F
    "There is no greater calling than to defend the life of a fellow Marine" - LtCol McClane, USMC

  6. #6
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    Hi Gentleman,

    I'm new to the AR platform I and am looking at a BCM upper for my first build. I went to the BCM MFG site and the BravoCompanyUSA site and I don't see any sort of MOA guarantee. So I guess my question is this. What sort of groupings are acceptable from a BCM upper and what is unacceptable warranting a return to BCM for a fix?

  7. #7
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    My question is what ammo is it being fed? I have a barrel that loves anything over 60 gr. and is nice and tight. When I try 55 gr. it opens way up. It IS a 1:7 twist.

    HTH!


    Muddyboots
    Skill over gear, every time.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Muddyboots View Post
    My question is what ammo is it being fed? I have a barrel that loves anything over 60 gr. and is nice and tight. When I try 55 gr. it opens way up. It IS a 1:7 twist.

    HTH!


    Muddyboots
    I was shooting privi 62 gr and Federal 55 gr.
    Last edited by ghostman1960; 6 December 2010 at 15:59.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Denver45 View Post
    Hi Gentleman,

    I'm new to the AR platform I and am looking at a BCM upper for my first build. I went to the BCM MFG site and the BravoCompanyUSA site and I don't see any sort of MOA guarantee. So I guess my question is this. What sort of groupings are acceptable from a BCM upper and what is unacceptable warranting a return to BCM for a fix?
    BCM has an excellent reputation and rightly so. I think you would be happy with any of their products. I just got the rare lemon thats all.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by ghostman1960 View Post
    BCM has an excellent reputation and rightly so. I think you would be happy with any of their products. I just got the rare lemon thats all.
    I hear you. I just thought there might be some kind of guarantee. If I ran many types of ammo and bullet grains through a barrel and couldn't get under 3 or 4 MOA at 100 yards from a rest I'd feel like I didn't get my moneys worth. I just wasn't sure if there was an accepted level of accuracy expected and couldn't find any such documentation on their website. I still plan on buying a 14.5" upper from them in the next couple of months. I'm curious to see how this particular one works out.

    Thanks!

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by TehLlama View Post
    A barrel can pass HPT/MPI and still not be a shooter. I suspect it would have gone on to a happy, long life of shooting mediocre groups.
    It was shooting 3 foot groups.

  12. #12
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    Here are the words taken directly from Paul (Owner of BCM).

    We put the barrel under our bore scope and did not like the way it looked. So we just immediately swapped out the barrel.

    We ship thousands + barrels/guns per month. We have seen 3 or 4 returns in the last 6 weeks. Very small percentage, but still something that we are not happy with. Prior to this bore scope inspection was done on batch samples. It is now being done on 100% on all barrels.

    Long and short, we will always take care of it.

    Thanks,
    Paul

    This is a nonevent, and has already been taken care of. Paul has also taken an additional step to ensure it doesn't happen again. Its done and over.

  13. #13
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    Good to hear. I look forward to sending them some business soon.

  14. #14
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    Good to hear. I've been eying up the 14.5 lightweight middy with a pinned BattleComp and keeping a good chunk of money in-state always makes me happy.

  15. #15
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    Quality is about reducing the number of non-ideal equipment you produce as much as it is about handling those (rare) problem ones that do get out. None of us are surprised Paul stood behind that.
    S/F
    "There is no greater calling than to defend the life of a fellow Marine" - LtCol McClane, USMC

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