I have been running a tool craft BCG NiB for 4 years with thousands of rounds of mixed brass and steel case ammo. I purchased everything to rebuild the BCG just in case because steel case ammo can be hard on the extractor but have never had replace a thing. For me the tool craft BCG has been exceptional in every aspect.
I am one of the machinists that make these Toolcraft BCG's. First of all, that firing pin should have never made it by. Also, that area you measured on the mic, what we call the "band", has a direct relationship in dimension to the "tail" when being machined. Which explains why they were both undersized. The measurement you got on the mic is still within our machining tolerances, but is below nominal, and could have also been caused by wear. You'd be surprised how many companies we supply these same BCG's to
The dimensions I look for are not based on machining call outs or prints. This is not an attack on anyone's work. The things I look for are based off various troubleshooting principles I have developed working on this particular machine. Lots of companies will say things fall withing proper or acceptable ranges, but that does not always account for the entire recipe (the entire gun and how other parts interface). I don't cover all of the how and why in my videos, that's reserved for classes. I'm very much aware about OEM suppliers and how the industry works. I train employees from people across the firearm industry.
Can I ask about the groove on the firing pin? Why it's there and its reasoning? Also, it's hard to tell but it looked like the transfer from the body of the pin to the "umbrella" or shoulder looked like it was squared off with no radius at all. If it's there and just a tight radius then I just missed it. Also, I'm bot sure the wear inside the bolt carrier was some sort of defect. Looks almost like the gas rings had sand or something abrasive jamming them up and grinding against the run. That area usually starts to smooth out and become almost polished if the parts are cleaned and cared for properly. The gas rings are designed to wear and bot as hard as the steel used for the BCG. I've replaced my share of gas rings and have yet to see any substantial damage to a rifle like that, even when extreme temps are involved. I've just never heard of toolcraft so I'm bot familiar with them as a company. I'm also not a fan of coated BCGs personality. I've seen more issues come from coated BCGs than treated or just plain parkerized bolts. None of this is an attack. I'm just curious on the things I asked about and have my own opinions. Hope I politely shared my thoughts. It sounds like you take a lot of pride in the products you make and honestly I can respect someone who takes pride in their work and what they do. We need more of that.
For their price point and consistent quality, (25 year rifle builder, 'Smith and refinisher) the TC BCGs are pretty great, I've run them brutally in MGs and they've done very well.
Every manufacturer lets a lemon get by sometime, and good for you to start by acknowledging that the short firing pin is unacceptable. The finish on the firing pin also is rough. The unusual wear/tool marks in the gas ring and bolt tail runs bother me. The price point on these BCGs, especially the 308 versions, is very attractive, and I know that Tool Craft is a BIG supplier to other vendors. The question is whether or not some of those other vendors have tighter QC. I do NOT know the answer to that key question.
Well if these BCG’s regardless of who they are manufactured for are coming are out like this, (close to failing but in tolerance condition) then maybe QA/QC should be tighter than just “Passing the buck” to the consumer. So if a BCG is at close to failing but passing tolerances, it won’t be long under hard use before a failure of some type will occur.
I love you videos. You have single handedly taught me so much about the AR platform. Before watching your videos I was too scared to tamper with anything on my AR. Since your video I have broken down all my BCG’s and inspected them all and changed all the extractor springs to Springco springs with just the insert no donut. Thank you for your knowledge wise sage.
Just found these videos last week and love them. Sure envious of his guage sets. So now I imagine we're all going to grab our bore scopes and check for magnetism too. Never thought about scoping my BCGs before so this should be fun. Thank you for all your educational content.
I have a NiB toolcraft bcg and it has identical wear on the bottom from the hammer. Just a regular hammer from a cmmg parts kit. Rough grooves you can easily feel with a fingernail.
FYI. I have had some issues with Toolcraft bolts in the last couple of months. Their customer service has been good. But they informed me they only make carriers. At this point they out source the manufacture of the bolts that go into their bolt carrier groups.
I was shooting the other day with my el-cheapo AR15 build that I've owned for maybe 8 years. Never had a problem with it until yesterday. I fired 6 rounds out of it. When I fired the 7th, it fired 2 rounds full auto, then would not fire another round. I could hear the hammer hit when I'd pull the trigger but the primer had a very light strike. It was hard to eject the unfired round. Very hard to eject the round. I happened to also have a 300BO upper with me so I put the BCG from that upper into my .223 upper and it fired just fine again. I can't find anything visually wrong with the BCG other than some very shiny spots on the cam pin. The rifle only has maybe 500 rounds through it. The only other thing that I thought it could maybe be, at least in part, is that the ammo I was shooting was reloads that I made several years ago. I had loaded up 100 of these JHP rounds, but I fired 80 of them in the past without a single problem. They were very accurate, ejection was all in the same pile of brass on the ground. Firing pin is identical length to the one in the 300BO BCG, so it's not a broken firing pin.
I have a Tool Craft BCG and it's brand new and the finish on it is perfect. I don't have all the tools to measure all of the tolerances. I'm really curious how a BCG that is made for the military would fair in your test.
@@crunchybones2528 they’ve had a few contracts at best. It’s irrelevant though, since most of the toolcraft BCG’s you see out there aren’t milspec (no mention of HPT along with MPI testing, a lot of them with 9310 bolts instead of C158, etc)
Difference is, the military has armorers who are inspecting and repairing weapons that are checked in as a routine. They have a much easier time keeping everything running smoothly than we do on the civilian side. On the other hand, a guy I knew in USMC boot camp had a mechanical issue with his service rifle on the final qualification day on the Known Distance range, which made him default to his pre-qualification score. Those rifles had a LOT of rounds on them though. haha
I bought a toolcraft NIB BCG in March of 2020 and have been plagued by light primer strikes since then, I think you just did me a favor. Thank you, great information
Dude i dont think you can make a bad video. Guess its what a person is looking for. If anyone is looking for knowledge this is the best place to be. Keep them coming.
I’ve been watching so many of these videos it is making my head spin.. to prevent me from having to watch again and take notes, do have a few manufacturers who you feel like consistently impress you when you are doing your physicals?
Negative. When we machine these BCG's, we machine them one dimension for everyone. The buyer simply specifies their desired coating or treatment after they are made
@@tylerlondon5052 we subcontract the plating/treatments, so I'm not completely knowledgable on the subject. But from what i have measured, parkerizing has no measureable addition to dimensions, at least not down to .0001" anyway. We make all bolts the same dimensions, no matter whom they are going to, the only difference is 556 bolts and 223 bolts, those have slightly different dimensions in certain places(not headspace) and are made from different materials. So whatever plating the buyer wants, is on them, we dont adjust dimensions for it, whether its simple nitriding, or the cheap shiny black coating a lot of gun makers seem to prefer these days is. Ive even seen some of our bolts be gold plated. I know none of our bolts are chrome plated though. As far as I'm aware, only LMT, Knights, and perhaps one or two other manufacturers make chrome plated bolts. LMT and Knights do their own machining in house, but im sure they account for the thickness of the chrome. I did measure an LMT enhanced bolt(with the special coating/treatment) next to a standard bolt, and the critical dimensions were the same, if that tells you anything. I think the dimensional changes required of a bolt are why most manufacturers dont offer chrome bolts, as well as the fact that chroming gun parts is something that you really have to be good at to do successfully, and also its cost prohibitive.
What causes the magnetism to occur is it part of the manufacturing process or does it have something to do with normal usage of the BCG? So if I check my BCGs once is that sufficient or do I have to check them over regular intervals to ensure they don't become magnetized? Also is there an at-home easier way to demagnetize vs having to have your demagnetizamometer, since I am pretty sure that was not a cheap acquisition?
I went the Toolcraft route myself. Not too long ago the Nitride BCG's were about 60.00 on sale. Too good to pass up for a solid BCG with Lifetime warranty.
Sons Of Liberty Gun Works (phosphate) with a Lifetime Guarantee, Forward Control Design BCG but are expensive and don't seem to be in stock anywhere and Sionics Weapon Systems but only have a phosphate version in stock. Microbest is better than Toolcraft in my opinion. The Palmetto State Armory PSA Custom Fathers of Freedom 5.56 Full Auto Profile Phosphate Coated Bolt Carrier is made by Microbest.
I personally have run the same Anderson Arms RF85 upper, BCG, and barrel since 2015. I have probably close to 15,000 rounds through it and the entire thing can be cleaned with soapy water. In a side by side test they ran one bone dry against a well lubed mil spec M4, both on M4 lowers, in full auto. The M4 made it to about 800 or 900ish rounds and failed to continue (witch is a bit by design and by no means a low number). The RF85 went to 1400 and they stopped because the hand guard went up in flames but this internals were pretty much in perfect condition to keep going. This is just one metric to gauge quality. If you want a good BCG look at the company's warranty and that will tell you if you'll be buying a new BCG for your rifle down the road or if that's the last BCG you'll ever buy for that gun.
@@clint2211 agreed, microbest oem's for a bunch of big names. I've got a standard m16 profile phosphate microbest that's extremely well done. Everything about it is perfect with no gimmicks or snake oil.
I have that wearing on the bottom of my bcg . Its due to rough finish(deep grooving])on hammer (Psa ept lower).Excessive wear to bolt carrier group due to notches in hammer. I was told this is normal, after waiting two weeks for a reply from psa and that " it will smooth itself out" even though they know that , and i quote "The hammer face is one of the hardest sections of metal in the entire firearm." -(PSA) And with that being said they would have to know that the bolt carrier group would be completely worn-out long before the hammer begins to smooth out.
Its a coating rather than a treatment, and thus changes tolerances. It also will discolor over time and really isnt better than many other modern treatments or coatings. It may also be less durable than other coatings or surface treatments.
It’s super smooth but does wear off relatively quick on hard contact surfaces. Like hammer area... still good though I’ve got this bcg. Never a problem. Best bang for the buck probably
it wears/chips off, it changes tolerances, its wear resistance improvement is less than chrome, less than nitriding (while costing more), less than DLC, less than stellite, and less than Titanium Nitride. NP3 is similar except it costs more and has much better corrosion resistance. Of these nitride is the hardest to screw up since it is a surface conversion not a coating, it doesn't significantly change tolerances which makes producing properly toleranced BCGS in nitride much easier than any of the coatings, especially mass production at a low price point. Titanium Nitride is an exception since it is so thin it almost doesn't change the tolerances either. For an economy bcg (200 bcg, I would go with DLC. At the 200-300 price point the QA and machine work are good enough out of shops like Geissele and JP and DD that you will almost certainly get a properly toleranced bolt no matter what coating. The premium BCGs from PSA are also pretty good although I forget what coating they use. In general I would avoid phosphate altogether. While it is functional, it is completely overshadowed by nitride/QPQ in every practical way and the price difference is usually 10 or 15 dollars.
I wish you would order new items in and do QA testing so we can use you for deciding what items are best or best for the money. If you did, manufacturers might increase there quality or at least the QA done before shipping items out. At the moment we don't know if a BCM bolt is better than a PSA, Brownells, Spikes, Anderson or Aero we all think it is but we don't know it to be a fact.
My first ever BCG was a toolcraft nib. I'd do things differently now but I can't complain because I haven't had any issues with it although that build doesn't get run very much anymore
Cool to see the whole process but pointing out why would have been appreciated. Quick measurement of the bolt and the firing pin as well as a follow up on they there was wear like that on the carrier... Do you see all notched hammers cause this? I was unaware but just ordered a 2 stage that has a notched hammer. It is NiB coated so maybe it would not present the issue but has me a little nervous now.
What is your favorite complete BCG that you have tested so far I personally have used AO ,microbest, and toolcraft in builds the last decade are so and have never had a failure personally although I’m not someone to shoot one gun more than a couple thousand rounds that would be like most I’d put through any of my guns each. Be interesting to see who has the most reliable BCG out the box. Although for most people it’s not as critical but for someone going overseas to work with there rifle I could see it being beneficial to have the very best possibly available .
If all the dimensions for the BCG is perfect, but the upper receiver inner dimensions are a little out of spec, will the combination of these two affect accuracy?
Hey Chad, sorry if you've explained this before, but what effect would an inefficiently gassed bolt carrier group have on performance? It seems to me that a less efficient system would also mean less energy delivered to the BCG and therefore recoil, but perhaps it would be better to have a more efficient BCG and then a smaller gas port in the barrel so less gas and fouling get into the action? Thanks and take care
Curious on a physical on a non NiB Toolcraft BCG. I have some deep indents on some chambered rounds on my duty ammo. I cycle them to the bottom of the magazine after I unchamber the rifle. But I’m curious. I don’t have them extreme wear on the belly either. FA lower. But sample size 1. Good stuff brother, love the physical videos.
I have done many in classes but not on video yet. They don't usually do well. Phosphate and Chrome Lined BCG's usually do better with gauging and efficiency. Be safe out there.
Instructor Chad this ones phosphate and chrome lined. Hell I’ll send you this one if you want to do it on a video. I took it out and put my colt BCG in it when I noticed the deep impacts on some rounds
I checked my toolcraft NiB BCG and the cam shaft recess seems oblonged/ wallered out on one side :/ I do not have gauges, but I compared it with other parts and it is off. Tanks for making me take a closer look
As far as the cam pin having some slop in the bolt, you said it will cause premature bolt wear. I know both can wear out early but would it cause more damage to the bolt or cam pin? Edit: I plan on replacing all of my cam pins with fcd dimpled pins because it annoys me when I forget which side is which after turning it 100 times in my hand as I scrub or wipe it down.
I am building a high end AR10 and would like to know which BCG and internals that you would use if you were to make a high end build. DPMS2 style Lancer weapons system L30 receivers.
Have a NiB Toolcraft BCG. Consistent jamming. Sent it back. They said the dove tail cuts were improperly done. 2nd BCG had poor staking and the bolt channel had an irregular surface due to the Nib coating. Would never buy another.
Very surprised of this BCG quality control even because the rumor is that they manufacturers bcg for big names like Daniel Defense , BCM and even the Military !!!??? As a Tool Maker/ Manual Machinist I am quite surprised this one sample didn’t get rejected.
Why did you not try the firing pin protrusion test with another firing pin to find out weather the firing pin was short or the bolt was long? are there measurements standards to check the length of these two items?😉
I checked my firing pin protrusion measured the same at .21 as the one this video its also very rough down the length of it and my bolt measures the same at .527, the pin explains my light strike problems
Hahaha, What is it with cats who beg to go out for 30 min and then suddenly can’t decide once you open the door? I thought it was just my cat that did that.
Ultimately, if it runs in your specific set-up, that's what's important. Thousands of BCGs run just fine everyday that have never been checked by their owners.
I don't like to give suggestions, but at this exact moment it hard to beat a phosphate/chrome lined AO Precision. Sons of Liberty is a fantastic BCG at a great value.
would it be possible to magnetize a firing pin so heavily that it could not be demagnetized? Or make a firing pin out of a magnet? And then put it in a bolt carrier and send it to Chad to have him do a review on it?
Who else have all checked their ejector roll pins on all their bolts? Lol that’s the only part I never looked before but now it’s the second thing I look for after staking
i would love to see a c Cryptic Coatings BCG in mystic black. i have to i can send you. let me know. the cool thing about these the are still hard chrome in the inside. DLC/PVD on the out side and the inside is still hard chrome.
I got one of these in a trade a little while ago, this was a sample size of one so take this with a grain of salt. But mine had a bad issue with the coating flaking off at every single wear point, it was so bad that I could flake off bits of coating with a dental pick. So needless to say I traded that bolt for a regular phosphate one.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
I have been running a tool craft BCG NiB for 4 years with thousands of rounds of mixed brass and steel case ammo. I purchased everything to rebuild the BCG just in case because steel case ammo can be hard on the extractor but have never had replace a thing. For me the tool craft BCG has been exceptional in every aspect.
I am one of the machinists that make these Toolcraft BCG's. First of all, that firing pin should have never made it by. Also, that area you measured on the mic, what we call the "band", has a direct relationship in dimension to the "tail" when being machined. Which explains why they were both undersized. The measurement you got on the mic is still within our machining tolerances, but is below nominal, and could have also been caused by wear. You'd be surprised how many companies we supply these same BCG's to
The dimensions I look for are not based on machining call outs or prints. This is not an attack on anyone's work. The things I look for are based off various troubleshooting principles I have developed working on this particular machine. Lots of companies will say things fall withing proper or acceptable ranges, but that does not always account for the entire recipe (the entire gun and how other parts interface).
I don't cover all of the how and why in my videos, that's reserved for classes.
I'm very much aware about OEM suppliers and how the industry works. I train employees from people across the firearm industry.
Can I ask about the groove on the firing pin? Why it's there and its reasoning? Also, it's hard to tell but it looked like the transfer from the body of the pin to the "umbrella" or shoulder looked like it was squared off with no radius at all. If it's there and just a tight radius then I just missed it.
Also, I'm bot sure the wear inside the bolt carrier was some sort of defect. Looks almost like the gas rings had sand or something abrasive jamming them up and grinding against the run. That area usually starts to smooth out and become almost polished if the parts are cleaned and cared for properly. The gas rings are designed to wear and bot as hard as the steel used for the BCG. I've replaced my share of gas rings and have yet to see any substantial damage to a rifle like that, even when extreme temps are involved.
I've just never heard of toolcraft so I'm bot familiar with them as a company. I'm also not a fan of coated BCGs personality. I've seen more issues come from coated BCGs than treated or just plain parkerized bolts.
None of this is an attack. I'm just curious on the things I asked about and have my own opinions. Hope I politely shared my thoughts. It sounds like you take a lot of pride in the products you make and honestly I can respect someone who takes pride in their work and what they do. We need more of that.
For their price point and consistent quality, (25 year rifle builder, 'Smith and refinisher) the TC BCGs are pretty great, I've run them brutally in MGs and they've done very well.
Every manufacturer lets a lemon get by sometime, and good for you to start by acknowledging that the short firing pin is unacceptable. The finish on the firing pin also is rough. The unusual wear/tool marks in the gas ring and bolt tail runs bother me.
The price point on these BCGs, especially the 308 versions, is very attractive, and I know that Tool Craft is a BIG supplier to other vendors. The question is whether or not some of those other vendors have tighter QC. I do NOT know the answer to that key question.
Well if these BCG’s regardless of who they are manufactured for are coming are out like this, (close to failing but in tolerance condition) then maybe QA/QC should be tighter than just “Passing the buck” to the consumer. So if a BCG is at close to failing but passing tolerances, it won’t be long under hard use before a failure of some type will occur.
I love you videos. You have single handedly taught me so much about the AR platform. Before watching your videos I was too scared to tamper with anything on my AR. Since your video I have broken down all my BCG’s and inspected them all and changed all the extractor springs to Springco springs with just the insert no donut. Thank you for your knowledge wise sage.
You are what I call a perfectionist. I like the thoroughness. 👍🇺🇸
Would love to see a Brownells BCG. Also thanks for posting all of these!
Shop cat rules!
Excellent quality videos. You’d be a great teacher for aspiring smiths.
So true I really wish I lived closer to this facility
probably why he has a school specifically geared towards these firearms.
Just found these videos last week and love them. Sure envious of his guage sets. So now I imagine we're all going to grab our bore scopes and check for magnetism too. Never thought about scoping my BCGs before so this should be fun. Thank you for all your educational content.
Shop cat is love, shop cat is life
I have a NiB toolcraft bcg and it has identical wear on the bottom from the hammer. Just a regular hammer from a cmmg parts kit. Rough grooves you can easily feel with a fingernail.
FYI. I have had some issues with Toolcraft bolts in the last couple of months. Their customer service has been good. But they informed me they only make carriers. At this point they out source the manufacture of the bolts that go into their bolt carrier groups.
Just found this channel and I am hooked! I have so much more knowledge of the American Rifle now all thanks to you Chad! 🍻🍺🍻🍺
I learn so much through your stuff man, thank you for sharing your knowledge!!!
I just grabbed a toolcraft nitride BCG from psa for like $79 bucks or so, seemed like a good deal, ran pretty well so far.
Thank you, I have learned so much from your videos
I was shooting the other day with my el-cheapo AR15 build that I've owned for maybe 8 years. Never had a problem with it until yesterday. I fired 6 rounds out of it. When I fired the 7th, it fired 2 rounds full auto, then would not fire another round. I could hear the hammer hit when I'd pull the trigger but the primer had a very light strike. It was hard to eject the unfired round. Very hard to eject the round. I happened to also have a 300BO upper with me so I put the BCG from that upper into my .223 upper and it fired just fine again. I can't find anything visually wrong with the BCG other than some very shiny spots on the cam pin. The rifle only has maybe 500 rounds through it.
The only other thing that I thought it could maybe be, at least in part, is that the ammo I was shooting was reloads that I made several years ago. I had loaded up 100 of these JHP rounds, but I fired 80 of them in the past without a single problem. They were very accurate, ejection was all in the same pile of brass on the ground.
Firing pin is identical length to the one in the 300BO BCG, so it's not a broken firing pin.
I have a Tool Craft BCG and it's brand new and the finish on it is perfect. I don't have all the tools to measure all of the tolerances. I'm really curious how a BCG that is made for the military would fair in your test.
toolcraft IS a BCG supplied to our military, they've been the OEM for decades
@@crunchybones2528 they’ve had a few contracts at best. It’s irrelevant though, since most of the toolcraft BCG’s you see out there aren’t milspec (no mention of HPT along with MPI testing, a lot of them with 9310 bolts instead of C158, etc)
Difference is, the military has armorers who are inspecting and repairing weapons that are checked in as a routine. They have a much easier time keeping everything running smoothly than we do on the civilian side. On the other hand, a guy I knew in USMC boot camp had a mechanical issue with his service rifle on the final qualification day on the Known Distance range, which made him default to his pre-qualification score. Those rifles had a LOT of rounds on them though. haha
I bought a toolcraft NIB BCG in March of 2020 and have been plagued by light primer strikes since then, I think you just did me a favor. Thank you, great information
That not the bolts fault
Dude i dont think you can make a bad video. Guess its what a person is looking for. If anyone is looking for knowledge this is the best place to be. Keep them coming.
Shop cat 😍😍 😍
With the firing pin problem was it caused by the pin being short or the carrier being too thick?
I’ve been watching so many of these videos it is making my head spin.. to prevent me from having to watch again and take notes, do have a few manufacturers who you feel like consistently impress you when you are doing your physicals?
I wonder if the loose tolerances in the bore is the result of the carrier being cut for chrome plate, not NIB?
Negative. When we machine these BCG's, we machine them one dimension for everyone. The buyer simply specifies their desired coating or treatment after they are made
@@mrmosinnagant7787 so how does that work for chrome plating? Just plate a regular BCG with no regard to added thickness of chrome?
@@tylerlondon5052 we subcontract the plating/treatments, so I'm not completely knowledgable on the subject. But from what i have measured, parkerizing has no measureable addition to dimensions, at least not down to .0001" anyway. We make all bolts the same dimensions, no matter whom they are going to, the only difference is 556 bolts and 223 bolts, those have slightly different dimensions in certain places(not headspace) and are made from different materials. So whatever plating the buyer wants, is on them, we dont adjust dimensions for it, whether its simple nitriding, or the cheap shiny black coating a lot of gun makers seem to prefer these days is. Ive even seen some of our bolts be gold plated. I know none of our bolts are chrome plated though. As far as I'm aware, only LMT, Knights, and perhaps one or two other manufacturers make chrome plated bolts. LMT and Knights do their own machining in house, but im sure they account for the thickness of the chrome. I did measure an LMT enhanced bolt(with the special coating/treatment) next to a standard bolt, and the critical dimensions were the same, if that tells you anything. I think the dimensional changes required of a bolt are why most manufacturers dont offer chrome bolts, as well as the fact that chroming gun parts is something that you really have to be good at to do successfully, and also its cost prohibitive.
In manufacturing to tight tolerance (+/- .001”) if plating is specified, dimensions are after plating.
What causes the magnetism to occur is it part of the manufacturing process or does it have something to do with normal usage of the BCG? So if I check my BCGs once is that sufficient or do I have to check them over regular intervals to ensure they don't become magnetized? Also is there an at-home easier way to demagnetize vs having to have your demagnetizamometer, since I am pretty sure that was not a cheap acquisition?
I love the sound of the demagnetizer it's like the sound of the buzzers going up the back of your neck
Who would you say makes the best BCG in your experience? Great channel. So much information and stuff to learn here.
I went the Toolcraft route myself. Not too long ago the Nitride BCG's were about 60.00 on sale. Too good to pass up for a solid BCG with Lifetime warranty.
Sons Of Liberty Gun Works (phosphate) with a Lifetime Guarantee, Forward Control Design BCG but are expensive and don't seem to be in stock anywhere and Sionics Weapon Systems but only have a phosphate version in stock. Microbest is better than Toolcraft in my opinion. The Palmetto State Armory PSA Custom Fathers of Freedom 5.56 Full Auto Profile Phosphate Coated Bolt Carrier is made by Microbest.
I personally have run the same Anderson Arms RF85 upper, BCG, and barrel since 2015. I have probably close to 15,000 rounds through it and the entire thing can be cleaned with soapy water. In a side by side test they ran one bone dry against a well lubed mil spec M4, both on M4 lowers, in full auto. The M4 made it to about 800 or 900ish rounds and failed to continue (witch is a bit by design and by no means a low number). The RF85 went to 1400 and they stopped because the hand guard went up in flames but this internals were pretty much in perfect condition to keep going.
This is just one metric to gauge quality. If you want a good BCG look at the company's warranty and that will tell you if you'll be buying a new BCG for your rifle down the road or if that's the last BCG you'll ever buy for that gun.
@@clint2211 agreed, microbest oem's for a bunch of big names. I've got a standard m16 profile phosphate microbest that's extremely well done. Everything about it is perfect with no gimmicks or snake oil.
@@JB-mo8rs well actually microbest is an oem for big companies just like toolcraft does.
I have that wearing on the bottom of my bcg . Its due to rough finish(deep grooving])on hammer (Psa ept lower).Excessive wear to bolt carrier group due to notches in hammer.
I was told this is normal, after waiting two weeks for a reply from psa and that " it will smooth itself out" even though they know that , and i quote "The hammer face is one of the hardest sections of metal in the entire firearm." -(PSA)
And with that being said they would have to know that the bolt carrier group would be completely worn-out long before the hammer begins to smooth out.
Is there a particular reason why you’re not a fan of the Nickel-Boron coating ?
Its a coating rather than a treatment, and thus changes tolerances. It also will discolor over time and really isnt better than many other modern treatments or coatings. It may also be less durable than other coatings or surface treatments.
It’s super smooth but does wear off relatively quick on hard contact surfaces. Like hammer area... still good though I’ve got this bcg. Never a problem. Best bang for the buck probably
it wears/chips off, it changes tolerances, its wear resistance improvement is less than chrome, less than nitriding (while costing more), less than DLC, less than stellite, and less than Titanium Nitride. NP3 is similar except it costs more and has much better corrosion resistance.
Of these nitride is the hardest to screw up since it is a surface conversion not a coating, it doesn't significantly change tolerances which makes producing properly toleranced BCGS in nitride much easier than any of the coatings, especially mass production at a low price point. Titanium Nitride is an exception since it is so thin it almost doesn't change the tolerances either. For an economy bcg (200 bcg, I would go with DLC. At the 200-300 price point the QA and machine work are good enough out of shops like Geissele and JP and DD that you will almost certainly get a properly toleranced bolt no matter what coating. The premium BCGs from PSA are also pretty good although I forget what coating they use.
In general I would avoid phosphate altogether. While it is functional, it is completely overshadowed by nitride/QPQ in every practical way and the price difference is usually 10 or 15 dollars.
@@yunggolem4687 What about a chrome bolt and carrier?
@@LF12468chrome FTW. I have the chrome Microbest with OCKS and black extractor + blk gas key
I wish you would order new items in and do QA testing so we can use you for deciding what items are best or best for the money. If you did, manufacturers might increase there quality or at least the QA done before shipping items out. At the moment we don't know if a BCM bolt is better than a PSA, Brownells, Spikes, Anderson or Aero we all think it is but we don't know it to be a fact.
Thank you for the interesting video. Is there a reason you do not like NIB coated BCG's?
My first ever BCG was a toolcraft nib. I'd do things differently now but I can't complain because I haven't had any issues with it although that build doesn't get run very much anymore
Been waiting for this one for a while.
I have a black nitrided one that only paid 80 bucks for and I probably put 1,500 rounds through it still look pretty damn good
Been binge watching these physicals and really wanna see ballistic advantages DLC coated bcg on here.
Cool to see the whole process but pointing out why would have been appreciated. Quick measurement of the bolt and the firing pin as well as a follow up on they there was wear like that on the carrier...
Do you see all notched hammers cause this? I was unaware but just ordered a 2 stage that has a notched hammer. It is NiB coated so maybe it would not present the issue but has me a little nervous now.
How many rounds have been through this? It seems pretty wore out.
Is there someplace I can get a set of those gages you use to test everything?
Check out Brownells, but keep in mind gauges aren't cheap.
At 1:30 mark the scuffing is that defective normal wear and tear or the hammer or something is out of spec?
What is your favorite complete BCG that you have tested so far
I personally have used AO ,microbest, and toolcraft in builds the last decade are so and have never had a failure personally although I’m not someone to shoot one gun more than a couple thousand rounds that would be like most I’d put through any of my guns each.
Be interesting to see who has the most reliable BCG out the box. Although for most people it’s not as critical but for someone going overseas to work with there rifle I could see it being beneficial to have the very best possibly available .
From what I’ve gathered SOLGW and BCM are his most trusted.
If all the dimensions for the BCG is perfect, but the upper receiver inner dimensions are a little out of spec, will the combination of these two affect accuracy?
Hey Chad, sorry if you've explained this before, but what effect would an inefficiently gassed bolt carrier group have on performance? It seems to me that a less efficient system would also mean less energy delivered to the BCG and therefore recoil, but perhaps it would be better to have a more efficient BCG and then a smaller gas port in the barrel so less gas and fouling get into the action?
Thanks and take care
Hi Chad,
What is the usual culprit when you find short firing pin protrusions? Is it the pin or poor tolerances in the bolt bore?
It can go both ways. I'll try other pins to see if it's remedied. You can cut the bolt tail down to gain protrusion.
Curious on a physical on a non NiB Toolcraft BCG. I have some deep indents on some chambered rounds on my duty ammo. I cycle them to the bottom of the magazine after I unchamber the rifle. But I’m curious. I don’t have them extreme wear on the belly either. FA lower. But sample size 1. Good stuff brother, love the physical videos.
I have done many in classes but not on video yet. They don't usually do well. Phosphate and Chrome Lined BCG's usually do better with gauging and efficiency.
Be safe out there.
Instructor Chad this ones phosphate and chrome lined. Hell I’ll send you this one if you want to do it on a video. I took it out and put my colt BCG in it when I noticed the deep impacts on some rounds
I have a ddm4 v7p. Would love to see you do an autopsy on it. Just curious to see if it was worth the money.
I checked my toolcraft NiB BCG and the cam shaft recess seems oblonged/ wallered out on one side :/ I do not have gauges, but I compared it with other parts and it is off. Tanks for making me take a closer look
As far as the cam pin having some slop in the bolt, you said it will cause premature bolt wear. I know both can wear out early but would it cause more damage to the bolt or cam pin?
Edit: I plan on replacing all of my cam pins with fcd dimpled pins because it annoys me when I forget which side is which after turning it 100 times in my hand as I scrub or wipe it down.
“I’ll let yah have a minute cat.” 😝 Rebel still remembers that in Egyptian times cats were considered gods.
I am building a high end AR10 and would like to know which BCG and internals that you would use if you were to make a high end build. DPMS2 style Lancer weapons system L30 receivers.
Have a NiB Toolcraft BCG. Consistent jamming. Sent it back. They said the dove tail cuts were improperly done. 2nd BCG had poor staking and the bolt channel had an irregular surface due to the Nib coating. Would never buy another.
Rebel: I'm a Cat. You don't tell me, I tell you.
Very surprised of this BCG quality control even because the rumor is that they manufacturers bcg for big names like Daniel Defense , BCM and even the Military !!!???
As a Tool Maker/ Manual Machinist I am quite surprised this one sample didn’t get rejected.
El Gato!! Rebel. 🐈
Shop cat needs its own channel
Why did you not try the firing pin protrusion test with another firing pin to find out weather the firing pin was short or the bolt was long? are there measurements standards to check the length of these two items?😉
He does in many videos but not every time
What are the Issues with NIB coatings other than the changing of colors as they are used?
Was that a 1 gallon can of carb cleaner? Do you rebuild carbs as well?
Used to soak badly carbon fouled parts in. He has a video of repairing a stuck SLR adjustable gas block.
Amazing video. I had no idea this many tools even existed. Which is the best bcg that you have tested?
Where can you get all these gauges. Some links?
How do you know if the gas key has the good fasteners?
What do you think about the Brownells poly lower reciver/stock ???
From all your experience what is your favorite BCG or what you think is the best made?
I think I heard you call the cat Rambo...if that’s his name then that’s amazing 😎
Nm I hear “rebel” still cool name and prob a fair description of him
If you'd like to do a phosphate/chromed toolcraft group i have one inbound from armorally, should be here early next week.
Consider it done.
A simple question from total ignorance: Why don't you measure the OAL of the bolt, given that you routinely check the carrier?
Another great video. But if you don’t mind me ask a question why don’t you like nickel boron bolt carrier groups??
Good to see the cat was in spec…
Any idea what the round count was on this one?
Well, the cat seems to be functioning optimally.
🤣🤣🐱🐱
I checked my firing pin protrusion measured the same at .21 as the one this video its also very rough down the length of it and my bolt measures the same at .527, the pin explains my light strike problems
Rebel is beautiful!
Why is it a problem if the firing pin is magnetized?
Because if you use steel case ammo, little pieces of steel can be attracted and stick on anything that's magnetized causing buildup
Looking for a bcg to complete my biuld would like a enhanced under 200 have been looking at Cmc but is there any you would suggest?
Go for the Rainier Arms BCG next
Always interesting. Thanks
Hot dam I love your videos. Great information
did you make all the gauges for checking the bcg?
Hi Dear,can we buy M16 A1, A2, A4, to convert it to M4A1,and which brand to buy COLT or FN and which year models would be ok ,in used one options.
Hahaha, What is it with cats who beg to go out for 30 min and then suddenly can’t decide once you open the door? I thought it was just my cat that did that.
Keep up the awesome work!
Ultimately, if it runs in your specific set-up, that's what's important. Thousands of BCGs run just fine everyday that have never been checked by their owners.
Sure, but this is just something you can do that could save a lot of headaches
Can you do a physical on the Cryptic Coatings BCG?
Chad, for the average plinkster, what do you say is the best all around BCG?
I don't like to give suggestions, but at this exact moment it hard to beat a phosphate/chrome lined AO Precision.
Sons of Liberty is a fantastic BCG at a great value.
Instructor Chad thanks!
Where can I find the GAGE sizes???
would it be possible to magnetize a firing pin so heavily that it could not be demagnetized? Or make a firing pin out of a magnet? And then put it in a bolt carrier and send it to Chad to have him do a review on it?
Who else have all checked their ejector roll pins on all their bolts? Lol that’s the only part I never looked before but now it’s the second thing I look for after staking
Great videos brother!
Shop cats are best cats
Shop cat doesn't have owners. Shop cat has staff.
Who makes the best BCG
Rebel is the best!
Awesome vid, very informative. Shop cat needs hooman assistance as it can't telekenitically open door. Bitchen shop cat.
NooB question: is it ok, to swap BCGs between different uppers?
i would love to see a c Cryptic Coatings BCG in mystic black. i have to i can send you. let me know. the cool thing about these the are still hard chrome in the inside. DLC/PVD on the out side and the inside is still hard chrome.
Shit! I just bought one of these things. Knew I should have watched this video first .
I got one of these in a trade a little while ago, this was a sample size of one so take this with a grain of salt.
But mine had a bad issue with the coating flaking off at every single wear point, it was so bad that I could flake off bits of coating with a dental pick.
So needless to say I traded that bolt for a regular phosphate one.
Yooo my man chad is really listening 😂😂😂 first thing I saw when you posted a new vid was "shop cat!!"
👊🇺🇸🦅👍 ... I think🤔 I would be changing out that firing pin.
Cats... they just want the door left open so they can come in and out as they please.
KITTY
Rebel just wants to be a tactikitty.