Bolt Carrier

[Remote Camper]

This site is a little hard to take sometimes. A lot of these people are from Massachusetts where they have to really think about their firearms purchases and parts. These guys have money and will buy the absolute best because they can. The average guy may consider them snobs only because they will buy the absolute best one they can where the average guy will just buy a lower priced item.
They are not snobs they just overly picky because they have to be.

This site is actually really good as far as activity compared to the other 2 to 4 forums that I have been members of since the late 90s.
Experience is on par but sometime they get a little sidetracked.

I know what you’re saying you just want something new something different since the rest of your gun is brand new.
But I’m sure you don’t wanna spend $180 and up on a bolt and carrier.

Do yourself a favor and sign up for surplusammo.com emails. Black Friday is coming and they should have good deals on complete bolt carriers of all kinds and different finishes, as well as weekly deals.


RC

 

[jjm1986]

This site is a little hard to take sometimes. A lot of these people are from Massachusetts where they have to really think about their firearms purchases and parts. These guys have money and will buy the absolute best because they can. The average guy may consider them snobs only because they will buy the absolute best one they can where the average guy will just buy a lower priced item.
They are not snobs they just overly picky because they have to be.

This site is actually really good as far as activity compared to the other 2 to 4 forums that I have been members of since the late 90s.
Experience is on par but sometime they get a little sidetracked.

I know what you’re saying you just want something new something different since the rest of your gun is brand new.
But I’m sure you don’t wanna spend $180 and up on a bolt and carrier.

Do yourself a favor and sign up for surplusammo.com emails. Black Friday is coming and they should have good deals on complete bolt carriers of all kinds and different finishes, as well as weekly deals.


RC

Thanks buddy lol. Honestly I’ll spend 200 on a bolt carrier. I want all good shit I have a couple mil spec ARs and one high end. This rifle I’m going for a bit on the pricey side. Thanks again I have lived in NH for less than a year glad to be away from the mass nonsense.

 

[Remote Camper]

I have been pondering the thought building a 308 AR 15 and I’m thinking about possibly going AERO Precision with the billet upper and lower. This was’t going to be a simple cheap build either but something nice and expensive, well worth putting together.
If there is a better 308 matched upper and lower like to know as long as it’s a cool looking billet and not boring looking like a standard AR15.


RC

 

[jjm1986]

I have been pondering the thought building a 308 AR 15 and I’m thinking about possibly going AERO Precision with the billet upper and lower. This was’t going to be a simple cheap build either but something nice and expensive, well worth putting together.
If there is a better 308 matched upper and lower like to know as long as it’s a cool looking billet and not boring looking like a standard AR15.


RC

I should of went with the 308 set. Next level had them for a solid price a while back.

 

[citoriguy]

I have been pondering the thought building a 308 AR 15 and I’m thinking about possibly going AERO Precision with the billet upper and lower. This was’t going to be a simple cheap build either but something nice and expensive, well worth putting together.
If there is a better 308 matched upper and lower like to know as long as it’s a cool looking billet and not boring looking like a standard AR15.


RC

It’s worth it - the Aero Precision lower and upper are solid. I don’t have anything to compare them to from an AR308 perspective, but I like how solid they feel.

 

[PD7]

I have been pondering the thought building a 308 AR 15 and I’m thinking about possibly going AERO Precision with the billet upper and lower. This was’t going to be a simple cheap build either but something nice and expensive, well worth putting together.
If there is a better 308 matched upper and lower like to know as long as it’s a cool looking billet and not boring looking like a standard AR15.


RC

I have two .308 Aero Precision M5 builds. They are great, but just to clarify they are NOT billet. They are forged and Aero adds a little styling to get that billet "look".

 

[jjm1986]

Okay, I just purchased a spikes tactical for 120$ off primary arms. I went with the standard 556 carrier. It was for sale and had great reviews. Also picked up a lower and upper set and going to do a pistol build. And I’ll use my old bolt so it’s not going to waist.

 

[rali]

Do yourself a favor and sign up for surplusammo.com emails. Black Friday is coming and they should have good deals on complete bolt carriers of all kinds and different finishes, as well as weekly deals.
RC

I think your observations about MA-stuck build/buy tendencies were spot on.

But I do have to point out that SurplusAmmo.com is one of “those places” that won’t ship to Massachusetts (ammunition to an FFL only - Eff that noise!) so, yeah, no, not necessarily the best suggestion.

R, stuck here for now

 

[greencobra]

broken record here...but yeah, bcm is also my default. like anything else, if i shopped around i probably could have done just as good for a few bucks less. but i'm happy, it sucks to second guess myself.

 

[frenchman]

Thanks buddy lol. Honestly I’ll spend 200 on a bolt carrier. I want all good shit I have a couple mil spec ARs and one high end. This rifle I’m going for a bit on the pricey side. Thanks again I have lived in NH for less than a year glad to be away from the mass nonsense.

Anderson receivers are on the pricey side?
Seriously tho, when it comes to BCGs, my go to is BCM. They're no frills, high quality parts with all the inspections needed for a one of the strictest QCs in the industry. Mine run dry, wet, clean, dirty, you name it.

 

[PatMcD]

Okay, I just purchased a spikes tactical for 120$ off primary arms. I went with the standard 556 carrier. It was for sale and had great reviews. Also picked up a lower and upper set and going to do a pistol build. And I’ll use my old bolt so it’s not going to waist.

The bolt is the wear item that needs periodic replacing. Not often, but every couple of barrels or so. The carrier doesn't really see any wear at all.

I just drive over to Windham Weaponry whenever I get a sale notice that they have complete BCG's for $100. Nothing special; just mill spec parts.

 

[jjm1986]

I feel like the gentleman was right before when he said the ppl from mass just don’t want to help because they are bullshit they can’t build one. I asked several ppl here from mass and they basically said why bother. Everybody from up north gave me some ideas.

 

[mac1911]

I had a Brownells BCG that didn't get along with my Ballistic Advantage barrel. I think the bolt lugs were a little on the sharp side. That said, Brownells replaced it no questions asked and the replacement was AOK.

For @jjm1986 , the critical part of your BCG is simply the bolt itself. So long as the carrier functions smoothly in your upper, there's nothing special about it. A high quality bolt assembly will however make a difference in reliability and accuracy. The JP enhanced bolt assembly will serve you well, and I'd wager that you can simply keep your existing bolt carrier J P ENTERPRISES AR-15/M16 5.56 ENHANCED BOLT ASSEMBLY | Brownells . I have a Ballistic Advantage Premium Series 6.5 CM barrel for my AR-308 and am using a similar JP bolt but the high pressure version w/ matching firing pin. That combo has shot several groups below 0.3 MOA and one 100 yard group that was approx 0.12" if I recall correctly.

bownells has gone above and beyound for customer service. i had a tool set they could not get individual parts for. Sent me a complete new kit.
Take returns no problem. Im sure like any manufacture/vendor they will have some stuff that does not play well with others.

 

[mac1911]

I feel like the gentleman was right before when he said the ppl from mass just don’t want to help because they are bullshit they can’t build one. I asked several ppl here from mass and they basically said why bother. Everybody from up north gave me some ideas.

I think its because "it works why waste money" mentality.
Now go this route. You spent the money on all these new parts then crammed a used bolt head in there. Now your new barrel has wear from a old bolt and now your stuffing a new bolt that will have different contacts and wear?
Maybe next build buy a barrel with a matched bolt.

AR-15/M16 MATCH BARREL/BOLT SET | Brownells

Stainless steel barrel is precision machined to match-grade tolerances and custom-fit to its own bolt to give your rifle the exceptional accuracy of a custom-shop barrel in a drop-in package. Each barrel is assigned a bolt before any machining beg...

www.brownells.com

Its all fun and theres a lot of folks around NES that will try to save you money vs spending money you really dont have to.
Now if you dont have confidence in that old bolt you will do well to replace it. Keeps that 6" grey blob from casting doubt on your gear.

 

[mac1911]

The problem doesn’t exist because there isn’t one.i just want a new bolt carrier the entire rifle is brand new except the bolt just want something new. The one in the rifle probably has 15 thousand plus rounds through it.

just back reading this thread.
You used a bolt with 15k rounds on it on a nice new barrel? That was a Anderson BCG? If so proven itself , why not go Anderson again.

 

[556USER]

I like the Colt SP64028 BCG. Not carved out in the bottom rear, capable of tripping auto sear. Has a little more weight. Always run great for me. I got my last one here at a decent price Colt M16/AR15 Complete Bolt Carrier Assembly - NEW - C ETCHED/MPC MARKED Much better than Brownells price.

 

[TomMontana]

I feel like the gentleman was right before when he said the ppl from mass just don’t want to help because they are bullshit they can’t build one. I asked several ppl here from mass and they basically said why bother. Everybody from up north gave me some ideas.

The confusion appears to be from you OP. The title is bolt carrier, but then it reads like you're using bolt carrier and bolt interchangeably. Other posters were providing input that a new bolt carrier by itself is not needed. Buying a new bolt or a bolt carrier group (bolt and bolt carrier) would probably make more sense.

The only ones in Mass who "can't build one" are the same ones who check the gun roster lists. Pretty sure anyone can build one if they put in some effort and make friends with others who are into firearms.

 

[frenchman]

To the person who was looking for a billet ar10 upper: Cobalt Kinetics! I've seen only one in person, but it was stunning. Machining and finish are on the next level. Unfortunately, so is the price.

 

[92G]

if your current bolt is working well and headspaces nicely to the barrel I would leave it alone
"fixing" parts that work well...uh oh

if want to drop some cash on a project just build a new upper

 

[DW357]

The confusion appears to be from you OP. The title is bolt carrier, but then it reads like you're using bolt carrier and bolt interchangeably. Other posters were providing input that a new bolt carrier by itself is not needed. Buying a new bolt or a bolt carrier group (bolt and bolt carrier) would probably make more sense.

Yup

 

[Dennis in MA]

lewis machine and tool produces the best BCG's on the market and offer them in 2 flavors, standard and enhanced

Cue the Colt fanboys telling you you don’t know anything. Lol

 

[mikelawtown]

my AIM NIB BCG’s have been flawless in probably 6-7k rounds. Still slick to the touch and was like 109 dollars

 

[mac1911]

I been using these for some time.
SLick, easy to clean (when I do it) about 6k on the oldest one.

Complete Bolt Carrier Groups

Rock River Arms, Inc. offers a complete line of American made, custom built AR15 style rifles.

www.rockriverarms.com

 

[PatMcD]

$70

ToolCraft Black Nitride Auto Bolt Carrier Group .223/5.56 w/ 9310 Bolt

Toolcraft Inc. is an OEM manufacturer of bolt carrier groups trusted by the U.S. Military and civilian markets alike. ToolCraft BCG’s carry a lifetime no questions asked warranty. ToolCraft manufactures this BCG using a proprietary blend of 8620 aircraft steel which they claim to be the “Best...

www.classicfirearms.com

 

[mac1911]

$70

ToolCraft Black Nitride Auto Bolt Carrier Group .223/5.56 w/ 9310 Bolt

Toolcraft Inc. is an OEM manufacturer of bolt carrier groups trusted by the U.S. Military and civilian markets alike. ToolCraft BCG’s carry a lifetime no questions asked warranty. ToolCraft manufactures this BCG using a proprietary blend of 8620 aircraft steel which they claim to be the “Best...

www.classicfirearms.com

but pat thats not carpenter 158 steel on that bolt....giggle giggle. Still looking for that NES sarcasm pegged meter emoji

 

[rkwjunior]

lewis machine and tool produces the best BCG's on the market and offer them in 2 flavors, standard and enhanced

What makes them the best? Are they better than milspec? What testing is done to bring them over an above the testing done on Milspec Bcg's?

 

[DW357]

What makes them the best? Are they better than milspec? What testing is done to bring them over an above the testing done on Milspec Bcg's?

Is it the MPI/HPT? Or is that standard with milspec bolts too?

 

[Bistro]

If you want to put money in a BCG. I would get an LMT enhanced bolt with a KAC sand cutter carrier

 

[dcmdon]

I have a friend who bought a $260 PSA upper that included bolt carrier group and charging handle.

He uses it on his machine gun. So far the guns got close to 10,000 full auto rounds. Usually dumped in 30 round increments.

The BCG is going strong.

 

[dcmdon]

But in all seriousness. Just buy a BCM, or LMT and be done with it.

Anything more is just man jewelry.