I haven’t been able to follow new products or advances in technology in the AR world lately, and I’m finally getting around to ordering a BCG to finish off a build. What are the best options out there for BCGs these days? Is it still BCM or LMT, or have new players come onto the scene?
The rifle in need of a BCG has a 16" midlength Noveske N4 barrel with Switchblock and a Vltor A5 RE with the A5H4 buffer (I may need to lighten that, but I will tune as needed) and a standard BCM rifle spring. A Specwar or Omega suppressor is also planned as an attachment. The goal is reliability and low recoil, in that order. I don’t shoot reloads or Russian ammo, so Federal 55gr. FMJ .223 bulk is the weakest load it needs to cycle.
Following my original plan, I currently have a LMT Enhanced Carrier and a LMT standard bolt in my cart waiting for me to pull the trigger. I also already have a WMD NiB-X cam pin I planned to use along with a standard firing pin and firing pin retaining pin. Is this still a solid setup for my application or is there a better option that I am not aware of?
I have really been impressed with Azimuth’s QPQ BCG. The machine work is second to none, it’s easy to clean, basically it’s a JP FMOS with the bolt QPQ’ed for 1/2 the price. I know of some out there with nearly 30K rounds on them, running fine.
For most, it would be hard to argue against Colt and LMT BCGs as base components. Not saying that others cannot do well, it’s just harder to argue against those. For individual components of those, more debates could be made.
Partially off topic, but coatings are a blessing and a curse all at the same time. In the end it seems harder to debate against using park or HC, depending on the process that results in the end product.
Thank you for the replies. The general consensus seems to be the status quo, Colt, BCM, LMT and DD all highly recommended as expected.
In regards to the other recent “Best BCG” thread, and specifically the excitement over NiPTFE coating (NP3), I’m not convinced that is a good idea for a BCG, or any component subject to high temperatures. NiPTFE is only rated to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and my gut feeling is that the bolt sees higher temperatures than that. On that basis alone, I’ve personally ruled out Sionics and other NiPTFE BCGs unless someone can present a compelling argument why I’m wrong.
Hard chrome or Melonite treatment on the other hand does sound like a promising idea, although I have to wonder, if it’s so great why haven’t the aforementioned top dogs (Colt, BCM, LMT, and DD) released BCGs with hard chrome plating or Melonite treatments? I’d like to hear more opinions on the matter.
This has peaked my interest. From what I found online, I believe you are referring to the Fathom Arms Enhanced BCG, but can you confirm that I’m understanding you correctly? I would absolutely love to know what has been ‘Enhanced’ about this BCG… Is it just the Melonite treatment and the redesigned tail section, or has the cam path or gas porting been altered as well, similar to the LMT Enhanced BCG?
Right now I’m torn between the Fathom Arms Enhanced BCG and my original plan (LMT E-Carrier, LMT standard bolt). I really like the fact that the lugs of the LMT bolt are radiused at the rear, and the E-Carrier has been shown to reduce recoil. However, I’m also digging the full Melonite treatment on the Fathom Arms E-BCG, and the fact that it is considerably cheaper than purchasing the individual LMT components separately. Can anyone offer more information to help me make up my mind?
With the Noveske 16" with a LMT enhanced BCG, you’ll likely end up in the A5H4 area with 5.56 gas port pressure ammo without a can. For similar combinations with the stainless Noveske barrels, I tend to recommend buying them long for their gas system and cut down on the barrel length. That way you can gas it more in the range of an A5H2 without a can, you can easily add more weight for dedicated suppressed that way. Starting off with the A5H4 limits choices.
After dismissing all the hype regarding the Fail Zero, chromed and TiNi BCG’s, I went with a BCM for my latest build. Seems like everyone’s trying to invent the wheel…but I don’t wanna pay the money to be a guinea pig. In the end, I think I made a wise choice.
I like the milspec profile bcg. The qpq eliminates cam pin wear almost entirely and the qpq on steel coefficient of friction is lower than steel on steel so the bolt lugs encounter less shear forces. The enhanced BCG does not have altered gas ports or cam pin path to my knowledge.
You may not agree with it, but it works. I am also pretty certain no BCG is going to approach anything near 500 degrees. We didn’t wake up one day and decide to do NP3. We consulted with the people at ROBAR about it. The NP3 carrier group is something we have for a few years now and we several law enforcement agencies using them in the uppers and guns we build for them. Last week during a demo, a local agency ran 500 rounds through one of new SBR uppers with the reduced gas port in about 90 minutes. Bolt carrier simply wiped clean. If I didn’t think the NP3 was solid, I wouldn’t use them in my own personal weapons.
I never intended to ruffle any feathers by my statement. I am usually pretty skeptical of most new products, so I hope my reservations about NP3 were not taken personally. Maybe BCGs don’t see anywhere near 500 degrees and this coating is as excellent as the advertising makes it sound. Then again maybe not. I don’t mean to sound lazy, but I’m at the point where I want to stop reading about fancy things on the interweb and finish this build up so I can start shooting it. I simply don’t want to put forth the effort at this point in time to research NP3 to the point where I felt comfortable making a decision to use it, so I’ve crossed it off my list for now. That’s all I was trying to say. If someone wishes to take the time to spoon feed me facts about why NP3 really is the new wonder coating, I’m all ears.
Tom, I’m fine with the rifle being optimized for 5.56 unsuppressed. I am hoping the Switchblock will negate most of the increase in pressure when suppressed, and I’d rather err on the side of slightly overgassed when suppressed than slightly undergassed when unsuppressed and run into extraction issues. I would also like to have the ability to shoot .223 pressure loads reliably if possible.
What exactly causes the LMT E-Carrier to be so smooth and soft shooting? Does it have more to do with the altered cam path or the extra gas vents? If it is the altered cam path, would the increased carrier mass of the Fathom Arms E-Carrier accomplish the same thing? I’m just trying to understand the magic behind it to help myself make a more educated decision.