TFB Review: Bear Creek Arsenal BC-45 Side Charging .45 ACP AR Pistol

I’ve wanted an AR pistol for a while but couldn’t decide between building one or buying a complete kit. Then, Bear Creek Arsenal (BCA) sent me the BC-45 to test and review, making it easy to decide.

The Bear Creek Arsenal BC-45 is a side-charging .45 ACP AR pistol. BCA offers three barrel lengths: 7.5”, 10/5”, and 16”. I chose the 10.5” barrel with a flash hider and 9.5” M-LOK rail. The BCA bolt carrier group with a right-side charging handle is housed in the M4 flat-top billet upper receiver, which is pinned to the BC-45 lower.

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BCA BC-45 Right Side Charging Pistol

After receiving the call that my new BCA BC-45 AR pistol had just been delivered, I hurried to the gun store to pick it up. I couldn’t wait to test this firearm out that Bear Creek Arsenal had sent me.

I’d never owned or even fired an AR pistol (I’ve always owned and shot AR rifles or carbines), so I knew I was in for a treat. However, in all my haste and excitement, I failed to purchase a magazine before heading home (Bear Creek Arsenal’s website clearly states it doesn’t come with a mag, and I overlooked it). So I had to not-so-patiently wait another week after ordering a couple of Gen 2 Glock mags online.

Finally, the day arrived, and I headed to my shooting range with some custom-loaded ammo. I loaded the 26-round magazines halfway and didn’t experience any malfunctions after about 50 rounds.

A few weeks later, a buddy wanted to come out and shoot, so I busted out the BC-45 to let him shoot it. Once again, we loaded the stiff new mags halfway and went to town, firing about 100 rounds of handloaded ammo without a hitch. His face lit up after firing the first few rounds, and by the end of the shoot, he was convinced he needed one. However, this was the last trip without any problems.

I returned to the range the following week for a more thorough testing experience. Since I hadn’t had any malfunctions with half-full mags of handloaded ammo, I grabbed a few boxes of factory loads and fully loaded the mags this time. I squeezed off two rounds before the first malfunction, and then it was every other round until I’d fired about 10 rounds. The same thing happened with the next mag and a different brand of ammo.

After some troubleshooting, I noticed that when the mags had more than 20 rounds, they caused the top round to stick up too much and cause a jam, so the malfunctions were not the gun's fault.

Considering how inexpensive the BCA BC-45 is, I have been incredibly impressed with it. When I first picked it up I immediately noticed it felt solid and no parts rattled (a common occurrence in my experience with some cheap ARs). All the pins fit snug, just like they’re supposed to, and even after several hundred rounds through it, nothing has rattled loose.

I wanted an actual AR pistol, so I opted for the 10.5” barrel. I knew I would be sacrificing some accuracy. However, I don’t plan to fire this farther than 50 yards, so I’m not concerned with long-range accuracy. At 25 yards, I’ve had no problem hitting a 3” steel plate (with a halfway sighted-in red dot).

After several trips to the range with multiple people, I’ve concluded that the BCA BC-45 (and my buddies have agreed) is fun to shoot, but it has a few drawbacks.

I first noticed the inability to lock the bolt open after the last round was fired. While this isn’t a huge deal, it is a little annoying because you can’t immediately tell if it’s a failure-to-fire or an empty mag.

Staying with the bolt, the side-charging variation makes upgrading a little more challenging because it’s not typically used on AR-15s (rear charging). So, if you discover you're not a massive fan of the BCA bolt, then you’ll be very limited in your other options.

I smiled the first time I fired the BCA BC-45, but I was also surprised by how much recoil it had. Now, granted, I was firing some handloads I got from a buddy, but even when I used factory loads, I felt more recoil than I thought I should from a 4-pound firearm. That’s not to say it’s unbearable by any means, just more than I expected.

Lastly, I’m already considering upgrading the grip and trigger and installing a pistol brace because I’m catching the customization bug. If you plan to take this pistol to the range occasionally, you won’t need the upgrades, but I bet you’ll eventually want some.

Overall, I’ve been impressed with the BCA BC-45. Now, do I think it’s the best AR-45 ever? Probably not (it’s the only one I’ve used to date, so the jury is still out), but it also doesn’t cost a monthly mortgage payment.

Parting Shots: BCA BC-45 Review

The Bear Creek Arsenal BC-45 is a solid, cheap AR pistol. As an average shooter, I've found it well-suited for a fun day at the range and home defense (as long as I don’t fully load the mags). It does have a few downsides, as any cheap AR will, but in my opinion, the benefits drastically outweigh the cons.

Pros

• Inexpensive
• No Loose Parts
• Reasonably Accurate
• Fun To Shoot

Cons

• Lacks Last Round Bolt-Open
• Side-Charging Bolt Makes Upgrading More Challenging
• More Recoil Than Expected
• Furniture Upgrades Are To Come