This is my first post here at M4Carbine and Im looking for some help… I’m torn between these two guns. The 5.56 Larure PredatAR 16" or the BCM Hammer Forged 16" Midlength with VTac TRX 13" rail. I know theyre both high quality but I’m looking for any information good OR bad from anyone who has shot these or owns/owned them… Any help would be appreciated.
I have never seen bad marks against either. But also realize that these two systems are not the same. The PredatAR has a light weight barrel instead, and the upper and lower are billet… that apparently means they’re more rugged. The predatAR I don’t think can accept handguard/rails not made for it, this is actually fine since what you have is a very accurate rifle set in stone and you’d not really ever want to replace what it has. But if you do want to have a wider range by which to add mods and things then the BCM has a little more room for that. I see these rifles as two different animals in a way, though. . . and I really would like to get my hands on a PredatAR 
You’re comparing a Mustang with a Lotus Elise, they aren’t really very comparable at all. The LaRue costs twice as much and is produced by a smallish pseudo-custom shop. It has fancy proprietary receivers, barrel profile, rail system, etc. The BCM is a rifle assembled from mass-produced factory parts. Very high quality mass-produced parts, but still a completely different world.
As for which one you should choose that depends on what you want to do. If you’re a high-speed low-drag tier 1 operator-grade operator 3-gun competition dude and every .1MOA counts then maybe you want to pony up and get something like the LaRue. If all you need is a rifle that will be a great reliable shooter, then there’s no reason to buy a $2500 rifle when you could be spending that extra dough on optics and ammo.
the prededAR is a perfect setup… my main concern was that it is a stainless steel LW barrel and the BMC is Hammer forged barrel. Do you have personal experience with the BCM?
Again, what do you want to do? The hammer-forged chrome-lined BCM barrel is going to last a lot longer. It will maybe shoot around 1-1.5MOA with high quality ammo. The SS barrel’s going to get ridiculous one-ragged-hole groups but you’ll have to replace it sooner if you are a high-volume shooter.
The Larue MSRP on their website is actually 1500… http://www.laruetactical.com/16”-larue-tactical-predatar-556 and when all said and done BCM including blot carrier assembly, Geissele 2 stage trigger and an assembled lower will be only be about 200 less… So I guess with your information about the quality and your opinions on the guns would it be worth the extra money for the Larue?
Oh heh, oops I was thinking of the .308 version of the PredatAR.
I shoot about 5000 rounds a year and would like it to last as long as possible but I want the best and most accurate gun I can get. Do you have any information about the difference in barrel life?
That 308 is a beauty no doubt about that…
I don’t know much about the LaRue barrels and how long they will last I’m afraid. LaRue claims 10,000 rounds on their website but I’m not sure what that really means. (e.g. does it mean it will go from .5moa to 1moa after 10,000rds or .5moa to 3?) I don’t see any accuracy guarantees or anything on their website.
You may also want to consider that it’s possibly worth it to just replace the barrel every 10,000 rounds. At that point the price of the barrel seems kinda negligible compared to the price of the ammo. I can’t find how much the barrels cost on LaRue’s website though.
You can find out even more information on your questions by clicking on the search button up top. Good luck!
About 200 less, with sights. If you add sights to the picture, the LaRue actually comes out to around $120-200 depending on what kind you get.
I was going to get another AR with a stainless steel barrel, but opted against it when I realized that I still can’t use my DD CHF barrel to its full potential. Now I’m just building a tinker rifle so I can try out different sights, stocks, slings, optics, etc.
10000 rounds before accuracy begins to deteriorate sounds kind of low… I read an article in a magazine a while back about a training company who has a BCM rifle with a hammer forged mid length barrel. I believe they use it for their classes which was at the time of the article over 31,000 rounds and still holding tight groups
The atricle was in SWAT magazine http://digital.swatmag.com/SWAT/2010/SWAT1010/?Page=55
I personally think this speaks volumes about the quality.
I like his ideas about cleaning!!
That’s the price you pay for stainless steel versus CMV. The SS will be more accurate, but it won’t last as long, especially when compared to hammer forged blanks. Pick your poison, only you can decide what meets your needs. The BCM barrels, either BFH or standard, are known to be reasonably accurate for a chrome lined barrel.
If you want accuracy and extreme ruggedness go for a Centurion Arms barrel/ or complete upper. They apparently will put whatever rail you want if you ask (not sure though)
There’s many claims both from consumers as well as the employees that these barrels can get you sub MOA accuracy at 100 yds (but that other factors matter too of course)
They’re Hammer forged, double chrome lined, and taper to add velocity. I’m going to do a build with one of these after I’m done with my current rifle’s makeover.
I’m really surprised that somebody is comparing a PredatAR to a BCM, both are great choices. The LaRue just seems like it’s in a league above to me, that’s why I’m surprised. My vote is definitely for the PredatAR. Don’t be surprised though that you’ll have to wait 3 months before it shows up. If you want a rifle in a week, buy the BCM.
I wouldn’t think it’s an odd comparison due to the Predatar being so much above but because the Predatar is a different type of rifle built around different priorities.
Also true. At least the PredatAR isn’t as heavy as the OBR though…