Gents,

I’m slowly upgrading a lot of components on my M&P Sport 2 i.e. Removed A2 Sight & Converted to Free Float w Aero Handguard & Gas Block, new LaRue Trigger, new charging handle, furniture etc. (you could say I have upgrade fever)...

Just curious if anyone upgraded their Bolt and saw any noticeable performance improvements? I’m looking at Toolcraft, Fail Zero & Aero Precision...lots of different finishes to research but Nickel Boron vs Black Nitride etc...any recommendations?

No need. Nice to have a spare bolt though.

A spare bcg is not a bad idea although it is unlikely you will ever need it. If you are ordering a bcg on-line it would be a good idea to include some small parts such as gas rings and pins also.

I have a U.S. 50 caliber surplus ammo can labeled AR Field Kit. Inside the can I have a wide variety of parts, a couple of 30 round magazines and some ammunition. I keep the small parts in a prescription pill bottle. Some of the small parts are unlikely I will ever need especially in the field or at the shooting range but I build my AR’s so it is easy to keep a few extra springs, detent pins, bolt parts, etc. both on my workbench and in the can. I also have a G.I. Cleaning Rod, brass brush, patches and a small bottle of CLP and a folding multi-tool designed for maintenance and making repairs.

As for bcg I make sure the bolt is HPI and MPI tested. I like nitride finish as it is easier to clean but my last bcg I got was parkerized.

As for whether switching bcgs will improve the accuracy of the gun I think using some magic powder and chants and plain dumb luck may help. My most accurate AR so far is a PSA budget rifle built on a Anderson Lower Receiver. When I got the kit I was not satisfied with how the gas key screws were staked and talked PSA into exchanging it for one of their premium bcgs. According to the Internet experts a $350.00 budget build on a Poverty Pony lower shouldn’t shoot so well but it does.

Based on my own experience with builds, I highly recommend Tool Craft Nickel Boron Bolt carrier groups, but there’s no reason to replace your current BCG except because you want to.

Stock BCG is fine. Spare parts....even better!

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SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS

the best upgrade you can make is more trigger time,
then a Match barrel,

With current ammo costs, I expect my stock bolt to last a long time!

BCG either works or does not. Will a new BCG be head spaced properly? Probably, but maybe not... If you have extra funds to spend, maybe buy a better barrel...

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S&W factory revolver armorer

It's all about a bolt assembly; not the carrier. One in a trillion chance you'll ever have an issue with the carrier.

Buy more ammo, just shoot it.

My first AR has a Wilson .223 Wylde air gauged free float 16” barrel. I did not know anything about AR’s back then so I followed the recommendation of a co-worker. This gun has been a disappointment to me as I have not been able to get the groups I expect from a premium barrel. I did switch the bcg’s and have noticed a little improvement although far from what I should need for varmint hunting.

I want to stress that I am on a specific goal with this particular gun which is why I switched the bcg otherwise I would run it just as it is.

You're unlikely to see any improvement in performance by changing the BCG. Nickel boron is nice, though. I have one on one of my ARs. The only real advantage is ease of cleaning. No scrubbing or brushing to clean it. Just wipe away the grime with a soft rag.

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Or something like that . . .

Unless you are shooting premium match ammo and handfeeding each round, dont expect bughole groups.
Frequently subMOA guarantees are doing what I just described. And with only 3 rounds.
It helps to have a crisp 3# aftermarket trigger, a good scope, a windless day, matched upper and lower with the tightening screws, 4 bays distant from anyone else at the range and a sled. Also you can chrono the groups to make sure there wasnt a variation in velocity. For tiny groups, OCD component selection, and handloading is a must.
With a 223 AR i can get groups of 10 less than an inch. But it is a rare event which usually takes 3 trips to dial in a load. I have had best luck with heavier projectiles. 69-77grain matchking/scenars.
I also run a premium 308 AR and its very hard for me to get a group of 10 shots under 1” from a “subMOA guaranteed” gun..
Fyi the wylde chamber isnt a match chamber. It still has some slop in it to maintain reliability. To me, an AR is what it is. A good gun to lay down suppressive fire from a squad of 5-10 men.
If you are shooting within 100 yds, an upgraded 10/22 is an excellent varmint tool and much easier to tune.
I am of course assuming you have excellent shooting fundamentals down to an exact science. Not meant to offend in any way.

An AR can hit human sized targets at 400yds but can an AR be a squirrel plinker at 400 yds? It can be done but a better and easier tool exists for it. Sorry if it wasnt what you were hoping to hear.

Also it wouldnt hurt to get the matching Wilson bolt.
I know some rifle military sniper commando will tell you how easy it is , it has been done 1000x and how much I suck

I replaced the buffer on my M&P15 with an H2 Buffer. I’ve also upgraded the BCG’s on all my AR’s to FA (which is what the AR15 was designed for) and kept the originals for backup.

Replaced my buffer with JP Enterprises Silent Captured Recoil Buffer Spring Assembly Gen 2 AR-15. upgraded bolt to Nickel Boron Bolt carrier on 1 Colt.
Other Colt stock , quite a difference .
No twang on moded one & much smoother . Both have Lantac Dragon muzzle brakes.

3rdgear...

Thanks for your comments.

So far I have only used 55 gr. FMJ. I plan on testing heavier bullets. I reload most of my ammunition so I need to find some heavier bullets.

I have a ACT ALG trigger in it. I have Hiperfire Sharpshooter on hand and have not decided if I want to try a two stage trigger.

For sights all I using is Magpul. A scope is the plans. While
BUIS are not very good for a accuracy I do expect small groups at 25 yards with the gun bench rested in sandbag. If it will not give tight groups at 25 then 100 yards is a waste time and ammunition.

It does act like it wants to give good groups. It gives me five or so tight shots then starts opening up. With the pandemic I figure on having time later this year for testing. I am only changing one variable at a time.

Changing the bcg was a easy thing to change since I already had it on hand.

When I build an AR I only use ToolCraft BCG's.

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How many guns are too many?