I bought a complete bcg from Bravo company for my RRA elite comp. I have ar has 1500rnds down the barrel. My question is are there any issues with a new bcg for a used rifle? I bought the bcg because I wanted a spare and the Bravo is of better quality than the RRA. Thanks for the info.
There should be no problems with installing the BCM BCG in the RRA.1,500 rounds is not that high of a round count.
That said I follow the advice of the SME’s and IP’s here and verify that the bolts will not close on a USGI Field gauge.I also check for proper gas key and gas tube alignment and adjust as necessary.Otherwise its a drop in and go.
I personally upgraded all my older Armalite BCG’s to LMT and DD BCG’s due to the quality differences.
I think its a wise investment.
Thanks for the reply.
Yup,your welcome.
Oh,and by the way welcome to the forum.Lots of excellent folks here and a absolute ton of info available.
Thanks again.
I am some what new to the black rifle. I have been competing in USPSA and IDPA for years but I want to give 3 gun a go. I want to upgrade a few parts on my ar because I plan to abuse it this summer. The problem is I have read so much I am almost punch drunk.
I have also read that my RRA isn’t good enough for a hard use rifle. I will put it to the test and if it craps the bed…well I’ll cross that bridge when I get there…
The RRA should be perfectly fine.You have a quality BCM BCG which is a major step in making the rifle reach its potential.Other areas would be assembly such as proper staking and maybe a few springs targeted for replacement.Otherwise run it and see what needs attention.
Grant,Rob_s and gotm4 all have detailed threads here on making these rifles more reliable and durable.
Otherwise your rifle is bought and paid for,so I’d use the RRA with confidence and enjoy every minute of it.If it breaks,fix it.
Thats what Ive done with my Armalite rifles and uppers…in fact I have so many LMT parts on my Armalites now I call them LarMaliTe.
In fact the rifle I use for 3-gun fun is a Armalite 20" SPR upper,with a LMT BCG on a LMT Defender SOPMOD’d lower.Might not be worth much to anyone else but it runs like a champ and is accurate,so Im happy.And thats what its all about.
Im loven the info and the great advise as well. I can’t wait to run and gun. Not that the other games have become old hat(not by a long shot) but 3 gun is awesome. I only hope the pocket book can keep up with my addiction. 
Yeah,I was heavy into high power for many years.In 2001 George Fennell of FP-10 and Weapon Shield fame introduced me to 3-gun games.Been fooling around with local matches every since.What I like about 3gun is each match can be so diverse.
Ive since got my two nephews interested in 3-gun so its kind of a team effort.I started them off shooting at five and they have grown into 6’ 200 pound monsters that have a huge ammo appetite.
In fact when I buy or put together a new rifle I let them run it for a weekend.If the rifle is going to break,they will break it.Also manages to get me past new gun scratches because they dont mind putting a few dings on a rifle in the process.
At any rate,good to see that your fired up about 3gun and your AR15.
If you run into any problems there are plenty of experienced/professional folks here willing to help.
With a quality BCG like BCM your RRA will be more than capable of standing the test of time. With that BCG I would carry your carbine to work on duty tomorrow and not have a second thought (after I test fired it on the range that is:D).
Guys I can’t thank you enough for all your help and advise.
Don
Throw that BCM BCG in there, stake the castle nut, get some PMAGs or BCM mags w/ anti-tilt followers, and shoot the heck out of it!
As time rolls on, there are a lot of other upgrades you can make to it, but for now these are unnecessary. Your reliability may be improved a little by swapping out the carbine buffer for an H-buffer. I also haven’t heard good things about RRA LPKs, so you may want to upgrade that if the LPK you’re using now fails. To give yourself more stock options, swap out your commercial buffer tube for a mil-spec tube. DD, LaRue, KAC, and Troy make outstanding rail systems that are leaps and bounds better than the RRA ones.
Eventually, you can swap out your upper receiver assembly for a BCM or DD, or a LaRue or Noveske if you have the money for it. But, for now and until you grow unhappy with your RRA upper, I wouldn’t change this at all.
Heres what I have so far. RRA elite comp,BCM bcg,ambi safety(im a lefty) BCM mod 3 charging handle and a Benny H rolling thunder comp. I went with 4 30rnd p mags as well. The optic I have is a Vortex strikefire (the all red L.E.D model).
I’m curious about the quality issues you had with your AL BCG. When were they produced and what, specifically, did you find inferior compared to the offerings from LMT & DD?
The main “quality differences” I see is:
8620 bolt steel.
Import YFS gas key screws.(which Im told Armalite has dropped from current production)
Small spool firing pin.
AR15 carrier.
Two complete 20" M15A4 SPR uppers that were purchased in 2008,barrels dated 2007,bolts lot# AL 19 otherwise I could not be more specific.
Older factory complete rifles from the 2000-2003 time frame were primarily upgraded/replaced due to unshrouded carriers,but the other preferences also apply.
The Armalite BCG’s were fully functional.Sure the above could be considered nit pickin,but I personally prefer to have BCG’s of “known quality” specified materials and configuration in my rifles from the start as my use of the rifles has increased by 3X.
But overall its my personal preference,and confidence as a driving factor…so its done.