What BCG would you use?

[Creeky73]

so I have a S&W Sport II, and I am strongly considering buying another BCG. Obviously there is nothing wrong with the one that came with it, but I'd like to accomplish two things with a new one:

1. The new version needs to have some kind of treatment, process or coating that makes it a bit more reliable if it has to go to a high round count between cleanings and lubrication.
Something like chrome, NP3, melonite or similar.

2. This will allow me to pillage the bolt and all the other parts off the factory BCG and store them in the stock or in a pack as back-up to breakage.

So. The question is, which BCG would you use, and why? Also, it would be helpful if the one you recommend was actually available, not some unicorn-vaporware part that no one can ever find in-stock somewhere.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[Slippers]

Don't waste your money. Lube is cheap. Cleaning is overrated. :)

[UWone77]

Don't waste your money. Lube is cheap. Cleaning is overrated. :)

My duty guns are basically the only guns that get a good cleaning. Everything else gets lube, a wipe down, and some quick bore snake action.

I still like nitride and NiB coatings though as they make the wipe down process easier as it's not a porous as phosphate. If it was 7-8 years ago when say Fail Zero was the only game in town and $250, I'd say pass. Nowadays a lot of options out there for the same or a few dollars more than their phosphate counterparts.

[Default.mp3]

I often hear Sionics in a positive light: http://sionicsweaponsystems.com/store2015/bolt-carrier-group-components/31-bolt-carrier-group-np3-coated-carrier-bolt-and-cam-pin.html

I personally use LMT Enhanced BCGs in my DI guns; I don't really care for coated/treated carriers, and rather just add lube, particularly since I shoot suppressed almost exclusively.

[FortTom]

A quality NiB or NP3. Makes cleaning as simple as spraying on some "Gun Scrubber" and wiping with a piece of T-shirt. On those bolts, any left on carbon build up can be "scraped" with my thumbnail. Make sure you re-lube well, the gun scrubber takes everything off. You can also use the cheap brake cleaner spray from Wal Mart for about a buck a can, but it's not safe for use on wood, rubber or polymer parts. This method makes cleaning the Lower, Upper and BCG about a 20 minute affair. I have scrapped enough phosphorus bolts in my life time to last me forever, and now it's just been a minor distraction, for a number of years.

FT[:D]

[Stone]

Mystic black. http://www.crypticcoatings.com/mystic-black-bolt-carrier-group-coating/

http://www.weaponevolution.com/forum/showthread.php?7435-Cryptic-Coatings-BCG-10K-rounds-Review

[BoilerUp]

two or three times a year Primary Arms will sell the Fail Zero BCGs for $99. I'd wait for that deal to come up again and jump on it.

[cjd3]

I often hear Sionics in a positive light: http://sionicsweaponsystems.com/store2015/bolt-carrier-group-components/31-bolt-carrier-group-np3-coated-carrier-bolt-and-cam-pin.html

This is the BCG I've been looking at getting. Well, I've been looking at sending mine to Robar for the treatment, but it's spendy after the fact.

Edit: Lefty BCGs

[din]

Roger has the Sionics BCGs for sale on the Forward Controls website. Ordering from him should save you approximately one-hundred billion dollars on shipping.

[Creeky73]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Sharps BBC and Relia Bolt. I know it had some teething issues and some bad press from some YouTube vids showing early breakage of the bolt but it was also determined that it was more than likely a faulty gun that caused those issues. It's not much more than a lot I've seen and still coming in less than Fail Zero used to peddle their product for.

[SINNER]

You won't find many people around here falling for gimmick products that are a cure for a problem that does not exist.

I'd go with either of these and not look back.

https://www.cmttac.com/AR_Components?product_id=151

http://fathomarms.com/product/black-nitride-bolt-carrier-group-mil-spec/

[BoilerUp]

I should have added that one of the things I look for is a C-158 bolt. Lots of very good bolts that use 9310, but I prefer to stick with mil-spec because I believe everything I read on the internet.

[Former11B]

I picked up a couple NiB BCGs from PSA on sale a while back; MPI, HPT, C-158 bolt. I run them in suppressed guns and I have had zero issues.

[FortTom]

two or three times a year Primary Arms will sell the Fail Zero BCGs for $99. I'd wait for that deal to come up again and jump on it.
Figures....I think I paid about $200 bucks ea. for mine. Used to come with an extra NiB hammer.

FT

[UWone77]

Figures....I think I paid about $200 bucks ea. for mine. Used to come with an extra NiB hammer.

FT

The new Fail Zero kits include the entire trigger group for $199 now.

Or get just the BCG on sale for $99, and if you really want the hammer, you can buy them directly from FZ for $25.

[FortTom]

I have aftermarket triggers in all of my rifles. I just gave the hammers away. If I need another BCG I'll check them out. Hope the quality didn't go down with the price.

FT

[Creeky73]

You won't find many people around here falling for gimmick products that are a cure for a problem that does not exist.

I'd go with either of these and not look back.

https://www.cmttac.com/AR_Components?product_id=151

http://fathomarms.com/product/black-nitride-bolt-carrier-group-mil-spec/

Yeah I get what you're saying, but extrapolate that idea further and the bcg's you pointed out are fairly unnecessary as well, seeing as how basic phosphate parts have worked forever, and those are pretty cheap these days. I can remember not too long ago you had to drop around $150 to even get what was considered a pretty nice yet basic bcg, like BCM or take your pick. If I can get one of those for $70-80 (not necessarily BCM), why bother paying more?

Just playing devil's advocate.

To your recommendations though, the enhanced version from Fathom looks quite a bit like what I had in mind. I'd rather have nitride/melonite over a coating that could potentially chip off if I had my druthers.

[tact]

I am sure one could say I've wasted a bunch of money on BCGs, but I try a lot of stuff out on various builds to satisfy my curiosity. I personally will never use a phosphate BCG ever. I don't care that they work and are basically cheap compared to a coated BCG. Too many years of having to clean them in the military and unfortunately the duty rifle has one. I just hate phosphate. Additionally, I shoot primarily suppressed anyway. I've ran the gamut of NiB, TiN, nitride/melonite, Cryptic coating variations, Mad Black coated, and even a couple of titanium models shooting the price even higher. I've even had the inside of uppers coated. I really can't say I have any brand loyalty so it doesn't effect my choices. All in all I feel their is a benefit to some level of a lubricious property added to metal parts that move on other metal parts whether suppressed or not. Beyond that I wouldn't say that one coating is far superior over another.

[alamo5000]

I will add my 2 cents in here but a lot of people here have way more experience than me. I can only speak from my own experiences.

I started out with a plain phosphate BCG. Naturally it worked great. All mil spec from a excellent supplier. Eventually on some of the friction areas it wore off the black stuff on there.

Fast forward quite a while and I too got some spare/back up etc BCGs. One was CMT Nitride and the other was Griffin Nitride. Neither use C-158 (or whatever the mil spec material is).

The first thing I noticed was that the BCGs were MUCH smoother and better polished up. This was primarily due to the better machining (and finishing) and partly due to the treatment. In other words a junky machined BCG won't be as smooth as one that basically gets polished up before they are done.

I personally could see and feel the difference between the phosphate one and the other two. The others cycle waaay smoother. It's noticeable.

Up until now I have seen zero problems but I can tell you this much... I see a benefit to running nitride. It is a treatment not a coating. They get the metal how they want it and then harden the crap out of it. If the black stuff wears off so what. The metal properties of the treated metal are still GTG. You also can use less lube merely because of the combination of quality machining (and finishing/polishing) and the nitride treatment. Personally I think the polishing part plays a bigger role but together those two make a hard to beat combo.

If you nitride a piece of crap it will still be a piece of crap. If it's not smooth before treatment it won't be smooth after. Take that for what it's worth.

In either case though both phosphate and all the others make the gun go bang all the same, the differences though are with those (quality) nitrided parts that have been finished properly everything just runs smoother. It was enough to be noticeable.

[FortTom]

Too many years of having to clean them in the military and unfortunately the duty rifle has one. I just hate phosphate....

Yeah Tact...errr...ahhhh... yeah. Something like that...sounds familiar..

FT[:D]

[mustangfreek]

You won't find many people around here falling for gimmick products that are a cure for a problem that does not exist.

I'd go with either of these and not look back.

http://fathomarms.com/product/black-nitride-bolt-carrier-group-mil-spec/

Bumping this thread as its close enough for my question..

Been looking and haven't seen any enhanced fathom bcgs around, but looking at the blacklist e-bcg it appears the same?

Any info