who's using a plated ar bolt carrier group?

[teddy12b]

Today I was at the range with a buddy helping him try out a new rock river lef T ar. The rifle is outstanding but what really caught my attention was the chrome bolt carrier group(bcg). Now it's got me thinking about buying one or a nickel boron bcg. I've never had such an easy time cleaning a bcg.

Have any of you here made the switch and if so what are your thoughts?

 

[mvician]

I ran a chrome bcg for a couple years. Easy clean up. Now running a NiB and a microslik.
Both clean up very easy and don't need as much oil. I like them.

 

[teddy12b]

Are there brands that are better than others?

 

[mvician]

Are there brands that are better than others?

If you want a chromed BCG (get the "full auto" style) Young Manufacturing

Rainier Arms™ | Browse | Bolt Carrier Assemblies | Young Mfg Chrome Bolt Carrier Group

If you want a NiB BCG, WMD Guns

AR-15 NICKEL BORON BOLT CARRIER GROUPS - Brownells

 

[teddy12b]

I want whatever one would last longer before the finish starts to come off.

 

[mvician]

From what I've read, the NiB holds up better than chrome. Another advantage is it is a self lubricating coating. NiB is also supposed to never flake, gall, or rub off.

 

[Nacho Man]

Is cleaning the back of the bolt recess area on the bc easier? I hate cleaning that part. I can never really get all the carbon out, usually left with a small ring of powder residue I cant get out no matter how much I scrub.

 

[teddy12b]

Is cleaning the back of the bolt recess area on the bc easier? I hate cleaning that part. I can never really get all the carbon out, usually left with a small ring of powder residue I cant get out no matter how much I scrub.

The one I cleaned yesterday basically wiped right off. That was part of what really got my attention.

 

[Fixer]

Fired at least 1000 rounds with mine. I have yet to notice any wear on it. I also purchased a Cat-M4 tool that cleans the back of the bolt and the carrier tube it rides in extremely well. If I cleaned it more often I might not need the Cat-M4, but usually there is a decent amount of carbon built up before I clean it.

 

[teddy12b]

I've seen them as cheap as $150 at AIM surplus and that's not much more than you'd have to pay for a normal milspec bcg. I don't see how it could be a bad idea to buy one other than trying to save a couple of bucks.

 

[malern28us]

If you want a chromed BCG (get the "full auto" style) Young Manufacturing

Rainier Arms™ | Browse | Bolt Carrier Assemblies | Young Mfg Chrome Bolt Carrier Group

If you want a NiB BCG, WMD Guns

AR-15 NICKEL BORON BOLT CARRIER GROUPS - Brownells

What differentiates a "full-auto" BCG?

 

[mvician]

What differentiates a "full-auto" BCG?

and yes, the M16 or Full Auto bolt carrier is legal in an AR15.

 

[malern28us]

and yes, the M16 or Full Auto bolt carrier is legal in an AR15.

Thanks!! I never knew that

 

[Lafayette Yeti]

how much "worse" is the enhanced bolt when compared to the full auto? What's gained by going with the full auto version?

 

[mvician]

how much "worse" is the enhanced bolt when compared to the full auto? What's gained by going with the full auto version?

Gained - a bit of extra weight, which is good since most "commercial" AR's tend to be over gassed. Adding a heavier buffer also help slow down the cyclic rate.

Worse - none if you run a heavier buffer.

 

[Mech45]

I have several BCG's I sent out for hard chrome and several JP BCG's. The hard chrome bolts are easy to clean and just get shiny and smoother the more you shoot them. The JP BCG's have some kind of "new" black finish that I believe is something like melonite or similiar. The JP stuff still runs smoother right out of the box compared to a hard chrome BCG's. The JP stuff is all I run now. HTH

Chris

 

[ssblair]

I bought a chromed BCG with my Model1Sales upper, thinking that it would be easier to clean than a "normal" bolt. It cleans up quite easily. I've heard that the chrome can flake off (which I know industrially that chrome can, if it take impacts on an edge), but I haven't used it hardly at all yet, so I'm figuring or hoping? that that might be an issue for mainly the "high-volume" operators rather than guys like me who take it out only every now and then.

I've also heard that the Nickel-Boron coatings are supposed to be as easy to clean as chrome, but darker and don't flake off, but then it's more $$ too.

 

[sgreen3]

Im really hoping to get one of Spikes NiB BCG for my upcomming build. They are very nice, and clean very easy.