bear creek barrels, worth trying?

I'm building a new upper in 300 ham'r and, as a lefty, I really like side charging uppers. I have a couple from bear creek that I rather like (picked them up for $120 for a bolt and upper a few years ago.) They have redesigned the upper a little and now a bolt/upper combo is listed for $300. So I bought a complete upper using that same bolt and upper for $197. go figure.

so my plan is to tear it apart, use the bolt and upper for my build, and sell the mlok handguard for a few bucks. Which means I'll have a virtually free barrel.

Now, I have a box of "spare parts". it has a free float handguard, a cheap LPK, a $30 lower, a coupl;e gas systems.... it's all cheap and takeoff parts that I was going to assemble some day into a rifle for one of my young kids, or to sell during a panic.

And now the real question: BCA has a mixed reputation on barrels. is it worth keeping and trying, or should I sell it now and keep my eyes peeled for a better barrel later? it's a 5.56 NATO, 16" Black Nitride M4 Barrel, 1:7 Twist, Mid-Length Gas System. Keep in mind, this would be for a budget AR. not going to afganastan. not shooting competition matches. Hogs and tin cans. Or for sale.

I'd love to hear PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. I'm not really interested in what you read online, or what a friend said, or what your buddy who works at daniel defense or JP said about them.

CarJunkieLS1 said:

I have 2 Bear Creek Aresenal barrels, one is a 350 Legend the other is 7.62x39. They both shoot real well and I couldn't be happier. BTW OP congrats on your 300 Hamr I sure do like mine. CFE BLK and a Speer 125 TNT for general use, CFE BLK and Speer 130gr FN Hot Cor for deer and pigs.

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I just cannot find any 125 or 130 grn bullets. And I'm still waiting for wilson to have their 11" barrel in stock. But I've cut down, sized and trimmed 300 pieces of lake city brass, as well as acquired some 1680 and cfe blk. Just need that barrel. And some projectiles.


Sounds like I should hang in to the barrel. I have so little in it it's hard to imagine going very wrong.

troy fairweather said:

I've wanted to do a 300 hamr some day, my plan was to buy a 24" bca 300 blk ss barrel and rent the 300 hamr reamer.

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I had thought of that myself, but The twist rates are completely different. 1:13 or 15 for the hammer.

Well apparently bear creek has an actual bear that puts in their barrel nuts. Usually I can just clamp an upper sideways in my vice with padded jaws and get a barrel nut off no go this time. I had to build a receiver clamp http://nathandarnell.com/quick-easy-diy-ar-15-upper-receiver-vise-block

and freeze the whole upper before I could get the barrel off. Heat might have worked. They had a ton of grease on the threads. Then, when I was running oily patches down the bore to clear out all the condensation, they came out really dirty for a while. I'm glad I didnt just slap it on a lower and start shooting.

Also, bear creeks "m4 profile" means government profile, as it has no grenade launcher cut. Not my favorite profile, but at least it's better than an hbar. And I have no need for the launcher cut, but it does at least cut off a little weight.