Bolt question for AR15 fans!

[Longbow]

My friend is selling a chromed complete bolt assy for $75.
The thing is lightened, and he claims its done for faster recoil recovery and better accuracy.
Is it a good thing to have a lightened bolt? Or am I looking at trouble? My AR works fine as it is. Thanks in advance!

P.S.
Its marked Y/M NM.

 

[PUMC_TomG]

I would be curious as to how he lightened it...

The old addage "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" comes to mind.

 

[Longbow]

Its lightened from the factory.

 

[DnPRK]

The mass of the bolt, bolt carrier and buffer reacts against the force of the buffer spring to keep from battering the receiver extension. In other words, your friend doesn't know what he's talking about.

To make the bolt more accurate, he would need to square up the bolt face and mate the bolt lugs to the barrel extension. This work would be one of the last things to do to accurize an AR-15 because there are many more modifications with a much higher payoff (trigger, sights, barrel, free float tube and lots of practice).

 

[lycanthrope]

See DnPRK's post. +1

 

[Tweak]

Young Manufacturing?

The NM carriers I've seen are heavier than normal tho the Young one does have small flutes at the front.

waste of money, they are larger in diameter and that has nothing to do with accuracy but does reduce the clearance between the upper and the carrier thereby decreasing space available for fouling.

+1 on the "ain't broke" sentiment, if your rifle works don't fuss with it.

 

[Chris Rhines]

In other words, your friend doesn't know what he's talking about.

Quite the contrary.

Lightening the bolt carrier reduces the total reciprocating mass of the AR action, which reduces muzzle jump. Shoot a rifle with a standard Mil-Spec bolt carrier side-by-side with a JP Low-Mass Operating System and you'll quickly see what I mean.

A light bolt carrier won't have any effect on the mechanical accuracy of the gun, but who cares? A stock AR already has more mechanical accuracy than 99% of shooters can employ. The reduced muzzle flip and faster cycling time does lead to an increase in practical accuracy, though.

If your friend is selling a JP Lightweight bolt carrier, and you decide that you don't want it, I'd be more than happy to take it off his hands...

- Chris

 

[mtnbkr]

Regardless of the merits of the system, $75 for a complete assembly (assuming bolt and carrier) is a steal assuming it's functional. I paid $95 for my RRA bolt assembly and was happy for it.

It might be a good spare or the beginnings of a new upper.

Chris

 

[Jon Coppenbarger]

$75 is a very good deal and I would buy it just for that reason if I never used it but might use it for resale.
The trend for competition is to go heavier in the bolt carrier area.
Going heavier does a few things.
#1 It slows down the opening of the bolt slightly.
#2 it allows you to use a slightly heavier load with less pressure signs.
#3 It reduces recoil allowing faster acurate follow up shots by allowing you to get your sights back on your target faster.

That is the main reason for a carrier weight system like the ones David Tubb sells.
Does the average guy need one to be heavier. Not really they most likely would not see the benifit it gives.
Do I have one not yet but do have them on order and have tried them and they do work.
Alot of things are gimics but most are based on a ideal that works for what they are designed for. Faster cycle go lighter, slower cycle go heavier. Makes perfect sense to me.
Once you get to a point where you have reached the rifles limit or you feel you are getting close to what your rifle can deliever then yes it may be wise to look at other things that can help you.
Now myself at this point I am looking into a few things actually 3 things to help but trying them out and if they add a few points to my game. At this point it is worth it.
The things I am working on are using a heavier carrier by adding the carrier weight system. I feel it will do several things for me and they are all good.
First it will allow me to use a stiffer load which will allow me to maximize the potential of my rifle in more conditions. And at the same time reduced the recoil allowing me to spend more time taking a better shot and both of those reasons are big.
The other item Iam working is also going to work out more than anything else here but has nothing to do with the subject.

Go buy it if just for the deal.
Jon

 

[c_yeager]

I believe that the lighter bolts were intended to be used in shorter than standard gas systems. The AR family needs a certain amount of barrel on the far side of the gas port in order to move the bolt through it's full stroke. On extremely short barreled rifles (i.e. pistols) there isnt enough pressure (?) to reliably move the bolt through its full stroke. Hence, the lighter bolt would require less pressure to move due to the reduced mass. I don't know if it really has a place in a precision AR though.

 

[Longbow]

It looks similar to the lightweight ones sold by Les Baer (' seen at Brownell's), but with some flutes in the front.

So the consencus is, for the $$ its a good deal, but for the claimed merits, its not?
I guess I'de still buy it! I don't compete in 3 gun matches, but I would like to build another AR15, just because. Thanks everyone!

 

[mtnbkr]

So the consencus is, for the $$ its a good deal, but for the claimed merits, its not?

That's what I'm taking from this discussion.

For the AR experts, if putting this bolt assembly into a carbine, would it benefit from a 9mm buffer (or one of the various H* buffers) to offset the weight loss in the bolt? It makes sense in my mind that it would...

Chris

 

[Longbow]

I bought it!

I'll put it in my Colt SP1 and try it at the range this weekend.

 

[NMshooter]

Well, mtnbkr, don't know that I would want a non-standard bolt (and if I did it would be an LMT enhanced) but there is a 9mm buffer in my future.

Suprising how much difference it makes in a carbine.