The world of AR-style firearms does seem to be growing at an exponential rate lately, but there are things that quickly trim away the list of guns we would want to personally select for home defense or general shooting needs. The first two would be quality and price, and Bird Dog Arms certainly met and exceeded that with their BD-15 line. 

Neither of these falls into the realm of expensive customs fit for the competition circuit, though a good shooter could certainly make a showing with either. But that’s really not the market for these guns. Rather, these are general working firearms meant to offer you the quality you want in a go-to self-defense gun with some added perks that show Bird Dog Arms’ attention to detail for the practical shooter.

Both the standard BD-15 rifle and pistol boast the fairly traditional but effective A2-style flash hider. Before you run to the comments to call this feature "plain Jane," remember it’s the standard for a good reason, and shooting aggressive muzzle brakes for home defense can have its own huge issues. The standard works – well – for most tasks and can be upgraded as you see fit without eating that added cost to your up-front purchase.
 

The rifle variant we pulled for this review has a 16-inch match-grade barrel with a 1:7 twist ratio. So accuracy on this rifle should outstrip most shooters’ needs, and the gun also has a Cerakote finish for added durability. The top rail on the rifle hosts a full-length Picatinny rail, with the nice addition of a short Pic rail to the bottom front for added accessories like flashlights, lasers, and foregrips. Unlike many top Picatinny rails, however, the BD-15 has milling through the top rail to cut down on weight and improve barrel cooling. 

Those weight-cutting features extend throughout the skeletonized handguard. Bird Dog Arms still accommodated additional accessories by adding M-Lok throughout the bottom and sides of the handguard. 

Another nice touch was the addition of a quick-detach mount for slings on both sides of the handguard. Left-handed shooters will appreciate that feature. The Ergo pistol grip on the rifle is also comfortable for high-volume fire and offers a reliable grip surface even under stressful or wet conditions.

If you are inclined to have more firepower inside a smaller package, Guns.com also offers the BD-15 pistol that comes ready to roll with a Pro Mag DRM-A24 drum mag and a short 10.3-inch barrel. This also boasts a match-grade barrel with a 1:7 twist and a free-floating handrail with added M-Lok. 

The pistol variant offers a five-position stabilizing fin, while the rifle hosts a more traditional collapsing stock with additional QD mounts and slotted ports for whatever sling you choose to add. The notable exception is the pistol grip. 

On the BD-15 rifle, it is more of a rubberized texture. On the BD-15 pistol, the grip is more of a sandpaper texture on selected spots for added grip traction. The preference on grip texture really comes down to personal preference, though both are more “grippy” than the traditional AR-style pistol grip that hosted few amenities for grip traction.

The bolt catch and magazine release on both guns are well-made but fairly traditional in overall design. However, Bird Dog Arms did add an ambidextrous safety lever as another nod to left-handed shooters or those who want to swap their shooting sides in practical or tactical shooting scenarios. 

The trigger feels close to mil-spec on both firearms if not maybe a bit more polished overall. It’s plenty effective if you are looking for a comfortable but not highly refined trigger, setting these guns up more for practical over competition shooting. 

When we put this gun into the hands of experienced AR shooters, they functioned and felt like we would expect from a solid, quality general-purpose AR that would meet any home defense needs. The AR pistol, naturally, offers a much shorter length that might be more suited for confined quarters. But both guns are essentially the same outside of their length and the addition of a fin brace on the pistol.