Hello.
At one point, I was the de-facto forum guinea-pig for aftermarket accessories and mods. I have since slowed down. I own and operate a Fail Zero NiBx complete BCG in my modified 15-Sport. I don't remember how many rounds I've put downrange with it. The pictures below where when it was new. It doesn't look any different now.
(Older picture. My rifle looks a little different now.)
Pro:
- Can be run without lube. I tested this for myself. I shot about 500 rounds, no lube on the BCG, without any issues.
- Easy clean up. Most of the BCG will wipe clean. The bolt tail is where the fouling is concentrated. I wipe it with a dry rag to remove the loose fouling. I then use my thumbnail to get off the fouling stuck to it. The very very very small spots that wont' come loose with a thumbnail nudge get wiped off with a Hoppe's No. 9 wetted patch.
Con:
- Price.
- Even though I can run without lube, I still will apply a very very light coat of oil to the BCG rails and the bottom where the hammer contacts as it cycles. While the NiBx coating is is inherently lubricious, my upper receiver and hammer (I run a 2-stage) are not NiBx coated. I put the very light coat of lube on just for peace of mind.
Overall, I like it. Would I do it again? Maybe not. Why?
I've run standard phosphate coated BCG's. I've run them dry, lightly lubed, lubed, to wet. I've run with liquid oils and grease. I've had BCG's that were pretty dirty. Not 4K rounds dirty, but 750 rounds dirty through my home built AR-15. On the rare occasion my BCG failed to cycle while on the range, I solved it with a quick squirt of lube into the ejection port and kept going. (That is after checking for any other failures that if left unattended, would cause a destructive outcome.)
I maintain my home built rifle, but not to the OCD levels of clean.
To make quick work of cleaning the bolt on this rifle, I use a CAT M4 tool.
It cleans the firing pin and bolt carrier too.
Scrape.
Wipe up.
The CAT M4 tool cost me $35. 1qt of Mobil 1 synthetic cost me $8. This keeps my standard BCG running. The Fail Zero semi-auto complete BCG cost me $185.
If your main concern is prepping for a disaster or situation where you won't have the luxury of a few minutes give your BCG a cursory clean with the CAT M4 and wipedown with Mobil1, then the Fail Zero complete BCG may be worth it to you.
If you are budget conscious, buy a NiBx bolt and install it into your existing carrier. IMO, while the entire NiBx BCG is nice the real advantage to NiBx really only on the bolt.
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