BCL MRX Bison Bolt Action .223 - or 5.56
- Thread starter thegazelle
- Start date
2008reedges
Member
- Location
- Calgary, AB
Very interested in these, but still holding off for proper reviews before I pull the trigger on buying one. Seems neat for a compact rifle, but I guess there are other options as well..
What's that thing they say about being a jack of all trades but master of none...
I don't have enough extensive history with firearms to have a qualified opinion on this but curious whether it is common for a first iteration of a firearm model to be relatively reliable? Or is the pattern usually there are problems that get fixed with later versions? If it wasn't for the price, I may take a chance, but this isn't a bleeding edge new cell phone that is $300 that you can hope works or that firearms have a generous Costco-like return policy...
It all started and please correct me if I'm wrong CGN Community with the BCL 102. You can read some comments here (good & bad) and judge for yourself. I also if I recall correctly they produced the "SLR Coyote"
https://www.reddit.com/r/canadaguns/comments/f7j8t7/black_creek_labs_dont_buy_ever/
SLR Coyote
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...FjAAegQIAxAC&usg=AOvVaw1-UbS6hO_WBlwxykFK5zHv
And also read an updated interview with Black Creek Labs Owner Rob MacIntyre Q&A: Business, NEA, PX19
and how he founded the company. Seems like they have a plan, but I'm going to see what unfolds.
https://thegunblog.ca/2020/08/15/black-creek-labs-owner-rob-macintyre-qa-business-nea-px19/
Excellent reads, thank you 1ABNDT. I do feel better about this company knowing that the CEO acknowledges past quality issues and issues with NEA. He is neither skirting nor ignoring the past issues, but just like Hyundai, it is proof positive it is possible to go from a company with a horrid reputation (*cough* Pony *cough*) to now having several of their cars featured as top picks in Car and Driver, Consumer Reports etc.
I also like how Mr. McIntyre is staking his reputation and his own investment in bringing forth a better company with BCL. Yes, it looks like the 102 had several generations of problems but with him taking over the outfit two years ago, I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt regarding their new offerings. He does speak truth and you can see his frustration in now knowing how these government regulations are decided - when I saw him say "we live firearms rules" I had to do a double take, but I get his point about having a solid and defined point of reference for their standards of engineering and design before going through with it and having the government ban it.
I also like how Mr. McIntyre is staking his reputation and his own investment in bringing forth a better company with BCL. Yes, it looks like the 102 had several generations of problems but with him taking over the outfit two years ago, I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt regarding their new offerings. He does speak truth and you can see his frustration in now knowing how these government regulations are decided - when I saw him say "we live firearms rules" I had to do a double take, but I get his point about having a solid and defined point of reference for their standards of engineering and design before going through with it and having the government ban it.
Agreed, you never know what the future might bring
The biggest reason for caution from my standpoint especially a firearm is making absolutely 100% sure the integrity, engineering, R&D, and a solidly backed warranty like on the (Stag 15/10) "Lifetime Transferable" with a "Unlimited Shot" warranty on the barrel. You get what you pay for, yeah I could have gone with the $800 replica Benelli and most definitely wanted the real Mccoy but ended up settling for a price point somewhere in between and landed on the Beretta 1301 Tac.
r34skyline
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Depends on which manufacturers and what products they make. Without being disrespectful the rotary bolt action is pre ww1 tech at this point. Realistically building a light chassis bolt gun shouldn't be difficult.
What I'm about to say isn't specific to BCL, but certain portions will definitely fit.
Generally speaking, 1st generation doesn't necessarily indicate good or bad. There are a few problems faced by Canadian manufacturers, which tend to result in subpar product (or great product too!). First off, making any sort of firearm isn't inexpensive, especially not when you look at just the base cost to make the more common firearm components (i.e. borrowing a bolt design from an AR180). The necessary design, engineering and prototyping quickly increases that cost even more, and that's before a 'production' unit is ready to go out the door... assuming that most Canadian companies can even afford to do that.
The up-front cost to release a properly designed firearm is no small task, and quite frankly most Canadian up-start firearms manufacturers do not have the capital to properly prove and test a design, so corners get cut, proper engineering analysis - both before, during, and after manufacturing (think QA/QC) get dropped. That's why NEA/BCL tend to get crapped on (as much as they get praise too). Products get released with sub-part testing and in-house proving prior to first batch sales. That tends to leave a lot of small things that accumulate into bigger issues being passed onto the initial consumer. Look at all the cracked bolt lugs from the aforementioned manufacturer(s)... it's obvious they don't/didn't have a qualified metallurgist, because cracked lugs on an AR type bolt is indicative of a few things that a metallurgist and/or engineer should be able to correct... alas they sure as crap didn't. If a manufacturer can't genuinely produce a critical component in a firearm that at the end of day contains a decent sized explosion within 12"-15" of a persons face, then they probably shouldn't be producing a firearm at all (in my opinion). Of course, that is again caused by lack of proper funding and staffing that seems to plague most Canadian firearm manufacturers, or those who want to get into it as a business.
The other side of the coin is the average Canadian firearm consumer is fairly cheap. That's not meant as a jab per-se, and it's certainly not a true statement across the board... but the Canadian market is relatively small, with a large portion of the consumer base unwilling to spend a bunch of money on a new gun. Now you've got another aspect where funds are lacking - if very few people are willing to pay $1800-$2500 or more Canadian made rifle, they're likely going to get a product that reflects.
Manufacturing anything isn't easy, and while the common 2 lug bolt gun has been around since the Mauser brothers and everyone else created them, it's still incredibly difficult to make a good quality firearm that is reliable, safe, well designed (and engineered) while hitting a price point that makes sense for the Canadian consumer market.
I have lots of respect for all the Canadian manufacturers who even try, but unfortunately 'trying' isn't always enough and often the pockets aren't deep enough along with a consumer base isn't willing to pay for truly properly designed product. None of what I said even begins to include cost of insurance, and all the ancillary licensing etc. that it takes to get up and running to manufacture anything, let alone firearms or their components.
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Just grabbed one on the web, should see it in 2-3wks. Hopefully some initial reviews come out to entertain me before then. I had a gen 1 and gen 3 BCL 102 and they both worked flawlessly, so I have an experience with BCL that contrasts to some on here.
I'm glad we can get a shorty med range precision rifle for 1k, especially for what our dollar buys these days. I'm looking forward to taking a close look at their in house action, and if it gets the advertised 1.5moa I will personally be more than happy with that. That being said I have a baby on the way and the ownership may be short lived with lots of expensive baby gear on the horizon, but you only live once, and I like the idea of spending my govt money (frontline health worker benefit) on guns
I'm glad we can get a shorty med range precision rifle for 1k, especially for what our dollar buys these days. I'm looking forward to taking a close look at their in house action, and if it gets the advertised 1.5moa I will personally be more than happy with that. That being said I have a baby on the way and the ownership may be short lived with lots of expensive baby gear on the horizon, but you only live once, and I like the idea of spending my govt money (frontline health worker benefit) on guns
ThatM305Guy
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- North Texas
Okuma makes a good machine. Mori's though are arguably the finest machines in the world.
The problem is that you will pay around half a million for a mori when you could get the HAAS "equivalent" for 100k or less.
Everything breaks down, but you dont buy a half ton to haul your D7 cat do you? Machining firearms is inherently LOW load, low stress on a machine to begin with. So why buy a kenworth to haul your quad?
robandkara
Member
- Location
- Ontario Canada
They said they will be making lefty's but I wouldn't expect to see them too soon. They're putting out in the initial 5.56 versions with the 12.5" first and I'd imagine the next thing will be the 16" barreled versions and the other planned calibers, all based on orders I'm sure. Mine arrived yesterday and I'm quite impressed and the fit and finish. The supplied magpul stock seems a little sloppy, almost as if they put a commercial stock onto a milspec buffer tube but I haven't taken measurements to check. Machining and action are very smooth for fresh out of the box so I expect good things. Looking at the brake has me already thinking I'll be doubling up in the ear pro and shopping for a comp, but other wise I'm impressed. Hopefully will I will have the chance to put some glass on it and squeeze in some range time tonight or tomorrow and put it though it's paces.
It's 5.56
barrel blanks are cheaper and/or more available in 5.56 maybe?
