I need a quality bolt/carrier, anyone know a good price.  I've seen the 110 at DPMS and others.  Can I do better?

Check out [url=http://www.adcofirearms.com/rockriver/rockriver.cfm?page=rra]ADCO Firearms[/url].

Steve has the new style carriers with bolt for $105.56.

Or you might try the EE board on this web site[:D]. At any given time, there are always a few caariers being advertised.  Have gotten two of 'em off the board myself.

Personally, I don't trust any of the aftermarket stuff, and I don't care whose name is on it. I'd rather haunt the gun shows (Eastman's here in Georgia) and look for GI surplus parts, which are usually Colt.  But that's just my personal thing.  The one aftermarket carrier I do have, a DPMS, is about .007 inch longer than it should be, and scrapes the front of the buffer when I close the action. It's also not as well finished as the four Colt carriers I have. It does work OK tho.

I would suggest only buying a bolt that has been magnafluxed.  Bolts will be marked "MPC" if this has been performed.  Colt and Bushmaster are the only manufacturers I know of that QC check their barrels and bolts this way.

In my opinion, the bolt/carrier is not the place to look for the lowest cost option.  Bushmaster bolt/carrier groups are high quality and are less likely to destruct if you get a high-pressure load.

Just my opinion, so take it for what its worth.

Josh

Thanks for the advice everyone.  I guess replacing the bolt isn't that big of a deal, as far as matching.  I will just get someone who knows AR's well to check it before I shoot it.  

Pongo,

Don't know where you are in Georgia, but I'll be at the Eastman show in Marietta week after next. If you can make it there, and meet me, I'll be happy to take a look, and if you do need something changed, my favorite parts guy L.D. McPherson of Southeast Military Parts, is certain to be at the show.  Going to pick up a couple of odds and ends myself[:D]

I have an old Colt B/BC and the markings are easy to spot on them.  But on my B/BC that I bought directly from Bushmaster (with an upper), I don't see any markings.  Where should I be looking?

Can't swear to it, since all my bolts are Colt GI surplus, but if I recall correctly, the Bushie bolts I've seen coming out these days are not marked any more. I suspect that they ran out of the GI spec bolts left over from the M4 contract, and just went into the subcontractor market like everyone else.

Understand, the ONLY reason Bushmaster ever got that M4 contract was because of the owner's connections with the Bush family, or don't you remember where the Bush's summer home is?[:D] Except for the standard hard chrome lining on their barrels, and using GI spec steel for the barrels, their products are no better than any of the other top aftermarket producers. The Rock River lower I bought last Saturday makes my Bushmaster lower look sick by comparison, and I paid $50 LESS for it.

If you do, in fact, need a new bolt and/or carrier Bushie is a good aftermarket brand, but so is Rock River, DPMS, Armalite, and several others.  If you're not going to use Colt innards, all the top aftermarket brands are about the same, and you should start shopping price.

Legal transfers[url]www.ar15sales.com[/url] is currently selling complete bolt/carrier for $99. You can check it out on the equip exchange if you are interested.

If you are patient, you can get RRA bolts in the eqipment exchange on sale for $100.