I'm tossing around the idea of using a chrome carrier for my XM-16E1, but wondering what I should get?

Young mfg.

Colt.

I was afraid id hear that, as they seem to be out of stock everywhere. Colt would be great but as this weapon will be primarily used with blanks for reenacting, I'd rather not shell out that kind of cash for this rifle.

While we are on the subject, does anyone have a rough range when they switched from chrome carriers, and why?

Smith Enterprise is another option.....

http://www.brownells.com/rifle-parts/bolt-parts/bolt-carrier-parts/bolt-carriers/m16-chrome-match-bolt-carrier-assembly-prod77828.aspx

Colt is the BEST, to answer your question.  However, both of those repros will do. I believe Tony's Customs has them in stock.  They stopped using chrome because it was flaking off on some bolts/carriers, and could cause the weapon to malfunction.

Dpms used to make a good copy, i remember seeing a post sample kitty kat m16 with one.

I have a chrome Young Mfg. BCG in my clone XM16E1. If it was perfect and correct I'd look for a Colt BCG. But it's not, and it's a shooter. And a reliable shooter ready for deployment or what ever comes it way.

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They quit using chrome BCG's around 1967.  Cheaper to parkerize and only chrome line the major wear and fouling areas than produce the whole part in chrome, extractor, pins etc.  Carrier keys, carriers bolt linings, chambers and barrels are still chrome lined as current milspec today.  AF still had chrome BCG inventory into the 90's.

Chrome BCG will last much longer and is far more user friendly than a parkerized equivalent.  All in wallet size.  Wear out two parked for every one chrome but spend the same coins.  Few shoot enough to wear any of them very much now days.  Lot nicer to clean in seconds vs minutes especially firing blanks.

If you don't have Colt coins or can even find a Colt XM16E1 chrome carrier buy the  Young Mfg.  Contact them for availability.  Chrome Colt sure isn't going down in value and is C&R 50 yrs old. The rest are going to depreciate with time and use.

Thanks for the info everyone! So is the flaky chrome an issue today or was that just a manufacturing defect?

Industrial hard chrome, done properly, will not flake

nickel may be another story

It's not a problem now, and was only a problem on a small percentage in Vietnam that were not properly coated

So is the flaky chrome an issue today or was that just a manufacturing defect?

Never was much of an issue.  Never seen it on a USGI chrome BCG personally.  Ask member Machinehead if you can.  He's had far more of these than most and supplied about everyone here at one time or another. Ask Young also when you contact them.  Never heard of any of their's flaking either.  Only really heard of DPMS having any chrome BCG problems and they were cracking in cam pin area not flaking chrome.

Get a chance read the M-16 army trials documentation.  Don't recall a mention of flaking of chrome on BCG's.  Did recall extractor spring and gas ring failure where upper is concerned and barrels give up accuracy after 5Kish generally and used to get changed at 6.5K when actually documented but that's what guages are for. Lots of FCG springs wouldn't hold up and they fired like 200K through each test weapon.

Have seen a few USGI barrels that were over heated and chrome had flaked inside but this is out of 1K's of USGI  barrels. Seen plenty that were worn slam out but flaking isn't as common as one might be lead to believe. Any  that were problematic have long since been retired by military.  Military does inspect weapons and replace the trashed pieces.

I've had quite a few chrome Colt BCG's over the years and none have had any flaking even under high magnification.  Only a couple even had much finish wear.   I've run them for years when I could or Young Mfg when Colt wasn't available or cost effective.  Chrome is really only way to go if pockets allow.  New slick finish stuff is probably better than bargain basement parked IMO but it's still bargain basement for a reason and if paying big coins for slick finish I'd still rather have a Colt, FN or Young.  

Many also say change to parkerized was because of glare off chrome from carrier with door open in daylight but it really was simply economics.    

Parked is used because it's cheap, easy to apply and it's durable.  Started with Springfield 1903 in late WWI instead of bluing or browning steel simply to speed up production and fill rifle shortages on the front and has been in service from then to date.

Think you wil lfind it's like anything produced by humans regardless of what it is there will always be one that slipped through quality control.  Colt Milspec blacklight process / MP testing is top flight,  proofed and everything.  Few even do the process correct today and today's quality control and individual integrity can hardly compare to the ethics of the 50's and 60's any way it's sliced.  

We live in a Walmart / Home Depot throw-a-way economics mentality today and quality concept of made in USA being the best on the planet went curbside as soon as the bean counters came to power in the 70's. The only possible exception is our firearms / weapons production but again  one generally gets what they pay for in this area.  Young Mfg is guaranteed for life for a reason.

Not to get off topic but man, ain't that the truth. I work in a radiator factory owned by a very large japanese company and ever since they pulled out the jap managment and replaced it with Americans, the quality has went way down. It's really sad.

According to DeWatters 556 timeline, the change to parked BCGs came in 1965. Cdenmark is correct though - even late XM16E1s could be found with them - probably a spec issue but Colt likely had a backstock to get rid of.

I went to Youngs website but I notice that all the chrome bcg have an angled profile just under the gas key screws, instead of the original curve with the forward assist notches. They are called national match bcg's. Do you have to special order the standard style or do they just not make them anymore?

I saw that too.

If I can find a original , I'll usually substitute with a youngs or a chrome rock river

They are called national match bcg's.

Link to carriers.  Should be able to call and order logo delete or used to be able to. The $150-160 should be XM16E1ish.

Young's makes a nice carrier, for sure, but for that price you can get a light to moderately used real vintage Colt's chromed carrier.  I sold my Young's to do that.

As noted already, there are several small details in the machining that will nag at you once you notice them. Also, you can tell that there are internal differences, too. The firing pin retaining pin on mine, for example, would only go in after I fiddled with it, unlike the Colt's that practically assembles itself.