#AR-15Upper

Just as it is with power tools, each type of firearm has its own purpose. With the modularity of platforms like the AR-15, one type of gun can be configured in many different ways, covering different kinds of tasks. In my personal collection, I have a shorty AR for close range, a standard 16” do-it-all gun, and a large void that needs to be filled with a long-range, precision rifle. Adding the word “precision” to anything basically triples the cost of an off-the-shelf gun, so I decided to build one instead and gather parts over time. Join me on this journey, as I put together an AR-15 upper, part after part, expletive after expletive.

The .458 SOCOM is a member of the “thumper” family. The Thumper concept comes from the great Jeff Cooper. A larger caliber bullet out of a rifle-length barrel. When Bear Creek Arsenal offered up a review, obviously I was going to request it be one of their .458 SOCOMs. Bear Creek is known for making affordable options for the gun world. Having a more affordable price point does not change the review, just gives it a perspective. How well is it made, and of course does it perform? Is shooting a “thumper” enjoyable. Well, I can tell you upfront, it is a lot of fun. Let’s take a look at Bear Creeks 458 SOCOM upper.

It’s become quite difficult in the last couple of months to find in-stock firearms parts and sometimes even accessories. One company that I have noticed that has kept up with the high demand is Bear Creek Arsenal. Bear Creek makes everything from stripped firearms components all the way up to completed rifles for almost every AR caliber imaginable. Bear Creek sent me out one of their 16-inch 5.56 upper receivers to put it through some testing and evaluation so today we’ll look into how well this upper receiver did in a few “average joe” tests.