pmcimagazine.com
VISUAL RAPID ROUND COUNT
LOWER RECEIVER
Recently, the PMCI Magazine crew has been working under
a secret squirrel directive to help test and evaluate a new
lower receiver being produced by Black Creek Precision
(BCP) called the Visual Rapid Round Count or VRRC.
Already known for their precise machining on 1911 and
AR platform firearms, BCP has taken the next step in AR
functionality through the use of the VRRC receiver concept.
What makes this lower different than the hundreds of
generic mil-spec, hog face and skull designs is in the fact
it is made for real warriors who understand the importance
of every round sent down range and being accountable
for them.
The VRRC’s design is mainly unique in its “dog bone” cut
outs on either side of the magazine well with graduated
lines marking 10 & 5 rounds. Combined with clear or smoke
magazines such as Lancer products, the shooter can see
exactly how many rounds are left once the round count
reaches under 10. Traditionally with a solid magazine well,
using a clear or smoke magazine, the shooter would not be
able to see the finial ten rounds as the magazine follower
pushed them into the solid wall constructed well. If the
shooter is running the lower in a Designated Marksman
set up, he or she may only be using 10 round magazines
to begin with and having to operate blindly if not using
the VRRC lower.
The sample receiver I received for T&E was part of a very
well built 5.56 battle rifle Cerakoted in coyote brown along
with a staple of Lancer 30 round clear magazines. As the
round count reached the critical count of 10 or less, the
graduations on the side of the receiver accurately matched
up time and time again with the actual amount of rounds
remaining in the magazines. Throughout our testing, I
found the entire rifle on pace with those twice their cost.
I knew BCP was well known for their rifle builds, but this
was the first time I was able to see it for a fact first hand.
One factor I was most impressed with was the upper/
lower fit. Through the use of an integrated tension screw,
there was absolutely no “slop” or gap between the two
receiver halves.
Aside from the “dog bone” cut out, two other features
help separate this receiver above a standard mil-spec
version. Coming from a builders stand point, the addition
of a threaded rear detent and a screw-in bolt catch pin
instead of a roll pin are huge time and stress savers! As
anyone who enjoys building their own AR15 platform rifles
from stripped parts can tell you, trying to line up your rear
detent spring with a stock plate while screwing in the
buffer tube is a headache. On top of this annoyance, when
it comes time to assemble the bolt catch, the traditional roll
pin assembly can lead to scratching your rifle’s finish and
sometimes damaging it altogether. Major points earned
by the VRRC’s overall design in my book!
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Although the rifle we tested was a pre-
production model on loan, it certainly had
me excited to see the finished product due
out sometime this Spring. For the builders
looking to add the VRRC design to their
own custom build, the stripped lowers are
set to be available at www.VRRClower.com
and www.blackcreekprecision.com very
soon. If you’re serious about shooting and
conscious about round count, the VRRC is
definitely the lower you’ll want for your
next project.