The Cheapest Battle Rifle? BCA-10 Review

Mention battle rifles to even a casual firearms afficionado, and they’ll inevitably think of the big three of the Cold War: the FN FAL, the HK G3, and the M14. There is, of course, another famous contender (though it is often overshadowed by its more-recognizable younger brother): the AR-10. The term “battle rifle”, by the way, is one with a generally agreed-upon definition, namely a semi- or fully automatic rifle chambered in a full powered cartridge and feeding from a detachable box magazine.

 

Gone, unfortunately, are the days of cheap "big three" battle rifles. The Bear Creek Arsenal BCA-10 thus stands as probably the cheapest battle rifle out there, coming in around $500. Bear Creek Arsenal is another term that firearms enthusiasts probably have a connotation for. They turn out some of the lowest cost guns on a very saturated market, and their reputation is generally regarded as less than stellar. This was my first experience with a BCA, so I was interested in how it would turn out. They sent this BCA-10 out over 1.5yrs ago, and I’ve put 500 rounds through it in the meantime (.308 ain’t cheap, man). For my initial impressions, check out my First Look video. Let’s jump right in.

When I review a firearm I rate it under a few different categories: reliability/durability, accuracy, shootability, fit/finish, and value.  Right off the bat, I changed out a few components on the BCA-10 shortly after getting it because it’s overgassed, no two ways about it. I almost always prefer to shoot suppressed, and I knew that I would be impacting the reliability and durability of this rifle if I shot it much suppressed without doing anything. So, I switched out the BCG for a Bootleg gas-adjustable BCG and the buffer (it uses short AR10 buffers) for the Kynshot hydraulic buffer. As a point on how overgassed this thing is, the rifle runs just fine on the fully suppressed BCG setting, with no suppressor on the rifle (using M80 ball).

 

I also took the liberty of swapping the stock trigger for a Sig 2 stage and the waffle stock and A2 grip for a Magpul SL-S and a Thril grip, respectively. I view this rifle as a blank canvas to work with, not as a finished masterpiece. The odd flash hider/brake muzzle device was swapped for first a direct thread mount and eventually a Cryptid Hardware Mandrake 5/8x24 Brake/HUB mount (a very handy muzzle device which I like quite a bit). Running the BCA-10 with a traditional suppressor in this configuration is still overgassed, but very manageable if not shooting too quickly. With a flow-through can like the B&T SRBS 762 from Longbow Arms, the rifle is much smoother to shoot.

 

As we’re talking about reliability, an overgassed rifle is typically very reliable, if a little higher in recoil. However, when I ran the BCA-10 with a suppressor and no adjustable BCG, it did become unreliable from extreme overgassing, causing the bolt to move too fast to pick up the next round. Other than that, the only remarkable happening in my review was when I broke a firing pin a little over 200rds in. BCA quickly sent me out two more, and so far the current firing pin is running fine. When it comes to durability, the barrel is nitrided so it should easily last thousands of rounds. Assuming there aren’t any more firing pin issues, I don’t have any worries about the lifespan of the rifle.

 

On the topic of accuracy, the BCA has been more than acceptable. I certainly didn’t expect accuracy equal to a $5000 SR25, and shooting a generic 175gr handload it shot almost exactly 1 MOA.

Various M80 ball loads generally shot between 2-3”, with my best 5rd group coming in right around 1.5”. This was enough for me to make consistent impacts on C zone steel at 600yds using a Viper 1-4, so I really have no complaints on this front. The big 3 are usually around the same accuracy level, or worse, so it stacks up just fine. I currently have it kitted out like a DMR, with a 3-12 on top, and it seems to do fine in this role.

 

I mentioned changing out the trigger; the stock mil-spec style trigger was totally fine, but in a more DMR type role, the 2 stage Sig makes more sense. It’s no Geissele, but it is pretty similar to the Schmid 2 stage. The only complaint I have with the Sig is that the trigger bow is a little thin for my preference, but not offensively so.  The break is probably in the 4-5lb range, and it does what I need it to.

 

But how does it actually feel to shoot? In its stock configuration, it definitely gets your attention. Adding the adjustable BCG, hydraulic buffer, and a flow through suppressor, though, and this thing becomes downright pleasant to shoot. Of course it kicks harder than an AR-15, but recoil is very manageable. Shooting 50rds in a day won’t leave you sore or black and blue. The ergos will depend on what you personally decide to add as far as grip, stock, and forend attachments go, but I’ve got no issues.

 

For the fit and finish, this rifle certainly won’t turn any heads, but it also isn’t ugly. The upper and lower are very much plain-Jane AR-10, while the front rail is probably the cheapest aspect of the rifle. It works fine, but definitely looks budget. I think the paint job helped spruce it up, but if I was to make another upgrade, it would probably be a new rail. Deleting the pic rail section in the middle of the rail saves a few ounces, I’m sure, but also means that your real estate is very limited if you want to run a light, laser, thermal clip-on, etc. I’d rather just have it and not need it.

 

At the end of the day, the BCA-10 is a budget AR-10 that is going to need some upgrades right off the bat if you plan to suppress it (an AGB would probably be the best option). It comes ready to fire from the factory, but I’d imagine most people will at least want to swap the stock, as the waffle stock doesn’t have any padding to mitigate the .308’s recoil. If you’re in the market for a high-end, buy once/cry once large frame, this is not the rifle for you. But, if you’re someone who wants to own an AR-10, doesn’t mind swapping some parts, and is ballin’ on a budget, then definitely give Bear Creek Arsenal a look.