The Bear Creek Arsenal Glock Barrel – Go Cheap
When I first decided to build an 80 percent lower Glock I knew sourcing parts could be pricey so I looked to save where I could. A Poly 80 Glock isn’t one I plan to use for self-defense or combat so I wasn’t afraid of going cheap. When I saw Bear Creek Arsenal selling threaded Glock 17 barrels for less than 50 bucks I jumped on it. I purchased a stainless model to add some extra flair to my build and have been incredibly satisfied.
Maybe if I was going with a combat handgun I’d go with Faxon, a barrel brand I know and trust, but I was willing to take the risk with a Bear Creek Arsenal barrel for a Poly 80 build. This is my first Bear Creek Arsenal part and I’m impressed. It’s a barrel that sports traditional rifling versus Glock’s polygonal, so you can use lead bullets with the worry of fouling.
The threads are your standard ½ x 28 pitch and the only downside is it does not come with a thread protector. I sourced my own from my Kel Tec Sub 2K since it already has a muzzle device. It threads on with ease, as did various standard ½ x 28 muzzle attachments. This means the threads are properly done and functional.
Fit and Function
Round count wise I’ve hit 300 rounds with a few malfunctions. As you’d expect it takes a bit of trial and error to get a Poly 80 running just right. Barrel wise I have had no failures to eject, no keyholes, or any failures due to the feed ramp. My failures were mostly tied to failures to feed related to the Poly 80 frame. I’d try to shoot have issues, do some filing, and try again until it worked.
This is a Gen 4 barrel but has no problems with my Gen 3 Poly 80. It fits perfectly into the gun and snaps into place with ease. It’s a perfect fit and well machined. There are no ultra obvious tool marks or errors in the build. I’ve been impressed at how well the finish on the barrel holds up and how quick and easy it is to clean. The Bear Creek Arsenal Glock barrel is well made and an incredible bargain at under 50 bucks. Especially when you consider the fact it is a threaded barrel.
Building these Poly 80 guns is quite fun and I won’t have a second thought when it comes to building my next Poly 80 with a BCA Glock barrel.