I would assume that the extra dwell time of the NR 18.5" barrels should increase the operating pressure enough to cycle better than my example. Only time will tell once the rifle hits the Canadian market that we can fully assess Brigade's workmanship.
Brigade Mfg. Makasi MK-15 Construction and Accuracy Review
- Thread starter Sma the Average
- Start date
Gus can upgrade that Stainless Rolex Sub Mariner hes wearing to a 18k Gold Presidential, heck maybe even a Audemars or Patek at the expense of Canadian gun ownersThose are nice hopeful thoughts but it appears nothing is done logically at Brigade.
Initial batches is one thing but when Brigade Manufacturing has been in business since 2013 and cannot even produce AR15 variants properly than it shows they are complete retards for lack of better words.
The owner has been in the firearms industry since 1993 and still hasn't gotten a clue.
https://www.classicfirearms.com/new...rigade-manufacturing-bm-9-rifles-and-pistols/
You can view their entire factory in these two videos.
They have all of the technology in the world at their disposal yet they are forcing parts together like cavemen instead of actually solving the root issues, MASSIVE OPERATIONAL RED FLAG!
Listening to Gus is absolutely painful but it lets you step inside his head which is just full of water, uhhh's and umm's.
People like Gus willingly produce garbage and will lie you to your face about how excellent it is, the same behavior has been demonstrated by Canadian industry members as well. ANOTHER MASSIVE RED FLAG.
Big thanks to you Sma the Average for the extensive review, thanks for taking one for the team.
maple_leaf_eh
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Ditto. I watched a guy curse his brand new P-Mags that were a bear to insert and get running. Switched back to old school sheet metal mags and no further issues. Likewise, someone posted that their LAR-15 10-rd mags had wicked stiff springs. That might explain extra resistance trying to strip off the top round. Strip the floorplate off, and clip one or two rounds of wire (I forget how many) and he was back in business.
I agree that a sudden demand for a flawed product that hasn't been improved already is not a good sign. But, hope is a strategy --- err? no it isn't.
Magazines tested were the factory-included ASC steel mag, LAR-15 mags, generic steeland aluminum mags, Gen 2 PMAGs, Gen 3 PMAGs, Gen 1 Cross Mags, and CZ Bren 2Mspolymer mags. I had no distinguishable difference in reliability.
Thanks for the detailed review! The precision isn't terrible, 2ish MOA with match 75gr ammo will get you to 600yds pretty easy.
I did find it quite comical that so many expected a boutique firearm from a small manufacturer to be as/more reliable than something manufactured for military export by IWI (cough cough, Carmel). I'll still buy both (provided they don't get banned first) because the Carmel should be a reliable carbine and the Makasi will be fun to tinker with or turn into a precision platform (gotta love AR parts compatibility).
I did find it quite comical that so many expected a boutique firearm from a small manufacturer to be as/more reliable than something manufactured for military export by IWI (cough cough, Carmel). I'll still buy both (provided they don't get banned first) because the Carmel should be a reliable carbine and the Makasi will be fun to tinker with or turn into a precision platform (gotta love AR parts compatibility).
Here is my take.
I kinda knew this gun would be rushed sh!t right out of the gate, that was pretty much a given. There's a reason our US friends never made this gun take off. They know their stuff.
What I want is the receiver. Yes, the receiver. The glorious, semi-auto designated by our FRT-Overlords, receiver.
I have full faith that our AR-Lego starved CNC boys will fix whatever ails the Masaki. AND probably make it better in the weeks, months ahead after it lands here.
It may seem like a lot to drop on an aluminum receiver to play with, but I'm willing to try.
I kinda knew this gun would be rushed sh!t right out of the gate, that was pretty much a given. There's a reason our US friends never made this gun take off. They know their stuff.
What I want is the receiver. Yes, the receiver. The glorious, semi-auto designated by our FRT-Overlords, receiver.
I have full faith that our AR-Lego starved CNC boys will fix whatever ails the Masaki. AND probably make it better in the weeks, months ahead after it lands here.
It may seem like a lot to drop on an aluminum receiver to play with, but I'm willing to try.
My hunch is that it has nothing to do with the gas system and push rod.
The complaint about stuck charging handle on youtube and this break in / bolt catch / failure to feed issue could be attributed to the recoil spring system. The recoil spring may limit the consistency of the BGC maximum travel to the rear - that affects bolt catch activation and feeding. Compared to other systems I have experienced, the spring resistance at the maximum travel of the BGC is heavier than most.
The half length recoil "stub" is used because the twin recoil springs are stuck right behind the BGC receiving boss - I haven't seen anyone doing recoil spring without a full spring guide right off my memory. When the two springs are compressed and released, there maybe some inconsistency as the coils may interfere with each other somewhat and caterpillar in the receiver channel somewhat differently each time. there is not a lot of space there between the BGC boss and the rear end of the receiver. The springs do not have a lot of travel either.
The makasi is essentially a wheel reinventing of the SIG MCX - folding stock in a receiver dimension as close as to the AR as possible. If the Makai way is more efficient and effective with less part count, it begs the question why SIG transplanted the more complicated twin spring guide rods from the AR18 into the MCX instead going the obvious KISS way aka the Makasi way.
I think it is worth trying to take out the recoil springs to make sure they are not somehow stuck or locked into each other, and then carefully put them back into make sure they are entered in the receiving boss. Work the charging handles to break it in and make sure it can fully retract the BGC all the way to the rear each time
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It will be amusing if the Crusader Arms offerings are more reliable and have less QC issues than the Makasi. Oh well. Many of us will find out soon enough.
Either way, it will piss off Provost and the Liberals so it's worth owning either way.
Either way, it will piss off Provost and the Liberals so it's worth owning either way.
I did notice this issue in your previous reviews including the mention of a secondary spring engagement during cycling/charging. Apart from the bolt carrier resetting the hammer, I did not experience a "two-stage" recoil spring. My rifle has no perceived binding of the dual nested recoil springs and charging the rifle is a fairly linear spring constant. The spring rate is nearly double that of a Bren 2 so perhaps I'll try shooting the rifle with only one spring at a time or removing the "guide rod".
Painkillers
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I simply refuse to spend north of $2500, on a rifle that I will have to dump a bunch more into, only to have it jam, or pump brass in my face when it does actually work.
-I'm out. -Order canceled.
{Edit}. After watching the videos provided, Gus (owner) is not impressing me. I can understand that not everyone is good at ad libbing cold with a camera in your face, so I tend to be forgiving when he's struggling for words, or stalling with his next thought. It's when he boastfully states that his barrels are so tight tolerances that they will do sub MOA...we know they produce 6 MOA at the dark end, When asked, he states that his guns are better because he makes the majority of it in house, and what they farm out, they use American contractors. He says off shore Chinese stuff is too sloppy...then he pats his DOOSAN (South Korean) machining equipment.
The outfit strikes me as someone with a bunch of money that bought machining equipment to turn aluminum. Not someone who is passionate about what he's making as much as someone who is prideful about how he can make it. Machinists as opposed to Gunmakers. Bush league business owner as opposed to Firearms enthusiast. I could be wrong, maybe he's just not expressing himself, but I'm not impressed, and I don't trust him.
-I'm out. -Order canceled.
{Edit}. After watching the videos provided, Gus (owner) is not impressing me. I can understand that not everyone is good at ad libbing cold with a camera in your face, so I tend to be forgiving when he's struggling for words, or stalling with his next thought. It's when he boastfully states that his barrels are so tight tolerances that they will do sub MOA...we know they produce 6 MOA at the dark end, When asked, he states that his guns are better because he makes the majority of it in house, and what they farm out, they use American contractors. He says off shore Chinese stuff is too sloppy...then he pats his DOOSAN (South Korean) machining equipment.
The outfit strikes me as someone with a bunch of money that bought machining equipment to turn aluminum. Not someone who is passionate about what he's making as much as someone who is prideful about how he can make it. Machinists as opposed to Gunmakers. Bush league business owner as opposed to Firearms enthusiast. I could be wrong, maybe he's just not expressing himself, but I'm not impressed, and I don't trust him.
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Bigcrigger
Regular
Because people keep buying it and don’t want to admit they’re buying total junk. Look at the Backlands Hunter and those janky-ass Turkish rifles.
It is understanding people are upset by the review, on the other hand I do not believe it is fair to go after the owner on camera performance, and then start making assumption about him and the company.
the guy who did the review and got the lemon is not even as upset.....or maybe he is upset but he knows to deal with the product review only.
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Painkillers
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
He said his barrels are sub MOA...a ridiculous claim, and one that has been proven to be demonstrably false. I gave Gus the benefit of the doubt when it comes to his on camera deportment. His bravado while making false statements is something that I find unforgivable considering it'll be my $2500.00 resting on his reputation.
-Charging handle hitting the front handguard=unacceptable.
-No brass deflector=janky.
-6 MOA=unacceptable.
-the inability to run a 10 round mag without a hang up, well after a break-in= totally unacceptable.
- inverted dust cover= janky.
If the gun were $800 Cnd some of those points could be forgiven, but at Daniel Defence price points...Gus, do better.
I'm out. My wallet isn't going to fund his beta run.
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Honestly I'm not entirely convinced about the "high volume Canadian order means lower quality" thesis.
As a product matures, manufacturers address problems that arise. Optimizing and streamlining processes often improves quality AND quantity at the same time.
The problems mentioned in the reports so far don't seem insurmountable. So dooming before the NR batch arrives might be premature.
Making assumptions? We can see several examples of the Makasi all having issues and there are lots of negative reviews about Brigades products in general. With said issues remaining unaddressed for MANY YEARS that speaks even more of the character of Gus.
We are drawing logical conclusions based on Gus's own statements and behavior.
It is more than fair to go after the owner for his on camera performance because he is blatantly lying to people while doing it.
It is much easier to tell the truth than to lie. When you tell the truth, you do not need to remember what you said before. Lies grow bigger and harder to manage over time.
After 10 years of Trudeau going uhh and umm through the constant lies it's not hard to recognize this pattern at all.
The guy doing the interview is a coward and blatant shill, made obvious in the YT video descriptions saying these are the best made and he can't wait to buy them, love at first sight/ect.
Classic Firearms are also shilling for Brigade as noted in their conclusion.
L:ying through your teeth with a big smile speaks volumes about a persons character and sense of morals which we are rightfully judging.
I compared Gus directly to NEA/BCL from the get go because this exact behavior has been demonstrated at extensive lengths by Jeff Hussey and his crew of shills.
I concur. I tend to be prepared for the worst while hoping for the best, which I think applies quite well to Brigade Manufacturing and their Makasi rifle as it enters the Canadian market.
The fact that one of the few Restricted Makasi's currently in Canada is apparently a malfunctioning "lemon" is troubling news, and there's nothing to be gained from diminishing the truth or ignoring the facts. This strongly implies that the rifle in question left the factory in highly unreliable condition, despite whatever live-fire testing and/or post-assembly QC the Makasi's receive from their parent company. This does not inspire confidence in Brigade Manufacturing's internal QC systems, notwithstanding all of the positive U.S. Youtube reviews of the Makasi rifle.
Despite the above, others have received Restricted Makasis which functioned fine following the recommended break-in period. The rifle received by GT did not experience the nose-diving Charging Handle/Handguard interface, nor did it appear to suffer from out-of-spec top rails. It ran reliably and produced acceptable accuracy. Are there minor "issues" with GT's rifle? There are, but they are nothing that cannot be readily remedied by a mechanically-astute owner.
So what to believe? On the balance of probabilities, we can expect to receive a rifle which (following break-in) is reliable and reasonably accurate, notwithstanding the singular example of a lemon received by one customer thus far. We can expect there to be minor issues such as a loose Gas Plug Retention Clips, which are easily sorted by just about anyone. We can expect the Handguard Retention Screws to have been installed in such a way that they partially thread the grooves of the Barrel Nut. This is unsightly and speaks again to sloppy QC by Brigade Manufacturing, but at the same time it is hardly the end of the world provided the Handguard mounting is solid and repeatable without further wear to the Barrel Nut. What else? Nothing much comes to mind based on what I have read and watched about the Makasi thus far. So, not what I would "normally" consider to be a $2400 rifle, but these are not "normal" times with only two 5.56mm/.223 cal semi-automatic platforms currently available to Canadian consumers. Based on what I know about both platforms I am going to stay with the Makasi, quirks and all. So long as mine is reliable and reasonably accurate following the break-in, I will be well satisfied.
Im okay with a heavier barrel...but that's just me.
Sma.
Thanks for all the details in your report. Very professional.
You would think that since this has been on the market for a few years, some of the issues would have been noted and corrected.
Not dumping on the gun or Brigade, but quality control will make or break a product. Hopefully they are looking to fix any issues and the people down for the preorder will be happy with what they get.
Sorry that you got a gun with issues.
P.
Thanks for all the details in your report. Very professional.
You would think that since this has been on the market for a few years, some of the issues would have been noted and corrected.
Not dumping on the gun or Brigade, but quality control will make or break a product. Hopefully they are looking to fix any issues and the people down for the preorder will be happy with what they get.
Sorry that you got a gun with issues.
P.
