Best bolt carrier group coating?

IAyoteHNTR

New member
I'm curious to know what our resident experts here think is the "best" bolt carrier group coating and why. I know of hard Chrome plating, Titanium Nitride (TiN) coating, or IonBond Diamond Coat, and Black Nitride. Are there others and if so what are they?

Of the ones I listed (or ones I don't know about yet) tell me what you think is best and why.

If I knew how to create a poll I would.

Thank you.

Trevor
 
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If you are a hunter, there is nothing wrong with a standard Mil-spec bolt carrier. If you are a three gun shooter, firing several thousands of rounds per month, every month; or a full auto shooter there might be something to fancy coatings.

Look at coatings like Nickel Boron or Titanium Nitride and most of us just opt for a standard mil-spec bolt carrier group, especially as hunters. You still have to clean and lube, it's not like the coatings let your run a Stoner design DI (direct impingement) gun dry.

Have fun learning about the coatings, and share what you find. It's all cool. Bottom line is that if you "think" that it helps, and have deep pockets and it makes you happy - I would never tell you not to get it. As a match shooter, confidence in your equipment is a grand thing.
 
I've got an NP3 BCG that I plan to be using back and forth between a suppressed 223 and suppressed 300 BLK in the near future.
You guys that shoot suppressed know how dirty your action gets.
I have NO DOUBT that this type of coating is superior to mil spec. If it's the best is hard to say, but I'm looking forward to not having to spend as long cleaning my bolt as I do my barrel.

Feeling how slick this thing is, it wouldn't surprise me if you can run some of them dry, but I would rather have the inside of the upper coated as well If I was going to do that.
 
I can speak to three alternative coatings:

(1) NiB -- Nickel Boron coating. I have one from WMD Guns and this stuff is very slick. Ideally as Cbass says you would have the inside of the upper coated as well, but just the NiB coated BCG is a great upgrade and far easier to clean than the traditional coating. It discolors a little, which is supposed to be normal, but you just wipe it down (versus scrubbing with the factory coatings).

(2) Cerakote makes a product called MicroSlik. Originally designed for internal engine parts, this is tough slick stuff. I was given a MicroSlik coated BCG to field test and it basically just wipes off with a paper towel (after about 50 rounds). STS Arms in Toledo, OR claims they have run one dry for thousands of rounds with no problems (MicroSlik coated BCG and upper).

(3) TiAlN(Titanium Aluminum Nitrate) it is a charcoal gray color not Gold like TiN. It is very tough stuff, and used on tool coatings I am told. Harrison Beene of AR Performance is the only one I know of who has made BCGs with this coating.

I have an article pending in AR Guns & Hunting that includes some video on the Cerakote and NiB products including the wipe down after the test firing. I'll post something once it runs.

Sendit
 
I've been buying surplus Colt M-16 bolt carrier groups at gun shows for use in the AR's I've built. I don't know what the coating is on those Colt military m-16 bolt carriers, but it makes those bolt carriers slide back and forth in my uppers buttery smooth.
 
What is a Salt Bath Nitride Finish? Daniel Defense uses this on the barrels that they make. These are cold hammer forged type of barrels. I'm not sure what type of coating they put on the BCG but I would hope that it's the same at the barrel.

I did find out that they Chrome Line the Carrier and shot peened the Bolt. And the MPI test the BCG and properly stake the Gas key.

I forgot that the part of the inside of the bolt Carrier was chromed. The part where the gas enters the bolt carrier group and where the bolt fits inside the bolt carrier. You have to look down inside the Bolt Carrier to see the chrome inside it. The rest of the Bolt Carrier and the bolt are not chromed in the one that came with my Ambush Firearm 5.56 AR15.

The Completely Chromed BCG sells for around $195. I saw one of those in their online catalog.

They do sell a completely chromed BCG that sells for about $205. But they are out of stock on those at this time. Feb 2014.
 
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Im always wondering when I read "coated & can run it dry for XKs of rounds" if they actually ran them for said counts or just 50-100 rounds then wiped them off which is IMO the same as zero.
Also if its in a climate controlled indoor range & 70* easy living temps. Id like to see actual tests in 0* & sub zero temps and covered w/snow, then in rain/mud/sand so on.
Ill stick to my standard bolts and run them wetish
 
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