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What do you do if you are a fan of the 7.62x39mm round but not of the AK-variant rifles usually made in that caliber? You get a Bear Creek Arsenal (BCA) AR-15 Complete 7.62×39 rifle! And since it’s a Bear Creek, the gun features a side-charging handle.
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The Bear Creek Arsenal AR-15 Complete 7.62×39 Rifle
The rifle is a hybrid of sorts: an AR-15 platform rifle chambered in the popular “AK-round.” It’s also an AR built without the charging handle operated from the rear of the receiver, which I consider the weak link in the AR rifle. Instead, this rifle sports a curved charging handle on the right side of the receiver. It’s easy to manipulate and quick to charge.
I recently ran 250 rounds through a BCA AR-15 chambered in the popular 7.62×39, and I was impressed with the rifle’s functionality, its smooth operation, solid controls and accuracy. Anyone thinking about a rifle in this round needs to take a close look at this BCA offering.
Features
My AR-15 Complete 7.62×39 rifle featured a heavy-profile 16-inch barrel made of 416R stainless steel, with a parkerized finish and a 1:10 twist rate. It operated via a carbine-length gas system.
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The rifle also sported a 15-inch M-LOK rail, an M4 flat-top billeted upper receiver, and BCA’s Bolt Carrier Group, Flash Hider, and a right-side charging handle. The BCA mil-spec AR-15 lower was forged aluminum. The stock is adjustable for length. The rifle sells with two 30-round, curved magazines.
The trigger on my rifle broke at 3 pounds, 6 ounces on average. The trigger was a mil-spec model, and as mil-specs go, pretty good. Still, there was some gritty feeling to the trigger and enough stacking that could possibly make for an uneven trigger pull.
Great Glass
I mounted a Mark 5HD 2-10×30 FFP rifle scope, manufactured by Leupold, atop the BCA’s receiver. As I reviewed and used the scope many times, I knew it was great glass for any rifle, but it worked especially well with AR-platform rifles.
The Mark 5HD featured Leupold’s Tactical Milling Reticle or TMR. The TMR is Leupold’s redesign of the MIL reticle and employs hash marks instead of dots for increased ranging and holdover precision. The reticle also provided aiming points for both wind and bullet drop compensation.
The Mark 5HD 2-10’s elevation turret provided 30 MILs of adjustment in 0.1 MIL increments. Leupold’s patented ZeroLock set screw ensured the elevation dial would not move when knocked around. The scope measured just 11.2 inches in length and weighed in at 24 ounces.
A scope needs mounting hardware, and I used a rock-solid Leupold Mark IMS 35mm Bolt-Action mount.
AR-15 Complete 7.62×39 Rifle Accuracy
At my outdoor range, I first zeroed the rifle using Winchester Ammunition Target & Practice 7.62×39 ammunition, loaded with 123-grain full metal jacket bullets. The precise controls of the Mark 5HD 2-10 quickly got me on target.
My last three shots at this distance came in at .63 inches.
At my 100-yard lane, the BCA shot high. A few scope adjustments got me right on target.
I was still running the Winchester ammo, and my best five-shot groups came in at .75- and 1.1-inches.
I then tried out Hornady 7.62×39, launching a 123-grain SST poly-tipped round. The top groups were at 1.13- and 1.4-inches.
Last, I ran the BCA with Federal Ammunition Fusion hunting rounds and their 123-grain soft-pointed bullet designed with a molecularly-fused jacket. I placed a three-shot group right at 1.0-inches, and five shots at .90-inches.
Mag Problems
I also pegged five-shot groups in the 1.5- to 2.0-inch range with all three brands of ammunition. But I do think the BCA AR-15 7.62×39 is an MOA rifle.
As the shooter, I do take some of the blame for those larger-than-MOA groups. I know I definitely pulled more than a couple shots. The trigger could benefit from an after-market upgrade, too.
I also had problems finding a consistent, solid position shooting from a bench with that ridiculous 30-round AK-style magazine sticking down a full six inches below the end of the mag well. A web search revealed no 10 or 20 round magazine options for the rifle and round.
Friends on the manufacturing side of the industry tell me the taper on the brass of the 7.62×39 cartridge made the magazine’s curve necessary. I was also informed that one of the magazine manufacturers has figured out a way to build a straight mag for the round but has hesitated to build it due to profitability concerns.
If it helps, I will buy the first dozen straight mags!
I want to hunt with the BCA 7.62×39, but that silly banana mag has to go. (If anyone knows of a non-curved option, please let me know!)
READ MORE HERE: Real Avid AR-15 Tools: DIY Gunsmithing
Solid Choice
Mags aside, the BCA AR-15 Complete 7.62×39 is a very solid rifle, and it operated much smoother and all-around better than any AK-style rifle I’ve tried. AKs have a long history of military functionality and continue to show up at conflicts around the globe.
All true. Yet, the AKs I have used all felt clunky, rattled a good deal, and were never close to 1 MOA rifles. That’s my experience, at least.
Power-wise, the 7.62×39 round is more than adequate for close to mid-range hunting, and the round’s military history certainly says it is competent for home defense.
BCA has done a fine job making an AR-15 in the AK round, and if I can ever find the right style magazines, I will be taking this rifle afield for many years to come.
Learn more by visiting Bear Creek Arsenal
Specs: BCA AR-15 Complete 7.62×39 Rifle
Caliber: 7.62x39mm
Action: Semi-Auto, Carbine-Length Gas System
Barrel: 416R Stainless Steel, Heavy Profile, 16”, 1:10 Twist
Receiver: Billet Aluminum
Lower: Forged Aluminum
Trigger: Mil-Spec
Length: 36” w/stock fully extended
Weight: 7.75 Lbs.
INC: 15” MLOK Rail, BCA Bolt Carrier Group and Flash Hider, Two (2) 30-Round Magazines
MSRP: $478.55
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Brian McCombie (Writer)
A full-time writer, Brian’s work focuses on hunting and firearms, day and thermal optics, and other shooting gear. He’s been fortunate enough to hunt much of the USA and Canada. His favorite hunt is chasing Texas hogs at night using a suppressed rifle outfitted with a thermal scope.
Dream hunt: Alaskan brown bear.
He’s taken handgun self-defense courses and long-range rifle classes for hunters. Brian continues to dive deeply into the new technologies so much a part of today’s hunting and shooting experiences.
His top firearms include AR-15’s and AR-10’s, double-stack 1911’s, and lever actions.
I will and would stay with the AR10 7.62 x 51(308) a proven platform.
How about a Winchester model 100, it doesn’t look military, but it has the
same punch and is beautiful!
And here I thought an AR-15 was in 5.56 mm, hence, the AR-10 which is a 7.62. Why would a company give this the designation as an AR-15 instead of maybe an AK-15?
A sub MOA semi-auto rifle in 7.62 x 39 mm for under $500?
That’s a heck of a deal considering most center fire bolt action guns cost 3 X, as much won’t shoot MOA.
We have a Bear Creek that runs through our property so I’ve wanted a Bear Creek Arsenal rifle since they came out, plus I’ve wanted a side charger for years. I don’t have any want of 7.62×39 but maybe another 6.5 Grendel…
“A web search revealed no 10 or 20 round magazine options for the rifle and round.” Seriously? You didn’t look hard enough. The very company you got the rifle from has them: https://www.bearcreekarsenal.com/bca-47-10-round-7-62x39mm-stainless-steel-magazine.html
I know a guy in Texas that builds and runs 7.62 x 39 ARs! He uses them very effectively for hog whacking!
If you’re interested in one of those contact Angel @ Johnny’s Sport Shop in Eagle Lake, Texas, it ain’t hard to find!
Duramags are available in 10, 20, 28, and 30 round configurations. The 10 is what I most often use from the bench. The 20 works well for that too. USA made a great “Frankenmag” as the early 7.62×39 AR mags were called as they often involved what looked like the top of an AR mag fixed to the bottom of an AK mag. 25 or more years ago I got Colt A2 uppers in flat top configuration they were selling at the time. I get similar accuracy results to what you did with them. The lowers they are used with have Geiselle triggers. The 16″ carbine lower has the SSA and the 20″ is used with an A2 lower with the SSA-E trigger. Both are very good.
ASC and Duramag make 10 & 20 round magazines.
Main upgrade with the AK is a mag conversion kit that work like an AR.
Use a standard AR mag instead of the AK mag. Aftermarket kits available.
(the trunnion needs slight modification with a dremmel tool)
Also like to hunt using fusion or wolf softpoint ammo.
Purchased many cut down 5 round mags over the years without any issues.
See gunmag warehouse 5 round polymer Bulgarian mags.
Main upgrade with the AK is a mag conversion kit that work like an AR.
But still uses the standard AK curved mags. Aftermarket kits available.
(the trunnion needs slight modification with a dremmel tool)
Also like to hunt using fusion or wolf softpoint ammo.
Purchased many cut down 5 round mags over the years without any issues.
See gunmag warehouse 5 round polymer Bulgarian mags.
I have used Dura-mag 6.5 grendel and 7.62×39 mags, 10-round for hunting, in several BCA barreled Anderson upper receivers for several years.
I have experienced NO problems with these rifles using factory ammo or my own handloads. I also have handloaded .308 diameter 150 grain Hornady SST bullets at 2100FPS with MOA accuracy at 100 yards for hunting AND .308 diameter Hornady 125 grain SST at 2356FPS with 100 yard MOA accuracy. It will also shoot the .311 Hornady bullets with MOA at 100 yards.
I use 20rd duramags in mine
KCI USA manufacturers AK mags including ten (10) round magazines which are ideal for sighting an AK on a bench.