Bravo Company Recce-18 MCMR Precision in 5.56 NATO: Full Review

Bravo Company Manufacturing (BCM) has long built high-quality AR-­15s and M4-style firearms. BCM is led by U.S. Marine Paul Buffoni, who founded the business building AR-pattern rifles that adhered to U.S. military technical specifications, but it wasn’t long before he improved on those designs and created faithful tributes to models such as the Mk 12 series and Recce. BCM’s approach is “brilliance in the basics.”

Guns & Ammo tested an ideal representation of an AR-­15 developed for general use and precision shooting. It sports quality components with thoughtful details included. For example, the 18-­inch, 410 stainless-steel, medium-contour barrel has a rifle-­length gas system, which maximizes velocity potential from the 5.56 NATO round. The long gas system is easy on the rifle’s internals and produces the least amount of felt recoil. The upper and lower receivers are machined from aluminum forgings, 7075-T6, which are then Type III hardcoat anodized. The receivers mirror the classic mil-spec design, while components such as the MCMR handguard are more functional and can better accommodate a shooter’s needs.

The Furniture

The newest components on the Recce-­18 MCMR Precision are the handguard and the adjustable stock, both designed and made by BCM. The stock is the Mod 1-­SOPMOD-­Compartment, and it is one the most useful stock designs available. It fits both standard AR-­15 and longer AR-­10 receiver extensions. Sling attachments include quick-­detach (QD) sockets on both sides of the stock, as well as on the receiver end plate. The location allows for sling use while shooting off either shoulder. The QD sockets are high near the extension, so the sling won’t choke the shooter when slung for the right shoulder and then transitioned to the left. There is also a slot near the stock’s comb that allows the sling to be threaded through for simplified sling attachment.

The storage in the Mod-1-SOPMOD-Compartment stock — along with the storage available in the BCM Gunfighter grip — can be useful for keeping a spare battery, bolt, or other small items handy. The extra storage of the stock is located in a shape that fixes many gripes with the SOPMOD stock. The military’s SOPMOD stock has a toe that comes to a point. Seen from the side, the stock (just forward of the buttpad) has a toe that is shallow and pointed. Toes such as on the SOPMOD don’t ride a rear support bag well, so it’s harder to coax the best accuracy from the rifle. This isn’t a concern when the AR is meant for fast shooting at close range, but stocks like the SOPMOD are not ideal for use on precision rifles. The Mod 1-SOPMOD-Compartment stock has a wider toe to create a storage compartment. Accessing the compartment is done by pushing a captured pin laterally. The buttpad is hinged. The compartment is large enough to accept cleaning gear, spare parts, a small rag or tools, or a couple of fun-­size bags of M&Ms critical for maintaining morale on a hard range day. The flat spot on the toe measures about 11/2 inches long, making it an almost perfect support point for a rear bag. 

BCM also included the Vehicle-­Borne Operational Sling Tab, a small protrusion forward of the toe. The tab allows the shooter to S-­roll the sling and secure it in place with a rubber band, painter’s tape, or a Velcro strap. This keeps the sling out of the way when the rifle is stowed for travel, but allows the shooter to grab the sling and rip it away for rapid deployment. It’s a small but useful detail, and one of the many tricks troops learned during the War on Terror.

The handguard is the BCM MCMR-­15 with an M-Lok-compatible modular rail. The handguard utilizes the mounting system from the KMR handguard. Most AR handguards slip over the barrel nut and have screws that provide tension at the bottom of the handguard, just forward of the upper receiver. The issue with that arrangement is the barrel nut is the first component to get hot because it surrounds the barrels chamber. The barrel gets hot and the heat moves from the barrel nut to the handguard where it attaches. Once the handguard gets hot and starts to expand, the tension provided by the screws is diminished. The handguard won’t rattle apart, but it can move around, causing a wandering zero for laser aiming devices or alignment issues for night vision devices mounted on the handguard.

The solution BCM crafted for the KMR was to use a steel barrel nut that is more resistant to thermal expansion and locating the crossbolts that attach the handguard to the barrel nut to the area between the barrel nut and the rail that runs along the top of the handguard. The folded material that creates the rail is where expansion occurs when the handguard heats. Putting the crossbolts between the handguard and the rail limits the amount of movement created by thermal expansion and helps immobilize the handguard. All of this especially matters if a shooter needs to mount a laser aiming device to the handguard.

At the Range

There were high hopes for the Recce-­18 MCMR Precision when it was time for range testing. The BCM PNT trigger assembly features a standard semiautomatic trigger and hammer given a polished nickel finish that’s embedded with Teflon particles to reduce friction of the interface. BCM uses investment casting to make these triggers and hammers, not the metal injection molding more commonly found in rifle of dubious provenance. The sear engagement surfaces are ground and hand polished for increased smoothness and reduced friction. The disconnector is stamped from 1070 steel and ground to a precise size. The effort provides a clean reset. The result is a trigger that allowed more accuracy than anticipated. The trigger pull was smooth and light enough that the crosshairs didn’t move off the point of aim when shooting groups. 

The smallest group during testing came with 69-­grain Federal Gold Medal Match (GMM), producing a diminutive .38-inch five-shot group. It was much smaller than expected of an AR, especially one without a match trigger.

A lot of the Recce-18 MCMR Precision rifle’s accuracy comes from its barrel. Not surprisingly, it has an 18-­inch, button-­rifled barrel with a 1-in-8-inch twist rate. It is made from 410 stainless steel and has a mid-­weight contour to complement the rifle-­length gas system. It is fitted with BCM’s flash hider. The combination results in a soft-­shooting AR that’ll put most five-­shot groups of match ammunition into about .8 inches at 100 yards. It’s a great barrel for anyone wanting a precision AR for ringing steel, punching small holes in paper, or blasting coyotes and vermin.

BCM also includes a handful of features on just about all of their rifles that make using with them a little more pleasant. For example, the MK2 charging handle is BCM’s own creation. It has a large fence that sits immediately behind the upper receiver, too. This prevents gas from exiting the upper receiver and blowing into the shooter’s eyes; this is especially important when shooting suppressed. At the bottom of the rifle is a polymer triggerguard that fills the gap between the lower receiver and the grip’s frontstrap. It makes long-range sessions more comfortable for the firing hand. 

Cosmetically, BCM creates a great product. On inspection, we found no parting lines or forging marks anywhere on the receivers. Most AR-­15’s have a seam near the trigger, but only smooth, evenly ­anodized surfaces covered the Recce-­18. 

G&A’s range time with the Recce-­18 MCMR Precision proved that BCM makes reliable, smoothly operating rifles. Carbines with shorter barrels are the order of the day for close-­range work and self-­defense, but the Recce-­18 MCMR Precision is ideal for all other rifle tasks. Most importantly, it produced a fun day at the range ringing steel, impressing friends, and shooting out bullseyes. 

Perhaps you could buy a sling, mount a quality scope, set up a tripod and shooting saddle, and invest in a few spare magazines and match ammo. As it ships, though, the Recce-­18 is a high-value performer that requires no functional upgrades. 

Bravo Company Mfg Recce-18 MCMR Precision

• Type: Direct ­impingement, gas operated, semiautomatic
• Cartridge: 5.56 NATO
• Capacity: 20 or 30 rds.
• Barrel: 18 in., 1:8-­in. twist, stainless steel
• Length: 34.25 in. (collapsed), 37.25-­in. (extended)
• Weight: 6 lbs., 14 oz.
• Stock: BCM Mod 1 ­SOPMOD Compartment
• Grip: BCM Gunfighter
• Length of Pull: 11.1 in. (collapsed), 14.1 in. (extended)
• Finish: Type III hardcoat anodized (aluminum)
• Sights: None
• Safety: Two-­position selector
• MSRP: $1,980
• Manufacturer: Bravo Company Mfg., 877-­272-­8626, bravocompanymfg.com

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