There was a thread in the rifles, lowers..etc section about 6 weeks ago on this topic. I'm going to hard chrome my carrier and I'm also thinking about doing the bolt too. Anyway there was a company that someone listed that does this and heat treats the parts, they done this for $50. I can't find the thread or remember the company's name, they did alot of pistol work from what i can remember. Does anyone know who I'm talking about?

Also can you see any reason not to have the bolt done too?Thanks

Hey thanks for the heads up but I'm going to have to send off for this to be done, I forgot to mention that is an AR-10 bolt group.

 One of the reasons you don't see hard chroming as a general manufacturing technique is that the chromng process can leave imperfections between the plate and the steel that can cause or become stress risers.  In time it is possible for these conditions to cause broken bolts and carriers.  You see guys swear by hard chrome and you see guys swear AT hard chrome.  Apparently the gov't got rid of most hard chromed early M16/M16A1 receivers due to this issue from what I have understood though I was issued a VERY early M16A1 in basic back in the late eighties that had a chromed bolt and carrier.  That gun hadn't been cleaned in YEARS ( a decade maybe? ) until I got it.  It shot and worked great for my whole training regimine at Benning and wished I could have taken her with me when I went on from there.

I am aware of the imperfections between the plates but that was then and this is now. I think with more modern methods that exists today, these impeferctions can be reduced. From my understanding(which is limited) if it is applied correctly and properly heat treated, you should have no problems.

Also if I don't see how there is a big difference in the imperfections getting in between the plate and steel when plating a
barrel or bolt. No one seems to care, in fact it is preferred by many to have a chromed plated bore. So why is there a major concern when a bolt is done?

If plating the bolt is such a bad thing, then why does KAC do it to their rifles? Why does'nt the Govt. request that the bolts on the SR-25s be left alone? I think Govt skimps on this to save money.

I fall into the camp that if a chromed plated bore and chamber is such a good thing, then a plated bolt group is icing on the cake as long as it is done properly.

 I'm cool with that.  My 1960's AR180 has a chromed bolt and I am curious to see how it performs.  So far so good and as I said my old XM-16E1 seemed pretty sweet...never a lick of trouble.