ToolsAviation/PowerPax Battery Caddies
I've come across a number of items that never really appealed to me - such as this "Battery Caddy" - before I actually used them. When I received two examples as a gift (during the AR15.com Christmas Exchange), I thought, "What are these for? Holding batteries? What's wrong with just having them in a box?" Then, as I said, I started using them, and found them to be very practical devices.
They're injection molded polymer, and the 4xCR123 and 4xAA examples that I own weigh less than an ounce "unloaded". As you can see, they'll hold a variety of standard and rechargeable batteries - above, from left to right, Surefire CR123, TrustFire 16340, Tenergy RCR123A, and Tenergy CR123s fit just fine. Batteries are easy to remove with just a firm push of a thumb or finger, but I've never had one fall out or even partially slide out inadvertently. I've found them to be an excellent alternative to other battery holders, which are often flimsy and have lids that aren't very secure - while I haven't intentionally abused one, I've accidentally dropped both examples on hard surfaces without any negative effects to speak of.
The battery terminals are protected, even if you don't slide them in the "right" way. As you can see, they're available in a tan color, as well as OD green, red, yellow, orange, black, clear, and "Moonshine" - glow in the dark.
$4.95 seemed a little pricey to me at first, but it's pretty reasonable for what you get, now that I've used them for a while. It's nice to just grab a "pack" or two for a long trip, rather than having half a dozen batteries rolling around inside a suitcase or backpack.
Bravo Company BCM4 Lower Receiver Assembly
I used to think that all lowers were alike, and that the only real difference in lower parts kits was that some came with fancy triggers.
I now know this to be false.
After having to perform final - perhaps corrective is a better term - machine work on several "budget" lowers, I started to set my sights higher. It's easy to cut what would seem to be fat out of an AR-15 build budget by using a cheap lower and a cheap LPK. For many (low-volume) shooters, this is just fine. For those who want - or need - something better, and aren't willing to depend on luck to guide them to a serviceable lower and a durable LPK, there are better options out there.
One of those options is the Bravo Company BCM4 lower. It's only available in assembled form, and comes with excellent small parts. It sells for $360, but it's worth every penny.
I'll start at the back.
The stock body is made of the exact same materials, and has the same exact dimensions, as the buttstock on the Colt M4. The BCM stock even uses properly heat treated latch hardware. Want to change the factory stock anyway? Cool.
The receiver extension tube is made to the "mil-spec" diameter of 1.146", enabling the owner to install the widest variety of aftermarket stocks, and ensuring the best thread engagement between the tube and the receiver. This isn't the only feature - it's also made from 7075-T6 aluminum, in exactly the manner prescribed by the government for military M4s, all the way down to anodizing and dry film lube on the inside. The one deviation is that it has six positions and thus offers a greater stock adjustment range.
The "castle nut" which keeps the stock in place is staked - in two locations - having had an unstaked castle nut come loose (which resulted in a nonfunctional weapon), this makes me feel warm inside.
The BCM lower comes with an H buffer - containing the proper tungsten weight inside - backed up by a quality action spring. The action spring is one of the most important - and most overlooked - parts of an AR-15.
Grease is applied to fire control group contact points, which helps wear the parts in.
The hammer isn't notched, which aids in reliability with 9mm uppers and unshrouded firing pin carriers. The notched hammer will stop the weapon from firing more than one round with each pull of the trigger should the disconnector fail. In fact, it'll stop the weapon from functioning at all after that happens.
"But," you say, "I'm worried about having the weapon malfunction like that! Isn't that an important safety feature?"
Well, if you're concerned about the weapon malfunctioning in that manner, you should buy a lower that has its fire control parts made to the proper dimensions, made of quality materials, and properly case hardened. The BCM lower falls into this category. In my opinion, actively trying to prevent failure is better than trying to jerry-rig a suspect method of stopping the failure after it's already happened.
A nice touch found on BCM lowers is the inclusion of an "enhanced" trigger guard that has been modified in order to allow a gloved finger to fit. When I shoot a lot, I wear nomex flight gloves that don't take up a whole lot of room, but this is a nifty feature for those in the frozen north.
One final note: the BCM lower is now available with an A2 stock, and I would assume that it will be available with the Vltor A5 stock assembly shortly.
So, is the BCM4 lower right for you? Only you can make that decision. If the $360 price tag completely kills your budget, then you might have to look elsewhere. However, just as a strong foundation will ensure that a house stands for a long time, starting with quality, durable parts will ensure the long service life of a carbine. The BCM4 is about as "strong a foundation" as you can get. Now that you know what you'll receive should you choose to plunk down 360 hard-earned dollars for one, you can make an educated decision about what's best for your needs.
Bravo Company MFG 16" Lightweight Midlength Upper Assembly
With the recent production of more Bravo Company lower receivers, complete BCM rifles and carbines will now be available. Among them is one of my favorite AR-15 configurations - the 16" lightweight midlength.
The one you see here represents what will go on sale, with a few exceptions - the Magpul MOE midlength handguards aren't out yet, and the production lightweight midlengths will have a .625 FSB instead of the .750 FSB on this weapon. Also, you'll have to order the Vltor Modstock separately (and the ammunition/magazine too).
Weighing just about 6 pounds unloaded with the standard M4 stock, or 6.3lbs with the pictured Vltor Modstock, the weapon's center of gravity is right around the front of the magwell - just where I like it. Unlike weapons with 4 more ounces of slightly heavier barrel out front, I didn't feel the need to put the heavier Vltor EMod stock at the rear - saving me about 10 ounces overall.
Thus, I was able to add a Trijicon ACOG, model TA33, in a LaRue Tactical LT-105 QD mount and keep the weight roughly the same as a "regular" midlength with the same balance point and iron sights. That's a big plus, and there's no cost difference between the regular and lightweight midlengths.
Now, on to the features of this upper. Starting from the front -
Most Bravo uppers come with an A2 flash hider (or compensator, depending on the time of day and what you feel like calling it), and this one was perfectly timed. The barrel is MIL-11595E certified steel, 1/7 twist, chrome lined, with a 5.56 chamber and M4 feedramps. Every BCM barrel is individually high pressure tested and then magnetic particle tested.
All Bravo uppers that have fixed FSBs use the F-height version, as you can see in the photo.
Now, I mentioned the .750" gas block shelf earlier. I think Bravo made the right decision by initially going with .750" instead of .625" - although the latter may be more "correct" for a lightweight profile, the .750" shelf is much easier to find gas blocks for, and as you can see, a side sling swivel will fit properly on a .750" gas block shelf. According to Paul at Bravo Company, the weight difference between the two is negligible (0.5oz) - while the .625 barrel is smaller in diameter, the corresponding FSB or gas block is generally a little heavier. As for looks, with the sling swivel on there, I can't really tell which one it has, and even if I could, it wouldn't really matter to me. While it's good that BCM listens to what its customers want, in my opinion, this was a pretty silly "want."
Moving a little farther back, this upper came ready for standard handguards, though as mentioned, future BCM midlength uppers will ship with the Magpul MOE midlength handguards. You could also install the Daniel Defense Omega rail in a matter of minutes, or any other drop-in type rail system, should you need one. You could also order the upper with a variety of free float rails installed by Bravo Company.
Here are the aforementioned M4 feed ramps. The receiver and barrel extension line up perfectly.
Another key feature, of course, is the bolt carrier group. The term "mil-spec" may be overused at times, but this is a fully mil-spec BCG that could be accepted under contract to the US Military. The shrouded firing pin M16 carrier is machined from 8620 steel, the gas key is attached with Grade 8 hardware and properly staked, and both the key and the portion of the carrier where the shot-peened bolt resides are chrome lined. There's a chrome firing pin and a bolt made of Carpenter 158, with a tool steel extractor, an extra power extractor spring, and quality gas rings. Everything is properly heat treated. The bolt is high pressure tested by Bravo and then magnetic particle tested by a third party. There's a lot that goes in to a quality BCG, and many think that a run of the mill BCG can be brought up to world-class standards simply by staking the carrier key on their own time and dime. That's just not true.
The inside of the upper receiver gets special treatment, too - a baked on dry film lube. It's a good thing to have, and it's often overlooked.
Another thing that many people don't think about is the Picatinny rail on top of the upper. Due to the design of modern optic mounts, this isn't usually something that even crosses the mind of the average AR owner. However, some legacy mounts only fit rails that match the original Picatinny design exactly, allowing for no out-of-spec dimensions; every BCM upper I've ever owned was in spec, and this one was no exception.
By the way, the receivers are hard anodized, with an emphasis on durability over attractiveness - though as you can see, these receivers (both Bravo Company) went together beautifully.
The upper came with a few upgrades - BCM marked Troy rear sight, and the excellent BCM Gunfighter charging handle. Check out the "My Guarantee" link at the top of this page for more info about how much I like the BCM GFH.
Of course, I made it to the range as soon as possible after receiving the upper. I've only fired it at a 50 yard zero range and a 200m-500m steel plate range, so I can't offer any 100 yard group sizes yet - but using the 3x ACOG, in a 10-15mph wind, I was able to engage every target on the range, including the 12"x19" miniature ram silhouettes and the 18" gong at 500 meters, quickly and repeatedly.
At the 50 yard zero range, someone had left a bunch of mostly broken clay pigeons out on the berm - they were quickly reduced to tiny fragments, even from the standing, coming up from the low ready position and firing as fast as I could do so and still be accurate (generally about 1.8 seconds from buzzer to first shot on a whole clay pigeon). The weapon was remarkably soft shooting, especially considering that it was still equipped with the A2 out front.
I think this would make a fantastic weapon for a lot of people. The first-time AR owner would do well to buy a quality product, as would the police officer looking for a patrol rifle. Everyone can appreciate the benefits of a light rifle - regardless of how much they work out, there comes a time when you just can't keep holding a rifle on a target or a threat with just your non-firing hand, whether that's 5 minutes or 5 hours. Plus, the excellent balance point offers great handling characteristics. Women, children, and anyone who wants to put rounds on target quickly will appreciate the light recoil which results from the combination of a midlength gas port location and a proper gas port diameter.
There are plenty of ARs out there, but very few can match the quality of the components and the attention to detail that goes in to each and every BCM upper. Of those that can, few offer the benefits of the midlength - sight radius, reduced operating pressures, etc - and the light weight prized by those who have to carry a weapon all day. I can't say that there's a market-wide trend towards lightweights, but it does seem that more and more people are realizing what they have to offer. This is, without a doubt, a good thing.
Overlooked Bravo Company MFG Features
Bravo Company has released a ton of information as to what makes their product worth the asking price. I've never questioned that - the barrel extension thing taught me plenty - but now there's plenty of in-depth information as to the quality of the rest of the parts.
Some of it takes a little of the wind out of my "Beyond the Chart" series' sails (that is, items I'd been planning to cover), but I can't complain - good info is good info, regardless of where it comes from. Do yourself a favor and check it out.
