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Posted: 9/24/2015 3:57:12 PM EDT
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While I think the standard bcgs are perfectly fine I constantly see enhanced BCGS advertised. One just popped up on my Facebook feed for a fathom arms then you got lantec Pof and sharpes to name a few. All claiming to do something better I have no experience with any of them so I wonder do they? Some have different coating or treatments. I have heard good and bad things about nickel boron, I personally might get one of the aim nitrate groups but it's not really an enhanced like these others claim to be.
So the question is do these enhanced groups do something magical I'm missing? |
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The ones that are NiB coated, hard chromed, or melonited (nitrided) will clean easier, and generally have a lower coefficient of friction so they can run with a bit less frequent and less volume of lube.
Of the 3 though I prefer the melonite. It's a treatment of the steel and not a coating, so it can't chip or be put on wrong or flake off. It makes for an extremely hard slick surface that is also quite resistent to heat erosion. It cleans with little more than a wipe with a dry rag. This is why I prefer it for areas that will get dirty, such as DI BCGs, piston parts and gas blocks, gas tubes, and all barrels. Ultimately a basic milspec will work just fine, but the advantage of quick easy cleanings gives the coated/treated ones a leg up for me. |
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Milspec phosphate from a top supplier is good to go. I do prefer NiB because it has even greater lubricity than nitride (Melonite). I prefer nitride for barrels where absolute hardness and corrosion resistance are most important, not BCG's where reasonable hardness but super lubricity (slipperiness) is more important..
NiB can be run completely bone dry according to the manufacturers, its that slippery, as it is a completely dry lubricant by nature. But that doesn't stop me from using some lube anyway. Cleanup is a breeze, and time is valuable to me. It is a matter of personal preference, I admit. Whatever you do, don't cheap out on the BCG. Quality really matters. If you are considering NIB, consider going with either WMD Guns (my choice) or Fail Zero, as those two companies have vast experience and well-deserved reputations for quality. |
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Quoted:
Milspec phosphate from a top supplier is good to go. I do prefer NiB because it has even greater lubricity than nitride (Melonite). I prefer nitride for barrels where absolute hardness and corrosion resistance are most important, not BCG's where reasonable hardness but super lubricity (slipperiness) is more important.. NiB can be run completely bone dry according to the manufacturers, its that slippery, as it is a completely dry lubricant by nature. But that doesn't stop me from using some lube anyway. Cleanup is a breeze, and time is valuable to me. It is a matter of personal preference, I admit. Whatever you do, don't cheap out on the BCG. Quality really matters. If you are considering NIB, consider going with either WMD Guns (my choice) or Fail Zero, as those two companies have vast experience and well-deserved reputations for quality. The manufacturers were proven wrong, and one of the main one recanted their position on NiB bone dry. Once a manufacturer can rise to the level of even knowing the TDP, then I'm willing to listen to them about coatings and why they are better. The reality is that a lot of companies for many years don't have a clue about the TDP, dimensions, material selection, metallurgy, processes, QC checks along the way, etc. They have been playing catch up though. You can have all the wonder finishes on the market that sell well to customers who don't know better, but if the dims are wrong, the gas system won't pressurize and vent correctly. |
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Im not referring directly to the coating or treatments Im more interested in thing like the PWS BCG has "oversized skid pads to reduce the points of contact and allow for less friction as the rifle cycles." or "semi-fluted design gives carbon fouling, grime, and dirt a place to collect that won't affect function." or like the lantec bcg has forward facing gas ports.
I do like the POF bcg is a once piece design thats pretty cool |
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