BCG coating?

[DeputyDawg]

Can someone please explain the differences between Phosphate, Black Nitride, and Nickel Boron? The price difference within the same brand is nominal at best. Which one is better?
I ordered my lower today and am now pricing out the rest of the parts. I have my eye on a few BCG brands but am at a loss regarding the coating afford on them. In a similar situation with triggers but that's a whole different conversation

 

[paul73]

Best AR15 BCG Finishes - Pros Cons and Recommendations

AR15 bolt carrier groups are available in a variety of finishes including Phosphate, Black Nitride, & Nickel Boron. Find out which is right for your upgrade!

www.spicetac.com

all are same, in my opinion. if you will allow your negligence or ignorance to keep your rifle dirty after a range session in the safe - it will rust no matter what. as long you clean the bolt and barrel from the powder remnants after each shoot - it matters almost none, what the finish is.

 

[snax]

View: https://youtu.be/Yfs1Czm8iiE?si=dDTSHdTToOlJs548

Short- chrome or phosphate/chrome

 

[Compooky]

There isn’t really much of a difference. I’ve tried phosphate, nitride, dlc, and np3 so far. The slickest when close to dry is a nitrided one from JP followed by the np3 but I still use phosphate ones in my main rifles.

 

[Alex9661]

Best AR15 BCG Finishes - Pros Cons and Recommendations

AR15 bolt carrier groups are available in a variety of finishes including Phosphate, Black Nitride, & Nickel Boron. Find out which is right for your upgrade!

www.spicetac.com

all are same, in my opinion. if you will allow your negligence or ignorance to keep your rifle dirty after a range session in the safe - it will rust no matter what. as long you clean the bolt and barrel from the powder remnants after each shoot - it matters almost none, what the finish is.

Apparently, my rifles are somehow exempt from your rule. Typically, I clean them every 700-800 rounds of shitty steel case ammo or when I have nothing better to do, whichever comes first, no signs of corrosion anywhere.

 

[lukewarm_fuzz]

The fancier coatings make them quicker to clean in my experience. Well worth a couple extra bucks.

 

[Tallahassee]

I bought a nitride and NiB to try out. Their okay, nothing wrong with them. The NiB didn't seem to hold the lube that great, but I guess that's the purpose behind the coating. I just prefer to run phosphate. Buy some extra parts for them, or a whole complete BCG to keep on hand.

As far as cleaning? Not very often, never had anything corrode.

 

[Mountain]

From most to least 'slick':

Nitride > NiB >> Phosphate

I find both nitride and NiB to both be significantly more slick than phosphate finishes.

Phosphate does not outperform nitride nor NiB, it is simply cheaper. If you can get a quality BCG in nitride or NiB at a price that is OK for you, I recommend that. Note that I said 'quality'. JP, Wilson Combat, and Aero are BCG's that I rank high for quality, in that order.

 

[Warm_Garand]

Phosphate is the original USGI finish. It works just fine.

Nickel Boron looks pretty, and it is slick--but it goes grey with use, and at the end of the day it is a coating applied over the surface of the base metal..

Black Nitride isn't a coating, it is a surface treatment. It is slick and hard.

You'd do well with any of them--more important is that your bolt carrier group is in spec and high quality.

MicroBest makes excellent bolt carrier groups. They manufacture both the bolt AND the bolt carrier. They make them for big name AR companies like Bravo Company.

You searched for microbest | Midwest Optics

midwestoptics.net

Toolcraft only makes the bolt carrier. The bolt is made by someone else, and who that "someone else" is may vary drastically. Check the specs carefully.

If you have a friend in a free state, PSA "premium" bolt carrier groups have a good reputation.

https://palmettostatearmory.com/toolcraft-logo-d-premium-5-56-nickel-boron-bcg-with-carpenter-158-bolt-5165449729.html

They don't ship to MA because the AG is justifiably afraid someone might put their eye out.

 

[Marty McFly]

Am I the only one that just buys the color they are looking for?

 

[DeputyDawg]

looking at the Aero. Is there anything better in that price range? It's around $135.

 

[Warm_Garand]

looking at the Aero. Is there anything better in that price range? It's around $135.

You mean like a MicroBest for $95?

Shop Microbest BCG Mil-Spec C158 HPT/MPI 5.56 Bolt Carrier Group - Black Nitride | Midwest Optics

The Microbest BCG has been designed from the ground up with the most avid shooters in mind, using only the best materials available on the market today. The

midwestoptics.net

There is probably nothing wrong with the Aero BCG. It will probably serve you fine for your intended purposes. Not sure why you'd want to pay $40 more for an Aero--but OK.

How To Choose Your Bolt Carrier Group

Are you on the market for a new bolt carrier group? Check out our top recommendations for the best BCG's our there today.

www.5dtactical.com

Money Shot: ...The honest truth is that there isn’t a huge difference between the two brands (Toolcraft and Micro-best). For 99% of end users, Toolcraft will be certainly good enough. However, Microbest will make the difference for competitive shooters and those in duty functions such as military or law enforcement. If it means anything to you; all the BCG’s used in AR-15’s made by Sons of Liberty, Daniel Defense, Triarch, Sionics Weapons Systems, Type A Rifle Company, and SLR Rifle Works all use Microbest BCG’s.

 

[Compooky]

Might want to pay attention to the bolt material too. Most people probably prefer C158. 9310 is slightly better when done properly but easier to fck up.

 

[DW357]

Polished chrome anyone? Lmao I spent more on the hard chrome than the actual bolt
Was curious how it would hold up and speed up cleaning. Only got a couple hundred rounds on it

 

[FPrice]

Polished chrome anyone? Lmao I spent more on the hard chrome than the actual bolt
Was curious how it would hold up and speed up cleaning. Only got a couple hundred rounds on it
View attachment 833129View attachment 833130

@DW357 I notice that it also has a cocking handle. How does that whole setup work for you?

 

[Bmcl322]

Everything you need to know:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yfs1Czm8iiE

 

[DW357]

@DW357 I notice that it also has a cocking handle. How does that whole setup work for you?

Works well. This is a bear creek arsenal side charging 7.62x39 10" upper. Although the barrel has been swapped to a lighter profile barrel.

 

[Matt_SERE]

Wow, same question two years ago in December 2021

AR-15 Bolt Carrier and Rifle Cut Away Demonstration

I learned a lot from this video.

www.northeastshooters.com

BTW: @SOTAR is a member here. Subscribe to his channel or Instagram.

Links

Eradicating bad AR-15 info, one build at a time Welcome to the School of the American Rifle (SOTAR), your go-to source for expert knowledge and guidance on AR-15s. Our mission is to combat the spread…

schooloftheamericanrifle.com

 

[JDL]

The only reason to purchase anything other then a standard mil-spec bolt and bolt carrier is so you can brag about it. The military has been using standard bolts and bolt carriers from the time the m16-ar15 and m4's was invented without a problem. The bolt carrier rides on a very small area in the upper receiver and the bolt rides on the gas rings and in the barrel extention. This is all parts manufacturers snake oil to just get you to spend uneedely.

 

[lukewarm_fuzz]

The only reason to purchase anything other then a standard mil-spec bolt and bolt carrier is so you can brag about it. The military has been using standard bolts and bolt carriers from the time the m16-ar15 and m4's was invented without a problem. The bolt carrier rides on a very small area in the upper receiver and the bolt rides on the gas rings and in the barrel extention. This is all parts manufacturers snake oil to just get you to spend uneedely.

 

[Tartakovsky]

I’m less concerned about the coating and more concerned about 1. The steel used, 2. If magnetic particle tested, 3. If gas key is properly staked, etc. Also, if the bolt has fancy stuff like smaller diameter cam pocket and dual extractors (KAC) or a fancy cam pin (POF) and cam pin longer cam pin slot (LMT), I’m a fan. All that said, I’ve never had a bolt or bolt carrier fail, though I keep an extra BCG or two handy for different rifles. A good BCG from Colt, LMT, Noveske, DD, BCM likely will never steer you wrong. All that said, I like slick coatings like nitride and nickel as it makes cleaning BCGs quick and easy vs phosphate. I did have a lug shear on a milspec Colt BCG but the BCG still did its job, and at that point, probably had 10k rds + on it.