Bravo Company 14.5” ELW Accuracy: A Quick Look

[Molon]

Bravo Company 14.5” ELW Accuracy: A Quick Look


ELW stands for enhanced light-weight. This barrel is from Bravo Company’s cold-hammer forged series of barrels. The barrel has a “continuous taper” design with a smooth shoulder at the gas block journal, which reportedly improves barrel harmonics. This barrel has a mid-length gas system and a 0.625” gas block journal.

According to Bravo Company, this barrel has a stripped weight of 1 pound, 5 ounces. For comparison, a Colt 14.5” M4 barrel has a stripped weight of 1 pound, 9 ounces.


BCM 14.5” ELW

https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/28568/bcm_elw_stock_phonto_01_resized-1298250.jpg




Colt 14.5” M4 barrel. (not stripped)

https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/28568/colt_m4_barrel_01_resized-1298030.jpg




I purchased this barrel as part of a BCM factory assembled upper receiver group with the MCMR 13” free-float hand guard. The barrel has BCM’s pinned and welded A2X flash hider.

Shooting off-the-bench at a distance of 100 yards (using a high magnification scope), this barrel produced a 10-shot group that has an extreme spread of 0.946” with a mean radius of 0.33”.



https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/28568/bcm_elw_10_shot_group_at_100_yards_01_re-1253570.jpg




https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/28568/bcm_14_5_elw_001_resized_08-1253427b-1856118.jpg



https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/28568/bcm_elw_borescope_001-2247926.jpg



….


https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/28568/m855a1_muzzle_velocities_002-2426796.jpg

[Mark D]

Nice write up. Molon, and impressive shooting. I like BCM kit, but I didn't realize the barrels are that accurate. What load did you use?

[YVK]

Molon good review, as always. In last several months you tested this barrel, the Triarc, and the Hodge. If you were to build a quick handling, soft shooting, and reliable rifle, would any one of those stand out over others?

[secondstoryguy]

I have one of their old ELW 16" uppers and its very accurate...just dont hang a supressor off it.....major POA shift after a few rounds.

[WobblyPossum]

That’s surprisingly accurate considering how many people have reported poor accuracy with the BCM BFH barrels. I hope they’re all like that now.

[TGS]

I have one of their old ELW 16" uppers and its very accurate...just dont hang a supressor off it.....major POA shift after a few rounds.

Molon, can you test this? That'd be interesting to see results on.


That’s surprisingly accurate considering how many people have reported poor accuracy with the BCM BFH barrels. I hope they’re all like that now.

I honestly hadn't heard that. Not doubting it, just I hadn't personally heard that. Both of my BCM BFH barrels were 1.3-1.5 MOA barrels.

[Wake27]

Molon, can you test this? That'd be interesting to see results on.



I honestly hadn't heard that. Not doubting it, just I hadn't personally heard that. Both of my BCM BFH barrels were 1.3-1.5 MOA barrels.

I hear it a lot. My experience has never shown them to be inaccurate, but part of it is people saying that 1.5 MOA is inaccurate… between that and the amount of people that can shoot 1” groups at 100 with irons and M193, I won’t really listen to anything about groups sizes unless photos are included or I have a generally good idea of who is talking.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[titsonritz]

I hear it a lot. My experience has never shown them to be inaccurate, but part of it is people saying that 1.5 MOA is inaccurate… between that and the amount of people that can shoot 1” groups at 100 with irons and M193, I won’t really listen to anything about groups sizes unless photos are included or I have a generally good idea of who is talking.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Yep, this right here. I have the same gun as in the OP, I never would have bought it if my first BCM 14.5" wasn't a solid performer.

[WobblyPossum]

I’d love to see a test of one of their precision barrels, mostly since my next AR build is going to be an SPR-inspired setup.

[titsonritz]

I’d love to see a test of one of their precision barrels, mostly since my next AR build is going to be an SPR-inspired setup.

Give Monty a call
https://centurionarms.com/mk12-barrel/

[TGS]

Give Monty a call
https://centurionarms.com/mk12-barrel/

As an owner of a Mk12 built by Monty, I would suggest against it. WobblyPossum

They pin the gas black on the top, not the bottom. When pinning barrels on bottom, that clamps the block down against the gas port. When pinning from the top, it doesn't. The result is a naturally leaky gas block. When I sent them emails to point out the issue that my gun was under gassed and sent photos clearly displaying carbon soot that has escaped the gas block and gathered around it, they refused to acknowledge that as an issue. They did agree to ship the upper back and open up the gas port, but securing the gas block in a conventional fashion that's doesn't make it leak would be preferable.

[MistWolf]

Holy Schnikey! Molon, that barrel performed well!

[TiroFijo]

[B][SIZE=6]


https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/28568/bcm_elw_borescope_001-2247926.jpg



Now, that really looks like a good bore :D

[Molon]

As an owner of a Mk12 built by Monty, I would suggest against it. WobblyPossum They pin the gas black on the top, not the bottom.


That's odd. Does he give a rational for doing it that way?

....

[Super77]

Molon, I’ve been following you on here and a couple other sites for a long time. Your posts are some of the most value-added content on the internet. Thanks for taking the time and effort to post these projects.

For the barrel above, what ammo did you use?

What do you use for a bore scope?

[M2CattleCo]

That’s surprisingly accurate considering how many people have reported poor accuracy with the BCM BFH barrels. I hope they’re all like that now.

They’re light and the balance will magnify any deficiency/inconsistency in your shooting.

[Shoresy]

That’s surprisingly accurate considering how many people have reported poor accuracy with the BCM BFH barrels. I hope they’re all like that now.

I think its unfair to characterize their accuracy as "poor". It's far more appropriate to say they're not competitive against dedicated match barrels when called upon for match tasks (or similar).