PSA and BCM comparison

[Jackal]

One note about PSA's bcg's. Their premium "logo'd" model does have smoother finish, no machine marks, no flaws (at least with the few I have had). However, their non logo'd models are the ones they reject for cosmetic purposes. They only logo the best of the bunch.

None of that bothers me really, as my Colt 6920 bcg looks like a monkey built it in a tool shed in comparison to PSA's or Aim's smooth finish.

 

[MachIVshooter]

None of that bothers me really, as my Colt 6920 bcg looks like a monkey built it in a tool shed in comparison to PSA's or Aim's smooth finish.

I've got a DSA carrier like that, pretty ugly. But it runs just fine. The AIM nitrided carriers do have an amazing fit & finish for a $90 BCG.

I did forget to mention earlier that, despite BCM's reputation for quality, and despite the fact that my 12.5" SBR upper is very accurate, it is the most finicky of any of my 11 ARs; it will routinely choke on Tula .223 which, although admittedly crap ammo, the others feed and fire with little to no protest. My uppers consist of:

Armalite M15A2C 16" mid, stock except for HG and FH
PSA "Freedom" 16" stainless middy, changed HG, CH & FH, Ares NiB BCG
PSA "Freedom" 16" middy dissipator, stock except FH, DSA BCG
Anderson upper with Delton 20" LW barrel in A3 configuration, AIM Nitride BCG
BCM 12.5" carbine, stock except for HG & FH, BCM BCG
Tactical machining upper, Wilson 22" bull barrel, Anderson mfr. 15" FF HG, CMMG BCG
Rguns 16" M4gery, stock except HG & FH, supplied BCG
Aero Precision upper, 14.5" JSE 4140 barrel, DSA BCG (modified), FF HG
SOTA .300 BO 10" upper, stock except FH, supplied BCG
PSA 18" SSK .308, stock except FH
WMD upper with Bulldog 7.5" tube, Noveske KX3, DSA steel extended latch CH

9 of those are 5.56, and the BCM has had the most failures to go into battery. Shocking? perhaps, but it's the truth. The Armalite is the only one with a truly high round count (>17,000), and has had very few failures, virtually all attributable to ammo or magazines (used GI mags). The SOTA upper wouldn't run for squat out of the box, but installing the missing extractor O-ring fixed that. The PSA stuff? Though they probably only have a combined round count of ~4,000, I honestly cannot recall a single failure. I do use Pmags almost exclusively now.

In the BCM's defense, I don't ever recall a malfunction with quality brass cased ammo, but nonetheless, the others don't seem to mind the cheap Russian steel stuff at all. Probably a good 30% of what that Armalite has digested was Russky steel cased crap, and it's still rockin' the original extractor. 'Bout due for gas rings, though.

 

[Girodin]

I did forget to mention earlier that, despite BCM's reputation for quality, and despite the fact that my 12.5" SBR upper is very accurate, it is the most finicky of any of my 11 ARs; it will routinely choke on Tula .223 which, although admittedly crap ammo, the others feed and fire with little to no protest. My uppers consist of:

What's funny about this complaint is that many people are happy that BCM doesn't hog out their gas ports to allow them to shoot under powered ammo. So I suppose its a matter of perspective and what one intends to shoot and if one is going to shoot suppressed etc. I don't think you can use it as a per se knock on the BCM.

 

[Archangel14]

What's funny about this complaint is that many people are happy that BCM doesn't hog out their gas ports

You know, I've got a buddy who bought a cheapy PTAC upper from PSA and the thing runs like a champ. Well over a thousand rounds and eats all the crappy Russian made 5.56. So, I wonder.......

 

[Inebriated]

You know, I've got a buddy who bought a cheapy PTAC upper from PSA and the thing runs like a champ. Well over a thousand rounds and eats all the crappy Russian made 5.56. So, I wonder.......

Tula is loaded with poor powder, so you get a low gas port pressure. A rifle that is over-gassed will run Russian ammo no problem. A rifle that is gassed properly for domestic 5.56 ammo is always susceptible to choking on Russian ammo.

I've said it before, but a rifle being 100% with brass means something. A rifle being 50% with steel means nothing. Steel cases expand and contract differently to brass, the friction coefficient between steel cases and chamber walls is different than with brass, and the powders used are hardly ideal. My BCM, though still new, hasn't malfunctioned with 1k Wolf and nearing 1k Brown Bear. Both of which exhibit more ideal gas port pressures than Tula. I've never used Tula in the rifle, and if I had a malfunction with it, or have one with the Wolf or Brown Bear, it doesn't bother me one bit. As long as it runs domestic ammo well (which it does), I couldn't care less how it runs steel.

 

[NWcityguy2]

Under gassed/Over gassed is all relative to how much gas is being put through the system. Since there is plinking ammo, self defense ammo and precision ammo all at 223 pressures, and really even more variety at the 223 Remington pressures period, a rifle that runs on 223 pressures is more versatile than a rifle that runs better at 5.56 pressures. Not that there is a huge difference between them, as all but a few ARs will run both 223 and 5.56 brass cased ammo just fine.

I too agree with the sentiment that there is nothing wrong with an AR that won't run steel. If it does, it's a plus, nothing more.

 

[NWcityguy2]

Also, for anyone that is interested, this was my review of my PSA.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=779578

 

[SSN Vet]

BCM is still running their CH/BCG combo for $70.

Where on their web site do you see that?

 

[Inebriated]

It's only when you are buying an upper. There's a drop-down that lets you select one of their CH's and a BCG for $70.

 

[Archangel14]

Also, for anyone that is interested, this was my review of my PSA.

Really good review. I see that it's a 16 inch. I'm pretty sold on the 20 inch, so as to take advantage of all the 5.56 FMJ is capable of. Although some very knowledgeable members of THR have advised that a 16 inch is just fine for general defense use. I'm wondering if I'm misguided on wanting a 20 inch for potential fighting use?:banghead:

 

[NWcityguy2]

My competition rifle is a 20". 20" will get you about 150 fps and a longer sight radius, if you are using irons. 16" will get you in and out of vehicles easier. Also with modern SD ammo, the bullets are less dependent on velocity to work. A soft point or OTM bullet will work at velocities well below what it takes to fragment a military FMJ. I don't think there is a huge difference between the two (20" vs 16") when talking about maneuverability out in say, an open field.

What exactly do you want to get out of 5.56 pressure FMJs anyway? The extra velocity for a civilian is wasted, as there are much better long range loads and much better SD loads. 5.56 FMJ is just there because that's what the military uses, not because is serves a great purpose for civilian shooters. They will usually double your group size for that extra 200 fps, but have a shorter effective range than a 223 pressure soft point.

 

[NWcityguy2]

I also sometimes wonder if BCM is really getting their BFH barrels from FN (or all their barrels from FN for that matter). If they did, you'd think that they would offer a 20" BFH model, as FN already makes that. Plus everyone else that uses FN CHF barrels advertises the thicker chrome lining. People generally think of DD and FN when if comes to hammer forging barrels, but Ruger and Remington also have their machines too. Plus when BCM chose to trash all those barrels that weren't made of the correct steel, I highly doubt FN would of messed that up. Just a random thought.

I think MachIVshooter offers another balanced perspective when it comes the PSA. A lot of the critiques leveled don't appear to be based on the actual use of the product. I shoot my two ARs, and both essentially PSA with the exception of a Green Mountain barrel. They have around 14k between the two. That offers a different perspective than someone who is critiquing a piece of equipment based on how it looks, or just throwing out random "what ifs?".

 

[C-grunt]

Really good review. I see that it's a 16 inch. I'm pretty sold on the 20 inch, so as to take advantage of all the 5.56 FMJ is capable of. Although some very knowledgeable members of THR have advised that a 16 inch is just fine for general defense use. I'm wondering if I'm misguided on wanting a 20 inch for potential fighting use?:banghead:

Both have their pros and cons.

16:
More maneuverable indoors and in vehicles
More rail options
Good ballistics out to good range
Lighter weight

20:
Better ballistics
Longer sight radius for irons
According to USMC testing is more reliable

Lots of battles have been won with 20 inch rifles. My unit used them when I was in. Yeah a shorter rifle is handier and easier to use indoors however a 20 inch isn't that much harder.

 

[Inebriated]

20" guns are comfortable to shoot, and quicker to move around than people give them credit for. I would have no problem using one.

That said, the sight radius benefits are a little less prominent when you consider free-float handguards... A front sight at the end of a 15" handguard is about as far as a front sight is going to get on an AR (I think I've seen exactly one handguard that is over 15"), whether it's on a 20" rifle or a 16". The velocity benefits are real for longer range shooting, and there's no getting around just how smooth a 20" is to shoot, but other than that, there's little benefit to a 20" in my experience. That isn't to say that they aren't just as useful.. just that they aren't particularly more useful, save for a couple of specific uses.

I have spoken with a couple of instructors who have noted the reliability of 20" guns, but I've wondered if that was due to there simply being less 20" guns going through their courses.

Regardless, they both have their place.

 

[NWcityguy2]

On the entry level side of the AR world, think bushmaster/dpms/olympic, a 20" rifle is much more forgiving an a 16" carbine. The gas port diameter, extractor spring, and bolt material are all less critical. That is where those companies have run into problems over the years by cutting corners on their M4gery models.

 

[WinThePennant]

Buy a PSA upper that comes with an FN barrel, and you have a very good AR.