Outstanding rifle and customer service. This is my second BG rifle and I couldn’t be happier. It is apparent from handling this rifle that these guys have an affinity for quality and tight tolerances. The cycling is smooth and there is very minimal play between the upper/lower receivers. I could on for pages about the trigger group alone. For brevity’s sake I just want to outline some findings on my initial outing with this 450.
Cycling: Ran this gun right out of the box and NO issues feeding/ejecting rounds. Smooth operation.
Fit/Finish: As stated before, the lockup between upper/lower receiver is great. Nice lines and smooth finish on everything. Top rails (upper receiver/fore-end) line up tight and perfectly. Even the phosphate coating on the BCG is smooth compared to other, cheaper, phosphate BCGs. These guys give great attention to detail.
Trigger Group: BG uses a proprietary 2-stage trigger system. I am a huge Geissele fan and this trigger feels just like a Geissele SSA. The straight trigger shoe is a nice feature and increases the sweet spot. It breaks clean at about 3.5lbs.
Performance: A Vortex Strike Eagle 1-6x was mounted on this beast with the intention of carrying it in the tree stand this fall. Hornady 250gr FTX was all I could find on the shelves to test. I finished this range session with a 5 shot group that measured just under 1.5″ with all rounds touching. This was awesome considering it was shot with only 6x scope capability……and I’m usually a crappy bench shooter. Average chrono reading at the muzzle was 2050fps. The felt recoil was very soft and seemed close to a breach-loaded 44mag. I’m sure their buffer combined with the proprietary muzzle brake plays a big role in recoil reduction. The muzzle brake is pretty slick too. Not too large or gaudy, but definitely does it’s job.
Customer Service: I can’t say enough about how great these guys are to work with. Professional, personable, and friendly. If you call, they take the time to answer any questions you have. They’re ALWAYS quick and responsive when emailing with questions. I haven’t had any issues with either of my SIPRs….but if I did, I get the impression they would do just about anything to make it right.
Overall, this is a great rifle and if you’re in the market for a 450BM this is the one to buy. The fit/finish/performance of this SIPR make it worth well more than it’s listed price. Combine that with excellent customer service and I think you have one of the best production 450’s on the market today.
