Top 5 AR BCG's?

[DustyGmt]

What are a few of the top tier BCG's out there? I've always been told the BCM is like the gold standard but it seems alot of folks think it's just way overpriced for what it is, essentially a BCM logo laser etched rebranded toolcraft.

What are you guys using? I have a few PSA nitride and standard park, some say MP some dont. They all seem to work the same, so far anyway. Just want to know if there is some quantifiable reason to pay $160+ for a bcg or if I should just upgrade to PSA premium which are HPT and MP tested or if there are any others that are known quality but not crazy expensive...

 

[Chuck R.]

I've pretty much just gone to Toolcraft unless it's something special like a lightweight.

A couple years ago I had a rust issue on one of their nitrided BCGs and their CS was amazing.

 

[Skylerbone]

I have 1 RRA phosphate and 7 Toolcraft Melonite or NiBs. The Rock River came with a complete rifle, the rest were ordered, mostly from Righttobear. I don’t think I’ll ever spend more than the $75-$90 price of a coated Toolcraft because they work fine and are easier to clean but if I did spend a bundle it would be a vanity upgrade from Cryptic, not an optimized useful upgrade from LMT.

 

[briansmithwins]

I’ve pretty much stuck with generic except for a PWS that I got on sale that has sand cuts. I do swap out the extractor springs for the heavy Wolff springs. I’ve never seen an AR with too heavy of extraction but I have seen some with too light.

Observationally, having lube on you BCG is a much better predictor of reliability than the actual model of BCG.

BSW

 

[Browning]

What are you guys using?

More BCM than anything else, but besides those I have Noveske, RRA, WMD, PSA, Bushmaster and Colt.

All work more or less the same. Needed to replace a broke extractor spring way early in one of the PSA’s. I went ahead and replaced it in the others just in case.

Other than that I haven’t had any issues other than normal run of the mill maintenance.

 

[earlthegoat2]

Ive used all the different Brownells branded ones with pretty much identical results and cleaning ease. I don't put thousands of rounds through them though.

 

[DustyGmt]

How bout Aero BCG, are they just rebranded Toolcraft or are they any good? Also how about finish, do Nib hold up just as well as mil spec. I was thinking about either an aero or nitride toolcraft since alot if BCG's are out of stock right now but the tool craft uses 9310 bolt, not sure it matters really but I would just prefer C158

 

[DustyGmt]

I just got a email link with a pretty good deal on a geissele BCG for $110. Are they any good, any of you guys use a geissele

 

[BigBL87]

My one AR I own has a PSA premium BCG, no issues this far. If I was buying over again, I might upgrade to a NiB one just for a little extra ease in cleaning.

 

[DustyGmt]

I just ordered a geissele for $110. 8620/C158 HPT/MP w/ CL. Says sources from same supplier as DOD so I assume it's as close to a Colt milspec BCG as I can get. Also ordered along with it a 6 pk of sprinco 5 coil extractor springs to upgrade my others since another poster in another thread got me thinking about it......I need to order a couple more, might try Nib or nitride toolcrafts

 

[Gordon]

I have been fooling with BCM Nickel boron coated BCG with highest grade bolt (head) . The bolt head is the wearing part, all things considered and a small parts kit with Bolt head, pin and extractor o rings (and small pins and springs) fits into an AR handle carry space or a very small space so you allways have it with an AR https://jprifles.com/1.4.7_Bolt.php

so if you have a Ni Boron BCM or other higrade BCG then is you have one of those JP bolts, you can install it and keep the bolt that came with the BCG as a spare and have it all.

 

[Cemetery21]

LMT, YHM, I've had several no-names and never had an issue with any of them. The ones that get the most use are in prairie dog rigs, but even those don't get wrung out like rifles used in a class or a fire mission - I have no experience there. As an armorer, all we had were Colts back then and never an issue with those either.

 

[Zerodefect]

BCM, Colt, Larue, are my favorites.

 

[js8588]

Make sure Lantac Enhanced is on your list.

 

[d2wing]

I haver replaced two faulty Bolts and a BCG with BCM's I trust them. The complete BCG I replaced was a PSA with there logo on it. The bolt bound in the carrier on that one. Others might be as good but I like to be confident in my guns.

 

[entropy]

I like Alex Arms BCG's-they are made over d2wings way, in Alexandria, MN. I bought a nickel boron one on sale for what most nitride ones run, and was impressed. I will use them for builds going forward.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

Young Manufacturing

I trust them COMPLETELY.

Todd.

 

[TonyAngel]

BCM. I'm not saying they are the best, but they are good and I've been using them for years. I recently came across the ToolCraft BCGs. The specs look good and the price is right.

There can't be a butt ton of companies making these things. It's gotta be a few with many rebranding. I'd sure like to know who ToolCraft makes BCGs for. As I said, the spec sheet looks good.

 

[DustyGmt]

It's frustrating when I'm looking for something and companies aren't up front about where they source things from. Like the Geissele, just says sourced from a top tier DOD manufacturer. I've also always wondered who made PSA BCG. Same with LPK's. It's hard to pin down exactly who makes what in the AR world isnt it

 

[Skylerbone]

ToolCraft makes all of PSA’s BCGs. They used to say as much in the description which is now omitted. BTW, ToolCraft produces 9,000/week which means there’s a whole lot of “logo’d” carriers out there being sold as someone else’s.

 

[DustyGmt]

ToolCraft makes all of PSA’s BCGs. They used to say as much in the description which is now emitted. BTW, ToolCraft produces 9,000/week which means there’s a whole lot of “logo’d” carriers out there being sold as someone else’s.

I would think PSA would want to promote the fact that toolcraft makes the product they're selling as they are regarded well and some people have a not so great impression of PSA as being kind of bottom barrel.

Sometimes I see PSA selling BCG for as low as 49.99, must be because they probably buy thousands at a time and get a meaningful discount to be able to sell that low. Either that or toolcraft sells them their factory rejects and neither of them want that advertised so if a customer has a problem it looks bad for both PSA and Toolcraft. I'm just speculating here, dont mind me.

 

[Varminterror]

Either that or toolcraft sells them their factory rejects and neither of them want that advertised so if a customer has a problem it looks bad for both PSA and Toolcraft.

Do you have any idea of the liabilities a company would assume in the event of an injurious failure if they passed “rejected” bolts or carriers to a third party retailer?

 

[Skylerbone]

I think PSA is just doing what so many others have, promoting their Brand and taking credit.

 

[DustyGmt]

Do you have any idea of the liabilities a company would assume in the event of an injurious failure if they passed “rejected” bolts or carriers to a third party retailer?

I meant "reject" in much the same vein as PSA getting factory second bbl's from FN for instance. It seems plausible that they would do that for other parts and pieces too....

 

[DustyGmt]

I think PSA is just doing what so many others have, promoting their Brand and taking credit.

True. I bet you're probably right. imo though I think PSA has sold a ton of premium uppers largely due to the help that they advertised their bbl's to be FN. I just think the same could be said for Toolcraft. A known quality. Not to say PSA isnt quality, I like their stuff even though I know their go/no go gauges are a lil more tolerant....