I don't come over here much since I don't own but two AR's but I was looking at the Exo Fail Zero newb trap website and it seemed appealing. However part of me just thinks it's a gimmick that nothing short of a good cleaning and some lube wouldn't remedy. I own Colt's so quality of arms isn't an issue- just curious about their claims. I read from another forum, High Road, that someone stated that the carbon can be just wiped off the bolt with this coating, no more scrubbing/scraping- just not sure how true this is?

Thanks,

RR77

It's not Ni-B; though here is another process to also research into that H&M performs; who is also the parent company for Rubber City Armory. Instead of being only an outer coating, from how I'm understanding it, black nitride is done using a type of salt bath which infuses a certain depth into ferrous metals. One out of the many reasons I chose to go this direction instead of a NiB is in the M16/M4 Technical Manual, chrome/bare steel bcg's are only auhorized to be used by the USAF for combat use and in training weapons for all branches. I'm thinking and seems logical that it must be due to the shine/reflectivity it has versus a black bcg. As for carbon being difficult to stick to metal will depend on how slick a surface is on a microscopic level. (i.e., which even a razor's edge under a microscope is somewhat jagged.) Now whether lubrication can be exempted from being used, I can see it'll work being the coating will self-lubricate; yet since the aluminum receiver is the softer metal as opposed to the steel bcg, it is going to wear down the receiver much faster. So, as long as I have access to an oil, I'm going to keep my bcg oiled.

http://www.blacknitride.com/whatis.html
http://www.rubbercityarmory.com

Yes, they work.

Easier to clean- pop it out after a range session and wipe it off with a paper towel. You will still get the hard carbon on the bolt tail but that cleans itself with use just like parkerized bolts.

I run mine without lube and have for the past year or so, mostly from laziness. I will clean it every couple of months or so and wipe the bcg down with a CLP soaked paper towel but that is as far as I go with lubing anymore. No odd wearing, no malfunctions, no spray of nasty crud infused lube while firing.

Works as advertised.

I felt the same until I actually used one for several hundred rounds.  Runs smooth with considerable less lube and is a breeze to clean, not that phosphate BCG's are that difficult.  I bought one form CORE last fall before the crazy season started and I would buy one again if priced right.

They do work. But then so do proper mil spec ones. There are many guns here that are run past 15K rds with a standard BCG & they seem to run fine in combat as well.
If you don't run the gun hard or just plink I don't see the need to buy unless you want the newest coolest thing.(as most armchair warriors here do)
You still need some lube maybe not as much but metal on metal contact still wears.  
With BCG prices these days, if the price is right I would buy one. But I  would not pay that much of a premium over a standard mil spec BCG.

I trust Soocth00's opinion.

Nothing you can't achieve with the proper lube, I prefer Mil Comm myself. For the millionth time, carbon on the boatail isn'ta issue to be worried about and it is self leveling. If it bothers you that much soak it for a few min. Works for tens of thousands of us.

One persons opinion.....A good setup AR with quality parts is great & is not the picky unreliable system he claims. Nor does it need such great maintenance & upkeep to function.  

No shit.  He doesn't sound like he knows what he is talking about.... nor does he offer facts or any cited sources.

Bottom line - yes - NiB coatings have better lubricity over raw steel.  Enough to run them dry?  Bullshit.  I have watched them fail in the field by guys who thought they can run their NiB carrier dry.

The standard carrier is already chrome lined on the inside - where it really matters... the only other contact points are on the outside rail surfaces, which polish in after a few hundred rounds or so anyway.

NiB is without question slicker, and MIGHT increase reliability.... it does make the bolt and carrier quicker to clean.  That said it is no wonder coating, even though many here just have to believe it is.  

I clean and lubricate my NiB parts just like I do standard parts, and ALL of them are extremely reliable.

And don't clean them with Hoppe's #9 or any other solvent that damages nickel.
 

I have a NiB BCG from WMD.  The claim that you can run them dry is completely backwards to me.  I was taught metal on metal contact with out lubrication is never a good idea.  Granted that I was taught that in automotive class, but none the less, I don't run mine dry because of that lesson.  I'm sure someone will be by to call me a moron soon tho

Cleanup is a breeze tho.

I run a nickel boron upper and lower and failzero BCG in my 3 gun rifle and I love it.

I wipe it all off with a rag except the bolt tail and just put a couple of drops of slip 2000 and some mil com in the right spots and its been a dream so far about 2500 rds.

Cleaning equals time. Time equals money. NiB equals saving money. (for me)

Jesus, that video.

I will not deny that NiB makes for an easier to clean gun, but man, I don't think I'd trust anything that guy says.  Filthy 14 flies right in the face of about the first two minutes of that video.

The rest of it basically amounts to not knowing a whole lot of what he's talking about.  He had the rifle headspaced? (Really sounds like he got paid to do a "review" which really means advertising.)

OP, NiB will make for an easier to clean gun, I wouldn't recommend running it without lube, and I sure as shit wouldn't recommend replacing a Colt BCG with one of these.  But it's your money, use it as you see fit.

what about if they already were my little pony's...... had my Colt -16 BCG's(uppers/bolt catch's included) done by Fail Zero..  

absolute no hesitation on having others coated if FZ still did them.  may be short durations but i also have no hesitation of running them dry if no lube is/was available.  stock/no lube's didn't last long, so yeah the hesitation is high. this including being under RR conditions too.

Worth every penny on my end.  slick as shit.  smooth riding/charging.  bolt fully engages without any force(where as stock carriers have usually stuck needing force) applied...  leading to more than just easier cleaning. everyone's miles very thou

The OPs thread starts with the title's question "Do the magical Exo Fail Zero coatings really work? "

Seems many people get offended by "MAGIC" which I do not believe in. I do believe in physics- as it rules my life.
The coefficient of friction is improved with the use of NiB AND if everything is done correctly,  it works as advertised.
BUT, there is nothing magical about it. If everything  is not done correctly, again physics rule..
NiB will not make up for shortcuts, nor will it make a bad BCG into a good BCG- it is merely a coating that can enhance several areas.

At this point, I own 2 NiB BCGs, I plan to own more as I phase them in. I have 9k+ rounds fired on my 2 NiB BCGs and have no complaints.
Do they work better than my phosphate BCGs? No they don't. They do clean up better and they are slick, but I still use lube on everything.
Just like many of us enjoy a good trigger, or a good barrel, or even good ammo- we choose what we spend our funds on.

Until something better comes along, I am giving NiB my attention (and some money).
It does work as a slick coating- but there is no such thing as magic I still keep other phosphated BCGs in the works also.
The AR weapons platform is evolving all the time, things change. If not, we'd still be throwing rocks and living in caves.

On Sootch00's defense I believe he said an AR 15 can be finicky if not properly maintained or cared for which imo means lubed up.
 

Filthy 14 was lubed which imo means properly cared for, and so what if you got his AR headspaced for the BCG.

 














 

I have a fail zero, telling people to run any bolt unlubed is not a service.  Try a thin layer of mobil 1 or other synthetic.  Something is gonna wear with the fail zero if not the bolt then the upper contact points.  Lube will help to mitigate this.

From their FAQ page so he is not making this stuff up.

 

What is part of some company's product advertisement does not make it correct, feasible, nor advisable.  Those that would parrot an advertisement as fact should NOT be paid any attention.

I DO get it they say it is ok to run dry.  I am not a genius or savant.  What I know from a few college level chemistry and physics courses is metal on metal causes friction.  Not all being equal.  I am sure NiB treatment reduces this.  What I question and have not dug deep enough to find out is was their uppers that they used in their testing NiB coated?  Maybe, maybe not, I do not know.  What I do know is they advertise the NiB being super hard.  Harder than the aluminum it rides on.  Something is gonna wear when it runs dry.  Maybe just a little tiny bit of wear.  Maybe it is not enough to worry about.  What I do know is even though I own a fail zero bcg, I also own a bottle of Mobil 1 0-W20, it is cheap and plentiful.  It is designed not to burn up itself and leave its own carbon deposits.  It is designed to dissolve other carbon particles such as powder residue.  While it may not dissolve Iraq sand it is still a far superior lubricant than CLP(clp good at all 3 phases of what it does, but better products exist designed for each of the singular phases).  A little dab will do you for a while on a fail zero bcg.  I think for my personal use I will continue to lube my chrome and NiB bcg's because I worked hard for the money it took to buy them.  I have no problem if you want to continually mag dump your fail zero dry.  I support your decision as this is your personal liberty and money.  I say to guys who are buying their first AR and have to have a shiny new NiB like I "needed" one, an ounce of prevention goes a long way.  In this case it is merely a drop.  Food for thought YMMV, mine stays the same.








 

Whoa didn't mean to offend you their pal.

 




 

Were their receivers coated in NIB too as they were supposed to be per the tests by Fail Zero?

Sorry if my computer speak made me sound offended.  I am just a dry person.  I should learn to use the smiley faces more.  I engaging in debate, stating opinions, giving 2 cents.  In no way did I mean to have a crappy tone,  My bad.

No worries lug1.




 

I think Sootch00 is a product rep / spokesman of some sort.  I liked the AB Arms hand guards he was using and went to the AB website.  I noticed the AB website also carries Fail Zero products in addition to the hand guards, but not much else besides that.  Seems like a weird coincidence - he work for AB?

I personally know Sootch.  He does not work for them.