There’s an old joke:

Q: What’s the difference between an M16 and an AR-15?

A: The government, that’s what.

Okay, I didn’t say it was good joke.

Moving on.

AR-15s are a phenomenon. I feel it won’t be long before some country places it on its flag, like Mozambique did with the AK-47. The AR-15 is that iconic, in my opinion, and it is certainly consistently popular. Some companies make it their business to take the AR platform to the maximum. One of those is Bravo Company USA, also known as Bravo Company Manufacturing or Bravo Company MFG (often abbreviated as BCM).

Bravo Company

Paul Buffoni is the founder and CEO of BCM. This company started off in 2003 as Buffoni’s e-commerce business, which he was running out of his home’s basement in Hartland, WI.

Some of the best enterprises in the world started as a side-thing in some dude’s basement, and that remains true to this day.

What began as a resale and retail company for quality brands, became a standalone operation which produced its own parts and components for firearms.

This shift took place at about 2005-6, when some civilians were experiencing trouble locating a well-constructed military-grade brand of weapons/components for their personal purchase and use.

The first item which Bravo Company USA designed and manufactured in-house (or perhaps designed by them and made off-site?) was barrels. This was closely followed by their own upper receivers and bolt-carrier groups, and later on a line of complete rifles made its appearance.

BCM stepped up to fill the void that was created in the market at that time, and they did so with the intention of providing customers with the best tools for the job.

Buffoni has stated that he doesn’t look at firearms as a sport, but first and foremost as a tool for enemy-engagement and self-defense. As a former serviceman, Buffoni knows the cardinal rule – you are brothers in arms.

People may call it ‘fighting for your country’, but when you are out there training, patrolling, guarding, charging forward, and taking fire – you are doing it with your fellow soldiers by your side, not the entire country.

With that in mind, Buffoni wanted Bravo Company to manufacture weapons which could be used by law enforcement and military personnel, and also lend themselves to civilian configurations.

BCM’s line of rifles includes a large selection of carbines, among other things. This has been their main focus, and it makes perfect sense. They wanted to take something good, and make it better.

The AR-15 was designed by Eugene Stoner as the standard issue infantry rifle. Its many incarnations and derivatives have been held by many thousands of our brothers and sisters in uniform, spanning decades. It’s one hell of a system, to say the least.

Bravo brought together a team which sought to give the AR-15 a serious upgrade. They weren’t looking to build anything from the ground up, so to speak, but rather to provide a lightweight system which could handle punishment.

Pure and simple. Buffoni has said that while his time in the Marine Corps was shorter than he wanted it to be, it taught him a lot about the nature of weaponry from a trained military end-user’s perspective.

BCM AR15

Bravo carries – whether through a vendor or in-house manufacturing – a large selection of quality components and parts, all geared towards helping you build your next AR-15 and turning it into the rifle you are envisioning. Everything from kits, uppers, and lowers, down to individual items such as triggers, barrels, grips, bolts, gas blocks, handguards, charging handles, and more.

The company also houses many complete AR platform systems. Each one of these rifles includes BCMGunfighter upgrades. No matter which model you end up choosing, you can be sure that it will be packed with premium components.

The idea is that there will be little to no need for aftermarket purchases, as far as the build is concerned. BCM wants you to have the best tool for the job, right out of the box. Depending on the model in question, upgrades could include charging handle, handguard, trigger, grip, stock, mounts and swivels, sling, mags, and much more.

Here is a quick glance at two models from each line which the company is currently offering, in the “complete AR-15 systems” department:

M4 Carbines

• Mod 0 in 5.56mm
  • Barrel length 16”
  • Overall length 35”
  • Weight 6.3 lbs
  • MSRP $1,202

• Mod 2 in 5.56mm
  • Barrel length 16”
  • Overall length 35”
  • Weight 6.5 lbs
  • MSRP $1,509

RECCE Carbines

• RECCE-14 MCMR
  • Barrel length 16.1” (14.5” + fixed compensator)  
  • Overall length 35”
  • Weight 6.0 lbs
  • MSRP $1,500

• RECCE-18 MCMR Precision
  • Barrel length 18”  
  • Overall length 37”
  • Weight 7.0 lbs
  • MSRP $1,650

MID-16 Carbines

• Mod 2
  • Barrel length 16”  
  • Overall length 35”
  • Weight 6.7 lbs
  • MSRP $1,534

• EAG Tactical (FDE)
  • Barrel length 16.1” (14.5” + fixed compensator)  
  • Overall length 34.5”
  • Weight 6.3 lbs
  • MSRP $2,263

BCM 11.5 Pistol

One of BCM’s most popular weapons is the RECCE 11 KMR-A pistol, which has been around since 2015. The company also offers this as a separate upper, but there is the possibility of purchasing the full system.

The major advantage of the AR pistol (generally speaking) is that is less of a hassle than a rifle, and it has some impressive ballistic capabilities compared to handguns. It is a nice combination or compromise between the two, managing to deliver a lot of value, accuracy, and dependability in a small package, AND without an SBR tax stamp.

The RECCE 11 is a straight up semi-automatic (direct impingement action), has an upper and lower forged from 7075-T6 aluminum, and the barrel is chrome-lined and 11.5 inches long.

As I said earlier, BCM aims to deliver a kind of upgraded weapon right off the bat and provides the shooter with a host of pre-installed quality BCM components: handguard, trigger, grip, compensator, charging handle, and more. Again, this is done primarily so the shooter won’t have to spend as much time and money on aftermarket products, if any.

Here are some of the specs:

• Caliber – 5.56mm NATO
• Barrel length – 11.5”
• Overall length – 27”
• Weight – 5.1 lbs
• Capacity – 30+1
• MSRP – $1,400

This item ships with a single 10- or 30-round magazine (depending on your location), and it comes with a limited lifetime warranty, like all BCM products. For those of you who are considering buying a complete AR pistol system, check this one out on or offline.

BCM Upper

Some people are interested in purchasing a complete system, because they want all of the parts to fit together properly, and be part of a single cohesive unit. There are some advantages to buying everything under one roof, so to speak, but then again there are those who take great pleasure in building their own dream weapon, and this dream is often made up of different components.

A stock from this company, a bolt from that company, and so on. If you find a part you are comfortable with and which you know works to your advantage, use it.

I didn’t count them all, but according to BCM’s website there are over 200 models of upper receiver groups listed, in different configurations. Some of these are out of stock, but overall they have a large selection of uppers.

Bravo Company is well-known for its quality, so you know that unless something went wrong with the manufacturing process – and that is always a possibility – you are getting a good upper. Many consider the upper receiver group to be the heart and soul of a firearm, and I tend to go with that.

I mean, it has the bolt carrier and barrel, right? Regardless of what legally constitutes a “firearm”, the upper is essential to say the least, and this why it is so worth the investment.

Bravo Company Accessories

BCM Gunfighter operates out of Las Vegas, NV. It is BCM’s research and development facility, which has produced and distributed BCM’s in-house components for over 15 years. The first Gunfighter product was the BCM charging handle, and that line of accessories quickly expanded to include grips, triggers, stocks, rail systems, compensators, mounts, magazines, and many other necessities.

Recently (2018), BCM came out with the second generation of Gunfighter charging handles, which I saw as a nice way of coming full circle. As with the complete rifle systems and the receivers, BCM’s components are considered a household name in the firearms world. People trust their parts and systems because they have proven themselves, and that is no small feat.

The company’s accessories are not limited to AR-style weapons. There are also accessories for Glock, 1911, Smith & Wesson, and other brands. Certain accessories are available in KeyMod, M-LOK, and Picatinny configurations.

According to Buffoni, the company’s best-selling products are the KMR handguard and the charging handle, both for the AR-15. With each new year, BCM manages to grab the attention of the shooting world, by being up-to-date and on point.

Conclusion

In its relatively short history, Bravo Company USA has managed to work with all kinds of military groups and divisions such as SOCOM, Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and the Coast Guard (to name a few). It has also worked with various law enforcement and government agencies all over the country, and even outside of it.

CEO Buffoni’s commitment to the men and women who carry and train with BCM gear is a deep and serious one, and it is not taken lightly. He considers it his responsibility to provide the very best for those who do business with BCM, since he is in the business of saving lives.

For over 15 years now, BCM has been elevating its status through excellence, and has managed to stand out in a market which (some would say) is already ridiculously cramped and over-saturated.

The company realizes that new shooters (civilian or otherwise) are joining the fold every single day, and BCM is doing the utmost to make things easier and more efficient for those who are becoming interested in training with and carrying firearms.

BCM’s approach is that the survival of those men and women depends entirely on the quality and craftsmanship of its employees.

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